How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies

A title of "How to make Millions Before Grandma Dies" (2024) can take your imagination in different directions.  The story takes place in Thailand that might indicate something different from western standards.

Certainly there are differences, but there are also similarities.  The plot revolves around the impending death of a Grandmother.  She will need special and difficult care.  On the other hand there could be a small fortune to be gained.  A lot of the same dynamics are in play.

M, a grandson when he learns about his Grandmother's diagnosis quits his job and drops by to offer his help.  His mother told him not to reveal the cancer diagnosis or how long she was expected to live.  He did, very deliberately and she seems to have appreciated the honesty.  She criticizes a lot of his early efforts, but gradually lets him get involved.  

M is coached a bit by a cousin who inherited some money after taking care of a dying relative.  We do see the Grandmother's one son try to take over the caring, but the Grandmother resents him.  The other son wants to borrow money.  M's mother is the only daughter and she confesses she is too busy although at one time she helped the Grandmother's congee business.   

You can imagine how the situation plays out and I would concede that M becomes attached to his Grandmother.  One unexpected scene has him giving his Grandmother a sponge bath showing only her back.  The process does not go quite as M expected and he is really affected by the Grandmother's death.  Oh; the other underlying expectations don't pan out exactly as envisioned.  Many tears flow during the course of the film, but there is a satisfying justice that may catch you off guard.  

This film set the record for highest grossing Thai film.  It took some talented people to make it happen.  Here are a few.

Thodsapon Thiptinnakorn initiated the idea from personal experience.  He took care of his grandmother during the Covid-19 pandemic  She didn't leave any money to her daughter or her caregivers.  An experienced writer he has 29 writing credits.  

 Pat Boonnipat was the director and writer.  He has 4 directing credits, 2 for writing and 1 for the camera and electrical department.  

Vanridee Pongsittsak was the producer.  She has 32 producer credits, 10 for the Script and Continuity Department and 4 for writing including "One Day" (2016) and "Bad Genius" (2017).   See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/06/bad-genius-out-of-thailand.html

Jaithep Roroengiai was the composer.  He started with commercials.  He has 9 composing credits, 2 for the music department and 1 for soundtrack.

Boonyanuch Kraithong was the cinematographer.  She has 16 cinematographer credits, 4 for the camera and electrical department and 1 for directing including "One Day" (2016).

Thammarat Sumethsupachok was the editor.  He has 18 editor credits plus 1 for directing.

Putthipong Assaratanakul played M, the grandson He has a singing career, but has lately been studying business in London.  He has 4 acting credits.  

Usha Seamkhum played the Grandmother making her feature debut at age 78.  She had appeared in a music video a few years before and was noticed.  

Sarinrat Thomas played M's mother.  She has a drama therapy degree from the United Kingdom plus a Masters degree in Psychotherapy and Counseling.  She has 7 acting credits including "The Impossible" (2012) and "Bad Genius" (2017).

Tontawan Tantivejakul played Mui.  She is studying to be a dentist.  She has 5 acting credits.

"How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies" is available subtitled and dubbed on Netflix.  See why it is so popular and brings so many to tears.

As usual I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.  They are not necessarily a recommendation, but generally I found them worthy of my time.  If you follow the one link you should be able to determine if a particular film is worth following up.

Remember Me by Charity Norman

As a Facebook friend to the author I learned of this book and that it was about dementia and a mystery.  I was expecting to read about detectives uncovering clues, analyzing them and finally cornering the culprit.  Not quite like that.  Life is full of mystery and most of us have wondered about long ago events and once in awhile are able to satisfy ourselves about the real truth.  In this novel we learn right off the bat that someone went for a hike and just never returned. 

The narrator, Emily had moved to England and was not anxious to visit the family that remained in New Zealand, especially her father.  She remembered him as a cold parent who was more involved in his medical practice.  He was said to be in a very poor mental state with dementia forcing him to make bad decisions.  Her original intention was to check the situation and go back home.

Her father, Felix proved to be advancing in dementia which might have accounted for his greater appreciation and affection for his daughter.  She felt obligated to prolong her stay indefinitely.  This put her in conflict with a brother and a sister.  A topic of many in the hometown was the disappearance 25 years ago of a childhood friend, Leah of whom Emily had been the last known contact.  She uncovers some surprising information almost by accident and is later confronted by unexpected words.  

To build suspense authors sometimes use a misunderstanding.  Words and actions can be misinterpreted and later are revealed as having  been very different.  There is a good misunderstanding where one person's motivation seems to be out of character and helps suggest another person's response.  We do like surprises that add to our enjoyment.

The ending seems like an afterthought, but if you read the buildup it may well bring tears.

The main character remembered a child hood experience that reminded me of my trip to New Zealand. Going to a park in Auckland a big surprise was seeing eels being fed by some laughing youngsters.  Eels were considered weird and even to be avoided.  They can't be all bad if youngsters can play with them.  An uncle had been involved with a major dam project in Ontario that involved engineering a bypass for eels.

Part of the motivation for this novel comes from the author's experience with her mother who died after a bout of dementia.  Charity didn't know her mother had been suffering as much as she had.  Going through her mother's personal effects after the death she discovered notes that demonstrated an awareness of her impending fate.  She had listed the names of all her children, her husband and few acquaintances.  .

 My goal in this blog is to whet your appetite for the book itself and an appreciation of the author.  This is not intended to be a summary as I believe you have to read the book to understand the nuances and conclusion.  It seems likely there will be greater accessibility to her books in North America and hopefully this blog will be a small step in that direction. 

 Acknowledgements can sometimes add more understanding.  Charity admitted that she wrote parts of the novel in a Wellington cafe.  Wellington was an enjoyable city comparable to the Canadian capital Ottawa.  I can picture the relaxing atmosphere.   

My interest in this novel has a history.  About ten years ago my wife and I decided to visit our son in New Zealand.  Before that we had been given an airline credit after a hotel problem in Cuba.  It wasn't enough for a major trip, but encouraged us to plan one to visit our son.  Michael was anxious to show us more of New Zealand than just the big city of Auckland.  At one point we spent a night in Napier and reading a newspaper I caught a story about a local author.  It seemed  of some interest, but I didn't do anything until venturing in a nearby book store near where my soon lived.  I saw the book and thought it would make an interesting souvenir.  When I read it I quite enjoyed it.

I persuaded my son to bring to Canada a more recent novel.  On a subsequent visit to New Zealand I happened on a used book store and was able to buy two more of her novels.  Her books apparently were available in England and other parts of Europe, but not North America.  Since then I struggled with an ebook.  Very recently with my wife's help I was able to discover another source and unbelievably found "Remember Me", ordered online and got home delivery all within a few hours.  

My son recently married a wonderful woman who had also immigrated to New Zealand.  It seems his future is in New Zealand and I am glad to have a separate New Zealand connection.  A summary of my involvement  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/02/charity-norman-discovery.html

Two non Bollywood films from India

Westerners are aware of Bollywood if for no other reason than to avoid it.  Furthermore they feel all films from India are Bollywood, but that isn't true.  Some estimate that the total population is pushing one billion and contains many different languages.  The language diversity is also reflected in cultural diversity.  The main language Hindi, is where Bollywood begins.  Although music plays an important role in the different languages there are many films without the stereotypical song and dance.

The languages also relate to one another.  Often a successful film in one language will be re done in other languages.

