D.E.I. Diversity Equity & Inclusion

Trump is upset about D.E.I. (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion), maintaining that it is unfair.  Some of us feel the MAGA followers really want to take advantage of privilege.  The goal is supposed to be the best person for each position gets hired.

The original signers of the U.S. Constitution were landowning white males of a certain age.  Their rights to own slaves was respected.  Voting rights were determined by the states.

Over the years voting rights were extended to blacks (mostly former slaves), women, younger people, indigenous and even poor people.  Prejudice and legal tools were used to limit actual voting by minorities. 

It takes many years including generations for prejudices to lessen in society.  It involves heroes and martyrs like Martin Luther King Jr. or Harvey Milk.  Forced to work with minorities some whites came to appreciate the "other" was not evil or incompetent.  Adjusting to having women as bosses was hard for men, but some got used to it.  Making judgments when confronted by hijabs, turbans, skullcaps or even baseball caps is still normal for most of us.  Handicapped people are often ignored, although they are generally reliable employees.  Society too often takes it time to mature, but more of us are making the effort.

All of humanity is not equal, but generally complement one another.  Opportunity is also not equal and in effect means we do not always get the best mix.  The offspring of wealthy successful parents are not necessarily as talented or even as ambitious.  

In the meantime society controlled by those with power is able to protect their position against outsiders.  Here are a few areas that make a difference to who gets opportunities or real choices.

Home ownership is actually the basis for many family fortunes, but denied to many blacks as they could not get affordable credit.  Minorities are discouraged from the better neighborhoods.

Education is supposedly the tool for poor people to arise and it can work.  However the quality is not the same in all neighborhoods.  Not every student comes to class equally rested and nourished.  

Jobs are not only a measure of talent, but also a mark of status.  Discrimination based on race, gender  religion or class ensure there is not true competition.  Income affects the whole family.

Health is vital.  Statistics have pointed out that blacks die more frequently than whites at childbirth and have a shorter life span.  They receive poorer quality care from doctors.  

These factors are going in the right direction, but still have a way to go.   Despite the listed obstacles many black and other minorities have succeeded, but that seems to alarm many whites.  Population trends point that racial minorities will be the majority within only a few decades. 

Undoubtedly some deserving whites lose out and in a sense we all lose when that happens.  Competition often is used a a decider.  Being privileged means a lot is taken for granted.  Over time the ideal should be to find the best fit for every human.  Fairness is another ideal which means that society should not judge merely by outside features, but examine more closely the talents and merits of individuals. 

A legitimate concern is that we hire the most suitable.  At the same time those in power make the rules that suit them.  Donald Trump has appealed not only to bigots, but to other aggrieved groups such as Evangelicals, gun owners, fossil fuel investors, etc.

D.E.I .has served America well, in fact better than privileged decision makers of the past.  In the future it will be less and less necessary, that is if allowed to further prove its worth. 

A bit on how Trump got to be Trump

 Trump is a very powerful man.  What he has done with his power is noted everyday.  How he got to be powerful was not in a vacuum.  "The Apprentice" (2024) attempts to cover a key part of his life.

The details are disputed by Trump and his legal team, but seem roughly aligned with the current perspective.

The film is introduced by a speech from Richard Nixon, proclaiming he is not a crook.

Trump meets Roy Cohn who disposes of a legal problem by blackmailing.  He imparts 3 rules:  1.Attack ,  2.never admit wrong doing, and 3 claim victory.  He brags about his connection to Richard Nixon

Trump uses Cohn as a mentor and with moral support builds Trump Tower behind his father's back.

He meets Ivana and after an arduous courtship marries her.  She is well liked and there seems a dose of jealousy from her husband.  We do not get to his divorce, but a rape is reenacted (dependent on court records, but her version is modified afterwards).  We are also made aware that he is unfaithful.

Against Cohn's advice Trump gets involved with Atlantic City gambling casinos.  It seems to go well, but we hear of bankruptcy charges.  I think it likely that Russians were enablers for his recovery, but this is not hinted at.

We are aware of personal dynamics.  He brother Fred is insulted by his father and sinks to alcoholism.  We watch Trump try to take advantage of his father's dementia to increase his share of inheritance. 

He has medical work done on his scalp and he has surgery to lessen his abdomen.

Roy Cohn is a constant advisor, but deteriorates and acquires Aids.  Trump avoids him as much as possible, but holds a dinner in his honor.

