Primary Protest

Michigan had their primary last night and it looks like over 100,000 Democrats voted "uncommitted." They have a large Arab-American population and were trying to send a protest message to Biden about the Israeli war in Gaza. There are actually Democrats all over America, such as me in Texas, who want Biden to change policy on that war. It's just that Michigan has a significant concentration of such Democrats. It's certainly their right to protest that way. When I voted, I don't think there was an equivalent "uncommitted" option on my ballot, just 10 or so stupid candidates running against Biden. And it's not like any of them have better policies.

A lot of times on Daily Kos or on Wonkette, I see commenters acting like pro-Palestinian protesters are whiny babies or silly idiots demanding a pony, but that's not true at all. We want Biden to do concrete things like withhold funding and/or weapons from Israel, stop vetoing resolutions against Israel in the UN, and push for more humanitarian aid/access in Gaza. I am aware that Biden is still negotiating for a ceasefire in Gaza, and he promises that something will happen soon in March, but I'm skeptical since I heard that Israel rejected the previous ceasefire attempt, AND they are moving forward with more settlers in occupied territory. If anybody's being a whiny baby having a tantrum, it's been Israel.

There's a stereotype that the pro-Palestinian voters in America are ignorant college kids who know no history; that this is their anti-authoritarian fad to feel cool and important. But were the anti-Vietnam protesters in the 1960s a mere fad? They weren't principled in their anti-war stance? How can the anti-protest Democrats think that this is not about justice and humanitarianism? I'm not a college kid anymore, though college was where I read more about Israel's history and no longer liked it. (In middle school I liked Golda Meir and played her in a school project.) I'm not Muslim either. I'm Vietnamese, and was raised Buddhist, but I didn't understand a word of it in temple, so officially I'm unreligious and agnostic at best. Also I do believe that there is a large faction of Black Americans who sympathize with Palestinians and don't like Biden's Israel policies either. So apparently it's a coalition of lots of different people. It's not just Michigan Arab American voters who feel this way. Democrats shouldn't dismiss it as a tiny faction of spoilers like the No Labels people or the deluded Dean Philips. And Nancy Pelosi suggesting that we're Russian plants is even more insulting, saying that there aren't genuine reasons for real Americans to care about Israel decimating Gaza.

But I will state again that I will vote for Biden in November, as the alternative is unthinkable. I don't know if all the other pro-Palestinian people will, though, so maybe Biden can do something please? Hold Israel accountable instead of treating it like innocent Ukraine, merely "defending itself."

Yuck

We're in the midst of early voting for the March primaries. I went yesterday as I work too late to make the weekday hours. I've seen some political ads on TV with abhorrent Republicans yelling about the border and praising Abbott. It's sick. I did see a couple of ads for Colin Allred; he's still trying to win against Gutierrez before going to the general election against Ted Cruz.

After voting, I went to a local outlet mall by the highway, and I passed a really obnoxious display of Trump signs, that said "Trump Won" and "Democrats are Communists." The weirdest thing was that it was in front of a random restaurant and I didn't even see a person there selling merchandise. What is even the point of that display? These are the primaries, not the general election in November. This current election is about Trump vs Nikki Haley right now, not that she has any chance. She lost her own home state. Who knows, there might still have been other Republicans on the ballot that have already dropped out. On my Democratic ballot there were still 10 or so people listed against Biden. Irrelevant people like Dean Phillips and Marianne Williamson.

At least the Trumper signs were nowhere near the election polling site.

Cabaret

I saw a local production of Cabaret the musical. Apparently the plot is very different from the film with Liza Minnelli, as the film writers decided to adapt Christopher Isherwood's novel rather than the musical. (I didn't know that there was a previous novel, a previous play and film called I Am A Camera, or that Sally Bowles was based upon an actual person.) It seems that all incarnations of these Berlin-set stories have really different plots due to censors wanting changes to the sexual and moral content. It's interesting how "based on a true story" can be warped with each adaptation so that it becomes wholly fictional.

Anyway, the musical I saw had really good singers and dancers. So much so that I really resented that during a later argument, Cliff tells Sally that she'll only be able to get another job if she sleeps with a nightclub owner, implying that she's not a good singer at all. (I also didn't like him slapping her over the abortion, but I suppose that's an artifact of the 1966 musical, or the sexism of the 1930s setting, when men could get away with such abuse and yet still be the sympathetic hero.) I also really cared about the subplot with the landlady and the Jewish grocer. They had a lovely romance, but their marriage got called off due to the rise in anti-semitism and fascism. They thought the Nazis wouldn't really take over everything, and so refused to leave Germany, just like Sally Bowles refused to leave. The transformation of the Kit Kat Club from playful hedonism to dead-eyed, goose-stepping propaganda is really disheartening. How insidious that "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" song is. One of the Kit Kat dancers purposely starts singing it at the engagement party to hurt the landlady and grocer; such a casual and sinister threat. Later, the emcee's line revealing that the gorilla dancer is supposed to depict a Jewish person--so horrible and cutting.

Also I finally got context over that strange line in the "Cabaret" song about Elsie, "the happiest corpse I'd ever seen" and that Sally made up her mind "When I go, I'm going like Elsie." It is a dark, dark line, and the actress delivered it as though Sally were manic and overwrought, but feigning cheerfulness. She essentially wants to die of too much pills, alcohol, and sex. Such despair. Then it ends with Cliff leaving Germany and finally starting his novel reminiscing about happier times in the club, gone forever. I'm surprised that with such dark themes that the musical has been so successful and popular, rather than some kind of niche drama. I mean, didn't George Takei's musical about a Japanese interment camp close after only a few months? Well, it was a thought-provoking, well-produced musical. I'm glad I went to see it.