"Court:  State vs. a Nobody" (2025) is filmed originally in Telegu, but is available in English and other Indian languages.  It is about an injustice rectified by a novice lawyer.  We follow a young 17 year old girl attracted to a 19 year old boy.  As westerners their courtship does not seem at all unusual, but the father of the girl is outraged.  Part of his disgust relates to the lowly status of the boy.  The father fearing for his own status hires a lawyer and the two fabricate a string of witnesses and the boy is locked up without bail and is about to receive judgement after an unfair trial.  Some local men hear of a remarkable lawyer in another town.  The well known lawyer is tied up and somehow a novice lawyer decides to step in and quickly prove to be very capable forcing another trial.  The procedures does not go smoothly and at one point he despairs.  His boss revitalizes his confidence.  You can imagine how it turns out. 

Ram Jagadeesh is both director and writer.  This is his first effort at this level and demonstrates he has mastered a bit part of film making.  

The producer, Prashanti Tiperineni has an unusual background.  She started as a costume designer where she picked up some awards and 4 credits.  She went onto to produce 5 producing credits.  Some of her films including  "Baahubali 2" (2017), "Awe" (2018) and "Hit" (2020).

Vijay Bulganin was in charge of music.  He has 12 composing credits plus 3 for soundtrack.

Dineesh Purushothama was the cinematographer.  He has 7 cinematography credits including a favorite from last year, "Maharaja" (2024).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/07/maharaja.html       

 Priyadarshi Pulikonda played the novice lawyer.  He has 71acting credits, 2 for directing and 3 for writing including, "Mallesham" (2019) and "Hi Nanna" ((2023).    See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/01/hi-nanna.html

Sai Kumar played the prosecuting deceitful lawyer.  He started in theatre and went onto have 173 acting credits including "Drishyam 2" (2021), "Vaathi" (2023), "Saripodhaa Sanivaaram" (2024).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/02/drishyam-2-signifies-new-global-movie.html

"Court:  State vs. a Nobody" is available on Netflix subtitled in English.  They have 5 different audio versions. not including English

"Test" (2025) received a lot of negative reviews.  One regularly read reviewer thought it was too long for a movie and too short for a series, but conceded there was a core of a story and a great cast.  If you like tense films you will likely enjoy it.

There are three main roles that in the first part of the movie their characters are developed.  Arjun is a cricket player once greatly admired for his abilities but has been declining.  As described by others he was not motivated by fame or fortune, but love of the game.  That love caused suffering for his wife and son.  Kudmutha was a classmate of his and also the teacher of Arjun's son.  She had a fertility concern.  Her husband, Sara was a frustrated scientist who couldn't get enough money to finance his project.  He had lied to his wife and now loan sharks were threatening him.  

The loan sharks were involved with a scheme to make money with a gambling play on an upcoming Test match between India and Pakistan.  Sara got the idea of kidnapping the son and forcing Arjun to help swing the bet against the favored Indian team.  The test match takes five days and over that time Arjun and Sara push each other.  It gets very tense as each man has a strong motivation.

S. Sashikanth is director writer and producer.  He has 22 credits as producer including "Vikram Vedha" (2017).  "Test" was his first effort as both director and writer.

Shakthisree Gopalan, the composer was the deciding factor in my decision to watch this poorly reviewed film.  I enjoy her singing and realized she had started composing and writing lyrics, but this was her first venture in charge of the music of a feature film.  She started singing in performances at an early age, especially Carnatic songs.  She graduated as an architect and had the good fortune to be asked to do architecture for perhaps the greatest Indian composer, A. R. Rahman.  That relationship led to some playback jobs, notably "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" (2012) and"Kadal" (2013).  She has sung in Tamil, Telegu, Malayalam, Hindi and English.  She has 61 credits for the music department.  Other films she sang for included "Uyare" (2019), "Dharala Prabhu" (2019) and "Andhaaghaaram" (2020).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/08/uyare-unexpected-gem.html

Viraj Vinh Gohil was the cinematographer   He has 30 cinematography credits and 4 for camera and electrical department.

T.S. Suresh was the editor.  He has 30 editor credits and 14 for the editorial department including "Ghajini" (2008) and "Tezz" (2012).

Madhavan played Sara the frustrated scientist.  He had won national public speaking awards and is fluent in English, Hindi and Tamil.  He took part in a student exchange program to Stetler, Alberta, Canada,  He has appeared in such films as "Rang de Basanti" (2006), "Guru" (2007) and "3 Idiots" (2009) which were all exceptional movies.  Another film was the American, "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" (2012).  My first awareness of him was with "Kannathil Mutthamthal" (A Peck on the Cheek) (2002), but I assumed it was a Bollywood film and much later learned it was a Tamil film, opening another door for me.  Other films include "Arbe Sivan" (2003), "Tanu Weds Manu" (2011),"Dhoka" (2022) and "The Railway Men" (2023). See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/11/the-railway-men.html

Nayanthara plays  Kudmudha, the wife of the frustrated scientist.  In 2022 she wad declared to be the highest paid South Indian actress.  She has 83 acting credits and 2 as producer including "Jawan" (2023) and "Annapoori" (2023).

Siddharth played Arjun, the critical cricket player.  In school he was a debating president and got to attend the World Debating championship.  He has dubbed in several languages.   He has 44 acting credits, 12 for the music department and 5 for producing including "Rang de Basanti" (2006), "Once Upon a Warrior" (2011), "Midnight's Children" (2012) and "Chashme Baddoor" (2013).

Nassar payed Ramasamy, one of the heavy gamblers.  He can speak 8 languages.  He has 512 acting credits, 5 for directing and 3 for writing including "Nayakan" (1987), "Chaachi 420" (1987), "Roja" (1992), "Bombay" (1995),  "Fair Game" (2010), Article 15" (2019) and "Serious Men" (2020).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/09/article-15.html

"Test" is available on Netflix subtitled in English and several other European and Indian languages.  It is available dubbed in English and several other languages.

Other Indian languages that have produced worthy films include Malayalam,  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/03/how-i-discovered-malayalam-cinema-and.html   Kannada, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Urdu and Punjabi,

As usual I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.  They are not necessarily a recommendation, but generally I found them worthy of my time.  If you follow the links you should be able to determine if a particular film is worth following up.

Hooked: How Big Food Draws You In

The term "addiction" has been subjected to legal debate.  Many court cases revolved around the term, but most of them failed to make the big food companies back down.  

Tobacco was perhaps the major consumer item that battled against government rules and business interests hired very clever lawyers.  Addiction was often a key factor, but for years tobacco lawyers were able to dismiss the notion.  Ironically many of the tobacco companies had excess money and invested much of it with big food companies where its legal expertise would be helpful.

From an unguarded comment a tobacco lobbyist defined addiction as "a repetitive behavior that some people feel difficult to quit" that was adopted by the author.  Some substances are not as addictive as assumed, for example cocaine.

 In the first part of the book, Michael Moss explains how evolution has developed to boost human survival mostly under greater environmental limitations.  Upright on two legs allowed humans to see further and walk more to get a greater variety of foods.  Fire allowed easier digestion which in turn allowed for a smaller stomach.  A smaller stomach allowed for a bigger brain (obviously other factors involved).  Deeper research revealed that humans are the only animal that tastes with its nose adding to the intensity of flavor.  

It was advantageous for the body to store fat as it was really energy that make long treks to get a variety of food (with vitamins and minerals) more easily.

Roy Wise, a researcher at McGill University discovered that a stimulus to a rat's brain could motivate it to eat large quantities of food that had previously been ignored.  We (and food scientists) realized that the brain had as much to do with a desire to eat as the stomach.  The brain retains a memory of various tastes and craves sugar, fat and salt.  The sooner these tastes reaches the brain, the sooner the demand for more. 

