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2022 has been like no other year in my life. I have always been an individual who likes to pay attention to cultural events, educational opportunities, and political decisions since my high school years. All three of these things have been incredibly important in defining the type of individual that I have become. With politics, it is always a valid argument that for the majority of moments in your life, the behavior of our politicians really has no impact or effect on your life. Elections and political donations can be important when a particular cancerous individual has taken power and you feel the necessity to remove them democratically. But in your life, there will always be one moment when politics becomes incredibly important. If you believe in the idea of the Fourth Turning that every generation will experience some form of massive upheaval during their lives, then paying consideration to the politics of that era could become a matter of survival. This leads to my personal experience in 2022. Since the beginning of the year, my wife and I have spent over 10,000 dollars on updating our survival gear and food storage. No matter how bad things have gotten in this country, I never believed that there was a cause for dread. Now, I believe it is everyone’s responsibility to prepare themselves for a future of shortages.
FOOD SHORTAGES Many economists, politicians, and cultural analysts agree. Food shortages are likely heading our way in the near future. These shortages appear to be the worst that any American will experience in their lifetime. Here is some evidence. Michael Snyder Joe Biden: If your president is warning you, absolutely believe that these shortages will be much worse than his rhetoric. Baby Formula Shortages are already occurring (Due to inflation and supply chain issues caused by the Ukraine/Russia War and our own government’s incompetent monetary policy). Fertilizer Shortages Farmers are warning about food shortages in the near future. Even Joe Rogan is concerned about it. Zerohedge has been talking about this problem on a daily basis. Then there is the weird case of about a decade of tragedy at food processing plants that just happens to occur in a very short time frame. Intentional? Impossible to know but this should be investigated. This has led to a few organizations that firmly believe that government-enforced food rationing is right around the corner. HOUSING COLLAPSE An inevitable outcome with skyrocketing prices. Consultants are warning buyers. Even Zillow has gotten out. TECH & CRYPTO COLLAPSE Unfortunately, these two industries go hand in hand with one another. Tech companies have been severely overvalued for the past decade. The incredible rise in their stock price and valuation was never legitimate. It was all speculation and faith. Now, reality has come home. There are multiple causes. But the era of free 0% interest money is over. This is going to lead to a painful correction. Crypto as a currency is proving to be closely tied to the value of tech stocks. So Bitcoin and hundreds of other coins are crashing as well. Ron Paul called the economy of the last decade, “THE EVERYTHING BUBBLE.” Unlike the financial institution crashes of the 1990s, the tech crash of the early 2000s, or the housing market collapse in 2007-2009, this economic collapse will impact almost everything in our lives. Until deflation takes hold and prices drop to a more reasonable level, the next few years maybe some of the darkest times of our lives. MY RECOMMENDATION This obviously depends on your budget. Plus, there are some great deals out there if you look carefully. Bass Pro Fish Shops: Got accepted for their credit card and used it to update our survival gear, camping supplies, weapons, outdoor clothing, and backpacks in case a quick escape becomes necessary. With the United States sending billions to Ukraine and escalating a conflict that could quickly slide into World War III while the Russians warn us about their potential usage of nuclear weapons if they face collapse, it may become necessary to escape into the wilderness for an undetermined amount of time. My best advice is to spend rationally and within your budget. My wife and I were able to pay off our purchases within 2 months mainly due to my budgeting and a lucky win at a Las Vegas casino. Plus, with 2% back on the card, we were able to purchase another 200 dollars of free supplies that were forgotten during our first couple of trips. Once you are done, cancel the credit card. Because unless you live inside that store, there is no real reason to keep it for the future. Gas: Keep at least ten gallons of gas inside your garage in storage. Getting at least 100 miles away from an urban center that could break into rioting and violence if there is a lack of food is important. Going 100 miles in a particular direction in any city should take you into rural areas. Food: Store at least six months of food. If shortages are coming (And they are), keeping this supply is important if some of the necessities aren’t available. Dried and canned food is the best way to go. Any fresh or frozen food is fine as long as your electricity remains on. But if blackouts occur, your fresh food will likely have to be trashed. Buy a Generator: Important to use the aforementioned ten gallons of gas or propane available for usage when necessary. Generators will also help keep the electricity flowing if you only experience rolling blackouts. I also recommend getting some credit cards. Make sure they are low balance cards that can be paid off quickly. The reason for this is because many current credit cards have incredible benefits if you apply as a first-time user. Any credit score of 670 or more should get you a decent mid-tier card. There is nothing wrong with accumulating free money to help with your purchases. Here are the three I recommend, none of them have a maximum limit of over 2500. Each of these cards also have a zero balance because it is important to pay them off in their entirety every month if possible. AMERICAN EXPRESS BLUE CASH PREFERRED: 6% cash back on grocery purchases, 3% cash back on gas. US BANK ALTITUDE CONNECT VISA SIGNATURE: 4X Points for Travel and Gas. FIDELITY REWARDS VISA SIGNATURE: All Purchases give you 2X back into your retirement fund whether a 401K or IRA. Do what is best for you. Chase, Capital One, and Citibank have their own family of cards if you happen to be banking with them. Get creative and take advantage of these deals because in an inflationary environment, every dollar or “point” is important. Next time, I will be doing Part 6 on my educational indoctrination at Arizona State University involving my Masters Degree program. Until then!
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I apologize for the delay between this essay and my previous one. Recently, the French film director Jacques Tati came to my attention. As a person who believes that comedic writing and directing exist on a higher scale than many other forms of filmmaking, I wanted to dive into why this particular director’s comedies are considered some of the greatest of all-time. After experiencing three of his most famous movies and a sixty-minute documentary, my opinion on Tati is a complicated one. His movies fit into the definition of how most film experts see French filmmaking. But even though there is much to admire about Tati, his filmmaking style also has its imperfections. For an individual who was a professional mime known for his physical performances before and after World War II, it is fascinating how Tati evolved from working on the stage to becoming one of the most legendary French film directors. This essay will look into this background before revealing my own complicated history with French filmmakers. Finally, I will talk about the filmmakers that Tati’s films influenced before diving into a final evaluation of Tati’s three most famous films, Les Vacances de Monsieur Hulot (Mr. Hulot’s Holiday-1953), Mon Oncle (My Uncle-1958), and Playtime-1967. These films deserve their place in the zeitgeist. But unlike some of the greatest films of all-time that hold up over the decades, can we really make this argument about Tati’s classical works?
Jacques Tati was born in 1907 into a comfortable middle-class life in La Pecq, a suburb of Paris. Showing no interest in academics, Tati spent his childhood being trained as a picture framer (How did this impact his filmmaking sensibilities?) by his grandfather before completing his compulsory military service in the late 1920s. Being introduced to rugby, he became a semi-professional player where his comedic talents were recognized by his fellow teammates. Taking a risk on his performing style during the dark days of the Depression in the early 1930s, he developed his comedic physical style as a mime street performer in the early 1930s. He eventually booked engagements at theaters in France and Germany and fine-tuned his craft as an actor in short films until the outbreak of World War II often working in night clubs and cabarets. When the war ended in 1945, Tati’s career as a filmmaker began. Tati made six films during his lifetime. I watched his second, third, and fourth films in chronological order of release. You can definitely see an evolution in his filmmaking style during this almost decade in a half of time. On a personal level, I have always had a strong opinion about French films. While filmmakers like Jean-Luc Godard, Francois Truffaut, and Jacques Demy are considered legends, I have always personally embraced the more unique styles of French auteurs like Luis Bunuel (His French films particularly), Jean-Pierre Jeunet, and Michel Gondry. Godard, Truffaut, and Demy made some incredible films. But they also made some movies where the slow pace and visual style left me feeling empty and disappointed. With Bunuel, Jeunet, and Gondry, experiencing any of these films will give you a definitive idea based on their elaborate filmographies of the type of filmmaking to expect. Gondry in particular came to my attention based on the amazing music videos he produced in the 90s for many alternative acts like Bjork. Art is obviously incredibly objective. But I feel the French style of filmmaking is overrated. I feel the same way about most Japanese films (Not anime which is a different genre) and India’s Bollywood. In terms of films made by countries that do not get the same appreciation as the aforementioned nations, Russia/Soviet Union and their philosophically introspective filmmaking, the incredible talent of directors that have made fantastic films in theocratic Iran, and my favorite filmmaking country of the 21st Century, the immensely talented South Koreans, are underappreciated by film experts (Even though the talent of South Korea is now getting globally recognized). Tati slides between these two extremes. There are some truly fantastic moments in his films. Yet, I can’t help but admit that there were also long stretches in each film that meandered too long and often led me to divert my attention away from the film due to boredom. After watching Tati, you can definitely see the impact his filmmaking had on some contemporary filmmakers. Particularly, Wes Anderson, Steven Spielberg, and David Lynch. In Anderson’s recent film THE FRENCH DISPATCH (2021), there is a comedic scene where a character moves through an M.C. Escher type building that looks like it was stolen from Tati’s MON