Author: photog

Sony Entertainment is Building a $1.8 Billion Movie Studio in Las Vegas

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Makes perfect sense.  Compare all the ways that Nevada is cheaper to work in than California.  I can only imagine how the exodus of non-acting talent will rejoice to escape from the high cost of living and low quality of life in California.

$1.8B Sony movie studio backed by Mark Wahlberg approved for Summerlin

It wouldn’t surprise me at all if other studios follow suit.  What also wouldn’t surprise me is if SONY begins dropping the ridiculous representation and inclusion standards for Oscars eligibility that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences requires for Oscars eligibility in the Best Picture category.  After all, outside of California those standards might be considered racial discrimination.

But either way, whatever hastens the death of the Hollywood monopoly on cinema is a good thing in my book.

Now of course the hard-core Wokesters will bewail this abandonment of beloved Los Angeles but a lot of actors haven’t been getting those multimillion dollar paydays lately and secretly might consider moving to a cheaper locale a pretty good idea.

Well, baby steps.

Something Went Right at SCOTUS

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I’ve said that when news is noteworthy, I’ll chime in.  And here is something worth discussing.  The Supreme Court has allowed the Texas State Law that authorizes the National Guard to arrest illegal immigrants to be restored.  Texas can now enforce this law and begin arrests.  The law has not been declared constitutional by SCOTUS.  Instead, the law will continue review at the appellate level and then, if necessary, it can be returned to the Supreme Court if necessary.

Well, this is a very limited victory.  But a win is a win.  Governor Abbott should proceed to enforcing his law to the best of his ability.  Even the announcement that this law exists now might have a very strong effect in deterring migrants from entering in Texas, or even coming to Texas from another state.

What strikes me is that Americans are beginning to wake up to the disaster that wholesale migration is causing.  Even the blue state mayors and governors are beginning to admit that they’re being overwhelmed by the practical problems caused by millions of destitute and sometimes criminal individuals flooding their cities and towns.  Places like New York City and Massachusetts have tried to put a brave face on it but the dislocation of services and lack of adequate housing have drained their coffers and forced the curtailment of critical programs and services.  And as the economy continues to sour (despite the happy talk about how Bidenomics is a blooming miracle) the budget shortfalls and growing criminal activities of the migrants will bring these problems to center stage.  The recent murders and rapes committed by illegal aliens is reaching the headlines despite the attempts by the Biden administration and their allies in the media to hush them up.

If Joe Biden is re-elected in November that will allow him to try and sweep all of this under the rug.  But it remains to be seen if a local reaction like the Texas law for arresting illegal immigrants and other actions like it could withstand the federal attacks and allow the states to defend themselves from Washington’s malfeasance.  So, whether Trump or Biden prevails in November, we will start to see what is going to happen with respect to illegal immigration.  And it may come earlier.  If the appellate court rules the law unconstitutional and the Supreme Court either refuses to review it or agrees with the appellate court then Texas will be in the position to either defy the federal government or knuckle under.

And that’s the final step.  If the states give in, we’re finished.  There’s nothing else that will happen to prevent the swamping of this country with as many as a hundred million immigrants.  At that point the economic conditions in what’s left of this country will have deteriorated to the point where further immigrants won’t be as excited about entering the country.  Maybe they’ll head to Canada despite the cold climate.  But the damage will be done and we will become Brazil.

So, kudos to the Supreme Court and to Governor Abbott and the Texas state legislature for at least allowing this attempt at sanity to at least try and mitigate the rolling catastrophe that Joe Biden has wrought.  Maybe this is the beginning of red states saying they’re fed up and won’t allow their states and their citizens to be abused by the federal government and their demented leader.  We’ll see.

And there’s my post.

SCOTUS Allows Texas to Arrest Illegals.

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The Texas law that allows the National Guard to arrest illegal aliens is now back in effect after the Supreme Court decided not to extend the temporary halt. This is a major victory against Joe Biden’s assault on the southern border.

Kudos to the Supreme Court and to governor Abbott for at least doing something to try and end this invasion.  Let’s see where this goes.

A Chance Conversation with the Other Side

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I was talking to someone I work with.  Someone on the other side of the political divide.  And she was telling me how much it bothered her when women called themselves by their married names.  Her point was that it was demeaning to women to be just an extension of their husbands.  She said that women shouldn’t take their husband’s name at all, not even as a hyphenate.

I think she expected me to agree with her point of view.  In fact, I think what she was hoping for was an apology by me on behalf of the patriarchy!  So, I thought about telling her what I thought about women taking their husbands’ names.  And then I thought about it.  I’m pretty sure she knew I felt completely differently from her but felt that I should have to defend my point of view.

Instead, what I said was this.  Nowadays the points of view of people are no longer in a narrow range from which people can split the difference and reach a consensus.  The opinions of people have diverged to the point where they could be described as diametrically opposed.  I said that the best that could be done is to give each other enough space to do things in our own ways because otherwise there will be nothing but strife.

After that she let the discussion go.  But I could tell she was very unhappy about my position.

Living in New England, the Left is more or less unopposed.  All opposition to whatever extreme measures are taken by them is crushed in the court of public opinion (the media) or in a judicial court.  And because of this, people on the left can make believe or even actually believe that no other opinions exist except among ostracized, sub-humans that no normal person would have any contact with.

And so, she assumed that her statements would be quickly approved and even amplified by anyone hearing them uttered.  I think she was a little shocked that I didn’t at least pretend that her feelings were obviously correct.  Maybe she expected me to sheepishly explain my opposition by claiming I was an aged and outdated Neandertal who was too stupid to catch up with the world.

Instead, I opened up a window on what goes on outside of her bubble.  Even in New England, she is surrounded by a good proportion of her neighbors and strangers that disagree viscerally with her about an enormous range of subjects.  And in fact, this population is filled with a continual anger over the endless pronouncements, large and small, that the state government inflicts on us.  And because of this none of them feel any smallest sympathy for the kind of unhappiness that this woman felt about women voluntarily taking their husband’s last names in marriage.

And that is why I would so thoroughly enjoy it if Donald Trump were re-elected.  The outrage by the Left would be monumental.  The meltdowns would be histrionic, almost psychotic.  And all that would be very satisfying and cathartic.  But more useful would be the chance to express to any leftist that asked for my sympathy about Trump what I really felt.  And I don’t mean gloating.  I would very calmly explain that Donald Trump was very specifically our solution for all the intentional harm that the Left has inflicted on this country and more particularly on the White population that the Left has been demonizing relentlessly since Obama.

I’m not sure that it will be believed but I think saying it to them is the only chance to break through the bubble in places like New England.  If they come to realize that no amount of proselytizing or cajoling will change the minds of a good chunk of their neighbors’ minds maybe they’ll understand that constraining people to live against their convictions isn’t a winning strategy.

Or maybe nothing we say will ever register with them at all.  Just some thoughts on a chance conversation shouted across the two sides of the chasm.