Books read in 2022

Another year of home activities which for me included reading.  One day divides our years, but usually we are in the middle of another book which was the same as the previous year.  If you have read any of my listed books feel free to give a different perspective.  What have you read?

  Fiction  

From "Stolen Focus", (more below) it was suggested that fiction books seem to make readers more emphathetic. 

   "The Winners" (2022) by Fredric Backman.  This flowed the easiest of all the books I have read.  Check:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/11/the-winners.html

 "What Strange Paradise" (2021)by El Akkad Omar.  On  Canada Reads it championed by Mark Tewksbury.  The refugee plight . 

"State of Terror" (2021) by Louise Penney and Hilary Rodham Clinton is a political thriller.  Although fictional Hilary's influence is obvious with references to a former president and troubles with Russia and Pakistan.  As I agree with her views I enjoyed the book.

 "The Colors of All the Cattle" (2018) by Alexander McCall.   Another in the No. 1 ladies detective agency, found myself recommending to a librarian.  It has little suspense, sex, glamour and set in what some would consider an obscure country, Botswana.  But it is excellent in human relations with the vanities and insecurities felt my many.

"Tainna" (2021)  Norma Dunning was this year's Hamilton Reads selection.  A collection of 3 stores all with a connection to Innuit who had moved to urban centres, often sexually abused.  The title story appearing last was the most interesting from my viewpoint.

"A Painted House" (2000) by John Grisham.  I was expecting a court room drama or a murder mystery, but it was neither of those.  It was a summer of picking cotton from a the viewpoint of a seven year old.  He got quite an education, witnessing two murders and a child birth.  His family was in a very tight finances and the weather was closely watched and perhaps provides the most suspense.  The young boy offered a perspective different from the adults, not only in what he experienced, but what he thought about it.

"Scarborough" (2017) by Catherine Hernandez related stories of a daycare centre in Scarborough.  A Canada Reads selection for 2022.

"The Ministry for the Future" (2020) by Kim Stanley Robinson is science fiction regarding the climate crisis which will get worse, but does have solutions some of which might seem drastic. http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/08/the-ministry-for-future.html

 

 

 

 "Where the Crawdads Sing" (2018) by Delia Owens.  Also watched the movie which followed fairly closely.  A murder mystery framed in a natural setting

""The Flawless Place Between"  (2009) by Bruno Portier.  I think of it as a sort of primer for "The Tibetan Book of the Dead"  Check:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/11/a-primer-for-tibetan-book-of-dead.html

  Non Fiction

 "First Friends" (2021) by Gary Ginsberg offers interesting behind the scenes look at important influencers of American presidents.   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/01/first-friends.html

"The Upright Thinkers" (2015)  by Leonard Mlodinow.  Being bipeds we are able to develop a unique brand of intelligence.   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/01/the-upright-thinkers.html

 "The Sum of Us"  (2021) by Heather McGhee. She advocates that racial harmony benefits everyone. http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/01/the-sum-of-us.html

"Caste" (2020)  by Esabel Wilkerson. More profound than racism.   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/02/caste-origins-of-our-discontents.html

 

"The Narrow Corridor" (2019) by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson.  One of the essential books to understand how freedom is best attained.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/03/the-narrow-corridor.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"The Chancellor" (2021) by Kati Marton.  A biography of one of the strongest leaders in Europe, Angela Merkal.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/03/the-chancellor-angela-merkel.html

"Move: (2021)  by Parag Khanna who now is based in Singapore.  Is about geo political concerns.  One interesting observation is that Canada is relatively well positioned environmentally as we have lots of fertile soil and the author feels the Great Lakes region is one of the safets areas in the world.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/04/move.html

"China Unbound" (2021) by Joanna Chiu  Born in Hong Kong, raised in Canada and traveled to many countries.  This was my top overall blog for 2022.   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/04/china-unbound.html

"The No Asshole Rule" (2007)  by Bob Sutton There are some people who just aren't worth it.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/05/the-no-asshole-rule.html

"The Power of Us" (2021) by Dominic J. Packer & Jay J. Van Pavel.  Discuss group dynamics and how they can be used to reduce prejudice.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/05/the-power-of-us.html

"Stolen Focus" (2022) by Johann Hari.  It is not just individuals that are losing their ability to concentrate, but society as a whole.  With serious global problems we need to get a grip on focusing.  Climate change, pandemics, inequality, nuclear fears demand clear thinking or they will drown us.  Gets at root causes.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/05/stolen-focus-you-need-to-focus-before.html

 

 "Nothing But the Truth" (2021) by Marie Henien has a reputation as a very good lawyer.  She would not discuss any actual names or many details of her cases.  It was more a personal ihstory, but did have some good points on how the law works and how it would be better perceived.  

"The Power of Regret" (2022) by Daniel H. Pink.  Despite the boasting of some, we all regreats.  The author demonstrates different ways of turning regrets to positive benefits.   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/06/the-power-of-regret.html 

 

"The Awkward Thoughts of W. Kamau Bell" (2017) by W. Kamau Bell.  A sort of autobiography of a standup comedian and his career.  I enjoyed him as host of "United Shades of America."  Two quotes:  "If you are looking for common ground with the man <referring to Donald Trump>  then you are meeting him on his territory."  and "Why are we acting like these two parties <referring to Republicans and Democrats> are enough?"