ONCLE. Anderson has been very open about the inspiration that Tati has had on his filmmaking. Spielberg’s THE TERMINAL (2004) comes across as a homage to Tati’s most famous masterpiece PLAYTIME. Finally, David Lynch’s slow-visual style which can be seen in his most famous film can be partially attributed to Tati. Plus, Tati was fascinated with the modernism of the post-World War II era. The best jokes in each of these films revolves around the world that technology is creating and how his character, the simplistic Mr. Hulot, handles these changes. Tati’s films are a satirical post-modernist take on the rapidly changing world where technology and science would soon become ubiquitous. Tati was inspired by the silent era slapstick of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin. You can see it in the way that Mr. Hulot (Played by Jacques Tati in all three movies) interacts and navigates each scene. These films have almost no dialogue. Film is a visual medium and Tati understands the power of it. A Tati film moves from one scene to another with no underlying purpose. They are appreciations of the chaos of daily life. In Mr. Hulot’s Holiday, Mr. Hulot takes up residence in a vacation resort. Of the three films I watched, this one is the most difficult to enjoy for two particular reasons. First, the movie feels incredibly dated with sight gags that probably worked well on a mid-20th Century audience but come up incredibly flat in respect to our modern tastes. Second, even though this is his second movie, it still feels really raw like Tati was trying out different visual gags to see which ones worked. Even though this film was a hit in France at its time of release, the movie feels unfinished like the best moments were left on the cutting room floor. This is not the case with MY UNCLE. His third film, and the only one to win an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, became an international sensation. Significantly more watchable than MR. HULOT’S HOLIDAY, this is the first film that satirizes the superficiality of French culture and the advancing of technology which was uprooting the world during this post-War era. The best scenes in the film all revolve around the house (Which inspired the design of the POWERPUFF GIRLS house in the cartoon). Whether it is the matriarch of the family turning on her distinct fish-shaped water feature every time a stranger comes to visit, or the incredibly well-shot scene of the husband and wife acting like eyeballs inside the windows of the house as Mr. Hulot moves around in the darkness of their yard, to an extended afternoon brunch that features inane social interactions followed by a water leak that changes the nature of the scene, the movie is Tati’s first that defines the type of filmmaker he will become. MY UNCLE is enjoyable and does not meander and lag like his previous film did. The only complaint is that the movie is a little long. A few extra scenes could have been cut to get the movie down to a more manageable 90 to 100 minutes. Finally, we come to what I believe is Tati’s masterpiece PLAYTIME. Shot inside a city that was built from scratch (Affectionally called “Tativille” by the producers of the picture), PLAYTIME is Tati’s magnum opus. To describe it without explaining the visuals of the movie would not do the film any justice. The film is about a future city made of glass where technology controls every aspect of life. From a cinematography perspective, this is one of the best shot movies I have ever seen. After first experiencing the movie, I was unsure of my personal feelings towards it. As time goes by and my brain began to evaluate what Tati was trying to accomplish, this is an incredible picture. Being the second movie in his trilogy of three films about modern mid-20th Century technology (With TRAFIC being the last one), PLAYTIME is an amazing filmmaking accomplishment. First, a little background on this film. PLAYTIME costs so much money to make that it drove Jacques Tati into bankruptcy. The movie was not well-received at its time of release and has only been appreciated by future generations long after Tati died in 1982. This film has multiple scenes that are incredibly memorable. There is a scene of a receptionist at an office doing multiple tasks at once and moving from side to side in a dance-like state. The scene is improved when Tati shoots the receptionist from outside where you can only see his feet while his body is blocked by a sign. From this perspective, it does look like the receptionist is doing an interpretive dance. There is the great scene where residents from neighboring apartments are watching television, but the cinematography is framed in a way where it looks like they are watching each other. There is a wonderful visual Easter Egg where an individual is talking about taking a vacation. If you miss the posters in the background and what they are trying to tell you (HINT: Every city in the world IS THE SAME), then the entire scene is wasted. Finally, he ends the movie at a nightclub where the viewer comes into a restaurant at its grand opening. This entire scene is over 40 minutes long and gets more chaotic as the amount of people inside the club continues to increase and the problems that the nightclub faces get more complicated. The movie needs to be experienced just for these reasons alone. If I had to reflect back on the best movie of Tati’s career, the only one I would recommend that every person experience is PLAYTIME. Looking back, I believe it is difficult for our current generations to appreciate a filmmaker like Jacques Tati. So many of the innovations in his movies have long been appropriated by other directors. The first thing I thought when watching Mr. Hulot was Peter Sellers performance as Inspector Clouseau in the PINK PANTHER franchise. The same physical slapstick comedy is present. The one significant difference is that Blake Edwards dialogue and Seller’s incredible performance gives these films a more modern-day edge which makes them more enjoyable to present day audiences. Tati’s Mr. Hulot is a slapstick character that can only be appreciated visually. It is incredibly different than watching the non-stop jokes that made A SHOT IN THE DARK one of the funniest movies of all-time. But if you have the patience to watch a filmmaker who was a truly innovative comedic force during his era, then I would recommend diving into Jacques Tati. It will help you understand the tropes of many modern-day filmmakers. NOTE: My analysis of Jacques Tati will have to wait a week. My mind has been focusing on the brilliance of the NBA Phoenix Sun's over this past week. So here is a blog for all my Phoenix friends.
I am a West Coast guy. Born in the suburban Los Angeles town of Torrance, Southern California has been my place of residence for the majority of my life. Plus, I have lived all over Southern California (Los Angeles area 21 years, Orange County/Anaheim/Fullerton 8 years, Palm Springs almost 2 years, San Diego 5 years and now Riverside County/Temecula 5 years). I understand the culture of each area well. Not to mention if someone is visiting, I can give killer directions to any location due to my knowledge of the local streets. But during an almost 8-year stretch of my life, Phoenix, Arizona was my home. Despite some issues I had with living in that city at the time and experiencing the ridiculous mortgage crash that impacted this region more than any other, Phoenix left me with more pleasant memories than negative. Coming from California, my biggest complaint about Phoenix was the lack of culture. But this was an unfair opinion to have at the time. Phoenix has a culture. It was just not something that was suitable for my mindset during the years I lived there. I also had major problems with the food. Even though this has been resolved as many good restaurants have opened in the area since my time of residence, there is something about Arizona coffee and a glass of water that is just plain “different” from my personal experience. Since I am very familiar with Arizona’s neighbor to the east, New Mexico, I always thought Arizona’s bizarre water was a symptom of the region. But this is not the case. New Mexico water tastes better than California’s and their food is exceptional because of this. But I also met a lot of really nice people, had a comfortable and stable job, and owned a home for the first time in my life during my years there. If you are a sports fan, there was something else that happened in that town during my years of residence between 2004-2012. Arizona’s sports teams had some very good and interesting teams. The Diamondbacks were the most disappointing. Being the only professional team to win the city a championship (In 2001 against the New York Yankees) and winning the division and making the playoffs in three of their first five seasons, the Diamondbacks recent history has not been as memorable. First, their baseball stadium is one of my favorites in Major League Baseball. If you throw in the classic Dodger stadium that overlooks downtown Los Angeles, Petco Park placed front and center in the middle of the Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego and the San Francisco Giants stadium resting on the bay, you can argue that the NL West has the most beautiful stadiums in professional baseball by far (Not to forget the wonderful fan experience of Coors Field in Denver, Colorado, the home of the Rockies). The Diamondbacks won two division titles during my eight years there (2007 and 2011). They only had three winning seasons (2008, they went 82-80). The most exciting team was the 2007 one that swept the Chicago Cubs in the NLDS only to get swept in the NLCS by the red-hot Colorado Rockies who went onto win their first and only National League pennant before eventually getting swept themselves by the Boston Red Sox in the 2007 World Series. But the Diamondbacks did not generate a ton of excitement during my years in Phoenix except for two specific seasons. The Coyotes are a tragedy. I love NHL hockey. During my eight years there, I could show up for a game hours before the puck dropped and get decent tickets. Phoenix has never embraced hockey culture the way that many cities on the West Coast have. The Coyotes were pretty miserable during the majority of my time there. After making the playoffs and losing in the 1st round five of their first six seasons in Arizona, they went on a long streak of playoff-less hockey. The streak finally snapped during my last three seasons there. Despite becoming one of the better teams in hockey in the 2010 and 2011 playoffs, the Coyotes got knocked out by the Detroit Red Wings in both seasons. The streak finally was snapped during my last few months in Phoenix. Arizona made a heroic run to the Western Conference Finals to play my beloved Los Angeles Kings in 2012. My Kings knocked them out in five games on their way to their first Stanley Cup championship (A feat they would repeat two years later). Meanwhile, the Coyotes have entered another dark period. Other than the COVID-19 shortened season in 2020 when they upset the Nashville Predators in the Qualifying Round to get their first playoff series victory since 2012 (The playoffs were expanded to the top 12 teams that season and the 11th seeded Coyotes pulled the biggest upset of the opening round), the Coyotes are in a very dark place as a franchise right now. As you can see, the history of sports in Phoenix is not great. This can