#such bravery……… saying that with zero stakes………

[sweaters-and-vertigo]

“i sUPpOrT oUr LocAL pOLiCe!!!!!!!!!!!”

that’s so nice! so does the government!

[chicagoindiecritics]

New from Every Movie Has a Lesson by Don Shanahan: MOVIE REVIEW: 1917

(Image: polygon.com)

1917– 5 STARS

Kinetically engineered to simulate real-time, 1917 moves with a propulsive momentum like no other film of 2019 and no other combat flick of recent memory. Its velocity matches the unyielding pull of war itself. That compelling force defines a soldier’s moral sense of duty and keeps a man watching, trekking, running, fighting, and downright surviving. 1917 is all about that pull and concentrates its adrenaline into a relentless experience that will strafe your senses, from the hairs on the back of your neck to the fidgeting nerves that bounce your toes.

With zero backstory (and none needed really), 1917 takes immediate initiative. The day is April 6, 1917 during The Great War near the Hindenburg Line of Operation Alberich. A tracking zoom on serene flowers in a green field gives way to the sleeping silence of a pair of nondescript British soldiers rousing to begin their day. Lance Corporals Blake (the busy Dean-Charles Chapman of The King and Blinded by the Light) and Schofield (Captain Fantastic’s George McKay) grab their gear and walk from that pastoral fringe of nature deeper into a scarred foreground. The continuing track reveals trenches where the green is stripped away by the sandbags and makeshift wood frames before all bright colors become totally vacant. This steady submergence begins our voyeuristic navigation through this ominous setting.

The two friends check-in and receive recon orders to get urgent word from General Enimore (Oscar winner Colin Firth) to a disconnected Colonel Mackenzie (Benedict Cumberbatch) several miles away. Based on new aerial intelligence, Mackenzie does not know his division of 1,600 men is heading straight into the certain slaughter of a newly fortified German trench position that will outnumber his forces three-fold in men and firepower. The men have until the next morning to get to Mackenzie.

LESSON #1: THE LENGTHS ONE WILL GO TO SAVE THEIR FAMILY— Among Mackenzie’s possibly doomed men is Blake’s older brother (Richard Madden of Cinderella). His survival becomes an instant motivator pushing these two troopers beyond the front. Scofield may not share Blake’s immediate stake, but his temperament also denotes a man with something or someone to live for. His own character reveals itself as the journey evolves.

Be that as it may, this mission is no idyllic stroll down a country road. Getting there requires crossing No Man’s Land, German-occupied territory, and villages fraught with hidden dangers. Everyone knows a suicide mission when they see one. Friendly chaps and fellow grunts encounter Blake and Scofield to caution them in an exasperating fashion “You’ll never make it.” Each time, the naysayers are answered simply with a resolute “Yes, I will.”

Where director Sam Mendes has outdone himself, and that is high praise considering his towering resume, is in the quality of immersion. The visual, aural, and emotional layers of this film are utterly astounding. The assembled collection of masterly craftsmen furnish the ingenious wonder that more than matches the indomitable will of this narrative written by Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns of Penny Dreadful.

That creative thrust is led by the key re-teaming of Mendes’ Skyfall partners and Blade Runner 2049 Oscar winners Dennis Gassner and Roger Deakins. The attention to details of Gassner’s environments evoke all levels of disparaging disaster and twisted terror. The daring camera placements, crane movements, and light absorption captured by Deakins are nothing short of perfection. He remains the best DP in the business. Empowered by steadicam operator Pete Cavaciuit and drone photography director John Marzano, Roger’s delicate touch with both magic hour vistas and hellfire-lit night scenes is beyond impressive and worthy of that second Academy Award for his legacy.

The sharp stratagem of 1917 moving in and around this menacing arena comes from the expert editing of Dunkirk Academy Award winner Lee Smith. Hiding screen-wipe cuts in passing bodies, shadows, architectural structures, and other seamless visual effects, Smith’s distillation of Deakins’ footage makes the film move and feel like one lean, continuous take. Needless to say, the syncs are flawless and that unbelievable flowing effect locks all eyes to the screen with optical handcuffs.