 A lot of the dialogue and actions have to be improvised, but looking at the consequences and Trump's own words it is very believable. 

Much was filmed in Canada including Toronto and Hamilton.  As a Hamiltonian I have long watched in awe the Scottish Rite building where some scenes were filmed.

Scottish Rite Building in Hamilton, Ontario.

 Distribution was hindered by Trump's legal team; the film has a limited release in the U.S. on October 11, 2024   Trump wins in November.  Despite adoration of the public Trump is heavily dependent on lawyers

It takes a ton of talent to make such a film.  Here are a few of the people.

Ali Abbasi was the director and a producer.  He was born in Tehran and has made one film highlighting female discrimination in Iran.  As a young man he went to Sweden to study architecture.  He next went  to study at the National Film School of Denmark.  He lives in Copenhagen.  He has 8 directing credits, 5 for writing and 2 for producing.

Gabriel Sherman was one of the writers.  He wrote the biography of Roger Ailes, "The Loudest Voice" which was the basis for the movie in 2019.  He has 3 credits as producer and 2 for writing.  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2020/11/the-loudest-voice.html

David Holmes wrote music.  He was a DJ in Belfast, Northern Ireland and was involved in the music scene.  He has 62 composing credits, 16 for the Music Department and 5 for producing including "Ocean's Eleven" (2001), "Ocean's Thirteen" (2007) and "The Fall" (2013).

Kasper Tuxen was the cinematographer.   Lives in Copenhagen.  He has 63 cinematography credits, 26 for the camera and electrical department and 2 for additional crew including "Beginners" (2010), "Hateship. Loveship" (2013) and "The Worst Person in The World" (2021).

Olivier Bugge Coutte was the editor.  He has 57 credits for editing, 1 for producing and 1 for directing including "Reprise" (2006), "Oslo, August 31st" (2011) and "The Worst Person in the World" (2021).

Sebastian Stan played Donald Trump.  He was born in Romania and once spoke that language in a film.  He has 57 acting credits, 2 for producing and 1 for soundtrack including "I, Tonya" (2017) and "Sharper" (2023).

Jeremy Strong played Roy Cohn.  He attended Yale where he acted in their theatre.  He has won a Tony Award and one Prime Time Emmy.  He lives in Copenhagen.  Jeremy has 30 acting credits and 7 for additional crew including "Robot & Frank" (2012), "Zero Dark Thirty" (2012), "Parkland" (2013), "The Judge" (2014), "Detroit" (2017). "Molly's Game" (2017), "Serenity" (2019), "Succession" (2018-2019) and "The Trial of the Chicago 7" (2020).

Martin Donovan played Trump's father, Fred.  He has 123 acting credits, 1 for directing and 1 for writing including "Insomnia" (2002) "Indian Horse" (2017) and"Tenet" (2020).  See about the book "Indian Horse" which was the basis for the film...http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2017/09/indian-horse-by-richard-wagamese.html

Maria Bakalova played Ivana Trump.  Born in Bulgaria she has performed in that language.  She had an interest in music, being part of a touring choir as a youngster and also playing the flute at the university level.  Maria has 26 acting credits and 3 producing including "Borat Subsequent MovieFilm" (2020).

Mark Rendall played Roger Stone.  A Canadian, at age 10 with no acting experience he auditioned and won a role with a touring "Oliver" company.  He has 65 acting credits including "The Exploding Girl" (2009), "Victoria Day" (2009), "Transplant" (2019-2022) and "Departure" (2019-1022).   

Available on Crave.

Do I recommend this film?  Yes, but only so you might better understand how such a powerful person developed.  

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 might be able to determine if a particular film is worth following up.

Mad Unicorn, Exciting Series fromThailand

Thailand is upping its international prospects, partly due to Netflix.  

"Mad Unicorn" is based on a true story, a rags to riches tale based on a local hero.  Jira Maligool, the executive producer interviewed Kamsan Saleen who started poorly and built a delivery express business that became very huge.  From there the story was developed by a team.

In the series Santi starts off as a worker in a sand pit, but is able to negotiate money for a bigger opportunity in Bangkok.  Working for a touring company he helps a wealthy Chinese man have sex with a Thai woman by translating each to the other.  He gets invited to Shanghai where he gets embroiled in a drinking challenge.  There he meets up with an older mentor, Kanin and is given an opportunity.  He also meets up with a Chinese Thai woman, Xiao who seems very sophisticated.  You sense a romance, but it doesn't end the way you would hope.