also best be summed up by the experience of the Arizona Cardinals. One of the original teams to begin play during the first season of the NFL in 1920, the Cardinals history has been filled with nothing but disappointment. They won a championship in 1925 that was rewarded to them because the team with the best record, the Pottsville Maroons, violated the territory of the Frankford Yellow Jackets and were formally removed from the NFL. Not to mention the Chicago Cardinals coach at the time hired high school sandbaggers so the Chicago Cardinals (The location of the team at the time) could win their remaining games. It is the only NFL title that is in dispute with both the city of Pottsville and the Cardinals recognizing the championship. Going on 97 years now, many people believe the Cardinals are haunted by the Pottsville curse. In 103 years of playing football, the Cardinals have made the playoffs eleven times. That is 92 seasons of failure. As the Chicago Cardinals, they did make the NFL Championship game twice (Pre-Super Bowl) in 1947 and 1948 coming away with the victory in 1947. That is the franchise’s last title. During 19 of the Cardinals first 20 seasons in Phoenix, the team only had two .500 seasons (1994 & 2007) and one winning season and playoff appearance in 1998 at 9-7 that led to a win over the Dallas Cowboys, their first playoff win since the 1964 Playoff Bowl for 3rd Place. But this all changed when an angel from God (Kurt Warner) took over the team in late 2007. Winning the NFC West in 2008 and 2009, the Cardinals had a fantastic run to Super Bowl XLIII as a 9-7 number four seed losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers 27-23 on a drive by Ben Roethlisberger at the end that may have arguably been the greatest Super Bowl winning drive of all-time (Apologies to Joe Montana, Tom Brady, and Matthew Stafford). The 2009 team went 10-6 and may have won the greatest wild card game of all-time against the Green Bay Packers (51-45 in OT) before the New Orleans Saints knocked them out in the divisional. The good news is that the Cardinals are experiencing their best era of football in the last fourteen years in comparison to the first 89. They went .500 in 2011, 10-6 in 2013 and had their two best regular season records in 2014 (11-5 which ended in a wild card loss to the 7-8-1 Carolina Panthers due to starting their 3rd string quarterback because of injuries) and 2015 (13-3 and another playoff win before being knocked out by the Carolina Panthers again in the NFC Championship). If you are keeping track, the Cardinals have had 5 playoff wins since 2008 (3 during that season). Before that season, they had only had two in their entire history (1947 and the 3rd Place NFL Playoff Bowl in 1964). The franchise had a few down years after that and returned to the playoffs in 2021 where they got knocked out by the eventual Super Bowl Champion Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card game. But the Cardinals history is looking up and they should be a playoff team again in 2022. Finally, the best professional sports team in Arizona, the Phoenix Suns, have seen massive amounts of playoff disappointment despite having a very respectable history as a franchise. The Suns have made the playoffs 31 of their 54 seasons as a franchise. Unlike the other Arizona teams, their all-time record is 2271 wins and 2008 losses. They are the most successful team in Phoenix by far. During my eight years there, they also had the most success. The 2005, 2006 and 2010 Suns teams lost in the conference finals each season. They were always interesting and competitive during my time in Arizona. Since 2010, the Suns actually entered the worst decade of its history. Ten straight seasons of playoff-less basketball. But last year, they made the NBA Finals for only the 3rd time in their history (Joining the 1975 Suns who lost to the Boston Celtics, the 1993 Suns who lost to the Chicago Bulls and now losing in 2021 to the Milwaukee Bucks despite taking a 2-0 series lead). With the Golden State Warriors battling injuries and the Memphis Grizzlies as a team on the rise with their best years in front of them, this NBA season looks increasingly like it will end in a Suns NBA championship. I want to make one wish for my adopted hometown. Even though facing the Golden State Warriors could become inevitable in the Western Conference Finals meaning that I will have to root against the Suns, I have no ill will towards that team. If they play basketball like they have been, they will make short work of the Warriors and get another chance at their first NBA title. And I will be rooting for them against whatever Eastern Conference team stands in their way. No franchise other than the Minnesota Vikings or Buffalo Bills has probably suffered more disappointment in the playoffs without a championship victory. It is time for the Phoenix Suns to join the other 18 NBA teams with at least one title. It is time for them to take their rightful place in NBA history and give the city of Phoenix its much-deserved 2nd sports championship. To all my friends in Phoenix, I wish you the best of luck. If my prediction comes true, I have no problem with watching that championship parade with all of you. You have dealt with enough pain and agony in the sporting world. It is time for this team to finally bring this city some much-needed joy. Good luck! Every now and then, a movie comes along that is unexpectedly exceptional. One of my favorite films of 2021 that got almost no press was LAST NIGHT IN SOHO by one of my favorite directors, Edgar Wright. A movie that could have been predictable becomes a terrifying horror film during its 3rd act. It also has one of the best soundtrack moments of the past decade when the dark Siouxsie and the Banshees song “HAPPY HOUSE” begins the transition of a party scene into something more sinister. Keeping with the British theme, one of Jason Statham and Guy Ritchie’s best films in years, WRATH OF MAN, had a fantastic and complicated Ritchie-like story that brought out the best in Statham’s acting skills while taking place in some of the seedier and rundown sections of Los Angeles. Despite my enjoyment of these two films, there was one other movie made by a British director (And Ritchie acolyte) that really got my attention during the 1st quarter of 2022. That movie was THE KING’S MAN.
Matthew Vaughn has already made a name for himself since escaping from the Guy Ritchie shadow. His career kicked off by directing the fantastic LAYER CAKE which helped land its star, Daniel Craig, the new James Bond role. This was followed by the well-loved KICK ASS (A movie I did not like) and the misunderstood but solid STARDUST. But his KINGSMAN franchise has been the money maker that has established him as one of the best action directors in Hollywood. KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE was an extremely entertaining movie that became a global hit. It was followed up a few years later by KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE, a sequel that did not have the charm nor interesting story of its predecessor (As well as a miscast Elton John who feels like he was placed into a different movie altogether). So my expectations were muted when THE KING’S MAN was released onto HBO MAX back in early 2022. But my expectations were completely shattered. Serving as a prequel to the KINGSMAN universe, this film was superior to the previous two films in almost every possible way. STORY SPOILERS ARE ABOUND! IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THIS MOVIE, I ADVISE TO STOP READING NOW IF YOU WANT TO GO IN FRESH. WARNING IS OVER! THE KING’S MAN starts with the always charming Ralph Fiennes advising during the Boer War in the early part of the 20th Century. His participation in the warzone leads to the death of his beloved wife right in front of his young son when the troops are sabotaged. This tragedy leads to his character becoming a pacifist as he raises his son back in England. Meanwhile, a cabal of famous individuals meet on an isolated mountain to scheme the world into war that is guided by a shadowy organization and their dominating leader. This scheme succeeds and the careful balance of peace is fractured as World War I is launched. The movie does not shy away from the history of World War I but the shadowy figure that is trying to organize the world for his benefit is eventually defeated by the reinvigorated Ralph Fiennes which leads to the creation of his KINGSMAN organization. But besides the surprisingly deep and complex story mixed around action pieces, this movie stood out to me for three important reasons. The history inside of the movie was incredibly solid. While the shadowy organization that led to World War I was a fictional creation, our current world is burdened with its own shadow organizations that have their own interest in creating a new world. Also, the movie reflected on the incompetence of the three main world leaders, Tsar Nicolas II of Russia, King George V of the UK, and Kaiser Wilhelm II in Germany who ruled three of the most powerful countries of that time. The start of World War I was often blamed on the assassination of Franz Ferdinand which is dramatized very well inside the movie. But while this event may have been the powder keg that led to political escalation, history is often more complicated than that. The utter incompetence of the world leaders during the early part of the 20th Century, the decline of the Russian, Austrian-Hungarian, and Ottoman Empires simultaneously mixed with a rise in nationalism were more likely causes to one of the deadliest wars in human history. It also may have been the most “avoidable” war in human history. Going back to the beginning of the film, the Boer Wars were two separate confrontations between the colony of South Africa and the British Empire. The first Boer war that lasted only three months led to the creation and independence of the South African Republic. The second Boer war was a bloodier conflict that started because of the discovery of precious metals in the region. The U.K. beat the South African Republic and the Orange Free State and brought the country back under its control despite heavy losses. After Rasputin fails to get Russia out of the war, the shadowy organization hires another Russian influencer (Vladimir Lenin) to accomplish that goal. If you know your history, this is exactly what happened. The February Revolution led to the abolition of the monarchy and the exit of Russia from World War I. This is exactly what happens in the film. The death of Herbert Kitchener was also dramatized in the movie. Even though the boat he was on, the HMS Hampshire, was sank by a German submarine in the film, the real ship was actually destroyed by a German mine. There were a couple of other story elements that also surprised me with the depth of knowledge that the writers had for THE GREAT WAR. When you see a movie that is a self-described action film, it always is a surprise when the film has much more depth than expected. History books often point out that the sinking of the Lusitania was the beginning of the entry of the United States into World War I. But this is historically inaccurate. Despite the sinking of that ship, the United States maintained neutrality into 1917. The Zimmerman Telegram, the authenticated document that exposed the German offer to the Mexican government and Japan of the re-partitioning of the western United States to Mexico