"My Best Mistake" (2021) by Terry O'Reilly is similar to Daniel Pink's book, but concentrates of celebrities who made mistakes that they were able to turn around.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/06/my-best-mistake.html

The Age of Illusions" (2019) Deeper understanding of how we ended up with Donald Trump.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/06/andrew-bacevich-age-of-illusions.html

"The Sea People:  The Polynesian Puzzle" (2019) by Christina Thompson.  About the settlement of the Pacific Ocean.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/07/the-polynesian-diaspora.html

"The Death of Expertise" (2017)  by Tom Nichols. There has developed a disdain for the words of experts that has caused a lot of suffering.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/07/expertise-too-often-shunted-aside.html

"On Consolation" (2021) by Michael Ignatieff explores concepts from Greek, Roman, Biblical  up to modern times.  "...it finally hits you that you are yoked with all the others in a common fate."  and  "you may not be special, but you do belong."  Deals with acceptance of suffering and death.

"The Penguin and the Leviathan" (2011) by Yochai Benkler.  Touting the merits of co-operation. 

"Freezing Order" (2022) by Bill Browder who was very involved in getting the Magnitsky Act into 34 countries.   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/10/freezing-order.html

 

"Numbers Don't Lie" (2020) Vaclav Smil.  Short surprising analyses of aspects of life.

"The Revenge of Power" (2022) by Moise Naim deals with how power has been concentrated by autocrats and a few suggestions to defend ourselves..    http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/11/the-revenge-of-power.html  

"In the Shadow of the Sword" (2012) by Tom Holland about the rise of the Islam faith in the Mid East.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/11/in-shadow-of-sword.html

"The Russian Conumdrum" (2022) by Mikhail Khodorovsky focuses on Vladimir Putin, the autcrat controlling Russia.  Check http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/11/the-russian-conundrum.html

"And There was Light" (2022) Jon Meacham  A fairly comprehensive biography of Abraham Lincoln.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/12/lincolns-biography-by-jon-meecham.html     

"The Confidence Man" (2022) by Maggie Habeman.  The biography of Donald Trump from his beginnings to his latest treachery.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/12/the-confidence-man.html

 

There were a few other books that I prefer not to mention.

The Confidence Man

The title conveys very well the character of Donald Trump.  

 Maggie Haberman starts her book with a Donald Trump's response to a conversation with her that says a lot, "What do you want me to say?"  She had been assigned to cover Trump before his presidential campaign had been told this would be a great opportunity once his campaign was official. After his defeat and the insurrection she decided to explore his past that had led to this situation.  

He grew up wealthy with a ruthless father who was strict and who often set his kids against one another.  His father, Fred made his wealth in real estate, part of as a developer and also as a landlord.  He dealt with mobsters to hurry along construction and hired undocumented laborers to save expense.  An involvement with a discrimination brought young Donald in contact with Roy Cohn who taught how much they could get away with.  Amongst many other things Cohn taught that you didn't have to pay every invoice and stirring up things meant good publicity.

His father had passed on his habit of using fake names which were initially used dealing with businessmen Fred felt were likely to raise prices once they understand who he was.  Donald used fake names to boost publicity.

Another early influence was Roger Stone who as early as 1988 was encouraging presidential ambitions.  His conservative views were known and his feelings that whatever is done to advance them is acceptable.

There are so many books that tell stories on Donald Trump.  Many of them are repeated in this book, but Maggie really did have a very close relationship with Trump that she does offer a valid perspective on what makes him tick.  My purpose is not to repeat all the stories, but some made a strong impression on me or somehow were overlooked.

Another friend with influence was George Steinbrenner, best known for owning the New York Yankees.  Trump was often able to spend time in the Yankee stadium private box with Steinbrenner who liked to demonstrate his ruthlessness.  "You're fired!" apparently was picked up and used to demonstrate Trump's toughness on "The Apprentice".  Image was always important to Trump.  In fact Trump always tried to get someone else to fire someone he felt deserved it.

His efforts on behalf of Israel such as backing out of the Iran deal, relocating the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, treatment of Palestinians were partly encouraged by his son in law, Jared Kushner, but more directly to Sheldon Adelson, a large significant donor.

An example of his vanity was offered when Hollywood types wanted to use the Plaza Hotel lobby for a scene in a sequel to "Home Alone".  Trump demanded that he be included in the film.  As it turned out his appearance was applauded by audiences.

 Trump ran into financial problems with his construction projects and came to realize he could make money branding all sorts of consumer products, wine, steaks, deodorants, bottled water, etc.  One ideas that seemed a natural was Trump University to tell people the secrets of getting rich with real estate which in the end resulted in a huge settlement in a class lawsuit.  He owned a football team, the New Jersey Generals and got to known Herschel Walker.

