Blade Runner at 40
Tom Ward, writing for Esquire, does a deep dive into the movie as it celebrates 40 years.
Visually and sonically assured, intelligent and moody, there is much to be admired in Blade Runner. But why has its legacy endured to such a degree? Perhaps in its gloomy portrayal of environmental catastrophe, social divide and oppressive authority we recognise our own world. Or perhaps it’s because, despite all of its foreboding, Blade Runner offers a chance of hope. Hope of a love between two people not meant to love. Hope of freedom, however impossible. A hope as fragile as an origami unicorn, maybe. A hope as beautiful as C-beams glittering in the dark, and as fleeting as tears in rain. Blade Runner is not a film with easy answers. And maybe that is why, forty years later, we’re still remaking it, exploring it, pulling it apart and holding it up to the light.
Blade Runner is my favorite science fiction movie. It surpasses Star Wars for me.
The Great Divergence
Ronald Brownstein, writing in The Atlantic, believes it might be time to start considering, in the wake of Roe v. Wade being overturned, America as two separate countries entirely — maybe for good.
All of this is fueling what I’ve called “the great divergence” now under way between red and blue states. This divergence itself creates enormous strain on the country’s cohesion, but more and more even that looks like only a way station. What’s becoming clearer over time is that the Trump-era GOP is hoping to use its electoral dominance of the red states, the small-state bias in the Electoral College and the Senate, and the GOP-appointed majority on the Supreme Court to impose its economic and social model on the entire nation — with or without majority public support. As measured on fronts including the January 6 insurrection, the procession of Republican 2020 election deniers running for offices that would provide them with control over the 2024 electoral machinery, and the systematic advance of a Republican agenda by the Supreme Court, the underlying political question of the 2020s remains whether majority rule — and democracy as we’ve known it — can survive this offensive.
This divide is only going to get wider.
First, the justices who lied under oath regarding “settled law” should be impeached. If potential Supreme Court justices can lie under oath to members of Congress, the rule of law is finished.
I’m not hopeful regarding the midterm elections, and I’m not hopeful anyone involved in the attempted coup will be charged with anything.
Writing Essays
Here’s a good quote I found that I wanted to keep:
The best way to write an essay is to sit with a blank piece of paper and a pencil. Then set a timer for 30 minutes and start writing. Don’t stop until the timer goes off.
A Lesser Minimalism
CJ Chilvers writes about a lesser minimalism. Mainly focused on the “why” behind our clutter and dealing with it before it’s too late.
Our attachment to information can be profitable, distracting, emotional, or fleeting. The cognitive weight of words is not equal page-to-page.I simply don’t practice this enough.The process is the equalizer.
It’s been my experience that every minimalist dreams of passing down a thumb drive or password, giving their families access to 90%+ of their multi-generational trash and treasure. Then, they want their remains cremated and scattered to the wind, as to leave no trace.
It’s a laudable goal to enable as much as possible to be carried away on a cloud. Both kinds. But that requires a daily process — a practice. And it’s anything but minimal.
Cardinals vs Brewers at American Family Field
Eddie caught a Nolan Arenado ball, which he threw into the stands between innings.
Homelander is Just Donald Trump
Justin Carter, writing at Gizmodo, has a story I can’t quite believe.
You can say a lot of things about Amazon’sThe Boys, but you can’t exactly call it subtle. The show, based on Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson’s acclaimed comics from Dynamite Entertainment, focuses on a group of corporate owned superheroes called The Seven, and a semi-covert group of average people named The Boys who’ve taken it upon themselves to kill the heroes. Across the show’s three seasons, it’s always been pretty upfront with the kind of satire it’s going for and who it tears down.
In the case of the show’s vengeful Superman-alike, Homelander (Anthony Starr), the show has said so many times in so many words that he was conceived as an analogue of former president Donald Trump. Season two even ended on him literally getting off to the idea of how much power he has over everyone else; and if that didn’t say it all, a cosplayer showing up as the character during a MAGA rally in 2020 would do the job. And should you have missed the text of the show, you’re in luck: showrunner Eric Kripke, Robertson, and even Starr himself have tried their damnedest to tell folks who Homelander really is.
Still, in case you need yet another reminder, Kripke discussed this in a recent interview with the Rolling Stone. He was upfront in saying that this season in particular was more direct in calling out the ex-president, and that the writing team really worked hard to drive that point across in comparison to the first two seasons. “He [Homelander] has this really combustible mix of complete weakness and insecurity,” said Kripke, “and just horrible power and ambition…Of course he would feel victimized that people are angry that he dated a Nazi.”