And the sound! Oh my, the sound! The ever-present acoustic aura creates a quickening pace to everything that transpires. The sound editing work of Oliver Tarney and mixing by Stuart Wilson bounce every crackle and bated breath with rattling intensity. That bombastic stimulus is made all the more grander by Thomas Newman’s Oscar-worthy musical score. Its dirge mixing anticipation and cardiac calamity drills into your veins. See this movie on the largest and loudest screen you can find. While all the technical aspects are truly superior, the thematic core of 1917 encircles the binds of duty on display.

LESSON #2: THE MANY SYNONYMS OF “HARROWING”— The bell-ringing word for all of this is harrowing, which can be defined as “acutely distressing.” All of its thesaurus-bound varieties, from agonizing and tormenting to harsh and heartrending, exemplify the human experience of this thriller. The stunt coordination of Ben Cooke and his team make the treacherous gauntlet and every close scrape rattle with these qualities.

As circumstances tighten, Scofield, with his differences of agreement and disagreement and a recurring series of question marks about earned and lost medals, becomes our guiding point of focus and hope. George McKay does not pause his character for long monologues. There are no flashy asides to wax poetically on the lamentations war or his unreleased feelings. Instead, both the actor and the character simply endure and we feel every stress point.

LESSON #3: WAR MUST BE ENDURED— All of those World War I combatants from over a century ago, including a family member of the Mendes lineage named in tribute during the end credits, may not be distinctly special or flush with a mythic history of certain destiny. Yet, what they endured was shattering and strengthening at the same time. The draw to see summoned bravery and weatherd tragedy in conflict will always be hugely magnetic. Rising with ambitious scale and a colossal level of enthrallment, 1917 will join cinema’s greatest exemplars of such captivation.

LOGO DESIGNED BY MEENTS ILLUSTRATED (#844)

Permalink

from REVIEW BLOG – Every Movie Has a Lesson https://ift.tt/38p7CEF via IFTTT

from WordPress https://ift.tt/2sb2xiF via IFTTT

[mozell2660200017-blog]

Black Coffee: Separating the Sheep from the Goats

It's time to sit back, relax and enjoy a little joe …

Welcome to another rousing edition of Black Coffee, your off-beat weekly round-up of what's been going on in the world of money and personal finance.

Let's get right to it this week …

Money is stored labor. Labor is part of human life. To devalue money is to debase life.

- John Kenneth Galbraith

Divorce is the one human tragedy that reduces everything to cash.

- Rita Mae Brown

If wisdom were measured by the size of the beard, the goat would be a philosopher.

- Danish proverb

Credits and Debits

Debit: Amazon CEO and founder, Jeff Bezos, announced he and his wife are divorcing after 25 years of marriage. Barring the presence of a prenup, Bezos' net worth is set to drop by half - that would see him lose the “world's richest man” crown to Bill Gates, forcing him to settle for being “only” the world's fifth-richest. His wife, however, would become the world's richest woman.

Credit: On a related note, last week Amazon overtook Apple and Microsoft to become the world's largest company. Unfortunately for Mr. Bezos, while Amazon now sells more stuff than ever, they still haven't penetrated the quicky-divorce market. Yet.

Debit: Looking at the other end of the socioeconomic divide, a new study has determined that 4 in 5 American workers are living from paycheck to paycheck. Yes, yes … I know exactly what you're thinking:

Debit: But seriously, how can so many working people be living from paycheck to paycheck in a “booming” economy? For the answer, look no further than our corrupt, debt-based fiat monetary system; American living standards have been steadily dropping ever since the US dollar's anchor to gold was broken in 1971. And things will only continue to get worse while the current monetary system remains in place.

Debit: By the way, those American workers who are barely making ends meet will be dismayed to learn that JP Morgan is now pegging the odds of a recession at 60% within the next year. What makes this notable is two months ago the very same JP Morgan forecast a 60% chance of recession … two years from now. Did I mention that unemployment more than doubled during the last recession in 2009? It did.