One cartoon I recall was to the effect that the person knew Trump lied, but he hated the same people that he did.  In some moments Trump seems remarkably tolerant of racial minorities or members of the LGBTQ community.  On one hand he does whatever gives him an advantage, but more often he gains more advantage from expressing hatred.  With his first electoral declaration he let his base know he hates Mexicans.  He soon let it be known that he hated Muslims.  During one rally he mocked a handicapped reporter.   Once elected he expressed support for racists and didn't want people from "shithole" countries.  

After investigating Russian connections Maggie skims over a few Russian connections much like Michael Cohen and others.   Trump felt suggestions the Russians helped him, diminished his own efforts.  But they are significant. and we can speculate what was behind their contributions:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/06/house-of-trump-house-of-putin.html

 Nancy Pelosi, putting Trump in perspective is quoted:  "Impeachment is so divisive to the country that unless there is something so compelling and so overwhelming, I don't think we should go down that path, because it divides the country.  And he's just not worth it".   Perhaps Trump was really just a tool:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/07/trump-as-tool.html

Wealthy people in general liked his policies of cutting taxes and de regulating.  Evangelicals felt good that he was going to do something about abortion and likely do something about gays and transgenders.  Israel and again the  evangelicals were pleased about pulling out of the Iran agreement and moving the American Embassy.  A lot overlooked his catering to Russian preferences.  When Covid started they followed his lead.  Fortunately some people saw through his lies and hatred.  Unfortunately he opened a lot of doors that will be difficult to close. 

 There are many stories and background for Trump's many deeds.  If you've seen Maggie on television, you know she is sharp and deep.  The book expresses that.

 Recently I deleted a request at the library for another Trump book. I have decided like many I am sick of the man and am tired with things changing but little.  Hopefully it will not be necessary, but voters have a habit of making short term decisions.  Much of what I hate about Trump is very obvious from his manner.  Braggarts and insulters are offensive and not usually rational.  His ego is plain to see demanding of attention while also very fragile.

First Love

Already had decided on my 3 top favorite series of the year and then stumbled on this one.  Now I will simply have to add this one.   For more than one reason this is one of the best romances I have ever watched.  One of the promotion lines is that it is heart breaking and heart warming and most will feel both emotions.  

The script is based partly on two songs written by singer Utada Hikaru popular across most of Asia and pushing further.  Her songs add to the allure of the series.

The format is a bit confusing at first, but in fact it seems genius.  We are given scenes from various time lines and then quickly revert to another time line that explained more fully what we had seen.  Different actors are used for the different time line roles.  The two main roles seem to have three of four different actors who change their hair styles with each time line. The chemistry between the two main pairs is very satisfying

Memory plays a key role.  Yae loses her memory at a key point and her mother tries to make her forget Harumichi, her boyfriend and succeeds.  When by one of those amazing coincidences they meet up years later she does not recognize him, but over time as fate seems to increase their encounters she develops very strong feelings for him.  He, on the other hand feels ambivalent worrying about upsetting her with forgotten memories. 

There is a big element of class discrimination.  Yae's mother wants only the best for her daughter including marriage prospects.  Our Harumichi is too low class and she cuts him out of her daughter's life.  On the other hand Yae's mother in law criticized her mother so severely that it led to a divorce and soon she loses custody of her son.    

There are many intervening years and their circumstances have complicated their future.  She gets married, divorced and with a child.  She had a job and got laid off eventually becoming a taxi driver.  Her son, Tsuzuru, 14 years old developed an obsession with a sort of street dancer, Uta and that becomes a link between the two first loves.

Harumichi on the other hand decided to join the Japan Self Defense Force and become a pilot.  It takes him to Iraq and various disasters eventually injuring him.  From the injury he met Tsuemi during psychological assessment.  It is she that when asked about recovering memories brings up a literary allusion to Proust.  Eventually the two live together, but Harumichi is not quite content. 

Covid disrupted a lot of lives.  Just when we thought the heroine was ready to seek out the hero she was grounded by the pandemic.

After Covid eases up a bit Uta came back from a world tour to reunite with Tsuzuru who now was an established pop composer.  It does have a happy ending, but perhaps not quite as you expected.

One niche of roles that troubles me are those who lost in romance.  Most of us have been in that category, more often than we like to recall, so we know it is realistic, but also unpleasant.  In this film each leading character attracted would be lovers that didn't measure up.  They were both decent people and I felt sad for both of them who offered sincere love.  Admittedly a bit sexist, but my father lamented to me that he disliked movies where there weren't enough women to go around. 

Sign language was required for at least eight actors.  It would be easy to fool me, but it was a key element in the plot and was well handled.  Harumichi's sister Yu uses sign language and as a result Yae learns it to hopefully be part of the family.  A few other actors are required to use sign language.  The skill is an important element of the story.

You are warned about nudity and I can only recall two instances.  One is when two teenagers are looking at a sex magazine and view a foldout of a nude.  The other is more explicit involving the lead male with a hooker which lasts perhaps close to a minute.

One small detail I hope to follow up because it looks delicious.  A unifying link between pre memory loss and afterwards is a food item, Napolitan.  Asking what is a favorite food is considered encouraging to prospective lovers.  Later the same request triggers hope.

It took a professional cast and crew working well together.

