2nd Miracle in Cell No. 7

The original "Miracle in Cell No. 7" (2013)  is an emotional film that has had versions in several languages.  The original was in Korean, but I saw only a Turkish version.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/12/a-tear-jerker-from-turkey.html

A mentally challenged adult Dodo somehow gets the attention of a beautiful woman and they are able to give birth to a girl Ika.  Dodo joins a picnic with his daughter's school class and follow some classmates straying away from approved area. .  Unfortunately one of them slips in the water and dies.  Dodo had made an attempt to rescue this girl, but when her parents came on the situation they charge Dodo  with murder.  The father is powerful and wants to make an example of Dodo.

At first Dodo is treated by the inmates as Dodo is thought to be a sex offender.  In awhile the prisoners realize he has been railroaded and take up his cause.  Ika is able to join her father in the prison with the blessing of the inmates and a miracle does occur.

"2nd Miracle in Cell No. 7" in Indonesian starts two years later and Ika, now 10 years old is happily living with the prison manager, Hendro and his wife Linda.  Dodo has died while Henro and Linda avoid telling Ika.  She is still able to be smuggled into the prison and is treated like a friend by the prisoners.  The prisoners play a key role as the story unfolds.  Hendro and Linda decide they want to adopt Ika and that triggers legal ramifications.  Dodo, even though dead had incurred long living vindictiveness and the couple are in danger of losing custody of Ika.  

The story is mainly focused on the adoption or separation legal difficulties.  One side is revengeful while the other is desperate to maintain their family. 

Indonesia is developing talent and this film reflects that.  Much of the cast and crew participated in the Indonesian version of "Miracle in Cell No. 7" (2022).  Here are some key contributors for "2nd Miracle in Cell No. 7".

Herwin Novianto was the director.  He has 21 director credits and 4 for writing.

Hwan-kyung Lee was the original writer for "Miracle in Cell No. 7" (2013) in Korean.  He has 9 writing credits and 5 for directing. 

Alim Sudio was another writer.  He has 93 writing credits including  "Surga Yang Tak Dirindukan" (2015), "Surga Yang Tak Dirindukan 2" (2017), "Layla Majnun" (2021), "Heartbreak Motel" (2024) and "Bolehkah Sekali Saja Kumenangis" (2024).  See  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2025/03/bolehkah-sekali-saja-kumenangis.html and http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/01/surga-yang-tak-dirindukan-heaven-none.html

Frederica was the producer.  She has 75 producer credits including "Aku Jati, Aku Asperberger" (2024).

Kim Woo-taek was listed as executive producer and had been with the original "Miracle in Cell No. 7" (2013).  After graduating with a business degree he worked on mergers and acquisitions in New York City for Samsung.   He has 39 producer credits including "The Attorney" (2013--Korean), "Train to Busan" (2016-Korean), "Te3n" (2016--Hindi), "Miracle in Cell No. 7" (2019-Turkish) and "Doctor Cha" (2023-Korean).    See   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/06/doctor-cha.html  

Purwaacaraka composed the music.  He has 11 composing credits.  A very impressive backup singer, Mahalin Raharja performed.

Rahmat Nur Hidayat was the cinematographer with 2 cinematography credits.

Sentot Sahid was an editor.  He has 30 editor credits, plus 11 for producing and 3 for directing including "This Earth of Mankind" (2019).

Vino G. Bastian played Dodo.  He is married to Marsha Timothy (see below).  He was in the original Indonesian version of "Miracle in Cell No. 7" (2022).  He has 50 acting credits.

Marsha Timothy played Juwita, mother to Ika.  She also was in "Miracle in Cell No. 7" (2022).  She has 36 acting credits.

Graciella Abigail played Ika.  She has been a child model and still carries on as model.  She played in "Miracle in Cell No. 7" (2022).  She has 14 acting credits. 

Denny Sumaro played Hendro, a role he also played in "Miracle in Cell No. 7" (2022).  He once played on the Indonesian national basketball team.  He has 21 acting credits including "Kartini  Princess of Java" (2017).   See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/11/kartini-princess-of-java-feminist.html

 Agla Artalidia, played Linda, a role she also played in "Miracle in Cell No. 7" (2022).  She has 16 acting credits.  

ledil Dzuhrie Alaudin played the vindictive Willy Wibisono, also in Miracle in Cell No. 7" (2022). He has 36 acting credits including "La Luna" (2023--Malayasian). 