Between Kanin and Xiao he does get started on an Express company, but soon finds himself betrayed and up against formidable obstacles.  The focus on the series is how he innovates and steels himself.  Constantly looking for investors with the major ones being Chinese.  Tension mounts, but he is a tough cookie.

Basically it is a business story with lots of crookery and determination to overcome it.  A little more physical action than might be typical.  Santi is a very likeable as is Xiao, but Kanin is evil.  It is engaging--one of the most intense bingeing adventures for me.

The cast and crew are key to its success.  Here are a few contributors.

Jira Maligool, was the executive producer who started the ball rolling.  He has 40 producer credits, 4 for directing and 8 for script and continuity including "How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies" (2024).  See  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2025/04/how-to-make-millions-before-grandma-dies.html

Nottapon Boonprakob was the director and one of the writers.  He studied Social Documentary Film in New York.  He has 4 directing credits, 5 for writing and 3 for the camera and electrical department.

Tanida Hantaweewatana was a key writer.  She has 7 writing credits including "Bad Genius" (2017).  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/06/bad-genius-out-of-thailand.html  

 Vichaya Vatanasapt was the music composer.  He got a degree in architecture, but had joined a band and  soon helped form a music producing company.  He has 30 composing credits and 3 for the music department including "Bad Genius" (2017).

Phalao Jiraungkookun was the cinematographer.  He has 7 cinematography credits including one of my favorites, "Bad Genius" (2017).

Natara Nopparatayapon played Santi.  He studied Mandarin for two months and was able to master a two page monologue in that language.  He has 8 acting credits including "Delete" (2023).

Jane Methika Jiranorraphat played Xiao.  She was once a runner up for Miss Teen Thailand.  She joined a girl band and has been involved with singing.  Methika  was part Taiwanese and didn't have to learn Mandarin.  She has 23 acting credits.

Thaneth Warakulnukroh played Kanin, a ruthless business man.  He was a singer and also record producer.  Thaneth has 10 acting credits including "Pop Aye" (2017), "Bad Genius" (2017) and "Thai Cave Rescue" (2022).

Thailand has produced a number of memorable movies and is developing the necessary multitude of skills. "Mad Unicorn" is available on Netflix, subtitled or dubbed.

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 and if you follow the links you should be able to determine if any film is worth following up.

Forget You Not--something from Taiwan not to be forgotten

Standup comedians are not people that attract my attention.  I saw the trailer for "Forget You Not" several times before making the decision to actually watch.  It wasn't what was expected, but left a strong impression.

It is not until the second episode that we learn how she got into being a standup comedian.  Prior to that we watched her wedding that took place after her comedy career had started. 

There is laughter, but a lot of sadness.  We learned about her mother abandoning her when Le-Le was only 8.  She learned English to look for her (she thought in the U.S.) and ended up a tour guide, but that career did not work out.  Her father seems forgetful, but gradually descended into dementia.

Ultimately the story is about the relationship of a father and daughter.  We follow right through his decline into dementia.  She has other relationships notably with two female friends and a husband.  Her husband was a successful lawyer from a wealthy family and although he tried to be understanding their marriage didn't last.

To create such an interesting film takes a number of talented people.  Here are some of the key ones.

Rene Liu was the director and one of the writers.  She graduated from California State University with a degree in music and went on to sing  on 20 music albums.  She has 35 acting credits, 2 for directing and 4 for writing. including "Us and Them" (2018).  

Shing-Ming Ho was another writer.  He graduated from Boston University.  Recently he was involved writing a mini series in main land China.  Shing-Ming has 8 writing credits, 1 for directing and 3 for the Sound Department including "Us and Them" (2018).

Ju-Feng Yeh was one of the producers.  She has 46 producing credits, 3 for additional crew and 2 for Production Manager including "A Sun" (2019).

George Chen is credited with music.  Not able to learn much about him except he has been a prolific music album producer and that much of the music in this film is enjoyable.  I am trying to track the song played during the closing titles.

Ying-Hsun Hsieh plays Cheng Le-Le,  the main character.  She has 35 acting credits including "Dear Ex" (2018), "Little Big Women" (2020) and "Wave Makers" (2023).  A favorite actress.