The writer/director was Yuri Kanchiku attended the Nihon University College of Art.  Interested in lights and composition.  First film was "My Rainy Days" (2009) based on a mobile phone novel.  She is very meticulous about color preferring two hues of same color in a scene

Kasumi Yao was the producer.  They hired a producer group to part of an episode in Iceland headed by Leifur B. Dagfinnsson who had produced "The Northman" (2022).

Music was provided by Taisei Iwasaki who has 24 film credits.

Two editors are listed, Emi Onondera and Naoki Watanabe.  With the frequency of time shifts smooth editing is necessary to keep the story moving forward.

Also there are only two cinematographers listed; Junichi Nakamura and Kazuma Shinde.  Much of the action takes place in Sapporo and Hokkaido Island with gorgeous scenery and also in Iceland.

The lead role of Yae as an adult is played by Hikari Mitsushima.  Born in Okinawa with a French American grandmother.  She joined a girl band, Folders for 5 years as a dancer/singer.  An award winner she started films in 1997.  The role as a teenager was taken by Rikako Yagi who had been instructed to mimic hand motions of Hikari.  The two worked with each other.

The lead role of Harumichi Namiki as an adult was played by Takeru Satoh.  Takeru had been a child actor for commercials, but dropped out when he reached high school.  By 2006 he started films and has added over 50 film credits and the lead in a few series.  He also appeared as himself in a few documentaries.  Along with two co-stars in 2014 he was appointed a Cultural Friendship Ambassador to the Philippines. He has a black belt in Shorinji Kempo.  He worked with Taisei Kido who played the role as a teenager.

 Chae's son Tsuzuru was played by Towa Araki who had started tv. series at about age 9.

Harumich's fiancee, Tsuemi was played by Kaho who started films in 2004 including "Our Little Sister" (2015).  

It is also available in a dubbed version as well subtitled in several languages.

The Japanese film makers to some extend have been overshadowed by their South Korean competitors, but they had decided to concentrate on their much bigger domestic market.  Netflix among others have discovered there is a treasure trove of great films and more will be on their way.

Personal Note:  While binging on this series I was also reading, "The Confidence Man" about Donald Trump.  He not only is repulsive, but it upsets me that too many think of him as some sort of Messiah.   This series helped relieve the disgust reading the book.

Lincoln's Biography by Jon Meecham

150 years later our society is different in many ways.  We think of Lincoln as a courageous man who acted on his convictions regarding negro slaves.  His thinking evolved and was open to compromise.  He was offended by slavery, but he did not feel the negro was his equal and did not want him to be his superior.  He was ready to accept slavery where it already existed (hoping it would lose its strength).

Slavery is a blemish on America, but at the time many felt it was natural and were willing to fight for it.  There were many who wanted total abolition before Lincoln did. 

Lincoln was reluctant talk about his early days about his background as his mother was thought to be of lower class and it wasn't certain that his father was actually his father.

When his mother died his step mother was instrumental in encouraging his reading while his father thought it was a waste of time.  He was a heavy reader and in many ways self taught.

In 1832 he was part of a militia that took part in the Sac and Fox War.  He saw the brutality of war as he helped bury dead soldiers that had been horribly mutilated.  An Indian surrendered himself to Lincoln's group and while the other men wanted to kill him, Lincoln was able to save him and at the same time get an admission that he was not a coward.

He went through a number of jobs and businesses before fixing on the law.  He was serving as a state representative when he started studying law and obtained his license in 1836 and practiced for 25 years. Lawyering taught him how to marshal facts, form arguments and deploy precedents.  He recognized the importance of words and was careful which ones he used.  People around realized he was a very rational person.

One of his habits was to be humorous, often of a self deprecating manner.  Often told he was ugly, he would easily agree and move onto something else.

In the field of courtships he was not too successful with one of his strongest relationships ending in her death.  Mary Todd, well connected through Kentucky relations took an interest in him.  She actually was courted by men in a better situation than Lincoln, but felt he was the one most likely to go all the way.  After they married she was the one always pushing him.

His interest in politics put him in the state legislature and for one term in the House of Representatives.  After a defeat, Republicans saw him a presidential candidate and he performed well in both speeches and debates.

The politics of the time splintered political parties and is all too common when there are more than two on the ballots he won the presidency with a plurality rather than a majority.  Southerners who felt threatened by northern restrictions wanted to expand slavery to secure its existence.  They looked at Mexico, Cuba, central and South America to support slavery.  Lincoln was against that, but did support the Fugitive Slave act to placate Southern attitudes.  

The Southerners forced the situation by firing on Fort Sumter.  The South which became known as the Confederates was actually better prepared.  They had the top generals and at first they won most of the battles.

During the election of 1864 it seemed Lincoln would not likely win at one time.  One concern was letting the troops vote and Lincoln's opponents tried to discourage them from voting, but through various decisions (such as timely furloughs) they were able to.  There was concern about the election certification.  In the end a show of force allowed an honest count under the supervision of Vice President John Breckinridge who had southern sympathies.

Abraham Lincoln had many disappointments at first.   He lost several battles on the eastern front.  Ulysses S.Grant did win battles on the western front and gradually got Lincoln's attention.  His strategy was to be ruthless.  