This can be seen on Netflix subtitled.  If you haven't seen one of the Miracle in Cell No. 7" you would appreciate the sequel better.  The Turkish version (see link in first paragraph) is available on Netflix.

As usual I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.  They are not necessarily a recommendation, but generally I found them worthy of my time.  If you follow the links you should be able to determine if a particular film is worth following up.

Yuval Noah Harari Writes for young people

Yuval Noah Harari feels the world will not change unless young people are part of the movement.  What you learn as a youngster is hard to shake as you age.  Understanding history is critical to appreciate the current situation.  Essentially his two books aimed at children(so far), "Unstoppable Us" explain evolution physically and civilization.  How to talk to youngsters requires understanding their perspective and respecting their intelligence.

The first volume subtitled "How Humans Took over the World", subtitld  "How Humans Took Over the World" starts with prehistoric man.  A hard concept to realize is that humans were weak compared to other animals.  Our distant ancestors were fearful of predators, even of scavengers.  Harari speculates early humans may have discovered marrow by cracking on bones that had been abandoned and from this developed a love of meat eating.

Another key step was learning to control and to initiate fire.  Cooking not only improved digestion, but paved the way for brain development.  see http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2025/04/hooked-how-big-food-draws-you-in.html

The ability to tell stories was essential for humans to co-operate.  Some stories were of a religious nature and others told of business structures.  Telling stories has proved to be an effective way of communicating  see http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2011/06/tell-to-win-offers-winning-formula.html

Humans started in Africa and then spread to Europe, Asia and Australia.  After the development of needles that could be used to stitch furs together they made it to  North America and then South America.  Along the way groups of people co-operating were able to make some large animals become extinct.  Our ancestors were also forced out other human rivals, namely Neanderthals and Denisovans.

The second volume is sub-titled "Why the World Isn't Fair"

Agriculture developed very gradually, but eventually humans learned to plant wheat and other cereals and to store it.  Early humans learned how to turn wild animals into providers of human needs.  They didn't have to move like gatherers did and eventually learned to build walls and even hire guards to keep out intruders.

The farmers developed more permanent structures, but had a monotonous diet.  Gatherers had a more diverse diet and were thought to be more anxious than village dwellers.

Sumer  was credited with inventing writing which was really to keep track of properties and taxes.  By this time slaves were considered property.  The Egyptians took tracking information to a higher level developing a type of writing for more than just numbers, but more important improved organization that amounted to bureaucracy.  

There were so many Egyptians that they developed a leadership backed by a religious story allowing the Pharaoh enormous power so much we can see the magnificent pyramids.  In the gathering stage there really were no such leaders as all the humans were relatively equal.  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2014/07/selected.html

Harari towards the end reiterates the importance of stories, admitting that they are still necessary even today as people obeyed the rules because they believed the stories.  But there are bad stories.  The Crusades were started by priests proclaiming that God did not want the Muslims to control Jerusalem.  He chooses two more examples, women and gays.  In both cases changing stories have been developed to give both groups more freedom that in turns benefits us all.  

He leaves the thought that if a story is causing suffering maybe we should change the story and furthermore such change will come from kids.

In his acknowledgements, a part of the education process he explains the author gets their name on the cover, but require the help of many other people to produce the book.  Harari is an excellent explainer and he realizes children represent the future of humankind

Earlier blog posts about other books by Yuval Noah Harari

 http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/12/sapiens-brief-history-of-humankind.html

 http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2017/04/homo-deus.html

http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/12/21-lessons-for-21st-century.html

http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/10/nexus.html 

How To Make Millions Before Grandma Dies

A title of "How to make Millions Before Grandma Dies" (2024) can take your imagination in different directions.  The story takes place in Thailand that might indicate something different from western standards.

Certainly there are differences, but there are also similarities.  The plot revolves around the impending death of a Grandmother.  She will need special and difficult care.  On the other hand there could be a small fortune to be gained.  A lot of the same dynamics are in play.