Chin Han plays the father, Cheng Kuang-chi.  He has 115 acting credits, 1 as a director and 1 as a writer.  

Esther Liu plays a close friend Huang Su Fei.  She also has been a prominent singer.  She has 34 acting credits including "Light the Night" (2021-2022).  

Wallace Huo plays her husband, Chang Kai.  He has 35 acting credits, 1 for producing and 4 for soundtrack including a cameo in "Light the Night" (2021-2022).   

Bo-Chieh Wang played the younger Cheng Kuang-Chi.  He has 43 acting credits including "Life of Pi" (2012) and "Light the Night" (2021-2022).

Chen Yiven plays Mark, the manager who hired  Le-Le for a stand up comedy platform and encouraged her telling personal stories, but not to the point of deflating the audience.  He has 42 acting credits, 5 directing and 3 for writing including "A Sun" (2019) and "The Falls" (2021)

Some of the listed Taiwanese films are covered in a previous blog:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/08/taiwan.html

You can watch "Forget You Not" subtitled or dubbed on Netflix.  I highly recommend it, but you might need a strong stomach.  At the same time you will find many moments very touching

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 link you might be able to determine if a particular film is worth following up.

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 link you might be able to determine if a particular film is worth following up. 

Abundance

Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson describes themselves as liberals, but in examining the future realize that liberals have gotten mired in regulations trying to make everything fair and environmentally friendly.  They don't spare conservatives very much either. 

The future has its share of problems caused in part by how we have muddled this far.  The title "Abundance" is meant to contrast with Scarcity.  Problems might be solved by restricting or expanding.  This post deals with a few issues, but there are many others discussed and more in depth how to approach them.

Home ownership as an investment depends on scarcity.  Zoning laws have been designed to exclude.   Home owners are careful about who and what they allow in their neighborhood.   These factors have contributed to an increase in homelessness in developed countries.

Although manufacturing productivity has dramatically increased construction has not.  Many construction projects not only end up costing more, but many of them are not completed.  The reason is for the increase is regulations and procedures.  Important adjustments will have to be made, but many of them will be very difficult if we aren't able to cut through a lot of red tape.  "There will be billions of equipment and appliances that will have to be replaced with renewables."

Science research is mired in bureaucracy, yet it has been fundamental to the economy.  Immigrant scientists have been an important part of American progress.  The book was published after the 2024 election and since then Donald Trump has made a big point of cutting a wide range of programs including for science research and attacked universities including foreign students.  Scientists and science students are starting to look elsewhere.

Operation Warp Speed illustrates contrasting perspectives.  It was one of the most successful national projects that saved countless lives, but Republicans who could take much of the credit for implementing it do not want to credit government with managing anything that important and it also ran into a segment of their supporters who were against vaccines.  Democrats do not like to credit Trump with anything good. 

The over riding reason that it worked was that key decision makers realized the Covid Pandemic was a real emergency and were able to cut through a lot of procedures.  

Republicans have been criticizing government- as "the problem"  and not a desirable place to work.  This contrasts with a very progressive Singapore where there is heavy competition for government jobs

Some new pathways to solve our current issues are discussed and I hope that more people become aware of the choices to be made.  We will need more than a few intelligent decision makers.

Both authors have attracted my attention and brought up worthy ideas for blogging.

Another post on Ezra Klein:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2023/05/why-were-polarized.html

Another post of Derek Thompson:   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/02/hit-makers.html

Immigration Has Become a Politcal Football

Politicians have too often felt anti-immigration to have been an important lever to win elections.  Easy for us to blame vote seekers, but much blame should be laid at voters. 

Yet we in Canada and the United States are nations of immigrants.  Even the indigenous are immigrants from Asia.  The development of needles was essential for Asian migrants to sew together furs to survive the bitter bold of the Arctic.  Immigrants are always looking for something better and most of them deliver benefits for most of us.

Migration is a very complicated.  We have a good idea how many people legally cross a border and a crude idea how many sneak across.  Stats aren't kept for how many people return to their home base or pass onto another destination.  There has always been internal migration, usually from rural areas to the bigger cities or between cities.  Life can be pretty rough for many and a few are determined enough to migrate.

Migration started before the very beginning of history.  Our earliest ancestors soon found a need to move either to find a more reliable source for food or to escape danger. 