At one stage Union leaders when catching negro slaves did not know what to do with them.  Others escaped their masters and there was some thought that they were property that might have to be returned.  Union soldiers learned the Confederates were using slaves to labor in their cause.  Some negroes begged for a chance to fight and Lincoln after awhile agreed then went further and decided recruiting them.  This brought up the subject of incentives and it was agreed that any negro fighting for the Union cause would be granted liberty.  He had been reluctant to grant emancipation, even after agreed to, but when the battles were going the right way it was agreed and proclaimed January 1, 1863.

To learn more about economic aspects of the war check http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2017/09/free-state-of-jones.html

Diplomatic efforts in Europe tightened the noose around the Confederacy and with larger numbers and economic power the North was able to subdue them.  It was important to get an unconditional surrender and finally the rebels realized that was the only way.

Lincoln had lived with many threats and he developed a fatalistic manner.  After the end of the war he decided, or maybe his wife decided to visit the theater.  John Wilkes Booth was a disgruntled racist and a popular actor.  He shot a single bullet into Lincoln's head and he soon died.  Political decisions made a few months previous allowed Andrew Johnson, another racist to replace Lincoln.

Legacy:  A big step towards racial equality, but his death meant southerners were given an opportunity to institute Jim Crow laws.  Lincoln wanted to avoid retribution and one indicator was that he asked "Dixie" to be played declaring it to be federal property.  His cautious ways set a good example for today's leaders.  The deaths from the Civil War was greater than any other war which must have been a sobering thought as the Vietnamese War deaths approached 50,000

Interesting fact.  When the British freed their slaves in 1833 as an inducement they had decided to compensate the owners.  It was such a large amount of money that it was not until 2015 that it was fully paid.

Jon Meacham has done a comprehensive work that gives a fuller understanding of the pressures of the day.  From the author "It is a fact of American history that we are not always good, but the goodness is possible".  This was a drastic correction to an endemic problem; can you imagine such corrections?

Another informative book on Lincoln,  used http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2011/11/team-of-rivals-has-lessons-for-today.html

the 2022 World Cup

The World Cup is one of the very most popular global events.  The competition is well managed to provide maximum excitement.  Unfortunately it is controlled by some with money interests.

My notes are a bit random as for me it was hard to sort such a wide assortment of noteworthy things.

 Qatar came out on top of the bidding process.  Normally the World Cup is run in the summer months and leagues around the world cater to that.  The temperature would be unbearable in the summer months and so they offered a schedule for November and December.   They assured everyone would be welcome.  They even made accommodation for alcohol consumption.  Check this expose of corruption inside
FIFA:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/11/fifa-uncovered.html

It is a mammoth task for construction and they promised a timely completion.  They accomplished it at the expense of several hundred dead foreign workers.  Locally I was surprised that here in Ontario they are allowing alcohol in some bars as early as 7:00 in the mornings of games.  No doubt this will help increase attendance and boost profits for those who were able to get the rules bent.  Irony is that the weekend before the games start it was declared that after all there would be no alcohol served at the Qatar games despite a contract.  It has been pointed out that many stadiums have forbidden alcohol in total or for certain times of the game.

 Now as it turned out, although they did not check for gays, they forbade open displays of affection for either heterosexuals or homosexuals.  The German starting team posed with their mouths covered to protest the ban on One Love arm bands.  The Netherlands invited some migrant workers to a practice plus promised to auction off uniforms at end with money going to migrant workers.  The Netherlands invited some migrant workers to a practice plus promised to auction off uniforms at end with money going to migrant workers.

One limited effect was with Iran that was suffering from riots back home regarding restrictions against women.  Many of the players sympathized and early indicated their support for the world to see.  Iranians refuse to sing their national anthem.  Put their arms on each other rather that their tradition with hands on heart.  Declined to celebrate their goals as had been a habit, that had  been curtailed during league play after riots started.  They entered the stadium with Persian flags.  Some of their fans booed the Iranian national anthem.  T shirts with the protest slogan "Women, Life, Freedom"  Other T Shirts had names of female protesters on them.  It must  be added that many were dressed conservatively.  Many players, guests and journalists  were reprimanded or stopped from entering the stadiums.  However we are told that threats were made to their families and they desisted. Similarly some of the fans also supported the protests and eventually Iranian agents were brought in to curb disturbances.  FIFA and traditional Iranians have tried to lock down Iranian protests.   

One cause that was allowed was for the Palestinians.  A lot of visitors had not seen their issues expressed.  They displayed banners inside stadium.  

Feminism was boosted as more female referees than in previous games  For the third game of the group section, Germany vs. Costa Rico there were four females forming the referee team--Stephanie Frapart of France will the head referee and Neuza Back of Brazil and Karn Diaz of Mexico will call the offsides.  Kathryn Nesbitt will deal with video calls.  From Rwanda and Japan are two more females included.

Not paid a lot of attention to soccer in the off years pleased to see advances in coverage making it easier for non fans to be converted.  Tv. coverage had a few embellishments new to me.  Injury time had a separate spot.  Injury time was presented as a minimum of letting us know the referee had some discretion.  Offsides were visually presented and easily understood.