M, a grandson when he learns about his Grandmother's diagnosis quits his job and drops by to offer his help.  His mother told him not to reveal the cancer diagnosis or how long she was expected to live.  He did, very deliberately and she seems to have appreciated the honesty.  She criticizes a lot of his early efforts, but gradually lets him get involved.  

M is coached a bit by a cousin who inherited some money after taking care of a dying relative.  We do see the Grandmother's one son try to take over the caring, but the Grandmother resents him.  The other son wants to borrow money.  M's mother is the only daughter and she confesses she is too busy although at one time she helped the Grandmother's congee business.   

You can imagine how the situation plays out and I would concede that M becomes attached to his Grandmother.  One unexpected scene has him giving his Grandmother a sponge bath showing only her back.  The process does not go quite as M expected and he is really affected by the Grandmother's death.  Oh; the other underlying expectations don't pan out exactly as envisioned.  Many tears flow during the course of the film, but there is a satisfying justice that may catch you off guard.  

This film set the record for highest grossing Thai film.  It took some talented people to make it happen.  Here are a few.

Thodsapon Thiptinnakorn initiated the idea from personal experience.  He took care of his grandmother during the Covid-19 pandemic  She didn't leave any money to her daughter or her caregivers.  An experienced writer he has 29 writing credits.  

 Pat Boonnipat was the director and writer.  He has 4 directing credits, 2 for writing and 1 for the camera and electrical department.  

Vanridee Pongsittsak was the producer.  She has 32 producer credits, 10 for the Script and Continuity Department and 4 for writing including "One Day" (2016) and "Bad Genius" (2017).   See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/06/bad-genius-out-of-thailand.html

Jaithep Roroengiai was the composer.  He started with commercials.  He has 9 composing credits, 2 for the music department and 1 for soundtrack.

Boonyanuch Kraithong was the cinematographer.  She has 16 cinematographer credits, 4 for the camera and electrical department and 1 for directing including "One Day" (2016).

Thammarat Sumethsupachok was the editor.  He has 18 editor credits plus 1 for directing.

Putthipong Assaratanakul played M, the grandson He has a singing career, but has lately been studying business in London.  He has 4 acting credits.  

Usha Seamkhum played the Grandmother making her feature debut at age 78.  She had appeared in a music video a few years before and was noticed.  

Sarinrat Thomas played M's mother.  She has a drama therapy degree from the United Kingdom plus a Masters degree in Psychotherapy and Counseling.  She has 7 acting credits including "The Impossible" (2012) and "Bad Genius" (2017).

Tontawan Tantivejakul played Mui.  She is studying to be a dentist.  She has 5 acting credits.

"How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies" is available subtitled and dubbed on Netflix.  See why it is so popular and brings so many to tears.

As usual I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.  They are not necessarily a recommendation, but generally I found them worthy of my time.  If you follow the one link you should be able to determine if a particular film is worth following up.

Remember Me by Charity Norman

As a Facebook friend to the author I learned of this book and that it was about dementia and a mystery.  I was expecting to read about detectives uncovering clues, analyzing them and finally cornering the culprit.  Not quite like that.  Life is full of mystery and most of us have wondered about long ago events and once in awhile are able to satisfy ourselves about the real truth.  In this novel we learn right off the bat that someone went for a hike and just never returned. 

The narrator, Emily had moved to England and was not anxious to visit the family that remained in New Zealand, especially her father.  She remembered him as a cold parent who was more involved in his medical practice.  He was said to be in a very poor mental state with dementia forcing him to make bad decisions.  Her original intention was to check the situation and go back home.

Her father, Felix proved to be advancing in dementia which might have accounted for his greater appreciation and affection for his daughter.  She felt obligated to prolong her stay indefinitely.  This put her in conflict with a brother and a sister.  A topic of many in the hometown was the disappearance 25 years ago of a childhood friend, Leah of whom Emily had been the last known contact.  She uncovers some surprising information almost by accident and is later confronted by unexpected words.  

To build suspense authors sometimes use a misunderstanding.  Words and actions can be misinterpreted and later are revealed as having  been very different.  There is a good misunderstanding where one person's motivation seems to be out of character and helps suggest another person's response.  We do like surprises that add to our enjoyment.