was actually the trigger that led to the United States involvement in the war. But the movie does not shy away from showing the efforts that the British made to drag us into that quagmire. British propaganda inside the United States was rampant during the War. All of this is dramatized in some fashion in this film. After the film ends, Ralph Fiennes’ character even mentions the unfairness of the Versailles Treaty and how it could lead to further conflict. As historians know, the Versailles Treaty is often blamed for laying the groundwork for the rise of the National Socialist Party, AKA The Nazis who would drag the world into a much greater conflict only a generation later. For a simple action movie to dive this deeply into the World History of only a century ago deserves the highest of accolades. This aspect of the movie impressed me tremendously. I would be remiss to not mention two more things that stand out in the film. The acting is superb especially Ralph Fiennes as the founder of the KINGSMAN and the “No Shits Given” performance by Rhys Ifans as Rasputin. Since the movie has a satirical bent, Ifans embraces the rumors and eccentricities of the Rasputin legend and dives full scale into a performance that steals the film. This leads to the third reason why this movie needs to be seen. I have not seen an action film that had a sequence that stood out to me more than two long, action-filled scenes in this movie. Most action movies are lucky to have one memorable scene. THE KING’S MAN has two. The first involves the assassination of Rasputin which leads to one of the best fight scenes in movie history. Not to be outdone, Ralph Fiennes’ son in the film enlists in the army and fights in the stalemated trench wars of northern Europe. The scene where his character retrieves the telegram that is so vital to ending the war is one long triumphant action scene that when completed, leads to the biggest tragedy in the film. These two scenes need to be experienced on as big of a screen as possible. Even after seeing this film over a month ago, both scenes have remained with me while I am writing this review. If you are interested in a movie with a dark satirical edge, a surprising knowledge of history and some of the best action you will ever see on film, give THE KING’S MAN a chance. You will not be disappointed. Here is hoping that it will get nominated for Best Picture next year. Next Week: A review and introspective analysis of Jacques Tati. As mentioned in a previous blog, I have become increasingly disinterested in the entertainment industry. Watching the Oscars, the only award show that I pay any attention to, was a surreal experience this evening. And I am not even talking about the Will Smith assault on Chris Rock’s face for his funny joke about Smith’s “untalented” wife. The whole night felt like one long hazy dream. As an example, there had never been more movies nominated in one year that I HAD NOT SEEN. Every time any political issue was brought up during the telecast, I could not help but sarcastically smug. Who really cares about what Sean Penn thinks? Or the fact that most actors think about the complexity of geo-political issues about as often as they think about anyone other than themselves. A big thanks to Will Smith also for showing his incredibly, indomitable ego mixed with remorse once he realized that his one violent action may have fucked up his career. Because nothing is more vital than maintaining that feeling of inflated, narcissistic, fake self-importance to a Hollywood actor or performer. Going along with the narrative is all these people can do. Spending three hours of time with these ‘elitists’ felt untimely in a world that is rapidly descending into a hellscape.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine started a few weeks back, I have been very quiet about my personal opinion on this ongoing tragedy. War is never an enjoyable topic of debate. While the United States government and its supplicant media promote stories about this war that almost seem like they were pulled out of a Marvel comic book, the Russian media (Until it got censored by all the United States media and tech companies) has also dived head first into the propaganda narrative. The first casualty of war before any blood is spilled is always the TRUTH. The truth will eventually come out about the events ongoing in the Ukraine that will likely be different from both the geo-political narratives bombarding our brains. Many of my closest friends know my opinion on war. As an American, every war or conflict we have engaged in since World War II was very much avoidable. After September 11, 2001, we went into Afghanistan (Which can be considered a legitimate invasion since it was a direct result of a terrorist attack on U.S. soil). But overthrowing the existing Afghan government (Which stormed back into power in 2021) and engaging in regime change never should have been the goal. Once Bin Laden was killed, the occupation of Afghanistan should have ended. Then there is Iraq, Libya, our support for the Syrian rebels against the Syrian government, and our quiet support for the Saudi Arabian massacre of Yemen. Over the past 20 years, there has been no country that has spilled more blood than my beloved United States. All these wars could have been avoided if saner minds had prevailed. This brings me to the Russia-Ukrainian War. My preferred opinion on this conflict is Swiss-like neutrality. Because unlike the LORD OF THE RINGS-type “good vs. evil” narrative coming out of the West regarding Russia’s actions and the “there have been no real problems with our military plan” Russian denials, the realities of war are never clear cut. The events of war always live inside a world of grey. As a person who studied World War II religiously during my junior high years, I have never agreed with many of the historical narratives that came out of that war. Because like war narratives, history is very malleable. Governments and individuals seeking power can choose to use history for their own personal advantage. Here are a couple of examples that directly relate to the ongoing Russia-Ukrainian War and the ongoing misunderstandings that have polluted the narrative ‘waters.’ First, what is a Nazi? According to the Oxford dictionary, it has two specific meanings. The first one is its historical meaning of being a member of the National Socialist Party, the ruling party affectionately called the Nazis when they ruled Germany in the 1930s and 1940s. National Socialism is an embrace of a collectivist mindset wrapped around extreme pride in a nation. It is an ideology that takes the worst elements of the left (Authoritarian Collectivism) and the right (Racist Nationalism) and combines them into one authoritarian ideology. But the second meaning is the interesting one, “A person who uses their power in a cruel way; a person with extreme and unreasonable views on race.” This aspect of Nazism could also be defined as racism. Per the education system of my childhood, Nazism gained its power through the subjugation and demonization of Jews which is historically accurate. Six million Jews perished in World War II, often in brutal concentration camps. But as the war expanded, two other ethnic groups also suffered devastating losses. One was the European Romany (Known in the derogatory term as “Gypsies”). With a population of 1 to 1.5 million on the continent of Europe, the Nazis managed to kill anywhere between 250,000 to 500,000 Roma. But another genocide is often overlooked. The Slavic genocide during World War II may have very well exceeded the number of deaths committed on the Jewish people. As many as 11 million Slavic people were likely slaughtered during World War II. This number may actually be low. Estimates put the war dead of the Soviet Union at 8.7 million and the total dead at just under 27 million. Since the Nazis controlled most of the Slavic territory during World War II, it would be a proper estimate to assume that the majority of these deaths were Slavic. So why do I bring this up? Why does this also lead to my personal non-recognition of the Ukrainian president as a hero? Since 2014 when an American backed coup led to a pro-NATO government that had “Nazi” support, Ukraine has been at war with the Russians. First, Russia democratically annexed Crimea, a historical port dating back to the time of Catherine the Great. This also led to a Civil War between the Eastern regions of Ukraine that are a Russian majority (the Donbass and Lutansk). The Ukrainian government has killed at least 14,000 people since this war started. They have also passed laws that basically outlaw various aspects of the Russian language and culture in their society. So who are these Nazis? A recent article by Pepe Escobar dives into this debate. When people hear the term “Nazi”, they usually assume that it is referring to right-wing nationalists who have an irrational hatred of Jews. And this is a proper definition. But as history has shown, Nazism can also be an irrational hatred of the Slavic people especially ones of Russian origin. That is why Israel has defended its support of the Ukrainian Nazis. Because that movement is not anti-Jewish, it is anti-Slavic. This dates back to the World War II era and the history between Nazi Germany and the Ukraine. Stepan Bandera, a hero to many right-wing nationalists, joined forces with Adolf Hitler due to his hatred of the Poles and helped lead the invasion to capture Poland at the start of World War II. It expanded to Lvov, Ukraine where a pogrom was put into place to execute and eliminate the remaining Poles (Slavs), and Jews in the territory. After Ukraine declared independence, Germany arrested Bandera. He was later released to help fend off the advance of the Soviet Union in 1944 as Germany began losing the war. This is when the hatred of the Russian people became engrained into the mindset of right-wing Ukrainians. Right now, one of the leading battalions of the Ukraine, the Azov Battalion, recognizes Bandera as its “hero” in their fight against the Russians. This battalion is also filled with Nazis. The same type of Nazis that consider the Slavic people as second-class citizens. Nazism has a dark history with other Slavic people too. The Ustase militia during World War II may have been one of the most brutal and racist Nazi collaborators. The movement was composed primarily of Croatians who executed hundreds of thousands of Serbians, Jews, and Romani. Ukraine has also been the home to lots of wonderful political ideas. The 1905 anarchist revolution led to a rise in anarchist political movements in various cities including anarcho-syndicalism in Odessa and anarcho-individualism in Kyiv. The whole movement also committed many violent acts during the time of World War I before it was finally crushed, and the country of Ukraine was placed under the control of Josef Stalin in the new Soviet Union in 1921. This is also where the existing borders of the Ukrainian state were drawn as the new Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. This is how Crimea, a province with a majority of Russians living inside of it, became part of the Ukrainian territory. If Ukraine can be compared to any state in the United States, it most resembles the open, agricultural fields of Iowa. But those fertile fields of the Ukraine have been a warzone for many centuries of human history. So as you can see, the history of the region is quite complex. Like all human stories, there are no real “good” guys and “bad” guys. The Ukrainians and the Russians have committed awful crimes. But both groups of people have also done wonderful things for our world. In addition and as an American, why should my opinion on this war even matter? Even if you count the death toll from this Russian-Ukrainian War, neither country does not even come close to toppling the amount of people the United States has killed since September 11, 2001. So why are we even giving an opinion on this war anyway? Russia and Ukraine have a complicated history and it is none of the United States business to take sides in a war that the majority of our citizens have no understanding. Justify what I've become
