If you’re ever feeling down about being an American, please remember that Alexandra Petri is also an American

It has fallen to me, the humor columnist, to endorse Harris for president

If you’d like to help Kamala Harris win, focus on those three things. Put aside that Trump’s a bad guy and the outrage about his immigration policies. Avoid talking about inflation. Pretend like you don’t know who Joe Biden is. This is going to be close. We must be strategic on how we talk about it.

January 6 was a violent day: Donald Trump told supporters to storm the Capitol. Police officers were beaten with American flags. People died. Donald Trump has continually called for more violence. He & many Republicans- including his running mate- have said that he did not lose the 2020 election

During his first term, Donald Trump and congressional Republicans tried to take health care away from millions of working families to give tax breaks to the rich. It failed because three Republicans voted with the Democrats. If Donald Trump has a Republican congress, he will try to do this again.

Republicans think of abortion as murdering babies. Ask yourself an honest question: do you think Republicans will “leave it to the states” to decide whether or not murder should be legal? If Donald Trump is elected, Republicans will push and potentially succeed in a nationwide abortion ban.

Trump is a bad guy. But the bottom line is that everyone knows that he’s a bad guy and most people don’t care about it. Is that bananas? Yep! But is it true? Also yep! Any attempt at trying to convince people that Trump is a bad guy is wasted breath. But– good news– he has three weaknesses:

Slow Horses, Season 4: this is a show firing on every cylinder– the difficulty of grounding this twisty of a plot in its characters is off the charts. Very excited this has already been picked up for two more seasons

I always take these projections with a grain of salt, but I just bought a “like new” refurb M4 iPad Pro and the magic keyboard case for a thousand dollars less than retail. Seems like there’s a lot of these in the pipeline.

(whether I needed this or not is irrelevant–pay no attention to the man behind the curtain)

iPad Pro Shipment Projections Slashed on Sluggish OLED Panel Demand

This was a totally fine movie. 

If we would like for our adult-focused movies to be better than fine, we need to pay multiple American dollars to watch movies that are better than fine.

The new Reeder and Project Tapestry do 97% of things the same. But in the 3% they don’t– 1.5% of the time I like what Reeder does better and 1.5% of the time I like what Project Tapestry does better. I’m in a pickle.

Currently Reading

Currently reading: The Signal and the Noise by Nate Silver 📚

Currently Watching

• Agatha All Along, Season 1
• Slow Horses, Season 4

Currently In Queue

• Wolfs
• Challengers
• Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
• Furiosa
• The First Omen
• Skinamarink

Currently Listening

Currently Planning

• October: Eastern Shore
• November: Palm Springs for Eric’s wedding (maybe Vegas on the back end?)
• December: post-Christmas trip to Kentucky
• January: Ski Trip to Québec Charlevoix

Concurrently

• New Zelda game! Starring Zelda! In the style of Link’s Awakening! Time to dust off my Zelda-playing machine (i.e., my Nintendo Switch) and get to saving Hyrule.
• A few highlights from what I wrote this month:
  • I put out my digital yard sign as to why I’m voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz
  • I went and saw Weezer and Bruce Springsteen and wrote about the limits of nostalgia

Finished in September:

The Wild Robot: just as much a meditation on the necessity of community as the plight of parenthood. Screenplay did a ton of good work introducing a lot of tough concepts without flinching. This also may be my favorite animation that Dreamworks has ever done.

Finished reading: On the Edge by Nate Silver 📚 Silver lays out a clear and compelling case for us all to be taking more risks. His framing (gambling, crypto, AI, with a dash of politics) is inevitably going to turn people off, but he gives each subject a fair shake– none of it is universally negative or positive. His conclusions are not far from my own.

But…this book is Exhibit A of what people don’t like about Nate Silver: while I think he’s “right”, his prose is dripping with the fact he knows he’s right. He spends the book showing the divide between two groups–the Riverians and Villagers– with a very clear framing of building up his side (the Riverians). But then in the last three pages of a 500+ page book, he concludes that the members of the two tribes need to stop moving towards the tails of their group. He’s right about this, but I wish he’d spent more time on what a hybrid Riverian/Villager looks like.

