Too Dark?

 In the past week....an episode of 'House of the Dragon' aired, and within minutes after it wrapped up....folks took to social media to complain.

The criticism?  The landscape/lighting....was too dark.  They couldn't see much of anything.

Back when Game of Thrones ran....in the last season....they had an episode like this as well.  I watched the Game of Thrones episode in question and would readily agree....pretty much one-third of the episode was crap.....you saw mostly nothing.

To be honest, I can think of a dozen shows over the past decade (Boardwalk Empire is one of them) where scenes were shot in marginal to zero lighting. 

Its something you would have never noticed in the 1970s or 1980s.  

Today?  Between poor lighting and poor sound....at least once a month.....I'll be watching something and have to adjust the sound to maximum, or halt the video to go strictly to B/W.  It's crap production where some director thinks he's adding value with total darkness.  

At some point in the next year, I expect an idiot to make a movie, where it's in total darkness of some cave, where some demon comes out to terrorize some folks, but you never see the demon.  

“Studies Show That Kids Never Change Their Minds“

 This week, I sat and watched a podcast....where about 30 seconds into it....the comedian spoke to the idea that kids never change their minds.  He tried to be cynical and suggest studies exist that say kids never (ever) change their minds.

I sat for a moment and felt amused.

You could evaluate a hundred kids on one-hundred subjects, and find over a one-year period....99-percent changed their position or mind on each and every subject.  

Chief reason?  I'd say it goes to limited information, accepting some facts at face value, and going with one conclusion only because Teacher X said it was the right conclusion.

Resolving or fixing this?  Maybe if you sat down and discussed reasoning and logic with a 12-year old kid....it might create some filters where face-value situations are tossed to the side and questions filter out the crappy angles to problems.  But we don't seem that interested in creating mini-Socrates/Plato folks. 

The 23-Percent

 This week, I noticed a news report that came out and discussed the condition of American 18-year old 'kids' and if they were capable or qualified for the US military.  According to the survey....77-percent are not able to qualify.  

The hinderances?  Fat, overweight, out-of-shape, drug-use, mentally unbalanced, and inability to handle stress.

I thought about this statistic....basically, only one out of four  high graduates could handle it.  Same number in 1977 (when I entered the Air Force)?  No.  Probably 90-percent of the people in my group could have gone in.

I noticed some discussion about a teacher commenting this week.....they had kids in the class who prioritized home-work,  and rarely accomplished it.  The only tool that the teacher had.....was to limit grade points.  The kids didn't care.  If they did zero homework, and were limited to a 'C' average....that didn't matter.

From the landscape?  It looks crappy, I admit.  The trend will continue and eventually reach a point where only 10-percent of Americans have the mindset or health aspects.....to joint the military.  At that point, it'll be a crisis, and how we correct the 'problem' will be a crisis itself.

Five Things I Now Think

 1.  The Republicans could hype up some female trans radical leftist as their next Presidential candidate, and immediately the person would be accused as not being far enough left, and identified as a far-right extreme fascist.  

2.  It appears some group in the White House is trying to guide Biden to create a definition out of thin-air for 'women'.  You would think, with all the various problems now existing in America.....this would rank near bottom of 250,000 priorities.

3.  House committee being asked to investigate Governor de Santis over the migrants being flown into Martha's Vineyard.  I think they will drag the guy into DC, to be in front of cameras.  Biggest possible mistake to pump up his 'star' and have him as the anti-Democrat player.

4.  Lot of weird stuff in past 72 hours going on in China.  Roughly 70-percent of in-country flights?  Cancelled.  Lot of military vehicles moving around.  No one seeing leadership in public.

5.  Kherson, Ukraine....held by the Russians....has been ordered by Putin to be 'held'.....meaning no retreat.  Two weeks ago, it was figured to be in the 15k to 20k range of Russian troops there, with marginal supplies being brought in.  If they start to retreat?  Some suggest special units being around to shoot retreating Russian forces.  Sounds an awful lot like things in WW II.

Panama

 I 'bumped' into someone 'chatting' today.....who spent time in Panama, which back a lot of odd memories.

I spent three years there....1986 to 1989.  It was the Noreiga period, and I left about 6 months before the 'invasion' occurred.