The ending seems like an afterthought, but if you read the buildup it may well bring tears.

The main character remembered a child hood experience that reminded me of my trip to New Zealand. Going to a park in Auckland a big surprise was seeing eels being fed by some laughing youngsters.  Eels were considered weird and even to be avoided.  They can't be all bad if youngsters can play with them.  An uncle had been involved with a major dam project in Ontario that involved engineering a bypass for eels.

Part of the motivation for this novel comes from the author's experience with her mother who died after a bout of dementia.  Charity didn't know her mother had been suffering as much as she had.  Going through her mother's personal effects after the death she discovered notes that demonstrated an awareness of her impending fate.  She had listed the names of all her children, her husband and few acquaintances.  .

 My goal in this blog is to whet your appetite for the book itself and an appreciation of the author.  This is not intended to be a summary as I believe you have to read the book to understand the nuances and conclusion.  It seems likely there will be greater accessibility to her books in North America and hopefully this blog will be a small step in that direction. 

 Acknowledgements can sometimes add more understanding.  Charity admitted that she wrote parts of the novel in a Wellington cafe.  Wellington was an enjoyable city comparable to the Canadian capital Ottawa.  I can picture the relaxing atmosphere.   

My interest in this novel has a history.  About ten years ago my wife and I decided to visit our son in New Zealand.  Before that we had been given an airline credit after a hotel problem in Cuba.  It wasn't enough for a major trip, but encouraged us to plan one to visit our son.  Michael was anxious to show us more of New Zealand than just the big city of Auckland.  At one point we spent a night in Napier and reading a newspaper I caught a story about a local author.  It seemed  of some interest, but I didn't do anything until venturing in a nearby book store near where my soon lived.  I saw the book and thought it would make an interesting souvenir.  When I read it I quite enjoyed it.

I persuaded my son to bring to Canada a more recent novel.  On a subsequent visit to New Zealand I happened on a used book store and was able to buy two more of her novels.  Her books apparently were available in England and other parts of Europe, but not North America.  Since then I struggled with an ebook.  Very recently with my wife's help I was able to discover another source and unbelievably found "Remember Me", ordered online and got home delivery all within a few hours.  

My son recently married a wonderful woman who had also immigrated to New Zealand.  It seems his future is in New Zealand and I am glad to have a separate New Zealand connection.  A summary of my involvement  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/02/charity-norman-discovery.html

Two non Bollywood films from India

Westerners are aware of Bollywood if for no other reason than to avoid it.  Furthermore they feel all films from India are Bollywood, but that isn't true.  Some estimate that the total population is pushing one billion and contains many different languages.  The language diversity is also reflected in cultural diversity.  The main language Hindi, is where Bollywood begins.  Although music plays an important role in the different languages there are many films without the stereotypical song and dance.

The languages also relate to one another.  Often a successful film in one language will be re done in other languages.

"Court:  State vs. a Nobody" (2025) is filmed originally in Telegu, but is available in English and other Indian languages.  It is about an injustice rectified by a novice lawyer.  We follow a young 17 year old girl attracted to a 19 year old boy.  As westerners their courtship does not seem at all unusual, but the father of the girl is outraged.  Part of his disgust relates to the lowly status of the boy.  The father fearing for his own status hires a lawyer and the two fabricate a string of witnesses and the boy is locked up without bail and is about to receive judgement after an unfair trial.  Some local men hear of a remarkable lawyer in another town.  The well known lawyer is tied up and somehow a novice lawyer decides to step in and quickly prove to be very capable forcing another trial.  The procedures does not go smoothly and at one point he despairs.  His boss revitalizes his confidence.  You can imagine how it turns out. 

Ram Jagadeesh is both director and writer.  This is his first effort at this level and demonstrates he has mastered a bit part of film making.  

The producer, Prashanti Tiperineni has an unusual background.  She started as a costume designer where she picked up some awards and 4 credits.  She went onto to produce 5 producing credits.  Some of her films including  "Baahubali 2" (2017), "Awe" (2018) and "Hit" (2020).

Vijay Bulganin was in charge of music.  He has 12 composing credits plus 3 for soundtrack.