Stadium architecture really beautiful.  

The Japanese set a trend.  They started as a group to clean up stadium after a game, including ones they were not part of. This trend was picked up by Tunisia and then Saudi Arabia.

Fans put on displays, but I think Senegal deserves top honors.  They had a well coordinated dance, costume and drums routine that made me wish they had gone further in the knock out rounds. Many national visitors took to wearing Arabic head gear.

Argentina allowed Saudi Arabia a colossal upset in their first game.  The knockout formula does up the intensity, but the World Cup format allows for ties and even defeats to not be eliminated.  This upset illustrates that good teams can have off games and go on to learn.  All teams are guaranteed at least three games which gives them a chance to play against international competition.  More visitors have a reason to stay longer.

First game with host Qatar, outclassed by Ecuador--several yellow cards trying to contain Ecuador players.  Good cheering section, but all men.  Women a little more evident with Ecuador.

Upsets to create new excitement:  Saudi Arabia over Argentina, Japan over Germany, and Spain, Morocco over Belgium and Portugal.  More goals than ever.

A prominent Danish player Christian Eriksen  had had a heart attack 18 months previous and played in all the group games.

Embolo playing for the Swiss team became the first player to score against his birth country, Cameroon

Canada was highly promoted nationally, but I feel expectations were not realistic.  They played fairly well could conceivably have won against Belgium.  In reality they were in a group where the other teams all were more highly ranked.  Their group also included Morocco and Croatia who ended playing for third spot.  Perhaps we need to take consolation in just making the 32 finalists.  Alphonso Davies did well.  The head coach, John Heard felt that Canada needed to get more Canadians in the elite leagues.

Morocco provided a significant breakthrough beating Belgium and Portugal and finishing fourth.  They had boisterous fans, not all African, Arab or Muslim.  Learned that the Moroccan goalie, Yassine Bounou, who won the game in the shootouts was born in Montreal.  Japan and Korea showed some competitiveness.  Still it seems Europe and South America dominate.

Shootouts to decide winners in the knockout round are criticized by some commentators.  After 90 minutes of vigorous competition is already a wearying task and not just for the players, but also the referees and even the fans.  Skills are what are expected and the shootouts provide some of that.  Many sports have concluded fans do not enjoy entertainment that is too long.  Sudden death as in hockey is one option that might be considered, but that might shift emphasis even more to defense.

Milan Borjan, goalie from Hamilton--family had fled from Knin, Croatia to Belgrade Serbia during wars of independence--came to Canada in 2000 when Milan was 8 years old, ending up in Hamilton, but was recognized as talented goalie--  was offered a goalie  position with Belgrade Red Star and rose to be their captain.  He could have chosen to play with Serbia or Croatia for World Cup, but felt gratitude to Canada and chose them--prior to their game against Croatia, coach John Herdman in an effort to boost team morale was quote as saying "fuck Croatia" a quote that Croatians used to motivate themselves. Unfortunately some of the fans decided to taunt Boran at the game with posters that pointed out his family had fled Knin on John Deere tractors.  Milan was quoted in our local Spectator as wishing Croatia success in their next games as he had friends on the team--FIFA who is supposed to be against ethnicism and racism claim, but in 2016 FIFA dropped a special task force that dealt with racism. 

Speaking of goalies.  During the knock out game between France and England, Harry Duke was confronted by his Tottenham team-mate for a penalty kick.  They both knew each other very well.  Harry actually kicked the ball slightly over the net.

Heartbreaks common in third group games.  Tunisia from a fourth position needed to beat #1 France and have Denmark and Australia tie.  Australia led 1-0 near the end as Denmark applied a lot of pressure to tie the game, while Tunisia had a goal.  As Denmark failed to tie, that eliminated Tunisia, but they were still winning when France apparently scored in injury time, but after a small delay the referee was called to see a replay and disallowed the goal letting Tunisia at least claim victory over France.

Human nature was revealed a bit by the reaction of Ronaldo to be taken out of a game and then put as a substitute for the quarter final game.  He displayed disappointment and a little anger.  Recognized as one of the top players in the world he likely wanted to add to his legacy by scoring more goals in the World Cup.  In the first instance, the game didn't affect the next step and Ronald as a critical asset would help his team more by resting.  In the second instance I am not sure how his coach evaluated Switzerland, but it turned out they were not a difficult opponent.  Although flukes could decide a game, the coach did have Ronald available as a substitute should the game turn the wrong way and in fact he did let him after the game was under control.  As it happened his substitute scored three goals and proved he deserves time.   Someday Ronaldo will retire and memories of this behavior will not help unless he learns from it.

The death of Grant Wahl an American journalist convert to football during a game from an aneurism.  Mourned by LeBron James who knew him from his high school basketball career.  Grant had been stopped at one game for wearing a One Love T shirt.

The game for 3rd place which I missed because I misread the schedule could use a boost to make it more meaningful.  Some have pointed out that the two teams are coming tired off a big disappointment and probably just want to go home.  The organizers no doubt want to maximize their profits with a captive audience.  Extra money for the winning players is at best a partial solution.  An idea might be to let the winner an automatic entry for the next World Cup.