Overall, if you can put aside the negatives, this is a vital book– risk is a subject that’s not well understood and Silver clearly shows why this is hurting society. jordon.me

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice: the world and cast are left (mostly) intact, so it would be very difficult for this to be a bad movie. But wow– it did its damndest to be completely forgettable: no new ideas and nothing to say

The Bear, Season 3: this was the vibes season. Not bad, but it just didn’t have the propulsion that previous seasons had. Still one of the best on TV

Previously, in Current Things…

September 2024
August 2024
July 2024
June 2024
May 2024
April 2024
March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022

Just as much a meditation on the necessity of community as the plight of parenthood. Screenplay did a ton of good work introducing a lot of tough concepts without flinching. This also may be my favorite animation that Dreamworks has ever done.

Currently reading: The Signal and the Noise by Nate Silver 📚

Finished reading: On the Edge by Nate Silver 📚 Silver lays out a clear and compelling case for us all to be taking more risks. His framing (gambling, crypto, AI, with a dash of politics) is inevitably going to turn people off, but he gives each subject a fair shake– none of it is universally negative or positive. His conclusions are not far from my own.

But…this book is Exhibit A of what people don’t like about Nate Silver: while I think he’s “right”, his prose is dripping with the fact he knows he’s right. He spends the book showing the divide between two groups–the Riverians and Villagers– with a very clear framing of building up his side (the Riverians). But then in the last three pages of a 500+ page book, he concludes that the members of the two tribes need to stop moving towards the tails of their group. He’s right about this, but I wish he’d spent more time on what a hybrid Riverian/Villager looks like.

Overall, if you can put aside the negatives, this is a vital book– risk is a subject that’s not well understood and Silver clearly shows why this is hurting society.

Be kind. Keep it simple. Tailor the message to the audience. Listen. That’s how you change minds. All elections are important, but this one is doubly so: these two have very different views of what America is and what it should be. I think America is great with some tweaks. So does Kamala Harris.

The anonymity of political canvassing is nice: you go to a stranger’s door and make your case. It’s clean. It’s low on emotion. But I’m skeptical of its effectiveness. Instead, speak to your neighbors! Post on your socials! Blog about it! The people who know you know you. They trust you.

That’s why I wrote this blog post about why I’m voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz and posted a link to it on the front page of my blog. It’s my digital yard sign– one that can have as many characters as I like and can go into the nuance of why I’m voting the way I am.

There’s been lot’s of talk in the decreased efficacy of political canvassing and I’m sympathetic to the idea it’s in part because a good portion of our lives are now lived online. Bumper stickers and yard signs may still be worthwhile, but to be effective, you probably need to do more.