Debit: Indeed, the crashing oil, banking and utility sectors, coupled with slumping home and auto sales, are now at levels not seen since 2008. Of course, this suggests the global economy is headed for a severe recession, which explains the recent rotation into US Treasury bonds - and the resulting decline in interest rates. That makes perfect sense, especially with global confidence in the dollar stronger than ever. Oh, wait …

Credit: Hedge fund manager Harris Kupperman warns that, “When the (stock) bubble unwinds, it will be fast and vicious as there is no natural buyer for a money losing business that's run out of capital. It took half a decade to create the Internet bubble, yet it all vaporized in a few months; this bubble will collapse at a similar rate.” That's bad news for companies like Uber, Tesla, and Twitter. Probably Amazon too.

Debit: Falling stock prices are bad news for pensions too. Thanks to the Fed's decade-long low interest rate policy, the only hope pension managers had of meeting 8% return goals was by stretching into high-risk assets, which are now imploding. The US pension funding shortfall - public and private - is now $6.2 trillion. If the last two cycles are any indication, the next market downturn could see that triple. Yikes.

Debit: With the stakes so high, it's no wonder Fed chairman Jay Powell announced last week that rate hikes are off until further notice and that he's even looking at scaling back the Fed's liquidity-draining quantitative tightening program. Since then, stocks have been rallying. Hard. As macroeconomist Jim Rickards notes, “If you need proof that today's rigged markets still require Fed support, there it is.” Uh huh. Speaking of unwelcome support …

Credit: Meanwhile, Fitch is threatening to cut the United States' AAA credit rating. According to Fitch's global head of sovereign ratings, James McCormack, “There is a meaningful fiscal deterioration going on. If this shutdown continues … we may need to start thinking about whether that is consistent with AAA.” Psst. Hey, Mr. McCormack … that “fiscal deterioration” has officially been in hyperdrive for a decade now.

Credit: So, with the US economy now completely dependent on the Fed's printing press, it's no wonder that the world's largest hedge fund manager, Ray Dalio, all but admitted last week that the US dollar's time as the global reserve currency is coming to an end. No, he didn't say when. Frankly, I don't think he'll have to wait too long.

By the Numbers

Here's a summary of investment returns by asset class in 2018:

0.0% US Treasury Bonds

-1.5% Gold

-4.4% S&P 500

-4.4% Nasdaq

-6.0% Dow

-8.6% Silver

-11.0% Russell 2000

The Question of the Week

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Last Week's Poll Result

What is the brand of your mobile phone?

Apple (42%)

Something else. (33%)

Samsung (20%)

I don't own a mobile phone. (5%)

More than 1400 people responded to last week's question and it turns out that, when it comes to mobile phones, slightly more than twice as many Len Penzo dot Com readers own Apple as Samsung. Another third own a different brand, while 1 in 20 say they don't have a mobile phone. I've got an Apple, but I didn't pay for it - my employer did!

Useless News: The Forbidden Island

A Frenchman, an Englishman, and a New Yorker launched an expedition and discovered an uncharted island.

Unfortunately, the island was home to a tribe of cannibals. Soon enough the three men were ambushed and overrun. They were then tied up and taken to see the tribe's chief.

“You were forbidden from setting foot on this island!” the chief said. “We're going to eat you and use your skins to build a canoe. However, we're not without compassion - we'll let you choose how you're going to die.”

The Englishman said, “Give me a gun.” So the cannibal chief handed him a gun. The Englishman then raised the gun to his head and yelled, “God save the Queen!” before blowing his brains out.

The Frenchman and the New Yorker watched as the cannibals proceeded to skin the dead Englishman.

Inspired by the Englishman's bravery, the Frenchman then said, “Give me a sword.” So his wish was granted and he yelled “Viva la France!” before impaling himself.

The cannibals then skinned the Frenchman.

Finally, it was the New Yorker's turn. “Gimme a fork!” he demanded. The cannibal chief complied, and the New Yorker then jabbed himself over and over with the fork until he was covered with thousands of blood-oozing holes.

Puzzled at the spectacle he just witnessed, the cannibal chief asked the New Yorker, “So … any last words?”