An important deal overlooked for many years.  It is not "Lye on Nel", but rather "Lee o Nel" Messi.

The final was very exciting.  France were down two goals at half, but tied it in regulation.  Then two goals in extra time.  During the shoot out the Argentine goalie stopped one and benefited with one wide shot.  President Emmanuel Macron cheering on France and after consoling Mbappe helped give out medallions. The Golden Boot went to Kylian Mbappe having scored three goals to pull ahead of Messi who only score two goals in the finals game,  The Golden Ball trophy symbolizing the best overall player went to Lionel Messi,with Mbappe second and the last Cup winner, Croatian Luka Modric third.  The Golden Glove award for the top goalie when to Argentine Emilian Martinez.  To cap off the Argentine awards, Enzo Fernandez won the Youth Award.  An irony is that Messi and Mbappe will be team mates at Paris St. Germain.

At the final game the FIFA team trophy was unveiled by a favorite actress Deepika Padukone.

Several countries, including Denmark have discussed leaving FIFA.   My wish is that it be cleaned up, but the lure of money is overwhelming.

I would like to end by paraphrasing a quote I heard from Ismaila Alfa which he attributed to a Uruguayan poet, (I think it must have been Eduardo Galeano).  "When football is well played it is like a dance with a ball."

Two previous blogs on World Cup might illustrate some evolution of appreciation.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/07/world-cup-2018.htm and http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2014/07/what-world-cup-means-to-me.html

Some thoughts on Women's World Cup;   http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2019/07/womens-world-cup.html

Doctor G

"Doctor G" (2022) was among my most anticipated movies, but assumed it would not  be available for several months, however could not miss a chance to watch an Ayushmann Khurrana film when Netflix came through.  Shefali Shah has also proved to be an indicator of a good movie.  

Uday is coerced awkwardly to switch medical studies to specialize in gynecology.  He has social hangups which his all female classmates pick up on.  They tease him with nicknames including "Mr. Nipples".  Dr. Nandini, his immediate superior is tough on him, but feels being male should be no handicap.  Gradually he develops not only skills but pride and a sense of purpose.  

His single mother had decided she wants to date and Uday resents her for it and at a later point tries to break up a developing relationship.  His girl friend breaks up with him saying he doesn't understand women and doesn't really listen.  Finally he seems to have found a mutual attraction with another student, Fatima, however she stops after a kiss declaring she will remain loyal to her fiance while also declaring she wants to be friends with him.  Understanding women is a challenge during most of the movie.

It would be natural for a film about an gynecologist to touch on abortion.  It is not common in his clinic but apparently legal with some restrictions.  A mentor (and hero) of Uday's gets an underage woman, Kavya, pregnant and seeks an abortion to avoid trouble with his wife and job.  Uday avoids actually doing it, but lies to Dr. Nandini and Fatima.  Uday learns that Kavya  has a complication that would make an abortion risky.   His mentor is desperate and forces a situation.  Temporarily Uday agrees to let Kavya stay with him and his mother.  Things go wrong and Uday is threatened with dismissal, but his experiences have opened his mind in many directions including his mother, Dr. Nandini, Fatima and his mentor.

Although male gynecologists are well established in India, there is still a bit of a stigma with males seeking more acceptable specialties.  Males are also reluctant to develop friendships with females.  Abortion is of course a controversial topic.  Ayushmann tackles all these issues in this film.

The film does not just make a social statement, it is very entertaining.  For this combination it requires some professional attention.  Here are some of the contributors.

Director/writer Anubhuti Kashyap started her career as a subordinate director on 3 films and moved onto director for three other films before tackling "Doctor G" and adding on writing.  She is sister to Anurag Kashyap, a well regarded film maker. 

Saurabh Bharat also worked on the screenplay after contributing to the story.  He graduated from the    New York Film Academy.  He had been a dentist who went onto be a radio disc jockey before becoming a script writer.  He had awards for his first short film that he also provided cinematography as well as directing in 2011.  He was an assistant director for "Satyagrah" (2013).

Music was provided by Amit Trivedi.  He has also been a backup singer in many films.  His credits include  "Aamir" (2008), "Udann" (2010), "Chillar Party" (2011), "Kai Po Che" (2013), "Queen" (2013), "Dear Zindagi" (2016) "Secret Superstar" (2017), "Padman" (2018),  "Andhadhun" (2018) and "Goodbye" (2022). 

Cinematography was handled by Eeshit Narain.  His film credits include "Qarib Qarib Singlle" (2017) and "Once Again" (2018)

Editing was done by Prerna Saigel.  His screen credits include "The Lunchbox" (2013) , "Tigers" (2014) and "Pagglait" (2021).

Ayushmann Khurrana has played numerous socially challenging roles that can make you laugh.  For example his first feature he was a sperm donor with "Vicky Donor" (2012).  In "Dum Laga Ke Haisha" (2015) he tries to get out of an arranged marriage with an overweight girl better educated than him.  In "Shrubh Mangal Savdhan: (2017) he had erectile dysfunction.  In "Article 15" (2015) he played a non humourus military officer fighting caste discrimination.  In "Chandigarh Kare Aashiquui" (2022) he played a macho man who found himself making love to a transgendered woman.  "Check:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2018/12/ayushmann-khuranna-actor-to-watch.html

Rukul Preet Singh played the want to be "friend" for Uday.  She graduated with an Honorus Degree in Mathematics.  She also had golfed at a national level.  In addition to Bollywood films she is able to speak Tamil, Telegu and Kannanda.