In the second part we learn how businesses have exploited opportunities.  Legal issues were examined in detail to make sure they could present optimal appeal to consumers.  Labeling requires more detail than in the past, but it is still possible to hide some details.  For instance serving sizes tend to be less than what people actually eat.  They employ scientists to maximize food appeal and the costs.  

Society has been changing.  A great percentage of women have taken jobs and are looking for easy ways to feed their families.  Many people eat while watching television.  Food can be comforting when dealing with stress and some contend modern life provides much of that.  

Advertising has increasingly become more sophisticated and targeted.  In an advertising agency I was able to look at data reports for radio and tv.  First you got quarterly views/listens for a particular outlet, but then you could view by age and sex.  The advertising firm made their decisions by comparing the cost of reaching a very specific target group.  Undoubtedly they have become even more precise in targeting.

 Dieting has not escaped food scientists.  When they sensed that more people were becoming conscious of their weight and health they searched for ways to retain their loyalty.  Looking for sugar and fat substitutes was relentless.  Some substitutes have been associated with increased risks of cancer and other diseases.

All sorts of diet groups emerged and for most consumers a familiar pattern developed of initial loss of weight followed by a relapse.  Another understanding was learned:  the importance of metabolism and how our bodies reacted to changes in diet.  In order to survive hundreds of thousand years ago the body had to adjust in times of famine by burning less energy. 

One example of how McDonald's can be harmful was provided by Morgan Spurlock who I did a blog on a few years back.    http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/03/the-greatest-movie-ever-sold.html

Many read his book with the motivation to improve their eating habits and therefore their life.  First the author would claim information is power.  You know better what your body (brain) wants and you have a better idea of what big food wants to do.  You know the body reacts quickly to tastes, so you will feel full sooner if you eat slow.  One given example was to snack on pistachios with their shells on.  Chewing gives your brain more time to process information.  Beware of colorful packaging on the shelf and discard at home before eating.

Another blog from a few years ago deals with the habit of being distracted while you eat.  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2011/09/mindless-eating-cf-mindful-eating.html 

Acknowledgements are often glossed over, but some reveal what motivated the author.  Michael Moss had written another food book and had won a Pulitzer Prize.  One morning after a barbecue followed by finishing next morning's breakfast before lunch he had a craving for leftover kabobs.  He became curious as to why.  His research went to a psychiatrist studying how heroin went from cravings to addiction and the whole subject of motivation and how we could be manipulated.  Legal experts and scientists provided most of the facts and made for a fascinating account of what effects all of us.  He also thanked his wife and two sons for tolerating his experimental cooking and constant talking about his research.

Something is Wrong!

Donald Trump self righteously said the world has been taking advantage of America and the solution is tariffs.  The world has indeed taken advantage of America, but somehow it has worked to the American advantage.

 When America formed they used tariffs to protect their new businesses which made a lot of sense as British goods could command a bigger share for consumers.  Over time with population increases and uncovering nature's bounty their economy grew and they became one of the participants negotiating free trade.  Their manufacturing actually produced more goods than Americans could consume.  The solution was to sell to the rest of the world, including third world countries.  Free fair trade in fact benefited everyone.

Parts of the world where the standard living was lower than America found their advantage was cheap labor.  American investors soon discovered they could get a competitive advantage shifting manufacturing to poor countries.  In turn this helped elevate the living standards of these countries, examples include Japan and China.  In turn they became consumers of American manufactured goods.  

China, for one has accumulated enough wealth they are the chief lender for the United States government and at relatively low rates.  America has sanctioned a lot of adversaries such as Russia, Iran and China, but now they have discovered they can trade among themselves to not only minimize  the damage, but prosper.  They have formed new trading groups involving such nations as Brazil, South Africa, Indonesia, Vietnam, Ethiopia, India and many more.

The troubles in Ukraine and Palestine and inflation have distracted the world from an approaching life threatening issue, climate change.  Unfortunately it will require international co-operation.  We have already lost some options and the solutions may end up being more drastic that will attract resistance.  

Mr. Trump presents himself as a business genius and some people think the disastrous situation he has created will allow him to use sharp negotiations to at least make America great again.  His record is not impressive to some of us.  One example is bankrupting casinos that are considered a license to print money.  He has offered a large number of products that all failed.  His sales college used illegal tactics that hurt victims and he had to pay $25 MILLION dollars.  When the unexpected Covid 19 pandemic hit he dangerously botched it.  The consequences of his mismanagement is still costing Americans.

Obama took over an economic mess and left Trump a rising economy.  Even before Covid, Trump managed to greatly increase the deficit and afterwards left another mess.  The Biden administration actually got things going in the right diretion better than any other G7 nation.

It is past time when member nations need to work together.  Americans (and we in Canada and the rest of the western world) have a much high standard of living than most of the rest of the world.  We have in fact exploited poorer nations.

Two areas that gather a lot of words, but allow suffering are Ukraine and Palestine.  Ukraine was illegally invaded by Russia and somehow Trump leads Republicans to lean more towards the anti-democratic invaders.  Israel has roots in over a hundred years, but one detail that seems to be forgotten, the Arabs were already there and naturally resented the intruders.  Trump has suggested expelling the Palestinians to make room for a resort area.  A sense of justice is required.

It is upsetting to hear Trump supporters twist logic.  Most of them are descended from immigrants who were seeking a better life and for the most part succeeded.  Of course as climate change and wars have hit more countries United States is not only seen as a chance to raise living standards, but also as a safe place. Ironically America will need immigrants to replace aging workers who contribute to pensions.

America has attained its high standard of living in part by exploiting other nations.  The world has now developed its own leverage.   Now with AI and robotic innovations eventually the world will need less human labor that likely aggravate inequality.

Time for Americans and the rest of us to re-think what we really need.  Trump has to go.

When life Gives You Tangerines--beautiful famly drama

 A confession.  I am affected by IMDB ratings although skeptical.   "When Life Gives you Tangerines" got my attention with a 9.3 rating when it first became available to me, but after a few weeks it climbed to 9.4 proving that North Americans strongly liked it.  My skepticism melted quickly, but its true value is how it builds.

It has romance, heartbreaks, few laughs, difficult struggles but is really a family drama.  Parenting over two generations is a big part of the plot.  The stories takes place on Jeujeu Island and Seoul.  

Ae-sun is an orphan who runs away and marries Gwan-Sik.  She has three children.

Geum Myeong, the daughter is sent to Japan to study and later works in Seoul where she attracts her first love and has to deal with a disapproving potential mother in law. 

The film uses flashbacks a lot.  Sometimes it might be annoying, but it usually puts something in context.

This film really does deserve its high ratings due to a great amount of talent.  The few I list are an indication of the overall professionalism.

 Kim Won-seok created the idea and was director and producer.  He has 8 credits as a director and 1 as writer including "Misaeng" (2014), "Signal" (2016) and "My Mister" (2018).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/05/frequency-and-its-extended-korean-remake.html which discusses an American film with "Signal".