“Yeah,” said the New Yorker. “There goes your God damn canoe!”

(h/t: resistedliving via Zero Hedge)

Other Useless News

Here are the top - and bottom - five states in terms of the average number of pages viewed per visit here at Len Penzo dot Com over the past 30 days:

1. New Mexico (3.13 pages/visit) !! 2. West Virginia (2.65) ! 3. Alaska (2.18) 4. Idaho (2.11) 5. Arkansas (1.86)

46. Hawaii (1.23) 47. Oklahoma (1.20) 48. Vermont (1.19) 49. Mississippi (1.14) 50. Wyoming (1.04)

Whether you happen to enjoy what you're reading (like my friends in New Mexico) - or not (ahem, Wyoming …) - please don't forget to:

1. Click on that Like button in the sidebar to your right and become a fan of Len Penzo dot Com on Facebook!

2. Make sure you follow me on Twitter!

3. Subscribe via email too!

And last, but not least …

4. Consider becoming a Len Penzo dot Com Insider! Thank you.

Letters, I Get Letters

Every week I feature the most interesting question or comment - assuming I get one, that is. And folks who are lucky enough to have the only question in the mailbag get their letter highlighted here whether it's interesting or not! You can reach out to me at: Len@LenPenzo.com

From Terri, who left an urgent request in my inbox this week:

Pick me! Pick me! Pick me! PICK ME!

Okay, Terri … I'm picking you! But if this ends up being the highlight of your week, then we really need to talk.

If you enjoyed this, please forward it to your friends and family. I'm Len Penzo and I approved this message.

Photo Credit: brendan-c

[irkimatsu]

Coming up with headcanons for the Heso Noir set is almost certainly jumping the gun; surely whatever information we get when the designs are added to the game will contradict anything I come up with. But damn it, the designs are so good, I can't help myself! Especially Ichi's, holy shit it's like falling in love with him all over again

I'm taking this as an AU rather than their canon selves; they always looked like that, it's not a makeover to suit the situation. (I'm figuring this can't take place in Japan anyway if they're running around with guns.)

Oso didn't mean to cause trouble... but, well, he's Oso. He did something thoughtless that seemed like a fun idea at the time, and ended up invoking the ire of a local gang. This other gang doesn't handle perceived offenses lightly, so not only are they after Oso's head, but they're intent on dragging his brothers into the mess as well. None of them are the type to start a senseless fight on their own, but for their own reasons - call it self-defense, protection of the others, or simple pride - they're all perfectly willing to continue what the other gang started, with zero intent of just laying down and taking it. The Matsuno gang doesn't want to cause trouble for anyone else, but the gang that challenged them has to go down.

Ichi is particularly reluctant to get mixed up in all this, but he can't just stand by while a bunch of assholes make threats on his brothers' lives. And besides, all that gunfire is stressing the local cats out and putting them at risk, so he has to put an end to this war as soon as possible. Those are his reasons to fight; his brothers and the cats. (And maybe his own safety. That's third priority at best.) He feels no glory or excitement from the constant shootouts, but what kind of man would he be if he backed down when there's so much at stake? The other gang has a different read on him, though. They don't know of his protective nature - all they see is a tough face and a lack of hesitation, not knowing the sentiment that inspires Ichi's bravery. As far as they're concerned, he's a cold-blooded killer who isn't emotionally impacted by any of this, and he's a priority for them to take down. For that, Ichi gets involved in a lot of scuffles.

No one, not even his brothers, realize that he's an emotional wreck after enough of this.

And then we get into the reader-insert part of the story, if one wants to swing it that way. Someone (for example, me) finds this bloodied, shaking man crouching in an alleyway, clutching a cat in one arm and a gun in his other trembling hand, glaring around the corner. They don't see who the man is looking out for - all they know is that he doesn't look so good. His face is bloodied, his shirt is stained, Christ, what happened to him? They reach out to offer assistance, but are immediately met with anger. What are they doing back here?! Don't they realize this isn't safe?! Are they stupid?! Go away! But they aren't deterred; clearly this man needs help, and they're afraid that if he doesn't get it soon, he may bleed out back here. After an argument, they finally drag Ichi back to their place for first aid. Ichi is belligerent the entire time, but the stranger manages to get him patched up. They introduce themselves to each other briefly, but Ichi refuses to say much about his situation, and despite this new person's offer of shelter, Ichi refuses and leaves shortly after his wounds are cared for.