Shefali Shah played the supervisor to Uday.  She has numerous film credits including "Satya" (1998), "Mohabbatein" (2000),  "Gandhi, My Father" (2007)"Karthik Calling Karthik" (2010), "Dil Dhadakne Do" (2015), "Delhi Crime" (2019) and "Human" (2022).

Sheeba Chaddha plays Uday's mother who he loves, but is a bit embarrassed.  Her screen credits include "Dil Se" (1998), "Talaash" (2012), "Gully Boy" (2019), "Pagglait" (2021) and "Baidhaai Do" (2022).

Indraneil Sengupta played the mentor/hero (at least in the early part of film).    He had played in a number of Bengali films and one of my favorite twist movies "Kahanni" (2012) and "Human" (2022).

Ayesha Kasuskar played the underage girl friend.  She had been in "Agneepath" (2012).

Raj Sharma played the prospective boyfriend for Uday's mother.  His credits include "PK" (2014), "Talvar" (2014), "Kaabil" (2017), "Badhaii Ho" (2018), "Delhi Crime" (2019) and one of my top 2022 films "A Thursday" (2022).  Check:  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2022/02/the-message-is-spoiler.html

As with all of Ayushmann Khuranna films you likely will enjoy this one, laughing and pondering.  As usual I have bolded the first mention of movies I have seen.  As an aside those bolded films are mostly highly recommended as I omit those I would not recommend.

Love Today

How smart are we?  Smart phones have opened up new portals of communication, but also retain many secrets.  As a youngster we told our friends lots of secrets and naughty things, but now we tell them to the world and have them on record, not just someone's word for it.  How many times have you said something you wish nobody heard?  How about things you made up?

In India arranged marriages are common while young adults are more determined for love partners.  In "Love today" (2022) one father trying to control his daughter Nitkitha's dating has cornered her most determined suitor, Pradeep and forces the two of them to swap their smart phones for 24 hours.  They each think they know everything about their lover, but this is a real test.  They also feel they can trust the other.

There are lots of ways to hide previous conversations, but determined efforts soon reveal lots of secrets.  Although the secrets are proclaimed to be explainable, jealousy is hard to avoid and both play hardball games to delve into what they hadn't expected.  She learned a dog Pradeep gave her had been given to him by an ex girlfriend

The father is cut off, but is suspicious and proposes more technological efforts so that more of their secrets can be uncovered  

Pradeep's sister, Divya found her groom, Dr Yogi to be very considerate of her privacy, but she became distrustful and wanted to duplicate swap.  Again we find hidden secrets.

Many embarrassing secrets were hidden requiring clever explanations that didn't always add up. some honest misunderstandings occurred and many details forgotten.  False accounts had been set up.  Human nature encouraged to bury some things that might hurt someone else while at the same time seeming to avoid being honest.  Perhaps the most difficult thing was when a video was uncovered with Nikitha in a sexually compromising position.  Her father does not believe her denials, but this becomes the test of trust.  Romance comedies aren't supposed to have unhappy endings and clever writers want to make a social point.  How they resolve the very awkward situation brought by smart phones is for you to watch.

One of the lessons is that everyone has a past, but need to focus on the future.  Unfortunately too many of our fellow humans find it very difficult to overlook past mistakes or to forgive past misdeeds.  Modern technology too easily preserves things best forgotten.

It is a film that effectively makes a point about our current social mores.  A lot of effort and talent was used.  Here is a brief outline of those who contributed to its success.

Pradeep Raganathan played Pradeep, the smart alecky boyfriend, but was also the writer and director and even wrote some of the lyrics.   His previous film, "Comali" (2019) he also wrote and directed and had a small role. 

Ivana, in only her third role played Nikitha, Pradeep's girl friend.  Comic for much of the time, but upset as learned her boy friend had been associated with secrets and naughty things.  Her father could be trying.

Sathyaraj played the father of Nikitha who initiates the swap.  Film credits include "Baahubali" (2015),  and "Baabubali 2" (2017), "Thambi" (2019).

Raveen Ravi played Pradeep's sister who had been impressed by her fiance's concern for her privacy, but came to suspect he too was hiding secrets. 

Yogi Babu plays the groom for sister Mandela who goes through a parallel swap.  Yogi was an assistant director, writer and actor  for a tv. series, "Lullu Sabha" (2004-2007).  A popular award winner his film credits include  "Chennai Express" (2013) "Comali" (2019), "Mersal" (2017), "Mandela" (2021) and "Doctor" (2021).  A popular actor he is kept busy in Tamil cinema mostly playing comic supporting roles and twice being the leading character.  http://www.therealjohndavidson.com/2021/04/mandela-tamil-satire-with-apt.html

I will admit it took awhile for me to have confidence in this film, but it did come through, Well worth the time to watch it.