Krishna Dinata was the sound editor.  He has 8 credits for the Sound Department and 1 each for composing and music department including "A Copenhagen Love Story" (2025). `

IU (stage name of Lee Ji-eun) hooks you in as Ae-Sun at the beginning and later keeps your attention as the daughter Geum Myeong.  I was fooled by different hairstyles and a different acting, but now appreciate she was the true star.  She started at an early age as solo singer.  Several of her songs were ranked number one and she even put out a Japanese album.  She was also popular in China and Taiwan.  She wrote songs including one for "Crash Landing on You" (2019).  She was popular for television commercials.  In December 2024 she provided meals and snacks for protesters against President Yoon Suk Yeol, the president who had declared martial law.   see http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/02/crash-landing-on-you-very-addicting.html

Or her movie career she had 62 acting credits and 26 for composing including "My Mister" (2018) for which she learned sign language and "Broker" (2023)  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/07/broker-japanese-korean-collaboration.html under her real name Ji-eun Lee.

Park Bo-gum played Gwan-Sik, Ae-Sun's first and only love.  He was also a popular singer including with the Japanese market.  He was a torch bearer for the 2018 Winter Olympic Games.  A big award winner.  He has 20 acting credits and 1 for soundtrack. including "Itaewan Class" (2020).

Moon So-Ri played the middle age Ae-Sun.  She was active on stage and was a professor of film studies at Konkuk University.  She has 44 acting credits, 2 for directing and 2 for writing including "The President's Barber" (2004), "The Housemaid" (2016), "The Handmaiden" (2016) and "Queenmaker" (2023).  see http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/05/queenmaker.html

Park Hae-Joon played the middle age Gwan-Sik.   He has 44 acting credits including "Misaeng" (2014) and "My Mister" (2018).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/01/my-mister-is-slow-drama-with-emotional.html

Choi Dae-Hoon played Sang-gil, a brutish rival to Gwan-Sik.  He also acted on stage.  He has 26 acting credits including "Crash Landing on You" (2019), "Flower of Evil" (2020), "Melancholia" (2021) and "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" (2022).   See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/10/flower-of-evil.html and http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/08/extraordinary-attorney-woo.html

 Oh Jung-se played Byeong-Cheol.  He has 92 acting credits including "Swing Kids" (2018), "It's Okay Not to be Okay" (2020), "Queen of Tears" (2024) and "When the Stars Gossip" (2025).  See   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/03/its-okay-not-to-be-okay.htm and http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2025/02/when-stars-gossip.html

Yeom Hye-ran played Ae-Sun's mother in law.  She has 39 acting credits including "Memories of Murder" (2003), "Live Up to Your Name" (2017), "Chocolate" (2019), "The Glory" (2022), "Juvenile Justice" (2022) and "Mask Girl" (2023).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/07/live-up-to-your-name.html and http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/08/mask-girl.html

Kim Seon-ho played a boyfriend of Geum Myeong.  He was active in theatre.  He was elevated to leading man status because fans were displeased that he played second fiddle too often.  In this series he plays a strong emotional role, but doesn't quite make it.  He has 15 acting credits including "Strongest Deliveryman" (2017) and "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha" (2021) where he is the leading man.  See  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/10/hometown-cha-cha-cha-another-delightful.html

Jang Hye-jin played Yeong-ran.  She has 29 acting credits including "Poetry" (2010), "Crash Landing on You" (2019), Oscar winner "Parasite" (2019) and "Doctor Slump" (2024).   See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/09/parasite-breaks-oscar-tradition.html

This series can be enjoyed subtitled or dubbed on Netflix with some tears and cheers.  This is the most worthy of your attention I have seen this year.

As usual I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.  Some of them are among my favorite Korean films and a big part of my Korean obsession.  If you follow the links you should be able to determine if any film is worth following up.

A Map of the New Normal from Jeff Rubin

Previous blog on this book was accidentally deleted.   Actually read the book for a 2nd time.  The circumstances have changed a bit, but I understand a bit better what the author was trying to point out.

 The world certainly has changed in the last few years.  The Covid 19 Pandemic and the Russian assault on Ukraine are two factors.  Jeff Rubin contends between sanctions, the Russian invasion and inflation we have made a new world that will affect everyone.

 One movement identified by Rubin was that nations that have been sanctioned by the United States have been forming new relationships.  Trump has made tariffs a big part of his economic warfare.  Canada and Mexico have been targeted although they are allies and have their economics tied into America.  They are being forced to consider alternatives.

Covid 19 cut supply chains and governments decided to print money and we have been adjusting since.  One of the adjustments was inflation.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has spurred sanctions, but it is no longer like in the past.  Russia can now join other countries with sanctions such as Iran and China.  The BRICS group has greatly increased and the members take advantage of new ties at the expense of the United States and other western powers.  Now Canada finds itself looking for new trade connections.

Russia and Ukraine are both major food exporters.  Ukrainian wheat and other agricultural products are necessities for many third world countries.  Climate change, although considered a "hoax" by Donald Trump is having an impact on food supplies and very much on immigration patterns.  Continued avoidance will lead to ever increasing consequences.  China is buying up farmland in Africa.

At one time the United States had an arrangement with Saudi Arabia that all purchases of their oil were in American dollars.  Other oil producers took up the same arrangement that boosted the American currency.  Now however that is no longer the case and the oil producers led by Saudi Arabia accept a wide variety of currencies.

China is becoming the major money lender and they no longer are favoring the United States as in the past.  They are also dominant in rare earth metals buying up mining rights in Democratic Republic of the Congo and Indonesia.  Chinese cheap skilled labor is still critical for many companies such as Apple.

Trump became president since completion of the book.  Rubin predicted that Ukraine would lose leverage.

The map of the world is now topsy turvey and going in different directions.  Jeff Rubin keeps an eye on it.  Good to read his books.

The 2025 Canadian Election

The Canadian election is on April 28th and like all the others is the most important to date.  Elections are great opportunities to make improvements, but I am skeptical.  There are always emotional elements that seem to overwhelm important issues.  Those with big money have a way to appealing to our baser needs.  To top it off, the reality afterwards never matches the will of the people, including those who elected not to vote.

Would you like your vote to really count?  After you take time from something you enjoy or have to do and get in a line.  The candidate who gets the most votes in your riding is the only one that gets to vote in the legislature.  Every other vote doesn't advance a candidate even if they all add up to more than the winner.  Another wasted vote is the extra ones that put the winner on top.  That is why some people indulge in strategic voting.

I line up with the Greens and sympathize with the progressive parties.  It seems that the conservatives are mostly against climate change and in general seem to have less respect for civil rights.  I do respect their concern for financing as the government paying avoidable interest hurts us.  But not all government programs are bad for the budget   Health care is a prime example.  An ounce (gram) of prevention is worth a pound (kilogram) of cure.  

How about you?  Do you favor the NDP or the Liberals (against the Conservatives).  Depending on your riding you could vote for your preferred party or choose a second or even third choice for your best chance to stop the Conservatives.  Maybe you prefer the Conservatives, but you could also find yourself trying to stop the dreaded opposition depending on your riding.

Climate change is guaranteed to get worse even if government policies change as it will take time to readjust from more than a century of abuse.  Wealthy investors want to protect their investments and have more convincing resources than the rest of us.  Alberta relies a lot on fossil fuels and has the legislature to support them.

Most people think that somehow the Covid 19 pandemic is behind us.  Unfortunately the impact is still with us.  Inflation has been very definitely aggravated by it.  Consumers tend to look at current prices and get upset when they are up.  Certainly there might have been different choices made, but supplies were cut and consumer and work patterns changed.  Compared to other nations Canada wasn't so far behind.  More of us survived than in many more reckless nations.  Someone who supported the Freedom Convoy protest, like Poilievre love to point out inflation as though there was no connection to forces outside government forces.