He pushes the stranger out of his mind. Yes, they were very kind... but there's no sense getting an innocent person involved in this war. They'll be better off if he forgets them.

But they keep running into him, especially in the aftermath of rougher fights... are they actively looking after him? Are they some sort of guardian angel?

He keeps up his combative act, hoping to get this person away from him before they get themselves shot at for his sake, but no matter how cruel he acts, they keep coming back when he needs them most. Despite his misgivings, over the course of several meetings, Ichi slowly explains the circumstances behind all the fighting to his new acquaintance. They seem impressed by his noble reasoning for getting involved in this; they knew from the first fight that there must be something more to him than his initially frightening appearance and behavior, for if he was just some heartless killer, then why would he care so much about a stray cat? More and more, Ichi gets attached to this person. He appreciates their kindness and wants to learn everything he can about them.

He didn't want to get attached... but before long, he's in deep and can't fight it any longer. If this person is going to insist on looking out for him no matter how much he snaps at them, then he may as well defend them with the same strength he grants to his family and the cats. He knows them so well now... they've become... important. He has to protect what's important...

And as his tough act melts away and they see his true colors, maybe he can become important to them, too...

[israel-jewish-news]

White House Vows to Stand Firm on Trump's Recognition of Yerushalayim as Israel's Capital

New Post has been published on http://hamodia.com/2017/12/23/white-house-vows-stand-firm-trumps-recognition-yerushalayim-israels-capital/

White House Vows to Stand Firm on Trump's Recognition of Yerushalayim as Israel's Capital

Friday, December 22, 2017 at 5:08 am | ד' טבת תשע"ח

The U.S Embassy in Tel Aviv. (Reuters/Amir Cohen)

The Trump administration has scrambled to contain the remarkably broad international rejection of its new policy toward the divided city of Yerushalayim, including from important allies – using threats, assurances and a cold shoulder to try to limit the diplomatic damage.

Trump’s announcement this month that the United States recognizes Yerushalayim as Israel’s capital and has initiated the process of relocating the U.S. Embassy there has caused an extraordinary breach with key allies such as Egypt, Jordan, Britain, France and Japan, many of which have characterized the move as shortsighted at best.

Not one major ally or geopolitical leader has pledged to follow the U.S. lead. Many have also spoken in new and starkly critical fashion against Trump’s break with 50 years of diplomatic convention that treats Yerushalayim as an open question to be resolved only through negotiations.

At the same time, the worst fears of allies and some U.S. diplomats have not materialized. U.S. embassies were not immediately sacked, nor were American tourists or troops targeted for revenge.

“Overall, the reaction was more muted than we expected,” said one U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “It was not zero, but it was muted.”

Trump is more annoyed than surprised, people who have spoken to him said. He has told aides and members of Congress that the decision merely recognizes what is already true in practice, since the Israeli government is headquartered in Jerusalem, and has complained about what he considers narrow thinking and pearl-clutching diplomatic caution.

“Let them vote against us. We’ll save a lot. We don’t care,” Trump said Wednesday, threatening punitive cuts in U.S. aid to the United Nations ahead of a U.N. vote Thursday condemning the action.

The vote of 128-9, with 35 abstentions, illustrated the degree to which the Trump administration is going it alone. Egypt, the first Arab nation to make peace with Israel and a keystone in any hope on Trump’s part for a Middle East peace accord, sponsored the original resolution.

“America will put our embassy in Jerusalem. That is what the American people want us to do, and it is the right thing to do,” U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said before the vote, which the United States knew it would lose badly.

“No vote in the United Nations will make any difference on that, but this vote will make a difference on how Americans look at the U.N. and on how we look at countries who disrespect us in the U.N. And this vote will be remembered.”