America is a classic example of migrations.  When the Europeans first encountered the indigenous they were at first co-operative and later different European leaders aligned with different indigenous tribes.  Over time they overwhelmed the indigenous partly by force of arms, but just as important by disease.   America had been a dumping ground for undesirable Brits (also done to Australia).  Others saw America as an opportunity to get rich or at least get a new start.

Migration is essential for western societies that all have declining birth rates and aging populations.  Immigrants tend to be hard working, innovative and entreprenurial.  Their crime rates are lower than established citizens.  They end up paying taxes at least when they purchase items, but get very few benefits.

As happens the establishment resents intruders, especially if they are "different".  Slavery wasn't invented by Americans, but some ambitious people saw it as a vehicle for riches.  It was morally justified by the notion black Africans were inferior beings.  A driver of migration is the desire for cheap labor by wealthy individuals.  Chinese workers were brought to North America to help build national railways, but forbidden to bring women.  Although Mexicans bravely sneak across the southern American border there is a demand for their willingness to do menial jobs cheaply.  Britain brought large numbers of people from India and the West Indies to provide medical services.    

Another motive for empire nations is to control outlying areas.  Watched a film "Everything will be Alright" (2023) about a third generation family living in Latvia.  This was from a Russian attempt to control other nations within the Russian empire.  This has also been the case in Ukraine and the Russians have found sympathetic reception from some parts of Ukraine.

Donald Trump who had hired illegal migrants identified immigration as a big issue and has succeeded in stirring up hatred which helped win two elections.  Fertility rates and migration had indicated that whites would be in a minority position within a few decades.  He has gone so far as shipping some "illegal" immigrants without due process, but recently allowed a group of white South Africans refugee status.

Unlike the recent Trump regime some Canadian politicians see immigration as a tool for development.   I recall reading about Clifford Sifton encouraging Ukrainians  (and others) to settle western Canada before Americans moved in.  From my youth I remember my country welcoming Hungarians and later Vietnamese and Syrians and more recently Ukrainians.  Personally I benefited from them all.  But too much rapid immigration has caused problems for providing housing and education. 

The future is unpredictable with climate change and tumultuous global politics.  Many people will try to move to safer places.  We all need to understand migrants also have things to offer us.  It is unfortunately a global need, but there is competition between countries and different strategies and ignorance.  

"The Shortest History of Migration" (2024) carries lots of details.  It is not a particularly "short" account, but explains an important part of world history.  The author's family had traveled from Lithuania to England to South Africa and back to England.  He has a very good understanding of migration which will be an ever increasing world phenomenon.

"You're Not Listening"; Me Either

"You're Not Listening" was brought up at a birthday party where one husband carried the book seemingly acknowledging that he needed to be reminded to pay more attention to his wife.  Actually he always seemed more attentive than most.  Sneakily copied the title and author and a few days later picked up from the library.

Listening is a neglected skill.  Your life will improve when you improve your listening. 

 One is never too old to learn new things.  Bad habits hinder one's enjoyment of life.  I have plenty of them and suspect that most of you do as well.  It is not all your fault as you have learned them from your family and friends, plus society makes it difficult to always pay attention.

Stephen R Covey's 5th rule is "Seek first to understand then to be understood".   Why?  Because understanding enriches our lives.  It is natural to judge people on superficial awareness, but better to listen to what they are willing to tell you.  If you are really listening to them they will be more inclined to listen to you.

Are you guilty of interrupting, responding vaguely or illogically, looking at your phone or away from the speaker or fidgeting?  Most of us have done these and other poor habits.   What holds back really listening?  Our mind provides distractions.  Planning your response, thinking of another problem or something you would rather do are some of the things we do instead of listening.  

Talking with someone close to you creates a communication bias.  Familiarity too easily causes complacency.

Were you clearly able to hear what was being said?  Society subjects us to loud noises that damage our ears and interfere with conversations.  It is natural to guess or assume what was said, but you are not always correct.  Don't be shy, ask for a repetition which could be like asking for a clarification.   

There is more to listening than hearing.  Facial expressions and body language can reinforce what you are hearing or contradict the words.  When you are talking keep your eyes on your audience to see how they are reacting.