Donald Trump’s policies have and will harm Americans

• He appointed the Supreme Court Justices that overturned Roe v. Wade. If elected again, he will not advocate for nor sign laws that protect a woman’s right to choose for all Americans. If given the opportunity, he will appoint additional judges and justices that will continue to erode the rights of women.
• His vow to leave abortion to the states has caused and will continue to cause the deaths and suffering of women. He has stated that he will vote for a Florida law that will ban abortions after six weeks with no exceptions for rape, incest, or the health of the mother. Six weeks is before many women even realize they are pregnant.
• He will raise the price of goods for all Americans. He has vowed to implement a tariff that will tax foreign imports. I believe the price of these goods will increase to offset this tariff. While this may encourage people to buy American-made goods, it will increase prices across the board. Especially for items that cannot be made in America (e.g., strawberries during the winter).
• He will advocate for passing tax cuts that will benefit the rich more than the working and middle classes. While the working and middle class may see more money in their paychecks, it will be minimal and will more than be offset by the inevitable decrease in social services and the negative impact it will have on the economy.
• In order to fund his tax cuts, he will need to increase the national deficit. This could lead to a return to increased inflation and decrease the amount of money Americans have to spend.
• In order to fund his tax cuts, he will need to decrease the social safety net. I believe he will greatly cut Medicaid, which will decrease health care assistance to the poor. Despite his saying he won’t touch Social Security or Medicare, I believe that faced with a funding deficit, he will choose to reduce funding for these programs as opposed to raising taxes.
• Donald Trump has said he will overturn all or portions of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and does not have a plan as to what will replace it. His running mate has specifically questioned the pre-existing conditions clause of Obamacare, which would eliminate or greatly increase the price of health care coverage for Americans with pre-existing conditions. By eliminating the ACA with no plan, he will remove the price controls on health care, causing a significant increase in cost to small business owners and the independently employed.
• In service to the appearance of being tough, he will implement an immigration plan that will not work as well as it could and cost more money than it should. He will continue to implement policies that are cruel and inhumane as a deterrence.
• He will cut legal immigration, which decreases potential tax revenue and hurt American innovation.
• He will not advocate for nor pursue policies that limit the ownership and use of assault rifles. He will not advocate for nor pursue legislation that will decrease school shootings.
• He will indiscriminately decrease regulations without regard to whether or not they are needed. In the past he has decreased clean water and pollution protections. He will hinder or even reverse the progress made in battling climate change.

Kamala Harris will implement policies that will benefit Americans

• She supports a woman’s right to choose and will appoint judges and justices as well as advocate for and pursue legislation that will restore this right to all Americans.
• She supports reproductive health treatments–like IVF– that will grow and strengthen families.
• She will implement pro-family policies like an increased child tax credit and expand access to high quality and affordable daycare. She will pursue other proven pro-child policies like universal Pre-K and free school lunch.
• She will implement fiscally responsible policies and is open to both tax increases and government program cuts in order to pay for these policies. She has stated that she will not raise taxes on the middle and working classes. Increases to taxes would only be for corporations and for those making more than $400,000 per year.
• She will protect the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and will pursue other methods for decreasing health care costs for Americans like extending the $35 cap on insulin to all Americans.
• She will ensure the solvency of Social Security and Medicare by increasing taxes on the wealthy.
• She will work to reduce the cost of living: increasing the federal minimum wage, continuing the Biden administration’s policies for decreasing inflation, and decreasing the ability for bad actor corporations to jack up prices and eliminate competition.
• She will work to reduce the cost of education recognizing its role as a pathway to the middle class.
• As a former prosecutor and attorney general, she recognizes the important role that the police play in our communities. She will continue to fund the police and support programs that reduce crime and keep our communities safe.
• As a gun owner, she recognizes this right of Americans. She will continue to support this right while advocating for common sense gun policies that will reduce gun violence.
• As a former Senator, she recognizes that in the American system of government, most legislation needs to be bipartisan and it is often stronger because of this.
• She will ensure that the American military has the resources it needs to be the best in the world.
• She will support Ukraine with weapons and monetary assistance in its war against Russia. She recognizes the importance of the NATO alliance and will adhere to the treaty.
• She recognizes the nuances in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. She supports Israel’s ability to defend itself against and respond to terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah, while pressuring Israel to minimize civilian casualties. She also supports a ceasefire that both sides can agree upon.
• She will implement policies that hinder our foreign adversaries–such as Russia and China–and decrease their impact on the lives of Americans.
• She acknowledges the climate crisis while understanding the importance of energy independence. She will pursue research in increasing the capacity and decreasing the costs of clean energy while still taking advantage of our nation’s natural resources, nuclear energy capabilities, and fossil fuels to ensure that energy remains abundant and low cost.
• She supports common sense fixes to our immigration system, including the Senate’s bipartisan immigration bill. She will advocate for legislation that develops an immigration system that actually secures the border, limits the number of illegal crossings, while promoting legal immigration.

