If you missed Last Week Tonight with John Oliver last night, here's the Main Story. It's a particularly serious one -- not that most aren't, especially lately -- but on a subject that's deeply under the wire. The story concerns an area of ethnic cleansing in China. The reporting is smart, detailed, sober and in ways that are know only to them on a topic like this, they are still able to inject humor in it throughout.
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I ordered a book the other day, and it was being mailed to me from Oregon. I’ve been tracking its path. The package initially went down to Las Vegas and them arrived in Los Angeles at the USPS Distribution Center on Saturday.
Okay, that's fine. But then oddly, it went to Carson on Sunday. I live on the Westside -- Carson is southeast. Not what I'd expect, but not a big deal. And this morning…it’s now in Amarillo, Texas! The tracking page says the package is on its way to its destination, but a) at this point, I no longer have the slightest idea what they consider its “destination,” and b) even if that means here in Los Angeles, and even if it actually gets here this evening like it says – I still don’t have a clue why it went from Los Angeles to Texas??!!! The only thing that makes sense is how appropriate the title of the book is. The book by Sholem Aleichman (who wrote the Tevye stories that Fiddler on the Roof is based on) is the one that was originally given to the writers of the musical to consider adapting. They all liked it, but it's a very wide ranging story, and they weren't sure would make a good musical. But they like it enough to look at other Sholem Aleichem stories and came across the ones with Tevye the Dairyman. The name of this book that started it all -- and is now making its way across the United States randomly -- is...Wandering Stars. It's been a pretty big deal the last couple of days that the election is in just 100 days. There have been a number of TV specials on it and far more commentary. 100 days, it's a big deal. However, a very important thing that's fallen under the wire -- and shows why the problem is even far more dire for Trump and Republicans that should have them horrified -- is that it's actually than 100 days. Much less in some cases.
Seven states start early voting in just 55 days! More than just that, this Includes two battleground states: Michigan and Minnesota. Furthermore, nine other states begin early voting in only 72 days. That’s 16 states which will start voting in just over two months -- while the Republican Party is still trying to figure out what to do about their convention. Still trying to figure out their message. Still adjusting to having a brand new campaign director. Still willing to dawdle on a relief package as people face their unemployment bonus ending and face eviction. Still in the midst of the pandemic with numbers spiking and talk of shutting down businesses again. Still trying to send children back to school when unsafe. All the while sending in secret police to attack cities – which polls are showing people in battleground states dislike and hold Republicans at fault for enabling Trump. And these are early votes that will be locked in, no matter what Trump tries to do to either change people’s minds or suppress their vote. If the Trump campaign is planning on an October surprise -- or even a late September surprise -- the only surprise is for the campaign that the votes have already been made and registered. But it's worse than that for the Trump campaign, trying to make up for what appears to be a massive deficit nationally and in enough battleground states that would cost him the election, where every day on a dwindling calendar between now and November 3 is previous. That's because 39 states offer at least some period of early vote and two others (Oregon and Hawaii) have all mail-in voting. So, the Trump campaign doesn't have 100 days to change people's minds and close the widening gap. Over 80% of the country will have had the opportunity to vote before the official Election Day. And all but two of those will be able to vote at a minimum of two weeks before Election Day. (Of those two, New York starts early voting 10 days before, and Oklahoma starts five days early. I think the results of those two starts are pretty set even now, 100 days out.) Now, obviously, everyone in these other 39 states isn’t going to vote on the first day early voting starts, though many will – and if not on the first day, then within the first couple of weeks. And once made, all those votes will be settled, whatever else happens in the country afterwards, regardless of how impactful either side's ads are after the fact. And it's not that all of these early votes will be vote-by-mail either, if Trump wants to rant against that or Republicans want to block it, since early voting polling places are set up, as well. So, while I've heard many Democrats look at the wide gap in the polls and say they wish the election was today – while it isn’t today, it’s a whole lot closer to today than they think… The election is not 100 days away. For many Americans, it's 55 days away. For most Americans, it's 86 days away. Heading back into the vault of Don Giller, here is another clip from the David Letterman Show. This is Viewer Mail from January 15, 1987. For the past while, I've been posting photos of the marquee for the Laemmle Royal art house movie theater near me. Though they've been closed since the pandemic shut-down, one of their staff has been changing the sign each week with different movies supposedly "now playing" and coming next, each a commentary on conditions we're all facing. It's been pretty clever.
Here's the latest -- The other day, I wrote here about a celebrity fan-made home version "remake" of The Princess Bride, which is being presented on the Quibi streaming service as a fundraiser for Jose Andres' World Central Kitchen. I also posted a few minutes of video clips from the production. Participants recorded their sequences alone at home, separate from all others in the same scene -- unless they were sheltering at home together. And not only do different actors play the same characters throughout the production, sometimes different actors even play same same character in the same scene. And switch genders with women playing men and vice versa. For those interested, you can get the full thing here at Quibi. However, for those who are intrigued but want to know a bit more before they dive in, here is almost 15 minutes of one complete section, the "Battle of Wits" sequence, where Westley and Inigo Montoya meet, and cross paths with Vizzini and Fezzik the Giant. Here's the cast of characters, in case you need a cheat sheet. And you will. With a few other additions thrown in for good measure. Jack Black - Westley Diego Luna - Inigo Montoya Kaitlyn Dever - Westley Finn Wolfhard - Inigo Montoya King Bach - Vizzini Dave Bautista - Fezzik David Spade - Westley Tom Lennon - Prince Humperdink Oliver Lennon - Rugen Patton Oswalt - Vizzini Jon Hamm - Westley |
AuthorRobert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. Feedspot Badge of Honor
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