We fool ourselves into thinking we can do different tasks at an acceptable level of competence at the same time.  A favorite example of why this is wrong is a very common practice that I indulge in myself; listening to music while eating.  It certainly is more pleasant than gobbling food between tasks. If you are really honest you will admit that you are not quite catching all the music which might be better enjoyed laying down in the dark with earphones.  On the other hand the music can distract you so that you eat more than you might otherwise or you don't chew as thoroughly as you might otherwise or you might not savor the flavors quite as much.  That doesn't mean you shouldn't do it, but don't kid yourself, you are not getting the most out of the two activities.  Listening and daydreaming don't mix well.  See  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/05/stolen-focus-you-need-to-focus-before.html

Distractions are everywhere.  At a party, at home and at work.  When you really want to understand someone it is ideal to get away from the crowd.  At an open office you may need to get out or find an empty office.  

An effective response could be to support what was just said.  For example after the other person makes a statement you could support them by asking how they feel about it or how they reached that stage.

Sometimes an effective response is silence.  You are trying to digest what has been said, but another benefit is the other person feels compelled to say something.  This has worked for salesmen.

Learning what you are up against will help to mitigate negative results.  Ideally know about your audience and before expressing strong opinions try to assess their opinions.

Instead of "Acknowledgements" the author used "Gratitude" and refers to people who have helped her understanding of listening.  She obviously listened well to thousands of people and admits she has made a few mistakes herself.

"You're not listening" contains many ideas with some research to back them up.  The ideas I have squeezed out for my post are really just a few examples.  To understand her philosophy and get the most of the book you need to read it.  You will find it worth while.  I have found it with much needed advice which I may struggle to execute.

Every Body

"Every Body" (2023) opens up a mostly hidden part of humanity.  Sex is perhaps the most critical part of our identity.  A big part is physical, but along with that our cultural identity.  In our open society we realize the cultural part doesn't always line up.  We (some of us) have come to realize homosexuality is a preference of a significant part of society.  More recently we have learned that a smaller number of people have decided they are so unhappy with their identified sex that with modern technologies could change their physical genitalia to the "other" sex and are called transsexual.  Along the way were some people who were not satisfied with their sex, but were somewhat satisfied dressed as the "other" sex are known as transvestites.  There is an overlap between trans sexual people and intersex people but really they are separate.

About 1 1/2% of population is some variation of inter sex meaning some combination of male and female organs and hormones.  Secrecy surrounds as parents are ashamed making it difficult to know how many are involved.  Secrecy to the extent that even a twin sibling is not informed and in fact too often not the child.  Parents and medical authorities were looking for a quick fix with little regard to the psychological aspects.  An early example of inter sex phobia was that  parents were told not to have more children

A dramatic example was of a boy, David Reimer, born as a twin in Winnipeg, Canada.  A circumcision was recommended that went wrong and a penis was severely damaged.  The decision made was to reconstruct his genitalia to be a female and to be socialized as a girl.  He was given no choice, but at a later age rebelled and sought through surgery to be a male.  He did marry, adopted children and even was filmed in interviews shown in this film.  He later killed himself.

The three advocates, River Gallo, Sean Saifa Wall and Alicia Roth Weigel told their stories of being diagnosed with early fixes made without their consent.  As adults they have adjusted and become advocates for understanding, acceptance and legal changes.  Alicia was shown in Austin, Texas speaking up some legal aspects (bathroom accessibility) and leading protest march to end intersex surgery.

Donald Trump is doing a disservice to Americans by being self righteous about Transgenders.  Greg Abbott and other politicians feel they can invoke disgust for sexual variances for their political benefit.  Fear of the unknown is often used as a weapon.  Joe Biden was shown signing legislation to acknowledge and protect intersex people.  

I was born in 1948 and have gone through periods of queasiness regarding sexual identity.  Until a teenager not conscious there was anything different than two sexes and nervously wondered how they should interact.  Homosexuality was known as weird and possibly frightful.  See http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2015/05/sex-in-classroom.html to know my education to that point.  Since then my awareness of transsexuals became noticeable mainly through political attacks.  Now with this film I realize sexual identity is more complicated and hopefully I can boost my understanding and acceptance.

Some talented people helped to boost attention for intersex people.  Below are some of them.  Most of those listed participated in a dancing skit with pronouns for the end credits.

Julie Cohen was the director.  She has 12 credits as a director 11 as a producer and 3 as writer including the Oscar nominated "RBG" (2018).

Molly O'Brien was a producer.  She has 23 producer credits plus 6 for director and 2 for the camera and electrical department including the Oscar winner, "The Only Girl in the Orchestra" (2023).