I do not believe that Donald Trump is fit to be president

• At times he appears confused and unaware of what is going on. I believe his age is catching up to him. Even more than in 2016 and 2020, he seems to be losing his grip on reality.
• He says and implies many things that I believe are racist, sexist, and homophobic.
• He incites anger and fear to keep Americans scared.
• He only cares about himself. He killed a recent bipartisan immigration bill because he was afraid it would hurt his chances for reelection.
• He will lie about anything at any time if he perceives it to be to his benefit.
• He does not respect the rule of law and will only accept the outcome of an election in which he wins.
• He praises autocrats and dictators. He speaks positively of our foreign adversaries.
• He is a convicted felon and faces several more felony charges. He has been credibly accused of sexually assaulting multiple women and and has been found liable in civil court for sexual abuse.
• He tried to overturn the 2020 election. He incited a violent mob to storm the Capitol during which people died. He pressured state election officials into falsifying election results to show him winning.
• If he wins, I am not confident there would be a peaceful and constitutional transition of power in 2029.

Over the course of a week, I saw three shows– Bruce Springsteen at Nats Park, the movie Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and Weezer at The Anthem– that all induced varying levels of nostalgia for me.

Bruce Springsteen is a long-time favorite of my family’s and I last saw him 12(!) years ago in Philly. Springsteen’s music itself leans heavy on imagery and nostalgia, but never to the detriment of a hopeful vision of the future. His shows reflect this well– there’s a core group of songs that he typically plays on a given tour, but there’s a lot of changes around the margins from show to show. The pure energy he brings is unparalleled: everyone can get something out of them whether you know every word by heart or have never even heard of the guy.

I don’t have the same affection for the movie Beetlejuice as I do for some other movies of that era, but I have distinct memories of watching it as a kid. I rewatched the original a few days before going to see the sequel and it’s just as deliciously weird as I remember it. But this sequel just completely missed the mark– it wasn’t bad–but it could have been great! I kept hoping for a movie that focuses on just how forever death is and how thus how little meaning time has. Which could be perfectly encapsulated by Beetlejuice himself! One of the strengths of the original was how little the character of Beetlejuice was in it– but the sequel couldn’t resist showing him within like the first five minutes.

My brother was the bigger Weezer fan and though the Blue Album was a bit before my time, the Green Album was on complete rotation during high school. As a person who still listens to albums as a whole, it was impossible for me to pass up hearing a band I really like play what is definitively their best album. But the show was designed around a schtick: Weezer is here on Earth and they need to board a spaceship to “voyage” (i.e., play some of their other material) to the “Blue Planet” (i.e., the section of the show where they play the Blue Album).

So three shows– all rife with emotions and memories from my childhood–why did Springsteen work when Beetlejuice and Weezer didn’t quite hit the mark?

There’s a half life to what nostalgia can provide. No matter how well something is crafted, there’s a limit to how good it can be if it doesn’t introduce anything new or fresh. Springsteen realizes this: he used earnestness, spontaneity, and inclusion in addition to nostalgia to put on an amazing show. And while Beetlejuice and Weezer weren’t just pure nostalgia– there was more they were trying to do– they leaned heavily on quirkiness to fill the gaps that nostalgia couldn’t.

Nostalgia itself is not a bad thing– there’s a lot to be gained from reflection on positive memories. But in our age of everything old is new again, there has to be more than reflection: there has to be introspection of how the things from our past defines the us of the present.

The world and cast are left (mostly) intact, so it would be very difficult for this to be a bad movie. But wow-- it did its damndest to be completely forgettable: no new ideas and nothing to say

A few photos from the Saturday Weezer concert. They were good, but…

All the pre-recorded “Voyage to the Blue Planet” schtick just sucked all of the energy and spontaneity out of the show. It felt like a light show set to a pre-recorded album of Weezer’s greatest hits

The Bear, Season 3: this was the vibes season. Not bad, but it just didn’t have the propulsion that previous seasons had. Still one of the best on TV

Welp, there’s Taylor Swift’s endorsement

“I have concepts of a plan” is the most relatable thing trump has said all night