Wakanda Forever

I was stunned to hear about Chadwick Boseman's sudden death. Well, it was sudden to the public, since only his family knew he was sick for years. It's shocking to think that he continued to make films while still fighting cancer. I hope he didn't overwork himself in his quest to make the most of his career. Such a tragedy that he died so young.

He made a huge impact, though, and I was touched by the public outpouring of grief. I heard that some children held funerals for Black Panther with their toys, and I watched the ABC tribute special about him too. It's good to see fan appreciation for Chadwick, because I remember some people thinking that T'Challa was somewhat boring and less interesting than the complex villain Killmonger. Playing the hero can look deceptively easy and understated, but it's so important to grounding a film.

Boseman left a great legacy of other movies as well, and I hope he will continue to inspire generations to come. He certainly made the most of his brief time.

Personal History of David Copperfield

Most movie theaters have reopened now, and I went to see the new David Copperfield movie starring Dev Patel. I enjoy the colorblind casting, because too many period films try to pretend that history is all-white, excluding minority actors from these roles. Britain has had immigrants for centuries, and it needs to recognize them as authentic Brits too, able to participate in the U.K.'s cultural heritage. (I wonder when the full-length Mr. Malcolm's List will come out.)

Anyway I've never read the Dickens book, and apparently the movie's plot is much simplified; Dickens wrote his novels as serials, and I'd think you'd need a miniseries to cover all the meanderings of his plots. Dev Patel is great in the role, showing how David adapts to his changing circumstances by letting people give him nicknames. He suffers through many trials and tribulations, but feels real affection for his eccentric found families.

Meanwhile, I've been enjoying this incredible computer game called Criminal Case, by Pretty Simple. It's on Facebook, but also various appstores such as Android or Apple. I started out with the Grimsborough version, but I did find the murders too gory there, so I moved on to the "Mysteries of the Past" edition. It's so good, and the characters are diverse even though it's a steampunk world called Concordia (a stand-in for New York City), with a police squad based out of a flying blimp. So much fun, and I was able to choose an Asian avatar after the first few levels, unlike other games that make you wait. It's a hidden object game, but you also get to interview suspects and investigate clues to solve the mystery, so you really feel like a detective. I'm also pleased with the storylines about immigration, police corruption, and how people were racist against both Irish and blacks. That's how America really was, before suddenly Irish people "became white".

Conventions

I tried to watch some of the Democratic convention last week, but the TV commentators kept skipping parts to hold pointless discussions/analysis. I couldn't find the pure feed until it was too late. Congrats to Joe and Kamala anyway.

I'm not going to try to watch the Republican convention this week. If Trump is really going to do his speeches and campaigning from the White House, then it's disgustingly illegal. He really thinks he's a king, free to flout any laws.

Online, people have been complaining about Melania Trump redoing the rose garden, but I don't give a fuck. It's just a garden, and I heard the trees were replanted elsewhere. Why are people wasting their outrage on crap like that? I'm worried about the Post Office, the pandemic, the police brutality and racism, the fucking corruption at every level... Now we got hurricanes coming too. Feels like 2020 will never end.

I got to deal with the flood of fundraising emails too. I can't afford to donate to everyone, so I got to focus on local Texas races, to try to flip this state blue.

Political maneuvers

I'm happy that Joe Biden picked Kamala Harris for VP. The choice was dragging out too long, with rumors of an anti-Kamala faction of advisors trying to talk him out of it. Glad to see he didn't listen. We don't need petty infighting; we need unity. The Democratic convention will be next week, though I'll be working too much to see much of it.

Meanwhile Trump has been flailing but beneath all the manic bluster, there was news about some kind of peace deal between Israel and the UAE called the Abraham Accords. Some news sites make a big deal about it being historic, while others don't even mention it at all. Apparently Israel has agreed not to annex the West Bank, but I'm skeptical of any peace deal brokered by that idiot Jared. Also I read that Netanyahu still keeps talking like this is a temporary delay, not an outright abandonment of his plan. Is this some last ditch effort to save his position as Prime Minister? He was facing a trial for bribery and corruption, and I heard that his incompetent coronavirus response has led to widespread protests in Israel. Please can something oust him at last?

I wouldn't call this a real peace deal with real concessions from Israel. How about an agreement to stop the illegal settlements and give back land? How about an end to the blockade of the Gaza Strip? How about implementing the two-state solution at long last? That's what would impress me.