Dineesh Purushothama was the cinematographer.  He has 7 cinematography credits including a favorite from last year, "Maharaja" (2024).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/07/maharaja.html       

 Priyadarshi Pulikonda played the novice lawyer.  He has 71acting credits, 2 for directing and 3 for writing including, "Mallesham" (2019) and "Hi Nanna" ((2023).    See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2024/01/hi-nanna.html

Sai Kumar played the prosecuting deceitful lawyer.  He started in theatre and went onto have 173 acting credits including "Drishyam 2" (2021), "Vaathi" (2023), "Saripodhaa Sanivaaram" (2024).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/02/drishyam-2-signifies-new-global-movie.html

"Court:  State vs. a Nobody" is available on Netflix subtitled in English.  They have 5 different audio versions. not including English

"Test" (2025) received a lot of negative reviews.  One regularly read reviewer thought it was too long for a movie and too short for a series, but conceded there was a core of a story and a great cast.  If you like tense films you will likely enjoy it.

There are three main roles that in the first part of the movie their characters are developed.  Arjun is a cricket player once greatly admired for his abilities but has been declining.  As described by others he was not motivated by fame or fortune, but love of the game.  That love caused suffering for his wife and son.  Kudmutha was a classmate of his and also the teacher of Arjun's son.  She had a fertility concern.  Her husband, Sara was a frustrated scientist who couldn't get enough money to finance his project.  He had lied to his wife and now loan sharks were threatening him.  

The loan sharks were involved with a scheme to make money with a gambling play on an upcoming Test match between India and Pakistan.  Sara got the idea of kidnapping the son and forcing Arjun to help swing the bet against the favored Indian team.  The test match takes five days and over that time Arjun and Sara push each other.  It gets very tense as each man has a strong motivation.

S. Sashikanth is director writer and producer.  He has 22 credits as producer including "Vikram Vedha" (2017).  "Test" was his first effort as both director and writer.

Shakthisree Gopalan, the composer was the deciding factor in my decision to watch this poorly reviewed film.  I enjoy her singing and realized she had started composing and writing lyrics, but this was her first venture in charge of the music of a feature film.  She started singing in performances at an early age, especially Carnatic songs.  She graduated as an architect and had the good fortune to be asked to do architecture for perhaps the greatest Indian composer, A. R. Rahman.  That relationship led to some playback jobs, notably "Jab Tak Hai Jaan" (2012) and"Kadal" (2013).  She has sung in Tamil, Telegu, Malayalam, Hindi and English.  She has 61 credits for the music department.  Other films she sang for included "Uyare" (2019), "Dharala Prabhu" (2019) and "Andhaaghaaram" (2020).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/08/uyare-unexpected-gem.html

Viraj Vinh Gohil was the cinematographer   He has 30 cinematography credits and 4 for camera and electrical department.

T.S. Suresh was the editor.  He has 30 editor credits and 14 for the editorial department including "Ghajini" (2008) and "Tezz" (2012).

Madhavan played Sara the frustrated scientist.  He had won national public speaking awards and is fluent in English, Hindi and Tamil.  He took part in a student exchange program to Stetler, Alberta, Canada,  He has appeared in such films as "Rang de Basanti" (2006), "Guru" (2007) and "3 Idiots" (2009) which were all exceptional movies.  Another film was the American, "The Reluctant Fundamentalist" (2012).  My first awareness of him was with "Kannathil Mutthamthal" (A Peck on the Cheek) (2002), but I assumed it was a Bollywood film and much later learned it was a Tamil film, opening another door for me.  Other films include "Arbe Sivan" (2003), "Tanu Weds Manu" (2011),"Dhoka" (2022) and "The Railway Men" (2023). See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/11/the-railway-men.html

Nayanthara plays  Kudmudha, the wife of the frustrated scientist.  In 2022 she wad declared to be the highest paid South Indian actress.  She has 83 acting credits and 2 as producer including "Jawan" (2023) and "Annapoori" (2023).

Siddharth played Arjun, the critical cricket player.  In school he was a debating president and got to attend the World Debating championship.  He has dubbed in several languages.   He has 44 acting credits, 12 for the music department and 5 for producing including "Rang de Basanti" (2006), "Once Upon a Warrior" (2011), "Midnight's Children" (2012) and "Chashme Baddoor" (2013).