ETA: Stephen Robinson reviewed a production of Cabaret in his area last year. He's now moved to his own Substack.

Gun Nuts

I've had spotty internet in the mornings, making it difficult to get online and post before work. I think I've finally solved it by moving my modem onto a high bookshelf. Seems ok so far.

Meanwhile apparently there was a shooting at the post-Superbowl parade for the winners. Of course, there are constant deadly shootings all over America, but I've become numb to the sheer number while Congress does very little gun reform. I've also long known that Texas is super gun-crazy, but recently I've been seeing TV ads for "LawShield" or something like that. This guy claims he was attacked in his home one night, and he had to shoot to defend his family (while being vague about all details), then says he called this Shield service thingy to protect him from any legal consequences. They're trying to sell a law defense as if it were home warranty or the LifeLock identity protection membership. Is shooting people that common that you would routinely need this Shield? And stupid Castle doctrine and "stand your ground" laws aren't enough protection for you? I think this must be aimed at gun nuts who are paranoid, imagining lawsuits over genuine self defense. As if they're trying to get police's qualified immunity for private citizens.

Plus I know advertising tends to use hyperbole, but I also heard a radio ad for a gun show that literally asked "Do you need 5,000 guns? We have 5,000 guns." What the fuck? It makes me so mad.

Wow

Hooray, Disney is giving Turning Red a theatrical release this month, just in time for Lunar New Year. The film was originally supposed to come out during the pandemic, but then Disney just sent it to streaming instead. So this is a nice belated release. Also The Marvels is coming to streaming.

Earlier this week, the Grammys had performances by Tracy Chapman and Joni Mitchell which people are still raving about. I tried watching the show on Paramount+ but they had the nerve to put a commercial break right into Tracy Chapman's duet with Luke Combs. Right there, mid-song! So annoying. The Grammys website has the uninterrupted video, but it's so hard to find anything there.

I actually know "Both Sides Now" from Judy Collins's version, and I only learned that Judy helped promote Joni as a singer afterward. It is a great song, just as classic as "Fast Car."

Other News

I've been worried with all the saber-rattling by Abbott about the razorwire at the border. Not to mention the Houthis in Yemen and the continuing war in Gaza. Still no cease-fire in sight. I did hear about Biden sanctioning four settlers in the West bank, but I'm not sure how that puts pressure on Israel itself to do something. Then there are 21 Democrats signing a letter to get more humanitarian aid to Gaza. At least they're trying. Recently there was a UN judge that ruled that Israel needs to do more to prevent genocide as well. But I think Israel is still resisting any change. They think their "right to defend themselves" is a blanket allowing them to justify anything they do. The way the US tiptoes around them and avoids direct confrontation makes us look impotent and useless. Peace feels like a hopeless wish.

But I'm trying not be down about everything. It's Black History Month in a leap year so there'll be an extra day. Also next week is Lunar New Year and then Mardi Gras, and Valentine's Day. (Also the Superbowl for people who care.) So lots to celebrate soon.

I did see American Fiction and I heard it was nominated for a few Oscars, so they actually expanded the release. I guess I was needlessly worried about it disappearing from theaters. In fact The Book of Clarence is still open in a few theaters even though it opened weeks ago. So I guess it's not a total bomb. Anyway, American Fiction was pretty funny, though also touching regarding Sterling K. Brown's gay character. I did get annoyed with Monk's snobbishness and his fight with his girlfriend. Though if he was really invested in the relationship, he should have been honest with her in the first place instead of keeping secrets and saying "none of your business" when she first asked where his sudden money came from. He could have claimed that he wrote My Pafology purely for mercenary reasons and then shared his embarrassment with her, but no.

Murder on the Orient Express

The freezing temperatures have gone away lately and I'm not sick anymore. So I was well enough to see a stage version of Agatha Christie's famous mystery last night in Richardson. It was a nice cozy theater with plush furniture and free popcorn. The acting was great and the set design interesting. I'll see if I can figure out how to post a picture of the set model. (Of course I didn't take any pictures or recordings of the show itself.)

The play is Ken Ludwig's 2017 adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express. Whereas the book has a staggering number of suspects on the train (to match a jury of 12), it is unwieldy to stage that many actors and have the audience keep straight that many people. So wisely the suspects have been whittled down to 8 by dropping some people and combining some others. I liked that they said the Countess Andrenyi used to be a doctor when she was still a commoner; thus they eliminate Dr. Constantine and make the woman more capable and independent. Her husband the Count is not missed, nor is Foscarelli, Hardman, or Masterson. Also the German maid Schmidt is written out and the Swiss missionary is substituted instead for great comedy. It makes for a nice balanced cast of men and women. Macqueen also provides some comic relief too.

Some of the clues are eliminated too with the cut characters, such as the phantom "lady in the red kimono," to further emphasize the phantom "second train conductor" with the missing button on his uniform. Like other recent adaptations of the book, Poirot has an ethical crisis about solving the case, but Mrs. Hubbard is given a good speech to appeal to his conscience. Overall an enjoyable play.