Noah Oppenheim was an executive producer.  He is the president of NBC News.  He has 17 credits as a producer and 4 as a writer including "Jackie" 2016) and "Zero Day" (2025).

Amanda Yamate composed the music.  She has 22 composing credits, 6 for the music department and 1 for Soundtrack.

Leah Anova was a cinematographer.  She has 42 cinematography credits, 25 for the camera and electrical department and 1 as producer.

Kelly Kendrick was the editor .  He has 16 editor credits, 10 for the editorial department and 3 for composing.

River Gallo was one of the intersex advocates.  She has been involved in California to ban some intersex surgeries.  She has 16 acting credits, 5 for writing and 4 for directing.  

Alicia Roth Weigel, another of the intersex advocates has been with the Human Rights Commission in Austin, Texas.

Sean Saifa Wall, another of the intersex advocates was also a black compounding his identify.  He has traveled to Europe to advocate on part of intersex and was pleased to discover his face was part of a museum art wall.  

If you read my blogs you are always looking to expand your universe and for some this is another opportunity.  Available on Netflix.

Living Danish

The Danes seem to have a good life style.  They have consistently been among the top for the United Nations World Survey of Happiness Report.  This book concentrates on the workplace, but much can be useful elsewhere.

For my fellow retirees Miek finishes with "you may be retiring from something--but it is important to have something to retire to".

While you are working it amounts to about 1/3 of your life and effects everything else.  The number one factor to be happy is to have a purpose.  Feeling one is making the world a better place is important.  Also finding a purpose could involve feeling you have a meaningful role in the company.

If work doesn't give you a purpose, but you feel you can't quit, many people seek a purpose by volunteering.  Mihaly Csiksentmihalyi is known for the concept of flow. The ideal is to find activities when one is engaged in an activity where they are so engaged they lose concept of time.  If work doesn't seem to lead to flow, again volunteer work may offer more.

A controlling boss has a dilemma.  She (or he) may force a lazy worker to put in more effort, but others employees may resent the control and put in less effort.  Developing trust encourages employees to work harder.  Good bosses credit their team and recognize good efforts.  To build trust it is necessary to be honest, to think long term and to be empathetic.   

One of the stresses of work is commuting.  Seek employment near where you live (or move).  In Denmark cycling or walking to work is fairly common.  Meik points out "Cars run on money and make you fat--bikes run on fat and save you money".  

Money is sometimes required to put yourself in a happier work environment.  Meik suggests you should set up a fund for future opportunities.  It has been thought to be happy requires a lot of money, but wealth comes from having a lot of time to live and enjoy your time on this earth. 

The government can be very helpful in giving its citizens opportunities for happiness.  One area is to make it easier to bring new life into existence.  Some jurisdictions have a maternity leave and more recently that concept has expanded to paternity leave and even letting couples divide the time to their optimal benefit.  Meik suggests this allows couples to maximize their parental leave by adopting gender equality in household chores.

I have long listed Denmark as an example of proportional representation and their high ranking with the Happiness survey as a benefit.  Now I wonder are they happy because they picked an electoral conducive to happiness or is their happiness making them open to a better electoral system.  Years before my wife and I had enjoyed watching "Borgen" which illustrated the Danish electoral system and its logic.  See...  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/07/borgen.html

This a book well worth reading.  This post is only a taste of the good advice available in its pages.  Should be available at your local library or your favorite book seller. 

To keep up with the Happiness Research Institute see https://www.happinessresearchinstitute.com/

Canadian Election 2025

 The 2025 Canadian election is over resulting in a Liberal minority Parliament under the leadership of Mark Carney.  The focus of many voters was how to best defend ourselves against Donald Trump, the American president.  So much so, that strategic voting reared its ugly head.  

Of course there are many issues that ordinarily decide which direction Canadians want to steer the nation.  The economy, particularly at the household consumer level is critical.  Other issues include the environment, immigration, Quebec sovereignty, energy and foreign affairs.  But this time the American president insulted Canada saying we should become the 51st state and that we (and virtually all other nations) had ripped off America.  On the eve of the election he made further comments inappropriate at the time perhaps amounting to election interference.  His statements and attitudes became a decisive factor for many voters.