Sanctify what I've become LAMB OF GOD "WHAT I'VE BECOME" Now that all the boring statistical analysis is out of the way, there is actually nothing for anyone to learn from my previous two blogs on sports-related information. Expert of Some is just very good at gathering statistical information, doing research, and collecting this information into a project or blog. Talking about batting averages, league records, and sports history tingles an itch inside my body that has existed since my childhood years. I can remember Eric Dickerson rushing for 2105 yards (An NFL record) for my Los Angeles Rams in 1985 like it happened a few months back. Not to get too philosophical with this blog but maybe because of my advancing age or my constant need to learn new and exciting things, my interest in sports has waned considerably over the past decade. I believe there are two primary reasons for this. First, as your life evolves and the complications of a family and those increased responsibilities begin to become the priority, many of the things you once deemed important as a youth begin to have less relevance as you age. Looking back on my teenage and college years specifically, I took a lot of comfort in things like the film industry, sports, and cultural attractions. These things still mean a lot to me. But my need to go to a sporting event, the latest premiere of a new comic book movie, or a rock concert have receded in importance. As a 47-year-old man, I got to experience SO MUCH of these events in my younger years. You can knock out a good portion of your bucket list before the final bill comes due and your body begins its inevitable decline. But watching the latest, hip movie, experiencing a brand new billion-dollar stadium, or buying the most popular recent music album no longer means anything to me. That need for cultural fulfillment has been satisfied and my mind is craving new and different opportunities for the future. Second, as my previous blog stated, almost all my goals have been accomplished as a sports fan. Once the pinnacle has been reached, that feeling of happiness that you have been craving for decades has finally been accomplished. Similar to my college years when I experimented with a few drugs just to see how it felt, once you achieve the euphoria of that “high” or “being buzzed” on liquor, the experience really does not change much when repeated. It is the same “high” or “buzzed” feeling every time. This is why I never became an addict with anything (Including sex. Once you have one perfect experience with a partner, how often is that going to be repeated?) This is my problem with culture. How do you maintain the motivation (Other than financial) to make another movie when you already made a Best Picture film? Do I really care if my Los Angeles Rams repeat in 2022? Does it matter? The journey to the top is a fascinating and interesting one. But my motivation to be a hardcore Los Angeles Rams fan is fading away. Because finally received the satisfaction I have been craving for over 40 years is just another checkmark off my personal bucket list. Now that all my sports teams (Minus the Padres) have reached the apex of the mountain, in the elusive words of Oingo Boingo, why should I care anymore? So what exactly are you trying to tell us Expert of Some? Basically, the things that once made me the entertaining, semi-knowledgeable idiot that everyone has come to love has changed. Instead of watching sports on television. I am much more interested in reading educational research (Mostly 20th Century since the 21st Century research is mostly trash). Instead of reading about technology and becoming advanced on the Linux command line, I would rather take an ATV and drive on some sand dunes. Why watch a movie when I can camp and go on some beautiful five-mile mountain hikes? There may also come a time in my life where all of these new interests no longer matter to me. But until that day, this is the man I am starting to become. Give me a mid-20th Century science fiction book over the latest, overrated video game. Would you like to come along with me on this new journey? Feel free to let me know. C’mon Expert of Some! Why would you use the opening song off Depeche Mode’s VIOLATOR album to title your new blog? Everyone is waiting for the Final Part of your elaborately boring statistical series of posts on sports. Well, creativity and inspiration come from many unlikely sources. While driving home from seeing THE BATMAN (More on this later), the Depeche Mode song WORLD IN MY EYES popped on the radio. This song came out during my sophomore year in high school. While I am not a huge Depeche Mode fan, there were two things I took away from this album after buying it. First, the lyrics of their songs is the true highlight of their musical output. The more famous songs from this album, PERSONAL JESUS, THE POLICY OF TRUTH, and ENJOY THE SILENCE are catchy, danceable tunes but the lyrics are what makes each of them memorable. Second, going to a Depeche Mode concert (As I did with a date in 1992) was an incredible experience. Not because of the music, oh no! Because to this day, I have never been to a concert that had more beautiful women in attendance. It made me quickly realize that being a Depeche Mode fan was never going to be boring for my rapidly developing dating life.
The lyrics to this song remain my favorite. Art is always an experience that is highly personal to the individual. But the WORLD IN MY EYES is fantastic in its subtlety. Here are the lyrics. Reading people’s perception of these lyrics, the majority see this as an allegory for sex and romanticism. Most people see the song in a positive light. But I have a different opinion about this conclusion because of the chorus. My perception of the song is about a man trying to impress a girl through his own ego and arrogance with the final goal of having sex with her. But in reality, he is nothing but a smooth-talking con man. These lyrics at the beginning prove this point. Let me take you on a trip Around the world and back And you won't have to move, you just sit still Now let your mind do the walking And let my body do the talking But the chorus hits you with the twist. That's all there is Nothing more than you can feel now That's all there is Once you cut through all the bullshit, there is nothing impressive about the individual being sung about. They misled, misinformed, and misguided this person into making love with them. This individual is nothing more than an egoist with an inflated self-esteem just looking for their next conquest. So why am I bringing this up and what did this song trigger in my brain? With the bombardment of information that pounds us over our heads at record speed, this song could be used as a symbol to describe many of our current so-called leaders and politicians. Has there even been a group of people filled with more self-righteousness and delusions of grandeur than the individuals we have chosen by an election to lead us (As an additional tidbit, add the career bureaucrats appointed by these elected politicians into this charade). How many promises have been made over the past forty years that led to nothing but ultimate disappointment? Is there anything special about any of them? Are they actually stupid? Maybe, That’s all there is Recently, the “doctor” in charge of the CDC admitted via an interview that the hope for the vaccines was based on a false optimism. Despite the fact that millions of people around the world who did their research and were skeptical of these vaccines were fired and disappeared from society. The fact that the promotion of these vaccines was the largest propaganda operation of my lifetime. The fact that the CDC director went along on “faith” with these vaccines should be a criminal offense. A vaccine requires years of testing, trials, and research before they get approved for human consumption. None of these things happened. Here is her incredibly stupid statement taken from this website. I can tell you where I was when the CNN feed came that it was 95 percent effective, the vaccine. So many of us wanted to be hopeful, so many of us wanted to say, okay, this is our ticket out, right, now we’re done. So I think we had perhaps too little caution and too much optimism for some good things that came our way. I really do. I think all of us wanted this to be done. Nobody said waning, when you know, oh this vaccine’s going to work. Oh well, maybe it’ll work – (laughs) it’ll wear off. Nobody said what if the next variant doesn’t, it doesn’t, it’s not as potent against the next variant. In a normal world, this woman would be dismissed from proper society. So why have we been lionizing this woman as a hero? A person who believed the effectiveness of a vaccine based on “her faith” in a corporation, a truly scientific concept. As Depeche Mode’s example tells us, That’s all there is Since the vaccines were introduced, there has been an increase in life insurance claims by 37.7% over the 2nd Quarter of 2021 according to some insurance companies. This is an increase over the period of time since the 2nd Quarter of 2020 when the virus was raging around the world and there was no “vaccine.” Read this here. Also, the Bayer CEO spoke recently via an interview and admitted that these vaccines were never actually ‘vaccines’, but gene therapy shots that can alter your DNA permanently. Read here. Finally, I have had a realization about a political issue that deserves ridicule. That would be the debate about climate change. Here is the problem when discussing an issue that is so controversial. I am a CONSERVATIONIST. I want to preserve and protect as much of nature as possible. But I am NOT a believer in GREEN ENERGY or CLIMATE CHANGE. For a little background, since working in television operation and engineering from 2002 to 2014, I had to change my career upon returning to California. I have become a certified utility design engineer through years of hard work and a slight three yearlong diversion of working at a tech company as a Linux technician. This experience has made me aware of what a fucking joke the green energy movement really is. Just ask Californians in 2020. Or Texans last winter about how effective green energy can be in a time of crisis (Even though this was more likely due to the lack of winterization of the delivery mechanisms. But freezing windmills did not help either). I have recommended PLANET OF THE HUMANS before. I recommend it to everyone because of its importance. This movie was actually blacklisted by Hollywood due to its subject matter and can only be watched on this website despite Michael Moore producing the film (Yes, he is anti-green energy also). Even Elon Musk TODAY has come out in support of more oil and gas