Old Man

I read the first book between Part I and II and I discovered that I'd forgotten how important the fanaticism was to the plot.  Paul spends a significant amount of time and energy trying to avert the inevitable jihad.
 
That said, there was a lot less open worship of Paul in the book.  In the movie there's so much rapturous "Lisan al-Gaib!" that it's become a meme.
 
 
I don't mind this change, but it is a change.  I do wonder what the implications are for Part III, since I haven't read Messiah yet.
 
 
Villeneuve is a brilliant cinematographer.  Every frame of the movie could be printed and mounted on a wall.  Blade Runner 2049, Arrival, and Sicario were likewise. 
 
If you want to see a jarring directorial change, watch the Villeneuve-directed Sicario and then watch its not-Villeneuve-directed sequel. 

I'll settle for any outcome in which America does not descend into a fascist hellscape.

Earlier this week I finished The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. Yes, I know that Atwood herself calls this "speculative fiction"* rather than science fiction. But one of the recurring tropes of science fiction is the examination of what constitutes a "person". And this book has that in spades. 
 
I won't attempt a detailed plot summary or analysis, but I will say that this is one of the most disheartening and challenging books I've ever read. Atwood's world-building of a society that has reduced half (or more) of its population to possessions and/or tools is depressingly thorough. The world is a nightmare, and there's really no way to fight against it. There's little freedom and less hope, and any indiscretion could lead to a horrible fate.
 
And the saddest part is how much of all of this seems to be creeping into our society today.
 
“Nolite te bastardes carborundorum”, indeed.
 
--
* Isn't all fiction speculative by definition?
 

Saw this today. I have commented on Chalamet and how impressed I was with his acting in this and his other parts, let me also give equal voice to Zendaya who conveys a lot with just her face and eyes through the movie and is also playing a much different character then we have seen, as well. As MH said, not a light movie, but I think well done. There are changes I am not sure I am happy with from the book, but I think they are a result of modern times. The very fanaticism of religion shown in this movie, to me, is enhanced from the original book and didnt really make its appearance till the 2nd book on originally, though granted has been over 30+ years since I read the original. The other change I am not sure of I will spoiler:
Finally, the cinematography is fantastic and they way they show scale when dealing with the ships, or even toward the end Paul walking through a crowd is impressive. It started early in the first movie with you watching the people loading a giant ship, this flying to a much larger ship and then finally this mite of a ship being loaded onto the star spanning one. They do something similar in this with one of the spice harvesters, where you see the men in armor walking next to it from a distance and they might as well be ants.

I'll confess that when I read this my first thought was "The Raiders QB room is so FUBAR that they're starting a Congresswoman from New York?" But hey, I'm not here to judge.
 
Of course, the Broncos QB room now sounds like a personal injury law firm. "Did you or any of your loved ones watch Broncos football between 2016 and 2023? You may be entitled to financial compensation! Call the law firm of Stidham, Wilson, DiNucci and Nix for your free consultation today!" 
 
 

Nope, I guarantee Vegas would have taken Nix if Denver hadn't.   Because...
 
 
...they obviously had no plan for both Nix and Penix being unavailable, so they panicked and drafted a third TE.  With the 13th overall pick.  My Raiders do not disappoint!
 
What they should have done was flip the script and picked up one of the elite defensive players that were still on the board as a result of the QB run.  If you have to go into 2024 with AOC under center, build around Maxx Crosby and make a truly fearsome defense.  If we can't score, no one will!  Oh well, missed opportunities.
 
 
 
I actually kind of understand this after a season of Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke.  Problem is with both Cousins and Penix on the roster they won't be able to afford any other players.

I'll settle for any outcome in which America does not descend into a fascist hellscape.

I saw a mock draft earlier today in which Denver trades down with the Eagles and still ends up with Bo Nix. That wouldn't be a horrible outcome, I suppose. Except for Ben DiNucci, who would then be on the next plane out of town for the UFL.
 
This same mock draft has Penix Jr. falling to the Seahawks. 

So I see that the Los Angeles Rams are choosing 19th in the draft tonight. This will be their first first-round pick since 2016. Crazy.

Sounds like the Broncos are trading for a QB: the mighty Zach Wilson.
 
Maybe they'll be able to reuse the Russell Wilson jerseys.

I'll settle for any outcome in which America does not descend into a fascist hellscape.

I'll settle for any outcome in which America does not descend into a fascist hellscape.

I'll settle for the inside of a coffin.

"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the war room!"

In case you missed it:
 
 

Biden administration bans noncompete agreements for workers
 
Takes effect in six months.

My turn to disagree.   Yes, Trump has no heir apparent.  But neither is he unique.  The circumstances that created him--extreme wealth inequality, a corrupt boardroom class, and a frightened, undereducated population--will still exist if Trump leaves power.  Sure, there will be a lull while the MAGA base and the oligarchy find another demagogue to rally around.  But they inevitably will, unless something is done about the conditions that ultimately drove Trump's rise to power.

Alcoholics Anonymous?

Biden administration bans noncompete agreements for workers
 
Takes effect in six months.

Warning, this is a news item, so it contains irrelevant material. The first third is relevant to this topic.

"There's a giant, blind cockroach, and it doesn't run away like normal cockroaches. There's a gigantic blind cave spider."

Beneath the plains of the Nullarbor lies an underground world formed over millions of years