 The fear against Conservatives leaves the progressives split.  In many elections the progressive parties (Liberals, NDP, Green) do collect more votes, but are often losers.  Bloc Quebecois are unique in that they want to be free of English Canada, but are now concerned about American influence.  I believe they could be a coalition partner with a progressive party

Don Trump is a critical election issue all by himself.  As soon as he was officially president he started making offensive statements.  He referred to Governor Justin Trudeau and Canada as the 51st state.  Since then he has become even more aggressive.   On the economic front he is promising heavy tariffs against Canada and other countries claiming to want businesses to relocate to America.  Our two economies are very integrated that optimizes both nations, although Trump insists America has been subsidizing Canada. He has shown favors to Putin from whom he has probably picked up a plan to expand America.  He feels that the Panama Canal should belong to America even suggesting military action may be necessary.   Greenland needs to be turned over as a security tool.  Mexico is also being treated very roughly.  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2025/03/why-isnt-trump-in-prison.html

Scary for me is Trump plans to dismantle the Department of Education and turn it over to the states, some of whom have racist tendencies.  Canada also has our provinces responsible for education. 

Taxation is always an issue.  The poorer citizens need more money to survive.  The wealthy resent sharing their wealth with ordinary people.  Governments (those that get elected) try to spread the wealth around with a variety of programs, but they have to get the money from somewhere.  Unfortunately as there is much resistance to taxes they end up borrowing money and in turn paying interest.  A progressive tax system should help, but the top end is the most resistant and has developed all sorts of wrinkles that cut their contribution.  Somehow they have to figure out a fair system benefits everyone, even themselves.

The dilemma of many voters is that their riding has a history and maybe even current polling suggesting a party they want to avoid.  The closest they can get to that is to vote for an opposition party that has the best chance to upsetting the hated one.  This works against all parties in particular ridings.  Sometimes their vote does make a difference, but not always. and not their preferred candidate.

There is a better system adopted by much of the world.  Proportional representation allows your preferred vote to make a difference.  It encourages all politicians to be politer to their opponents because there is a good chance they will have to work with them.  More people are willing to make the effort to vote and even to study the issues.  More views are considered before policies locked in.

To understand how unjustly voting is distorted under our First Past the Post system check out the recent Ontario provincial election...http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2025/03/ontario-voters-were-cheated-again.html

Don't be fooled by ranked balloting.  Only one candidate is elected per riding and although you may have contributed to the winner it is not necessarily your first choice that would better reflect your preferences.. 

Should you get a chance to talk to a candidate ask them what they think of proportional representation.  Tell your friends and neighbors.  Candidates want to know how they can get more votes.

Who Saw the Peacock Dance in the Jungle? an enjoyable Japanese series

 

"Who Saw the Peacock Dance in the Jungle?" is a well constructed mystery series.  Like the best it is layered with interesting complications.

We first meet a daughter, Kamugi and her father,  Haruo having a traditional Japanese meal at a favored vendor.  Before too long there is a house fire and the father, a former police officer dies.  It takes awhile before we learn that the fire might have been deliberately set.  This is our first acquaintance with an annoying journalist Kamii.

Before too long we learn that Kamugi is not the natural daughter of Haruo.  Haruo's former police partner Akazawa is involved and decides an investigation is  not needed, but again more characters get involved.  We learn the Akazawa and his wife, Kyoko were the ones who delivered the infant Komugi to Haruo and his wife.  Kamugi is directed to a lawyer, Matsukaze who is mystified as to why he was selected.  There is lots more going back to a grisly mass murder several years before with false accusations and we learn there are others with vested interests.  Endless surprises.

It takes a lot of talented people to put together such an enjoyable series.  Here are a few.

Takahiro Aoyama was the director.  He has 13 directing credits including "Light of My Lion" (2024).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/12/light-of-my-lion.html

Rito Asami wrote the original maga  (a sort of Japanese comic strip) and has done two others.

Tomako Kanazawa was one of the script writers.  He has 13 writing credits.

Alisa Okahazama composed the music.  She has 18 music credits.

Junichi Nakaura was a cinematographer.  He has 7 cinematography credits and 3 for the camera and electrical department including "First Love" (2022).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/12/first-love.html

Seiji Harimoto was an editor.  He has 12 editor credits including "Light of My Lion" (2024). 

Suzu Hirose played Komugi.  She started out as a model and has been a popular commercial actress.  She has 47 acting credits and 3 for soundtrack including "Our Little Sister" (2015) and "The Third Murder" (2017).  

Ken'ichi Matsuyama plays Matsukaze, the helpful lawyer.  He has  95 acting credits including "Norwegian Wood" (2010) and "Japan Sinks:  People of Hope" (2021).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/12/japan-sinks-people-of-hope-emigration.html 

 Lily Frank played Haruo who we see in several flashbacks.  He has 108 acting credits and 2 for directing including "Like Father, Like Son" (2011), "Our Little Sister" (2014), "Shoplifters" (2018), "Cottontail" (2021),  "Call Me Chihiro" (2024) and "The Parades" (2024).   See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/03/the-parades-japanese-fantasy-film-on.html

Takahiro Fujimoto played Akazawa, the former police partner.  He was a medley swimmer who competed in two Olympics.  He has 31 acting credits including "Jin" (2009).

Naomi Nishida played Kyoko, the wife of Akazawa.  She is a likeable quiet individual, but is hiding more than the others.  Was a fashion model. She has 177 acting credits.

Hayuto Isomura played Kamii the annoying and clever journalist.  Just started Japanese dubbing for foreign films.  He has 61 acting credits and 2 for directing.  

You can enjoy this series subtitled on Netflix.

As usual I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.  They are not necessarily a recommendation, but generally I found them worthy of my time and if you follow the links you should be able to determine if any film is worth following up.

Jeffrey Toobin's "The Pardon"

 Donald Trump has brought pardons into our awareness.  A presidential  pardon is unique in that the president doesn't need Congressional approval and there is no expiry date.

The focus of "The Pardon" (2024) is on the pardon to Richard Nixon.  There are some similarities, but significant contrasts comparing the situation with regard to Donald Trump.

Pardons all have a political element.

Nixon seemed to feel that the promise of a pardon would encourage witnesses not to testify against him. 

Other political events opened up an opportunity to declare a new vice president.  Gerald Ford did not aspire to the responsibility.  He wasn't selected for his ties to Nixon, but also as they thought he was clean and could be manipulated.

Ford traveled around the United States, but avoided learning any more than necessary.   However as legal affairs moved forward he was let in what was expected.    Before too long Nixon did resign and  Ford was made president. 

Nixon wanted a pardon, but not directly.  Ford wanted Nixon to admit involvement and tried to word his proclamation and Nixon's acceptance speech to in effect be an admission of guilt.  Nixon bent very little in that regard.  Having resigned he was eligible for a pension.

Ford wrestled with the notion.  He knew Nixon was guilty and the court proceedings were progressing slowly.  He was honestly concerned about the effect of dragging on Nixon's legal battles.  The trick was to get Nixon to admit guilt.  Not quite done, but pardon announced.

The initial response was negative, from both political parties, the press and the public.  They knew Nixon was guilty.  It doomed his election chances.

Attitudes mellowed a bit years later.  Ted Kennedy had strongly criticized the Nixon pardon, but came to believe it was in the best national interest, even presenting Ford with the Profiles in Courage Award (in honor of brother John F. Kennedy's book) in 2001.  Bob Woodward, the top Watergate journalist also mellowed his attitude.  Jeffrey Toobin did not modify his opinion feeling Nixon was guilty and his fate should have had more impact on the public.