drilling as well as re-commissioning and re-opening nuclear power plants. Because even he is starting to realize that a grid run on 100% green energy will never be a stable solution. First, wind, solar and volcanic power are intermittent energy producers. Storing the energy after production is an incredible business expense that will inevitably hit every consumer’s wallets. Most of the power generated by clean energy usually goes directly into the grid. This is what led to the California blackouts. The amount of energy needed was deficient to the demands being put on the state because of a heat wave. So the state had to call for rolling blackouts. Second, the biggest con of all is that the solar panels, the beloved Tesla vehicle, and the windmill turbines and almost every other tool and device needed to generate power needs some form of fuel to create the product. Solar panels are not just built from healthy, thriving plants. They are created through a complex industrial process. When the solar panels need to be replaced, they create an environmental hazard if not properly disposed. So the cost benefit analysis of this equipment seems very high (Not to mention the hundreds of thousands of birds sliced to pieces by windmill turbines every year). Finally, if you are serious about saving the earth, then you need to put away your technological devices. Your phones, tablets, and PCs that help keep the world economy afloat are the biggest polluting devices of all. Crypto currency, which the environmental-loving youth worship, is one of the largest polluters of energy. Lathanides need to be dug out of the ground to help create these devices. In fact, the United States only has one “Rare Metal” mine and it is in a familiar place for anyone who has done the drive-up Interstate 15 from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. Mountain Pass, the almost 5000-foot peak that resides on the Nevada border, has the only functioning ‘rare earth’ mine in the United States. Because of incredibly stupid California environmentalists who shut the mine down in the 2000s for alleged pollution related problems, Depeche Mode says; That’s all there is The mine was recently re-opened after the Chinese bought the land. My favorite energy bloggers, Doomberg, have a fantastic article about this mine. If you are really concerned about the security of the United States, you will demand that this useless government find a way to purchase this mine off the Chinese because of its geo-strategic importance in mining the vital minerals needed for our technological economy. I mean honestly, how is the government going to spy on us if all our devices don’t have the proper lathanides needed for them to work? That’s all there is Recently, our California governor issued an executive order to begin the phase-out of gas-powered cars by 2035. Do you know what needs to happen for this to occur? For every car to charge in the evening is going to REQUIRE A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF POWER GENERATION. How and where is California going to get this energy? Our last nuclear power plant, Diablo Canyon, is due to be shuttered in 2025. Wind and solar are not going to be able to handle the increased load. So there is likely only two possible solutions. Either coal and natural gas will begin a massive comeback in the golden state which will put the final nail into this idiotic green energy movement or Diablo Canyon, its sister nuclear plant San Onofre (RIP), and many other new nuclear plants will need to be built or re-opened post-haste. California is looking at an energy crisis in their near future that will likely devastate the state for generations to come if they continue down this insane path towards 100% clean energy. Because when it comes to good intentions, That’s all there is there really is no one dumber than a California liberal environmentalist. We need to stop treating politicians, CEOs, and other "leaders" with so much respect unless it is rightfully deserved. The majority of these individuals above are exactly like the con artist represented in the Depeche Mode song. They offer you nothing despite talking up a good game. Because if we continue to follow these individuals blindly, That’s all there is It is hard to discuss sports with the geo-political events that have occurred over the past week. Russia invaded Ukraine earlier this week and the European continent has become a battle zone for the first time since the Slavic Civil Wars in the 1990s that broke up Yugoslavia and created a bunch of new countries divided by ethnicity (For the record, Yugoslavia became Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Bosnia & Hercegovina, Croatia, and Slovenia). I will have more thoughts on this later. Since the events are ongoing, any opinion I may give will possibly become antiquated within 24 hours. But there is one thing I can confirm. I DO NOT MISS THE WAR REPORTING (Or Propaganda depending on your point of view) WITH FOX NEWS, CBS, NBC, ABC, & CNN. There is no propaganda more effective than war propaganda and it works on the American citizenry every time. Putin maybe an asshole. But it only took me half a day to start getting irritated with cable news and to begin tuning out all their bullshit.
As a forty yearlong sports fan, there were always a few experiences I wanted to have with my favorite teams. First of all, let me give you a list so I can expand my argument. Here are my favorite teams in order:
With the Galaxy, they have not only won a title but are currently the MLS’ leading franchise for championships. Since their initial season in 1996, the Galaxy have played in nine MLS Cup Finals finally winning their first championship on their fourth attempt. Since then, they have won four more titles and have a lifetime 5-4 record in the MLS Finals. The MLS titles were in 2002, 2005 (As a 4 seed), 2011, 2012 & 2014.Since their last title, the Galaxy have only qualified for the playoffs three times in the last seven seasons. Of all my favorite sports teams, the Galaxy have won the most championships during my lifetime. In terms of my goals for these teams, there is really nothing left for them to accomplish. ANAHEIM DUCKS STANLEY CUP TITLE: CHECK – GOAL ACCOMPLISHED LOS ANGELES GALAXY MLS CUP TITLE: QUINTUPLE CHECK – GOAL ACCOMPLISHED The Golden State Warriors are one of the two non-Los Angeles area teams that I root for and there is a reason for my fandom. Like the Rams, Golden State is responsible for two championships that occurred before my birth (As the Philadelphia Warriors in 1947 and 1956). Golden State won their first California title in 1975 when I was a wee 10 months old. My only memory of this championship is that Rick Barry was one of my father’s favorite players throughout his life. I have seen highlights of their 1975 NBA Final win, but this amazing team was as foreign to me as the titles won before my birth. Despite this, being a Warriors fan has been pretty difficult. Even though the late 1980s and early 1990s with Don Nelson as their coach had some very successful teams, the recent history of the franchise has been downright depressing. This all changed recently. As I suffered through ten Los Angeles Lakers championships from 1980 to 2010, the Warriors finally put together a fantastic team that won an NBA title in 2015. After Kevin Durant came onto the team in 2016, two more championships were added in 2017 and 2018 (These did not feel as special as the initial one, but they still count). These titles were very important to me. I finally got to celebrate two things with this Warrior team: First, I no longer needed to hear the arrogant bullshit from the L.A. Lakers fans about my lack of championships and second, watching my dad enjoy these at the end of his life brought me a ton of joy. The Warriors were the only team he successfully propagandized me into becoming a fan. That long almost thirty years of torture finally paid off with the three recent championships (And they could be adding another one in 2022). GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS NBA FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP: TRIPLE CHECK – GOAL ACCOMPLISHED GOLDEN STATE BECOMING ONE OF THE NBA’S ELITE TEAMS AGAIN: CHECK (TIED FOR THIRD MOST TITLES) – GOAL ACCOMPLISHED The Anaheim Angels always seemed cursed. This was a team that took nineteen seasons to win its first American League West title. In the team’s sixty years, they have only made the playoffs ten times with a pathetic 5-9 playoff series record. They also have only made the playoffs once in the past twelve seasons. But nothing can take away the 2002 season. Because of my dad’s job, he often got tickets to see the ‘California’ Angels throughout the 1980s and 1990s. I have been to Anaheim Stadium at least 40 times in my life. This allowed me to adopt the Angels as my 2nd favorite MLB team (The Angels will never pass my San Diego Padres as my favorite team) while my dad adopted them as his favorite (His beloved San Francisco Giants were his number two who rewarded him with three World Series wins in the early 2010s). The 2002 World Series title as a wild card team over the hated San Francisco Giants was an incredible run and finally allowed me to enjoy a MLB World Series Championship (More on this with the Padres later). Added bonus for this one because I lived in an apartment on Ball Road in West Anaheim during this title run. So seeing the fireworks from nearby Anaheim Stadium that were also being shown on the Fox Network made this a surreal experience. There was another baseball championship I did celebrate but because of a change in allegiance, I no longer count this title as a fan (More on this later). ANAHEIM/CALIFORNIA/LOS ANGELES ANGELS WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP: CHECK – GOAL ACCOMPLISHED The Los Angeles Kings are my 2nd favorite team. They were the 2nd team I became aware of as a child and my fandom goes all the way back to the years of Marcel Dionne before Wayne Gretzky changed the future of hockey on the West Coast forever. Being a Los Angeles Kings fan was not much better than being a Golden State Warrior or Los Angeles Angels fan during my childhood into my 30s. There were many more years of losing than seasons of winning. The 1993 loss to the Montreal Canadians in the Stanley Cup Finals was one of the most difficult losses of my life. But just like the Warriors (Almost 30 years), and the Angels (Almost 20 years), I waited over 30 years for the Los Angeles Kings to finally reward me with an elusive title. In 2012 after sliding into the Stanley Cup playoffs as the 8th and final seed, they became the first team to win a championship as the aforementioned 8th seed by defeating the New Jersey Devils in 6 games in 2012. After losing a tough NHL Western Conference Final in 2013 to Chicago, the Kings became one of only a handful of teams to come back from 3 games to zero and win a hockey series against the hated San Jose Sharks. This led to an unexpected 2nd Stanley Cup title against the New York Rangers in 2014 in 5 games. The Kings are now one of 13 NHL teams with multiple Stanley Cups (Putting them into the upper 50% of teams) which was always my wish for the franchise. LOS ANGELES KINGS STANLEY CUP TITLE: CHECK – GOAL ACCOMPLISHED LOS ANGELES KINGS ONE OF THE NHL’S TOP 50% TEAMS: CHECK – GOAL ACCOMPLISHED This leaves two final teams to discuss, my beloved Los Angeles Rams and San Diego Padres. We will review the Rams first. As mentioned