Haley thanked the short list of fellow no voters for what she called their bravery. In addition to the United States and Israel, that list included Guatemala, Honduras, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Togo.

The nonbinding resolution declares that “any decisions and actions which purport to have altered the character, status or demographic composition of the Holy City of Jerusalem have no legal effect, are null and void and must be rescinded.”

Language in the resolution was softer and less direct in its criticism of the United States than Palestinians had proposed, after Egypt and some European allies said they would not vote for the original version. U.S. officials said they did not lobby for that but pointed to it as a sign of solidarity with the United States.

Still, the vote reflected the long-standing views of allies that Trump needs for international projects such as the pressure campaign against North Korea or to reinforce a future Israeli-Palestinian peace deal.

“This vote must not divide or exclude,” said France’s U.N. ambassador, François Delattre. “It is more important than ever to rally the international community around the agreed parameters of the peace process, and this of course includes the United States, as everyone is aware of its particular role and influence on this issue.”

The administration vowed that neither the announcement nor the reaction to it would derail plans to seek a Middle East peace accord next year.

“Relationships between the United States and other nations have their peaks and their valleys. Some days are better than others,” State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said when asked about current U.S. relations with the Palestinian leadership. “We look forward to continuing those talks, and we’re confident that we’ll be able to do that.”

A White House official said Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and adviser on resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict – an objective that Trump calls the “deal of the century” – and chief Middle East negotiator Jason Greenblatt both understood that the Yerushalayim announcement would have consequences.

“We always anticipated that there might be a temporary cooling-off period,” the official said, also speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. “We are continuing to work on the plan, work hard on it, and we will unveil it when the time is right.”

Trump’s proposal for talks and a potential settlement is expected to rely heavily on support from Arab states, including Saudi Arabia.

The White House insists that the new U.S. policy is not a de facto endorsement of the Israeli annexation of East Yerushalayim and has no bearing on Yerushalayim’s eventual borders.

“It was not a decision made on a whim,” the U.S. official said. “Everybody was focused on what impact it could have. There was discussion about the potential impact, pro and con, on peace negotiations.”

Haley and Vice President Mike Pence were among Cabinet members who argued that the move could advance the moribund peace process by shaking up the status quo, several officials said.

Pence postponed a trip to Israel, the West Bank and Egypt that was planned to take place in the past week. His office said he was needed in Washington for year-end congressional votes, but the Yerushalayim decision had also led Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to call off their meeting.

Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi was under heavy domestic pressure to cancel on Pence as well. Jordan, where King Abdullah II had argued strenuously to Trump that the embassy decision would unleash religious strife and extremism, was not on the itinerary at all.

Jordan, the only other Arab state to make peace with Israel, is a bedrock of U.S. policy in the Middle East and a customary stop for U.S. officials when they visit Israel and Egypt.

Abdullah was among the Arab leaders Trump called ahead of his announcement. A Jordanian palace statement used unusually strong language to note that the king had warned of “dangerous repercussions” for regional stability.

“It’s not untrue to say this reflects facts on the ground, but there are lot of politics involved” for nations with a stake inside and outside of the Middle East, said a former senior State Department official.

U.S. officials “paid attention to the politics” between Persian Gulf states Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the former official said. “They tried the same with Egypt and Jordan. Those didn’t go as well. They did the best they could once they had the president’s decision.”

That is a reference to Trump’s insistence that he would not do as the past three U.S. presidents have done and indefinitely defer implementing a 1995 law ordering that the U.S. Embassy be moved from Tel Aviv.

“The administration seems to see this as a piety and a rule that could be broken,” said Jon Alterman, a Middle East scholar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “In an administration that likes to break rules, they see this as a rule they can break.”

Trump’s action follows through on a campaign promise to important parts of his political base – evangelical Christian supporters of Israel and wealthy, conservative Jewish Republican donors. It also solidifies Trump’s credentials as an iconoclast or, for critics, a bully.

“Before this meeting, a U.N. member state threatened all the other members,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said at the United Nations. “We were all asked to vote no or face the consequences,” including cuts in aid, he said. “Such an attitude is unacceptable. This is bullying.”