For me I had respect for three prime minister candidates.  I had met Jagmeet Singh at a Fair Vote Canada booth here in Hamilton during Labour Day.  Although not given enough credit for getting a dental plan running I appreciated it with a recent root canal.  Elizabeth May represents my highest priority, fighting climate change.  Mark Carney with his international banking experience strikes me as truly our best prospect to deal with Trump.  The Bloc Quebecois candidate, Yves-Francois Blanchet did impress with his manner at the debate, but his focus is on protecting Quebec's francophone interest which I can respect, but not my priority.  Pierre Polievre was not respected with a least two marks against him:  "Axe the tax" was offensive as was his support for the Freedom Convoy. 

I also respected our incumbent Matthew Green and assumed he would win my riding.  I had met him as a poll clerk in a previous election.  My assumption turned out to be wrong.

Strategic voting was more prominent than ever.   Enough voters agreed with my assessment about Mark Carney and the importance of the Trump confrontation.  The Bloc, the NDP and Green all lost seats to the Liberals.  At the same time the issue encouraged the biggest turnout of voters since 2015.  Two leaders lost their seats with probably the Trump dilemma being a primary factor.

Those who follow me on Facebook or my blogs know I detest Donald Trump and love proportional representation.  My highest voting priority is actually climate change which apparently was not a critical factor for the outcome.  The Conservatives were most against any action and most boosting the oil industry.

To me it is obvious climate change requires immediate attention and in fact the parties with at least some concern received the majority votes.  Despite that, it was not a factor.  The Liberals were concerned their carbon tax was a negative factor and dropped it for consumers.  The Conservatives funded by fossil fuel interests felt climate change was not worth discussing.  The Green party was cut out of the national debates due to the rules.  It is past time when those who want environmental policies get more power.   

Minority government will force some co-operation among the parties.  I think the threat of Trump will bring the NDP, Green and even the Bloc and Conservatives together on some votes.  But proportional representation could have been as effective while respecting the true priorities of Canadians.

During the election the one issue brought us closest to the U. S. system of two parties competing for power that comes with insults and bickering that has gotten worse.  The U.S. has as many issues as any country, but voters have less real choice. 

Trump is a bully claiming the world has taken unfair advantage of Americans and he is going to reverse the injustice.  In reality the U.S. has done more than its share of exploiting other nations.  American jobs were taken away by wealthy manufacturers to shift expenses to cheap labor countries and automation.  On the other hand poor immigrants have been exploited despite contributing a lot to the American economy and culture.

The use of Fentanyl is a poor excuse to hold against Canada and Mexico.  Americans have developed a desire for all sorts of illegal drugs to be smuggled in.  Mexico and Canada both are concerned about the smuggling of American guns to our countries that have been scooped up by criminal elements.

Another concern that is increasingly of concern is Western alienation, principally Alberta.  The tar sands are a major economic driver that politicians ignore at their peril.  Proportional representation offers everyone a more realistic choice who and how they want to be governed.  There are westerners concerned about the environment and other national issues. 

Matching popular voting with actual seats won, it worked reasonably for the Liberal (with 49.27% of the seats on 43.7% of votes),  Conservatives (with 41.9% of seats and 41.3% of votes) the Bloc Quebecois (with 6.4%@ of seats and 6.3% of votes).  Not so great for the NDP (2.04% of the seats and 6.3% of votes) or the Green (with .0029% of the seats and 1.3% of votes).  Both the NDP and Green parties lack official status.  

For me, a new observation regards the two unsuccessful leaders, Jagmeet Singh and Pierre Polievre.  Under a proportional representation system they could easily have been given a seat to better represent their views.

The Trump confrontation certainly helped bring out more voters, but there are other pressing issues.  A lot of voters concluded their vote would be wasted, but in what is perceived as with an existential crisis they will adjust with strategic voting.  Canadians deserve real choices.  Ultimately proportional representation offers a much better choice than First Past the Post.  Other nations, somehow overcome the opposition of politicians who don't want to tinker with the system that got them into power.

Yes, I am preaching a bit.  Proportional representation not only offers real choices, but politicians have to learn to co-operate.  You may think it a coincidence but when the United Nations brings out its World Happiness Report it is nations with proportional representation that  hog the top spots. 

Don't be shy.  If you agree, or don't or have questions feel free to let me know.

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.  His wife dies shortly after childbirth.  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 a 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 have seen one of the Miracle in Cell No. 7" you would appreciate the sequel better, but the sequel stands on its own.  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",  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 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 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, one of the writers 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 higher 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 and 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.