last week, the Rams had two pre-Super Bowl championships that occurred a generation before I was born in two separate cities (Cleveland in 1945 and Los Angeles in 1951) which matches the accomplishments of the NBA Warriors. For so many years of my fandom with this team, those two championships before my birth were all I could hang onto. The Rams did make the Super Bowl in 1979 against the Pittsburgh Steelers but lost a 4th quarter lead and the game 31-19. The 1980s and 1990s saw NFC teams like the San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins and an individual title for the legendary NFL teams Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers win Super Bowls for 13 consecutive years against overmatched AFC teams. This changed in 1997 when the Denver Broncos prevented the Green Bay Packers from repeating (And handing them their only Super Bowl loss). The St. Louis Rams (Relocated to a 3rd city by their owner in 1995) finally came through and got my franchise its first Super Bowl. Little did I know then that 21 years after that move, the Rams would be back in my beloved Los Angeles. And during the 2021 season, they would deliver their second Super Bowl but more importantly, their first one in Los Angeles. The Rams are now in the Top Ten for NFL Championships and Super Bowl wins, a place I hope that they remain. RAMS FRANCHISE SUPER BOWL: CHECK – GOAL ACCOMPLISHED LOS ANGELES RAMS SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONSHIP: CHECK – GOAL ACCOMPLISHED BEING A TOP 10 ELITE CHAMPIONSHIP FRANCHISE: CHECK – GOAL ACCOMPLISHED CATCHING THE 49ERS in CHAMPIONSHIPS: GOAL NOT ACCOMPLISHED (49ers 5, Rams 4) Finally, I am a fan of a team that has disappointed me for almost 40 years. Growing up, I idolized Los Angeles Dodger Steve Garvey. Garvey played in 4 World Series, winning 1 with the team in 1981 (And losing in 1974, 1977 & 1978). Before the 1983 season, the Dodgers traded my favorite player to the San Diego Padres. For the only time in my life, I switched my team allegiance. The 1981 Dodger World Series victory no longer mattered to me. I was a Padre fan now. What a fucking decision this turned out to be! Since this switch, the Dodgers have won two more World Series titles (1988 & 2020) and the Padres have managed only five TOTAL PLAYOFF APPEARANCES, 4 DIVISION TITLES, and 2 NL PENNANTS (1984, 1998) in almost 40 years. In their two World Series appearances, they won only one game against both the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees, two of the greatest teams to ever take the field. I have learned to accept the fact that in my late 40s, I will likely never see a San Diego Padres Championship. With all my other teams’ recent successes, I have learned to accept this reality. JUST ONE SAN DIEGO PADRES WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP: GOAL NOT ACCOMPLISHED What is the point of all this besides showing my ridiculous knowledge of sports history? Well, come back next week for what the Rams Super Bowl victory and thinking long and hard about sports fandom has done. See you next week! I really wanted to put out this blog sooner. Since Super Bowl Sunday ten days ago, my personal schedule has been really busy. February has always been a miserable month for me, and this tradition has continued into 2022. After celebrating the Super Bowl with a few too many beers, I went back to my ten hour a day work shift, including a one-hour commute in each direction, and after the week was complete, I hightailed it out to Arizona to spend four days with my mother. Having lived in Arizona for eight years, it is the only other state in the union besides my native California that I am completely familiar with from the Grand Canyon all the way down to Bisbee. Now that my mind is clear from the alcohol, my busy work week, and a few days with the family, I can finally blog about the events that occurred on February 13, 2022, a day that will be remembered fondly until my body has inhaled its final, life-giving breath.
NERD ALERT: ** Once again if statistics do not interest you, please stop reading now. You have been warned. A bunch of information is about to be presented to you that means nothing to anybody’s life in the long run. But I still love talking about it. ** With the warning out of the way, let’s get down to business discussing my beloved Los Angeles Rams. A quick tidbit: As a L.A. Rams fan since 1979, I have met MANY RAM fans throughout my lifetime. Many of these people suffered in silence and dealt with over twenty years of consistent losing (From 1990-1998 including a move to St. Louis in 1995 and from 2005-2016 when getting to .500 was considered a successful season). Many of these old-time Ram fans have died off. Personally, I am aware of at least a half a dozen that never saw the team win its first title in St. Louis and a handful more that did not get to enjoy this 2021 Super Bowl LVI Los Angeles title. And while that first championship in 1999 finally brought some recognition to the franchise, it was never “perfect” as the title occurred in a city foreign to many of the teams’ fans. With the Los Angeles Rams defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 on February 13, many of the long-suffering RAM fans finally got to celebrate a legitimate Los Angeles Super Bowl with the added bonus of winning the title inside the Rams own home stadium. When discussing the greatest teams of all-time, the Rams are usually not discussed. Because the team has never had one era where they established any sort of dynasty. Even though the team has a rich and vibrant history, it is often overshadowed by a large number of seasons of pure misery. Going back to their pre-Super Bowl championships, the Rams have moved into the top 10 (Tied for 9th with Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia) for most championships with four. The Rams have managed to do this in three cities (Cleveland in 1945, Los Angeles in 1951 and during the Super Bowl era, St. Louis in 1999 and Los Angeles in 2021). Like the Atlanta Braves who just won their 4th World Series in 2021, the Rams and Braves are the only two teams to win a championship in three different cities (For the Braves, it is Boston, Milwaukee, and 2 in Atlanta). To show the inconsistency of the Rams franchise, each championship has been won by a different starting quarterback (Bob Waterfield in 1945, Norm Van Brocklin in 1951, Kurt Warner in 1999, and now Matthew Stafford in 2021). When looking at the records that were set in Super Bowl LVI, all of them are very unique. The most bizarre one is this. The Rams become the first team in the Super Bowl era to play in the Super Bowl during five different decades. Since the team only has five appearances, here they are by decade and in order. 1960s: Did not Play (Only 4 Super Bowls total this decade) 1970s: Super Bowl XIV (1979) – Pittsburgh 31 L.A. Rams 19 1980s: Did not Play (But the fucking 49ers did in four separate games) 1990s: Super Bowl XXXIV (1999) – St. Louis 23 Tennessee 16 (First Super Bowl Title) 2000s: Super Bowl XXXVI (2001) – New England 20 St. Louis 17 2010s: Super Bowl LIII (2018) – New England 13 L.A. Rams 3 (YAAWWWNNN!!!!) 2020s: Super Bowl LVI (2021) – L.A. Rams 23 Cincinnati 20 (Second Super Bowl Title and First in LA) The Rams became the third team to win a Super Bowl in two different cities (St. Louis in 1999, Los Angeles in 2021) joining the Indianapolis Colts (Baltimore in 1970 and Indianapolis in 2006) and the Las Vegas Raiders (Oakland in 1976 & 1980 and Los Angeles in 1983). The Raiders become the first franchise that has a legitimate shot at winning the Super Bowl in a third city with their relocation to Las Vegas in 2020. Sean McVay becomes the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl at 36 dethroning Mike Tomlin who was 37 in 2008 when the Steelers beat the Cardinals. The Rams tied the Super Bowl record for most sacks with seven tying the 2015 Carolina Panthers, 1985 Chicago Bears, and 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers. The Rams became the second team in a row to win a Super Bowl in their home stadium (Tampa Bay did it in 2020). Until last year, this had never happened in NFL history. Matt Stafford became the 4th quarterback to win a Super Bowl despite throwing two interceptions. Only Terry Bradshaw in Super Bowl XIV, Ben Roethlisberger in Super Bowl XL, and Tom Brady in Super Bowl XLIX have accomplished this. The Rams became the 3rd team to be negative two in the turnover battle and win the Super Bowl joining the aforementioned Pittsburgh Steelers (Against the Rams) in Super Bowl XIV and the Baltimore Colts (Against the Dallas Cowboys) in Super Bowl V. Copper Kupp became the 8th wide receiver to win the Super Bowl MVP. The last one was Julian Edelman against the Rams in Super Bowl LIII. Now that fifty-six Super Bowls have been played, an interesting statistic came to my attention. If we just count the Super Bowls since 1966, fifteen teams have now won at least 2 Super Bowls which is almost half the league. If we add all the NFL Championships won since 1920, the number of teams with multiple championships increases to 21. Counting pre-Super Bowl championships, four teams have won multiple NFL titles but no Super Bowls (Cleveland 4, Detroit 4, Arizona (As Chicago) 2, and the defunct Canton Bulldogs 2). Chicago has 8 pre-Super Bowl titles but only 1 Super Bowl win (1985). Philadelphia has 3 pre-Super Bowl titles but only 1 Super Bowl win (2017). Nine teams have won at least 3 Super Bowls. New England 6 Pittsburgh 6 Dallas 5 San Francisco 5 Green Bay 4 N.Y. Giants 4 Denver 3 Washington 3 Las Vegas 3 (As Los Angeles and Oakland) Six teams have won 2 Super Bowls. Since 2006, the number of teams with multiple Super Bowl titles has jumped from 10 to 15. Joining the Miami Dolphins with 2 Super Bowl wins in 1972 and 1973 are: Indianapolis in 2006 (First as Baltimore in 1970), 2 Pre-Super Bowl Titles in Baltimore in 1958 & 1959 Baltimore Ravens in 2012 (First in 2000) And over the last three Super Bowls, three new teams have joined the multiple Super Bowl winner’s club Kansas City in 2019 (First in 1969) Tampa Bay in 2020 (First in 2002) Los Angeles Rams in 2021 (First in 1999), 2 Pre-Super Bowl Titles in Cleveland in 1945 and Los Angeles in 1951. There are five teams with 1 Super Bowl win. And the chances of this multiple Super Bowl winning list growing may hit a snag in the next few years. The closest of these teams to join this multi-winner list is likely the Philadelphia Eagles. Seattle, New Orleans, New York Jets, and Chicago have a lot of questions to answer before they become championship contenders again. So how does this compare to the other professional sports? The NBA and MLS are much newer leagues. Are the number of championships comparable between the different leagues? Like any sport, the NFL has some franchises that are more successful and others that never seem like they will ever hold the trophy. Eliminating the defunct Canton Bulldogs, 23 of the 32 current NFL franchises have won a championship. Since the Super Bowl era, this number is 20. Four teams have never even appeared in any of the fifty-six Super Bowls. This is consistent with all the other major sports. The oldest sport, baseball, has been having World Series since 1903 (Skipping only 1904 and 1994). 20 Baseball teams out of 30 have won at least two World Series. 