Nassar payed Ramasamy, one of the heavy gamblers.  He can speak 8 languages.  He has 512 acting credits, 5 for directing and 3 for writing including "Nayakan" (1987), "Chaachi 420" (1987), "Roja" (1992), "Bombay" (1995),  "Fair Game" (2010), Article 15" (2019) and "Serious Men" (2020).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/09/article-15.html

"Test" is available on Netflix subtitled in English and several other European and Indian languages.  It is available dubbed in English and several other languages.

Other Indian languages that have produced worthy films include Malayalam,  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/03/how-i-discovered-malayalam-cinema-and.html   Kannada, Marathi, Gujarati, Bengali, Urdu and Punjabi,

As usual I have bolded the first mention of films I have seen.  They are not necessarily a recommendation, but generally I found them worthy of my time.  If you follow the links you should be able to determine if a particular film is worth following up.

Hooked: How Big Food Draws You In

The term "addiction" has been subjected to legal debate.  Many court cases revolved around the term, but most of them failed to make the big food companies back down.  

Tobacco was perhaps the major consumer item that battled against government rules and business interests hired very clever lawyers.  Addiction was often a key factor, but for years tobacco lawyers were able to dismiss the notion.  Ironically many of the tobacco companies had excess money and invested much of it with big food companies where its legal expertise would be helpful.

From an unguarded comment a tobacco lobbyist defined addiction as "a repetitive behavior that some people feel difficult to quit" that was adopted by the author.  Some substances are not as addictive as assumed, for example cocaine.

 In the first part of the book, Michael Moss explains how evolution has developed to boost human survival mostly under greater environmental limitations.  Upright on two legs allowed humans to see further and walk more to get a greater variety of foods.  Fire allowed easier digestion which in turn allowed for a smaller stomach.  A smaller stomach allowed for a bigger brain (obviously other factors involved).  Deeper research revealed that humans are the only animal that tastes with its nose adding to the intensity of flavor.  

It was advantageous for the body to store fat as it was really energy that make long treks to get a variety of food (with vitamins and minerals) more easily.

Roy Wise, a researcher at McGill University discovered that a stimulus to a rat's brain could motivate it to eat large quantities of food that had previously been ignored.  We (and food scientists) realized that the brain had as much to do with a desire to eat as the stomach.  The brain retains a memory of various tastes and craves sugar, fat and salt.  The sooner these tastes reaches the brain, the sooner the demand for more. 

In the second part we learn how businesses have exploited opportunities.  Legal issues were examined in detail to make sure they could present optimal appeal to consumers.  Labeling requires more detail than in the past, but it is still possible to hide some details.  For instance serving sizes tend to be less than what people actually eat.  They employ scientists to maximize food appeal and the costs.  

Society has been changing.  A great percentage of women have taken jobs and are looking for easy ways to feed their families.  Many people eat while watching television.  Food can be comforting when dealing with stress and some contend modern life provides much of that.  

Advertising has increasingly become more sophisticated and targeted.  In an advertising agency I was able to look at data reports for radio and tv.  First you got quarterly views/listens for a particular outlet, but then you could view by age and sex.  The advertising firm made their decisions by comparing the cost of reaching a very specific target group.  Undoubtedly they have become even more precise in targeting.

 Dieting has not escaped food scientists.  When they sensed that more people were becoming conscious of their weight and health they searched for ways to retain their loyalty.  Looking for sugar and fat substitutes was relentless.  Some substitutes have been associated with increased risks of cancer and other diseases.

All sorts of diet groups emerged and for most consumers a familiar pattern developed of initial loss of weight followed by a relapse.  Another understanding was learned:  the importance of metabolism and how our bodies reacted to changes in diet.  In order to survive hundreds of thousand years ago the body had to adjust in times of famine by burning less energy. 

One example of how McDonald's can be harmful was provided by Morgan Spurlock who I did a blog on a few years back.    http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/03/the-greatest-movie-ever-sold.html

Many read his book with the motivation to improve their eating habits and therefore their life.  First the author would claim information is power.  You know better what your body (brain) wants and you have a better idea of what big food wants to do.  You know the body reacts quickly to tastes, so you will feel full sooner if you eat slow.  One given example was to snack on pistachios with their shells on.  Chewing gives your brain more time to process information.  Beware of colorful packaging on the shelf and discard at home before eating.