Toobin notes pardons from subsequent presidents.   George H.W. Bush pardoned some men who had been involved with the Iran-Contra case, that may well have impacted an election.  Jimmy Carter pardoned the draft dodgers which wasn't appreciated by many.  Surprising to me was that 50, 000 of those pardoned elected not to leave their adopted homes.

The book came out after Trump's 2020 election victory, but before he took office. Unlike other presidents Trump  developed his own procedures for his own personal needs.  During the Mueller Investigation Trump hinted there would be pardons for Michael Flynn and Paul Manafort so they would keep secrets.  He did in fact pardon those who were convicted.  He also pardoned Joe Arpaio, a prominent racist and Charles Kushner, the father to Jared Kushner.  Some of those pardoned went on to commit more crimes.

At the end of his first term on January 6, 2021 Trump encouraged his supporters to help overturn what he declared an unfair election. People died and many have been convicted.  One of Trump's first acts of his second term was a blanket pardon on the rioters from January 6th. 

In summary, pardons can be positive as when a past injustice can be rectified.  On the other hand pardons are easily abused.  Toobin has written an excellent book

Canada Reads

For book lovers, "Canada Reads" is wonderful entertainment.  The 2025 version just finished.  It really is a successful promotional contest helping more readers discover Canadian books.  This is the 24th edition of the contest.  Having read many of the winners as well as a few of the others I look forward to each years' contest. 

 It is the discussion that makes it so worthwhile.  You will come to appreciate the merits of each selection.  The five champions criticize each other and respond in a respectful, polite and intelligent manner.  The show presents a few outside comments including the authors and families.  One interesting inclusion was a library watch party indicating there is a lot of anticipation.

Below are the five nominated selections four of which were eliminated over a four day period  until the winner is declared.

"Watch For Her" (2022) by Samantha M. Bailey is a mystery.  Two women misunderstand one another tragically.  I found this very compelling putting other books and movies aside to find out what happens next.  It was the first eliminated--first thriller type    Maggie MacNeil an Olympic gold medal swimmer was the champion.

 

 

 

"Jennie's Boy" (2022) by Wayne Johnston is in effect an autobiography of his childhood in small town Newfoundland, Goulds.  He was very sickly and coughed so much it interfered with family activities.  They were very poor and his father drank too much.  Although educated his father was a poor manager of the money.  The dialogue from a sick youngster to the grownups in his life was interesting. 

Linwood Barclay, a prolific author of fiction was the champion.  Linwood thinks authors will get better- over time.  He has been nominated for literary awards himself, but never won.

2nd book eliminated

"Etta and Otto and Russell and James" (2015) by Emma Hooper is a story of relationships over several years.  Etta and Otto marry and Russell was a lifelong friend.   James was a talking coyote.  Otto had gone overseas to fight in he war while Russell stayed back and comforted Etta.  Etta who had never gone outside the Prairies took it in her elderly head to get to the Atlantic Ocean.  One form of dementia.  Different time lines.

Michelle Morgan, the champion is known for acting in popular CBC series, "Heartland" and has also been a director and producer.

Third eliminated-after a tied vote broken.

"Dandelion" (2022) by Jaies Chai Yun Liew is about the daughter of a Chinese immigrant (from Brunei) who goes to seek her mother who had abandoned the family a decade or so previously.  She married a Ukrainian and had a baby girl.  In reality the author was a lawyer working on immigration issues and lived in Ottawa. 

Said D'Homa was a neuro scientist who made a big switch to being a noted pastry chef.  As an immigrant himself he explained some of the issues involved.  As a pastry chef he pointed out that food is a way of communicating.

 

"A Two Spirit Journey" by Ma-nee Chacaby, assisted by Mary Louise Plummer was autobiographical of an Ojibwa woman who was visually impaired, alcoholic and later opened up as a lesbian.  She didn't learn English until age 20. As it happened I was able to read the four eliminated books, but am still waiting for this one.

Shayla Stonechild, an indigenous model, actress and health advocate was the champion.  Every book had its merits, but Shayla had done her research and articulated beautifully.   I look forward to reading the book.  After winner declared, the viewers were treated to a congratulation clip from the author.

 

 I enjoyed the discussions,  The drop outs were gracious and observant.    Lots of points were made about human relations and writing styles.  Each book was unique and each champion came from different perspectives.

 The current episodes are available using your Google.

http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/10/canada-reads.html 

http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/09/the-book-of-negroes.html 

 http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/11/two-trees-make-forest-canada-reads.html

http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/11/two-trees-make-forest-canada-reads.html 

 http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/09/ducks-my-first-graphic-novel.html

http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/09/hotline-canada-reads-nomination.html

The Revenge of the Tipping Point

 Malcolm Gladwell is unique.  He finds connections that escape the rest of us.  The truth is that existence is full of connections that we take for granted, ignore or most often don't know.  

 In the year 2000 he wrote "The Tipping Point" which rocketed him to fame.  A few other books got my attention. "The Revenge of the Tipping Point" elaborates further on how things work.

Tipping point is the point where some idea barely noticed rapidly gains popularity.  He helps us better understand the process

Epidemics love monocultures, that is cultures with few or any variations.  One example was cheetahs who eventually were almost reduced to only one female meaning that each subsequent generation had the same set of genes.  This resulted in extreme difficulties for breeding.   In their efforts to breed cheetahs they brought them into close contact with one another and somehow one caught a fatal disease common only with domestic cats.  It created a deadly epidemic spurred on by the common gene pool. 

 Another example was provided by a high school district that was noted for high marks and stellar achievements.  The students  were clean cut and studious, but through freaky events one student committed suicide.  It wasn't too long before suicides became a regular ocurence.  

The concept of super spreaders was displayed with Covid epidemic.  Coughing and sneezing were considered  prime causes, but delving into it further and learned that merely talking could spread it.  Furthermore they learned that rare humans could be what might be called super spreaders.  

The Holocaust provided a surprising example of an initially slow moving trend that reached epidemic proportions.  The survivors of the Holocaust were embarrassed and wanted to forget it.  A group of 3 living in Los Angeles wanted to forget their time in concentration camps and decided to put their mementos into a museum., known as the "Martyrs Memorial Museum".  It turned out to be more popular than anticipated, but it was another twenty two years before anyone else was willing to open a similar museum.   In 1984 four museums opened and afterwards a series of what were now known as Holocaust Museums opened.   Gladwell identifies two tv executives who decided it was time to present a mini series on the Holocaust.  Prior to that there had been a few references in historical literature.  The idea became acceptable, even urgent for some people.

Gay marriage is an example of how quickly a tipping point can be reached when the Overstory changes.  Gladwell credits television with softening up general attitudes.  Although there were references to gay character they were generally off to the side.  Will & Grace won over a good segment of the population.  Once the overstory was changed legislators found it much easier to make for more tolerant laws and authorize gay marriage.  It all happened in about a ten year period.

Harvard athletic scholarships  According to Gladwell, universities were aware of a tipping point and had decided they wanted to avoid minorities reaching it.  The net result is that athletes with lower academic credentials are favored over minorities who also have lower academic credentials.  

The opioids crisis is at the beginning and then apparently not mentioned until near the end.  But actually some of the forces that helped bring about the crisis are explored in a seemingly random way.  It all makes sense in the end.

Many of Gladwell's conclusions are reached by taking thought from different scientific studies.  The problem is that scientists are so specialized and are often unaware of relevant other specialties.  We might think of Gladwell as a generalist.  He does look at problems and approaches them from a wider perspective.  Specialists are definitely important, but the world needs intelligent generalists as much.