My top ten memories:

1.  If anything went out on your car.....it could take you 90 days for the BX garage to get the part.

2.  You always kept a $10 bill in visor of the car, to bribe a cop if necessary.

3.  There were always snake issues.

4.  Christmas trees arrived in three or four steel containers from North Carolina....being about 80-percent dead.  

5.  I walked in the car registration office in the second year (being a Panama gov't operation) and here were 20-odd Panamanian women (18 years old) dressed in the most slutty outfits possible, with one 60-year old gal supervising them.  Each one performed ONE single function.  I stood there for about 45 minutes....waiting.....and observing the flirting eyes and function of each gal.

6.  Virtually every single car failed the yearly inspection, and was fixed with a $10 bribe.

7.  The chicken 'shack' at the club (CTMS) had the best fried chicken in the world, at $4 for a five-piece tray and a ice tea.  It was super-ultra crispy.  On calorie count?  It was probably near 1,000 calories.  

8.  At the entrance way of the NCO Club on a Friday night, there must have been forty Panamanian women waiting to get a invite inside.  Guys could easily get attached and married in six weeks.

9.  A legendary story was that one of the Tony Noriega's mistress gals was scheduled to arrive back at the airport in town, and Tony's wife found out the time.....meeting her and having a knife on her for several minutes until security took her down.

10.  The most excitement ever on Albrook (my housing area) was the arrest and detention of Tony's oldest daughter for racing through the housing unit.  The next day, Tony had around 100 Army and Air Force people arrested to pay them back.

This Pennsylvania Senate Race

 You can script out 99-percent of Senate races, for the past hundred years, and they tend to go down a certain way.

This year in Pennsylvania?  It's just odd and strange.

Democratic candidate.....John Fetterman....will admit that he had a stroke back in May, which goes back to a 'mysterious and unknown previous condition' of  cardiomyopathy.  Most people who have cardiomyopthy....probably have several years of history to accompany this.  

This guy....Fetterman...seems to act like its a shock.

Since May, everyone around Fetterman (campaign staff and family) all have the same scripted answer....he's recovered.  

To prove the point?  Zero medical points. 

Yeah, at this point....being around six weeks from the election....most everyone is skeptical of his brand and message.

The general belief?  He would get elected....serve twelve months in a weakened condition, and step down.  I'd say about 50-percent of state residents believe that now.

Dumping the guy back in June and going with a 2nd candidate?  Not possible.....Fetterman has the name recognition for this election.  It'd be a total loss.

I watched a speech by Fetterman from three weeks ago....last night.  Basically a two-minute speech, with eight mis-steps in the 'chat'.  If you asked me if he's mentally not 100-percent?  I'd say he's doing pretty well for a stroke guy, but mentally around the 90-percent point.  I'd also add....if I had a stroke....the last thing I'd want to do....is take up a 50-hour a week Senator job for six years.  

The other side of this?  If you vote Republican.....you get stuck with Doctor Oz for six years.  I'm not that thrilled over Senator-Doctor Oz either.  Can't we find retired cowboys, or Beverly Hills Hollywood actors, or former wrestling stars to run for Senator?  

This NY State Case Against Trump

 After the smoke has cleared....what the AG (Letita James) has built up is a collapsible case.  

For those who aren't aware.....it's an election year in New York state, and if you gaze at the polling data....the Republican candidate for state AG....went into a more aggressive position, and about ten days ago....AG James move down to a percentage point less than the Republican (Henry).  

Just for the record, back in July....James was 'safe' at 50-percent, while Henry (the Republican) was at 36-percent.

So James needs a serious amount of plus-up, and I believe her intent is that she'd convince people to vote for her....in order to get Trump or his kids....in jail.

What'll happen on 9 November (the day after the election)?  Based on trends.....I'd say that the current AG (James) will lose by 5-to-7 percent.  The Trump case?  Come January....will be dumped.  

What James really misjudged?  Maybe Democrats get hyped-up on this chatter, but among independents....it's just not selling much.  

What was the Trump case mostly based on?  Well....that Trump over-stated the value of his company or assets, and got better deals via banks because of that.  

The problem I see....if you made this a big deal....out of NY City, there's probably 25,000 business operations which have inflated themselves and tried to make themselves look better than what they are.  Trump might be guilty....but what about the other 25,000?  

So this case dissolves away?  Yeah, and in two years.....no one will remember much of anything.