24 Teams have won at least 1 World Series (Including my beloved Anaheim Angels in 2002). Only 1 team, the Seattle Mariners, have never appeared in a World Series. These championship stats are pretty consistent with the NFL. The second oldest trophy is the Stanley Cup which has been fought over since 1915. Hockey has been a little more centralized since the NHL had only six teams for a large portion of its history. But with 32 teams now playing, the NHL now has 14 teams with at least two championships (My beloved Los Angeles Kings got me two in 2012 and 2014). Counting solo titles, the NHL has had 20 teams hold the Stanley Cup. 5 of the 32 teams have never played in the Stanley Cup Final. Since the NHL started expanding rapidly much later than the NFL and MLB, the number of championships spread out among the teams is very consistent with these other leagues. Jumping to the newest league, the MLS, which has only existed since 1996, the teams that have won the championships is nicely spread out. The league has expanded rapidly over the past dozen years to 28 teams as of the 2021 season. My Los Angeles Galaxy lead with 5 (2002, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2014). Counting the Galaxy, seven teams have won at least two MLS Cups. Counting teams with only one MLS Cup, the number of champions doubles to 14. In its 25-year existence, half the teams in the MLS already have at least one title. This is consistent with the early years of the other leagues also. Now comes the outlier, the NBA. The championships are top heavy with the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers actually winning almost half of them (Each team has 17). Because of this distortion, the Chicago Bulls and Golden State Warriors are in 3rd place with 6 and the San Antonio Spurs have 5. If you count the teams that have more than two NBA titles, there are only 11 teams which have reached this accomplishment (In order: Philadelphia, Detroit, and Miami have 3, New York, Houston and Milwaukee have 2). Only 19 teams have won at least one championship. The large distortions in the NBA seem to be adjusting to a more typical norm but this is the one sport that does not seem to hold to the pattern of the other major professional sports leagues. Anyway, if you have made it this far, I deserve to buy you a beer the next time I see you. Part 2 and Part 3 of this post will be coming soon. Spoilers: Part 3 will be a revelation about myself that may surprise some of my readers and closest friends. Until next time! During my high school years, I met a few people who became some of my longest, lifetime friends. What was interesting about these individuals is how much they diverged from my early childhood friends gained during my eight years in elementary and secondary Catholic School. Even though some of my Catholic school friends and classmates continue to practice Catholicism in the present day, many of them also decided to go their own way spiritually or reject the church outright. Who could blame them? The Catholic Church has many demons in its closet. The religious leaders of the Church have often chosen to conceal or conspire to hide the greater crimes committed by some of its priests instead of confronting and resolving the problems created or even acting responsibly by following the teachings of the Son of God (Because when it boils down to it, the need to protect the “collective” community of the church greatly outweighs the incredible damage it has done to individual lives).
Many of my high school and college friends had non-religious upbringings and were more artistically inclined than my early childhood friends. These friends were also skeptical of my religious upbringing or downright hostile to it. These friends (Who knew many aspects of the history of the Church) considered themselves tolerant about so many social issues yet had a negative and close-minded view towards the idea of religion. Can my left-wing family members and friends who show more trust towards the government not understand that some of the moral teachings of the Bible actually tell stories that help build character or provide examples of how to live a satisfactory life? Can my family members and friends that expected government to fix the problems of our society over religion’s traditional role of doing this accept the fact that even if the state provides and helps its citizens in certain ways through taxation and redistribution, the distrust that religious people have towards government’s slow-motion push to destroy individual freedoms and the corruption that can occur when the government takes monopolistic control over a political idea has some factual merit? After the pandemic broke out in 2020, adherents to the mandates, masking, and word of the sainted Dr. Fauci have also created their own religion around the ‘science’ espoused by him. Are these people able to acknowledge and understand the reservations of many anti-vaccine skeptics or anti-masking parents who do not believe the ‘science’ due to their own dedicated research? What is causing this human desire to regard these institutions or individuals as something extraordinary where the ‘apostates’ must be expunged or destroyed? Are the institutions the issue? Or is it a general weakness of the human mind? This blog will dive into this topic. What happens when these powerful institutions take it upon themselves to replace our unique individual needs and responsibilities with a message of the “greater good?” Does this message help move society into a better place, or does it take us down a dark path where the forcible need of the ‘greater good’ eliminates an individual’s own personal identity? A couple of well-researched videos opened my mind up to these questions. Human beings are incredibly tolerant creatures as long as one condition is met. Any violation or inability of an individual to pursue his self-interest will lead to social problems. When any ‘collective’ institution like religion or government exists, people will tolerate them as long as two conditions exist. First, if you agree with the motivation and purpose of these institutions, then there is nothing wrong with supporting and participating in them. Second and most importantly, as long as these institutions respect the needs of people outside the system and their self-interested goals, then people will have no problem with these institutions. But as history has shown, when a large entity has no real checks on its power, the violation of the rights and self-interest of people becomes inevitable. Especially if the institution is treated like a religion. “The State takes the place of God…the socialist dictatorships are religions and State slavery is a form of worship.” Carl Jung, The Undiscovered Self “The totalitarian movements that have arisen after the First World War are basically religious movements. Their aim is not only to change political and social institutions, but also to remodel the nature of man and society.” Waldemar Gurian, The Totalitarian State This idea is fascinating. In a time where religious participation has declined at a high rate, people have begun putting their ‘faith’ into public institutions. And just like many people who are devout Christians, the State, like God, does not have any real answers. The religious worship of the state leads to fanaticism. Fanaticism will inevitably lead to totalitarianism and authoritarianism. Because people who worship the state always forget one important fact. The state is not interested in your individual needs. It is looking to gain as much control of the ‘collective’ as possible always looking for a way to gain even more power over our lives. The only people who benefit from state power are the individuals who are in control of it. The rise of socialism in the 21st Century can be directly attributed to this misguided faith in the ability of government. Plus, the people who lead the government of the United States are truly uninspiring people, Democrat and Republican alike. As Carl Jung also said about our culture, “Where are the superior minds, capable of reflection, today? If they exist at all, nobody heeds them: instead there is a general running amok, a universal fatality against whose compelling sway the individual is powerless to defend himself. And yet this collective phenomenon is the fault of the individual as well, for nations are made up of individuals. Therefore the individual must consider by what means he can counter the evil.” This leads me directly into the insanity of the past two years. For people who have been independent thinkers, it is very likely that the last couple of years cost you a cherished friendship or the respect of a family member. Because the lab-leaked virus known as COVID-19 has put the emphasis on the “greater good.” It is your responsibility as a citizen to do what the government says (Lockdown, Mask Up, and get your Shot) or expect to be ex-communicated from society. But like all the best tyrants, the argument is made that if you just acquiesce and accept what the pharma companies and government want you to do, you can go back to the normal life you lived two years ago that they violently took away. The ‘greater good’ argument always leads to predictable outcomes. Government power grows, the people who reject the mandates and orders become a “lower class” type of citizen that must be insulted, abused, and ignored. But these “lower class” people are also the true leaders and intellectuals. As Albert Camus said, “The great citizens of a country are not those who bend the knee before authority but rather those who, against authority, if need be, are adamant as to the honor and freedom of that country.” As mentioned above, collectivism has one significant flaw. Ludwig Von Mises pointed this out generations ago. “The individual has to subordinate himself to, and conduct himself for, the benefit of society and to sacrifice his selfish private interests to the common good.” This lack of respect for individualism will always be the fatal flaw of collectivism. Because what is necessarily good for a group is not necessarily satisfactory to one individual. There is a reason why our society is filled with outcasts. Individuals will never be interested in participating in any activity that contradicts their own personal interest. Like religion, the state is just a fabricated construct. It is an entity that exists due to the will of individuals. But it does not move around in nature from one location to the next. Nor is it alive or have conscious thought. It is a human creation of control. Once again, Carl Jung puts it best, “. . .the “nation” (like the “State”) is a personified concept …The nation has no life of its own apart from the individual and is therefore not an end in itself…. All life is individual life, in which alone the ultimate meaning is to be found. Carl Jung, The Swiss Line in the European Spectrum Only individualism can bring about true freedom. Any submittance to a group will always lead to some form of sacrifice. This type of society will never be perfect. But it will at least prevent the creation of a dystopian authoritarian hellscape. Because individuals should always have the freedom to choose the best situations for themselves. “A man’s natural rights are his own, against the whole world; and any infringement of them is equally a crime…whether committed by one man, calling himself a robber…or by millions, calling themselves a government.” |
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April 2022
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