You have to read the book to really appreciate his method of connecting different topics to make a point stronger.

A previous blog  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/01/talking-to-strangers.html

Why Isn't Trump in Prison?

There isn't going to be any new information on Donald Trump that hasn't already been aired--there are no secrets, although a lot of details that have been overlooked or forgotten.  

Before and during his first presidential time he very loudly proclaimed he had nothing to do with Russia and has since made fun of the Mueller Report.  He actually had a history with Russia.  He visited Moscow and had planned to build a Trump Tower there.  He did in fact take one of his beauty pageants to Russia.  When he had financial problems leading to bankruptcy with casinos it has been speculated that he laundered money for the Russian mob--in any case he did get back on his feet.   We don't know, but Putin and those before him have a reputation for seeking compromising material on foreigners who might have influence.

Not sure how well they might have succeeded, but on television with Putin beside him in Helsinki he proclaimed that he felt Putin told the truth against 16 American federal agencies who felt otherwise.  More recently he blamed Ukraine for attacking Russia and that Zelenskyy was a dictator.  With his Vice President he demanded an apology.  He agreed with Russia that Ukraine should not join NATO.  Ignoring an agreement when Ukraine voluntarily gave up its nuclear arsenal.  Recently while Ukraine is being bombed the U.S. cut off intelligence that could have allowed some lives to be saved. Again we are left with the notion that Trump admires Putin; he is stupid or there really is some sort of hold on him.  More perspective on Russian connections:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/06/house-of-trump-house-of-putin.html

The Mueller Report has been dismissed by Trump supporters.  Much of it had been redacted, but nonetheless there were convictions with some of the guilty parties exiled in Russia.  Read more...http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/07/the-mueller-report-and-american-voter.html

Further Trump has indicated he thinks NATO is not a good deal for America.  The trans Atlantic alliance has worked well as a deterrent and has been called to action a number of times.  I don't quarrel that other members do not all have 2% of their budget on defense.  The truth is that most of them spend more money on different priorities like health and education.

How does one define treason?  At what point is it considered punishable by prison?  

What many people consider criminal occurred on January 6, 2021.  There was a riot in which some were injured and some died directly and indirectly.  Why?  A little speculation, but is obvious that Trump did not accept the voter's verdict.  Not necessarily unusual or unjustified, but there is a system of courts that determine the truth.  Again he didn't like the result and encouraged people to come to Washington to "fight like hell or you're not going to have a country".  He tried to get the Vice-President to refuse to verify Joe Biden's election ignoring advice from many experts that it would be unconstitutional.  

The House of Representatives was able to put together a hearing which is not by itself constitutionally binding.  Cleverly the only witnesses were Republicans, many of whom were close to the President during the events of January 6th.  To outsiders this was impressively damning evidence.  The catch was that it was not legally binding.  It should have been brought to the proper courts, but for various reasons it kept getting delayed along with another damning accusation regarding government archives.  Some of us would think this would be among the very highest priorities, but the case NEVER made it to where it could be finally decided.  See more... http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/10/january-6th-hearings.html

Trump is a rich, powerful man with a lot of experience being sued.  Occasionally he has paid a fine, one of the most spectacular ones over the Trump College where he paid $25 million before the 2016 election.  He found delaying was the most reliable way and he hired lawyers skilled at it.  A study on how he got away with avoiding legal problems check  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/08/untouchable-how-they-get-away-with-it.html

How did he get elected.  Partly by appealing to prejudice, but that is not necessarily his fault--he just took advantage and admittedly fanned it.  Many extreme right wingers thought he had the necessary appeal so the legislature could favor the wealthy more than the constitution currently allows

Perhaps I really do have Trump Derangement Syndrome   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2025/02/is-trump-derangement-syndrome-valid.html

Instead of praising him for all the good things he has done his supporters should reflect on what non-indictable decisions he has made that have harmed all the citizens.   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/10/the-non-indictable-sins-of-trump.htm   

There is much more anti-Trump material in my posts and I wonder what I would do if he finally disappears.

At a Loss for Words

Words are critical and how they are used is meaningful.  Carol Off laments how some important words have been transformed.  Un-fortunately the transformations are impacting our lives.  Words have become weapons.

The first word is Freedom.  One example was how the Freedom Convoy defined freedom as not obeying government protocols for masks, distancing and vaccinations.  The author suggests that your freedom ends near the tip of my nose.  I would go further and suggest your freedom should be restricted to not harming me.  The point is that one person's freedom should be balanced against other people, but so many view personal restrictions as a lack of freedom.  One conclusion is that freedom needs to be more inclusive.  

The second word is Democracy.  At one time kings made the decisions.  A few centuries ago only white men who owned property could vote.  Over time and with a great deal of effort men without property (renters), women, people of different racial minorities were allowed to vote.  The voting age has gradually been lowered.  Some jurisdictions make it easy for eligible voters to actually vote while others make it difficult.  Alexis de Tocqueville wrestled with the notion that democracy and equality were difficult to balance.  The author noted that the United Empire Loyalists were not in favor of democracy.  Early suffragettes wanted to exclude Asians and indigenous.  

Project 2025 is the product by key backers for Donald Trump.  If he gets enough power the plan will likely go forward as long as nobody stops them. 

The third word is Truth.  Misinformation is prolific.  The media tries to convey true facts but much of their "freedom" is restricted by corporations.  Those with vested interests have command of our personal data and have targeted people who can be easily persuaded of their truths.  Prejudices have long been a tool of politicians, but now they can be used in a nuanced and more effective manner.

The fourth word is Woke.  This is a relatively new word, now used to mock people who have different family values.  Newt Gingrich is credited with using words to attack rivals, regardless of reality.   Black Lives Matter has been used to make whites feel uncomfortable in fact to make them feel guilty.  

Ron De Santis uses "woke" to characterize progressive thinkers as unworthy to discuss or debate.  Others think the world needs to wake up before it is too late. 

The fifth word is Choice.  It refers mainly to the abortion issue.  The laws were all set by males.  At one time it was noted that deaths related to (illegal) abortions were the leading cause of deaths for women of child bearing years.  It took a number of champions including Dr. Morton Shulman and Dr. Henry Morgentaler among many others.  Pierre Trudeau is famous for "There is no place for the state in the nation's bedrooms", but nevertheless did not change abortion laws.  After much effort American politicians forced the reversal of their abortion laws despite most of the public supporting them.  

Margaret Atwood famous for  "The Handmaid's Tale" asked "If you are going to ban abortion what are the alternatives.  What are you proposing?  Are you going to take care of all these children?". 

The final word is Taxes, an offensive word to some.  Most politicians prefer to talk about reducing taxes, but in fact a lot of problems would be resolved with higher taxes, especially from the wealthy.  It seems that one of the underlying strategies appealing to prejudices is a strategy to distract voters from efforts to reduce taxes.  It is more than just money, but a resentment from wealthy people that lesser people should share in their hard earned money.  One new idea for me comes from Carol Off is that workers are subsidized by government programs.  The worker is more pleased with working conditions and have more money to spend.

The years 1945-1980 were ones with the closest equality.  There have always been those manipulating to get a bigger share of the wealth.  Ronald Reagan, famously said "the government is the problem".  He brought forth much lower taxes for the top income groups:  from 90% to 28% and did much more to increase the equality gap. 