I find it utterly hilarious that people had to be told this…
Biden Is Too Old to Run for President
Mark Leibovich, writing in The Atlantic, outlines why President Biden shouldn’t run in 2024.
Let me put this bluntly: Joe Biden should not run for reelection in 2024. He is too old.
Biden will turn 80 on November 20. He will be 82 if and when he begins a second term. The numbers just keep getting more ridiculous from there. “It’s not the 82 that’s the problem. It’s the 86,” one swing voter said in a recent focus group, referring to the hypothetical age Biden would be at the end of that (very) hypothetical second term.
I’m afraid that’s correct. The real question is who should run? Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, or someone else?
Line Rider Race #2
DoodleChaos brings us a video in which eight Line Riders compete in a race set to the tune of Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries.” It’s survival of the fittest in a steeplechase, as they crash into each other, fall, lose their sleds, and sometimes regain them. A free fall doesn’t always mean elimination. But only one rider can win at the end.
You might get caught up in the drama of the riders and their, uh, “luck” in the race, but if you do, you’ll need to go back and focus on the tracks and how well they synch with the music. These lines were all hand-drawn and took several months to create.
Black Adam — Official Trailer
The latest DC movie, Black Adam, now has an Official Trailer.
I’m looking forward to this. It may not be obvious now, but I’m 100% positive this movie does not take place in the current DCEU, just like The Batman and Joker. No other explanation for a Justice Society when there’s an obvious Justice League.
However, I do expect to see it connect to the DCEU proper in the near future unlike the aforementioned The Batman and Joker.
I’m sure The Flash and all the universe hopping will help make all of this future consolidation make sense. It’s like they are moving toward creating a Crisis on Infinite Earths movie.
John Cena is Amazing
John Cena meets Misha, a teenager with Down syndrome who fled Ukraine after his home was destroyed. To motivate Misha on their journey to safety, his mother told him the fantasy that they were on their way to find Cena. They spent the afternoon building blocks and eating cake.
“How special is today? Pretty darn special.”
This is the content I’m here for.
Illinois is Finally Recruiting like a Power 5 Program
Drew Pastorek, writing for The Champaign Room, noticed something significant.
It’s only been about 18 months since Bret Bielema replaced Lovie Smith as Illinois’ head football coach. I must admit I was initially not a fan of the hire. But I was optimistic after a promising debut season. And after the offseason Illinois has had so far, I have no doubts that Bielema is the right guy to stabilize the program.
…
The Illini have 8 commitments thus far for 2023 (Farrell, Harkless, Jackson, Swanson, Zachary Aamland, Kaden Feagin, Antwon Hayden and TJ McMillen) and the 33rd-ranked class nationally according to 247Sports — ahead of Iowa State, Oklahoma, Wisconsin, Florida, Miami, UCLA, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Missouri, Indiana & Purdue. In fact, Illinois is currently just behind Michigan (30), Texas A&M (31) and Alabama (32).
Yes…it’s REALLY early. But to even be flirting with a top-30 recruiting ranking was unfathomable at this time two years ago.
The Illini are recruiting like a Power Five football program, not a mid-level MAC school. It may take a little time, but I think Bielema will have Illinois Football rolling sooner rather than later.
The To-Do List
Will Leitch is one of the most productive people I know. In his Medium column, he outlines what he does in a typical week and how he achieves the amazing results. I’m a little in awe.
I should actually be taking notes.
The Other Kind of Dead Time
Via Niklas Göke:
Robert Greene once told Ryan Holiday that there are two kinds of time: Alive time and dead time.I’ve neve heard of this before and it’s kind of brilliant. Read the whole thing.Dead time is when you wait for life to happen to you instead of for you. It’s when nothing seems to change for the better, yet when you take an honest look at the last six months, you realize all you’ve done is complain.
Alive time is when you’re making it count. It is when you do your best every day, no matter how hopeless or unfortunate your current situation may seem. You focus on what you control and try your best to learn and get better.
The idea behind this distinction, of course, is that whether you spend your time being “alive” or “dead” is up to you…
Society
I don’t wish to sound apocalyptic about this, but one has the sense that at present our society is simultaneously characterized by wildly disproportionate accountability for trivial transgressions and zero accountability for profound institutional failure.
— David Polansky (@polanskydj) May 27, 2022
“Obi-Wan” by John Williams
“Obi-Wan” by John Williams.
This is glorious.
Having John Williams come back to create this theme is just incredible. It is melancholy and hopeful at the same time and that takes tremendous skill. I love it so much.