Another blog from a few years ago deals with the habit of being distracted while you eat.  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2011/09/mindless-eating-cf-mindful-eating.html 

Acknowledgements are often glossed over, but some reveal what motivated the author.  Michael Moss had written another food book and had won a Pulitzer Prize.  One morning after a barbecue followed by finishing next morning's breakfast before lunch he had a craving for leftover kabobs.  He became curious as to why.  His research went to a psychiatrist studying how heroin went from cravings to addiction and the whole subject of motivation and how we could be manipulated.  Legal experts and scientists provided most of the facts and made for a fascinating account of what effects all of us.  He also thanked his wife and two sons for tolerating his experimental cooking and constant talking about his research.

Something is Wrong!

Donald Trump self righteously said the world has been taking advantage of America and the solution is tariffs.  The world has indeed taken advantage of America, but somehow it has worked to the American advantage.

 When America formed they used tariffs to protect their new businesses which made a lot of sense as British goods could command a bigger share for consumers.  Over time with population increases and uncovering nature's bounty their economy grew and they became one of the participants negotiating free trade.  Their manufacturing actually produced more goods than Americans could consume.  The solution was to sell to the rest of the world, including third world countries.  Free fair trade in fact benefited everyone.

Parts of the world where the standard living was lower than America found their advantage was cheap labor.  American investors soon discovered they could get a competitive advantage shifting manufacturing to poor countries.  In turn this helped elevate the living standards of these countries, examples include Japan and China.  In turn they became consumers of American manufactured goods.  

China, for one has accumulated enough wealth they are the chief lender for the United States government and at relatively low rates.  America has sanctioned a lot of adversaries such as Russia, Iran and China, but now they have discovered they can trade among themselves to not only minimize  the damage, but prosper.  They have formed new trading groups involving such nations as Brazil, South Africa, Indonesia, Vietnam, Ethiopia, India and many more.

The troubles in Ukraine and Palestine and inflation have distracted the world from an approaching life threatening issue, climate change.  Unfortunately it will require international co-operation.  We have already lost some options and the solutions may end up being more drastic that will attract resistance.  

Mr. Trump presents himself as a business genius and some people think the disastrous situation he has created will allow him to use sharp negotiations to at least make America great again.  His record is not impressive to some of us.  One example is bankrupting casinos that are considered a license to print money.  He has offered a large number of products that all failed.  His sales college used illegal tactics that hurt victims and he had to pay $25 MILLION dollars.  When the unexpected Covid 19 pandemic hit he dangerously botched it.  The consequences of his mismanagement is still costing Americans.

Obama took over an economic mess and left Trump a rising economy.  Even before Covid, Trump managed to greatly increase the deficit and afterwards left another mess.  The Biden administration actually got things going in the right diretion better than any other G7 nation.

It is past time when member nations need to work together.  Americans (and we in Canada and the rest of the western world) have a much high standard of living than most of the rest of the world.  We have in fact exploited poorer nations.

Two areas that gather a lot of words, but allow suffering are Ukraine and Palestine.  Ukraine was illegally invaded by Russia and somehow Trump leads Republicans to lean more towards the anti-democratic invaders.  Israel has roots in over a hundred years, but one detail that seems to be forgotten, the Arabs were already there and naturally resented the intruders.  Trump has suggested expelling the Palestinians to make room for a resort area.  A sense of justice is required.

It is upsetting to hear Trump supporters twist logic.  Most of them are descended from immigrants who were seeking a better life and for the most part succeeded.  Of course as climate change and wars have hit more countries United States is not only seen as a chance to raise living standards, but also as a safe place. Ironically America will need immigrants to replace aging workers who contribute to pensions.

America has attained its high standard of living in part by exploiting other nations.  The world has now developed its own leverage.   Now with AI and robotic innovations eventually the world will need less human labor that likely aggravate inequality.

Time for Americans and the rest of us to re-think what we really need.  Trump has to go.