The Koch brothers were confronted by some legal response to environmental abuses.   They also resented their tax rates and started behind the scenes efforts to change the laws.  They spent literally hundreds of millions of dollars.  They found ways to legally increase donations to groups who fought their battles.  Some money was given to the "spontaneous" Tea Party and to Rush Limbaugh among many others. Much money was funneled to compliant politicians.

Here in Canada Stephen Harper was in the battle to lower taxes and de-regulate annoying environmental laws.  He was stopped by the courts at one time, but continued his efforts.  Since then the equality gap has widened.

 Some earlier thought on taxes:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/06/the-role-of-taxes.html 

 There is much more than I can convey in a blog post.  I have skimmed over many points and left out many relevant details.  Carol Off has much more to say and is worth the effort.

Bolehkah Sekali Saja Kumenangis

A tongue twister for a title and something picked up as a time filler.  The plot includes an abusive father, group therapy and a bit of a romance.  Nothing very original, but very (I mean very) well done. Indonesian films are now getting more attention.

They had done research for abusive fathers and group therapy.  The writing made sense, the acting was very believable and the directing precise.

Tari goes to her room to try to avoid hearing her father shout and hit her mother.  She has been going to therapy, but at this stage is not willing to share with the other participants.  We are introduced to Baskara who seems to be well regarded, but when teased violently hits a fellow and is persuaded to go to the same group therapy as Tari.  They become "friends" with a hint of romance.

The father Pras at various times hits his wife, Tari, and Baskara.  Not excessively, but very firm.  But he has work stresses.  Surprisingly he joins a therapy group.

Does it have a happy ending?   Sort of, but it is realistic.

This is very well done and here are some of the contributors.

Reka Wjaya is the director.  She has 17 director credits, 9 for writing and 3 for acting.

Uma Shahab was one of the writers and a producer.  Uma is well known as a singer, once winning for children's music.  He wrote and performed two songs, one of which I bought.

Alim Sudir was another writer.  He has 92 writing credits, 2 for acting and 1 for producing including for "Heartbreak Motel" (2024).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/12/two-year-end-film-reviews.html

Prilly Latuconsina was still another writer and an executive producer and critically played the lead female, Tari.  She has been a successful singer.  Prilly has 30 acting credits and 11 as producer and 1 for writing, including "Andragogy" (2023).  Check http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/03/andragogy.html

Andi Rianto was responsible  for the music.  He had been to America for high school and then graduated from the Berklee College of Music.  He has been the leader of the Magenta Orchestra.  He has 79 composing credits plus 6 for the music department and 4 for acting.

Amalia T.S. was the cinematographer.  She has 24 cinematography credits, 3 for the camera and electrial department and 2 for producing.

Oliver Sitompul was the editor with 17 editor credits.

Pradikta Wicaksono played Baskara.  He had been a singer.  Pradikta has 6 acting credits.

Surya Saputra played Pras, the abusive father.  Also another singer.  He has 57 acting credits.

Dominque Sanda played Devi, the mother.  She has 20 acting credits.

I regret I could not confidently identify the woman who played the group therapy leader.  She was very good.  Overall the cast was very believable. 

The film is available subtitled on Netflix.  A quiet gem.

As usual I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.  They are not necessarily a recommendation, but generally I found them worthy of my time and if you follow the links you should be able to determine if either film is worth following up.

Ontario Voters were Cheated Again.

 Doug Ford, the winner of the recent Ontario election self righteously declared he has a mandate that includes new highways, a tunnel and control over bike lanes amongst others.   Does he really have a mandate?  The listed policies are ones that he advocated in his campaign, but not necessarily ones favored by the other parties.  Mandates are pretty serious, but the term is much abused.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/01/do-elections-guarantee-mandates.html

 Our current electoral system is known by many as "first past the post" meaning only the one who gets the most votes wins.  Only a plurality is required, not a majority.

One of the most important details is that only approximately 45% of eligible voters actually were able to get to the voting polls.  You might think of the other 55% as lazy and I am sure many would have some sort of excuse.  On the other hand many of them were actually smart.  They knew that their favored party was extremely unlikely to win.  In individual ridings it is only the winner who gets to go to the Ontario Parliament and vote on legislation.  All the votes for the losers get virtually nothing for their efforts.  Their candidate will not vote on any legislation.  We don't know who the non voters would have chosen, but it doesn't really matter much.

Getting back to those who did vote there was as almost always, a distortion.  The Conservatives were able to get 43% of the votes which translated to 64% of the seats meaning they don't require the support of the other 56% of voters who were only able to obtain 34% of the seats that could oppose the party who got the majority of seats.  So in a very real sense the votes of the losers don't have much impact.  It must be said that they are allowed to voice their opinions, but their actual votes don't add up to make the difference.    

Politics is really about getting elected to make policies.  In the recent election there were a few odd results.  The Liberals got almost 30% of the votes, but only about 11% of the seats.  A bonus for them is they now qualify as an official party with some significant benefits, but although they might have been the official opposition, that honor goes to the NDP who got only about 18% of the votes, but over 21% of the seats.  Many observers commented that they were more efficient.  In truth they were concentrated in enough ridings to overcome the overall voting of the Liberals.  The NDP will get a chance for better media coverage.

Next, a confession.  My first choice is the Green Party because I believe climate change is the most critical issue for our future.  There is some support from the other two progressive parties, but not as much effort.  The Greens did get almost 4% of the overall vote, but ended up with only 2 seats.  So their impact will be based on speaking in the Parliament Building.  In a tight minority government they might have some influence on legislation, but not so much in a majority government.

Voters have a big decision to make--who would they prefer to win their riding and who do they actually vote for.  A lot try strategic voting which often boils down to who they don't want to win.  They then try to guess who has the best chance to defeat the unwanted candidate.  Sometimes this might work, but often it just distorts what the people really want.  The so-called progressive parties find themselves split against the conservative party leaving the false impression that conservatives have the most public support and in this particular case have a mandate.

Proportional representation offers a different outcome.  There are many variations, but essentially it means a party gets as much legislation power as it gets a voting percentage.  In the recent election no party would have gotten majority control and definitely no mandate.  To some people that sounds frightening, but in actual fact such systems offer benefits.  For starter your vote actually COUNTS.  To get any legislation passed elected candidates will have to talk to one another and cut down insults.  International polls pretty consistently show that proportional representative governments make more progress in such issues as the environment, pollution and most interesting to me is they top the happiness surveys.  Part of the reason is that each individual has some real power.

What does all this mean for YOU.   If your candidate won your riding your efforts paid off.  If your candidate's party won a majority hopefully the promised agenda will be carried out.  If we have a minority government your candidate will be listened to.   If your candidate did not win your riding all your effort resulted in virtually nothing.  If your candidate's party won a majority hopefully the promised agenda will be carried forth.  If you have a minority government your candidate's party may have some influence on what gets decided.

 Politics is more than policies, it is getting elected so that policies can get enacted.  The established party usually gets to decide when an election can be held and of course they have ideas on which time best increases their chances of being re-elected.  My opinion for this election is that the party in power thought they had an issue they could exploit.  In this case American threatened tariffs even though that is mainly a concern of the federal government.  Others speculated that there was some bad (even criminal) news coming out soon that could be avoided with an election.  Generally speaking conservatives have learned their supporters are more steadfast in their opinions and are stronger motivated to deal with bad weather, so winter is an advantage. 

Proportional representation is avoided by those who got their power through the current electoral system.  That also includes most of their financial supporters.  They are happy that most people appear ignorant of proportional representation.  Look at it closely--it gives you more power.

One source for information is https://www.fairvote.ca/