The Films of Azazel Jacobs

I’ve heard about Azazel Jacobs, an independent filmmaker, a while ago, but I never got around to watching his films (They were not readily available as far I know.)–which are in the vein of Cassavetes, Mike Leigh and more recently mumblecore filmmakers like Andrew Bujalski.

I recently watched four of his films, and I really liked them (with the possible exception of one of the films). Interestingly, three out of the four films were so slow and boring, I struggled to stick with them. Yet, all three of these films, about a third of the way, came alive for me, in a way that surprised me. How could a film that seemed so boring all of sudden become interesting? The funny thing is that the film that didn’t start slow (Terri) ended up being the least interesting and in my view least successful of the four films. (I wondered I was the problem, more than the films. Maybe I watched too much YouTube videos recently, making me impatient. But I got into Terri fairly quickly so I don’t think I was the problem.)

I’m going to use this thread to discuss Jacobs’s films.

Notes on Visiting the L.A. County Museum of Art (LACMA)

In the last 6 months one of the more enjoyable and memorable experiences has been at art museums. I have liked art for a long time, but, to be honest, for much of that time, appreciating art wasn’t always fun–not in the conventional sense of the world. The patience and attention that would be necessary to have a fulfilling experience required effort. Because of that, I would mostly go to a museum with the right frame of mind and mood, which wasn’t all that frequent. Recently, that seems to have changed–specially visiting several NYC museums and today visiting LACMA (Then again, maybe the art I have recently experienced was more exceptional or more resonant with me. In this thread I want to jot down several thoughts and observations I had, from comments about specific pieces to more general thoughts about art.

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2024 NFL Offseason/2025 Pre-season

I know the 2024 season isn’t over, but the coaching carousel has begun, and I wanted to discuss that.

First, Pete Carroll has interviewed with the Bears and will be interviewing with the Raiders. In terms of culture-building and working with players, getting them to perform at their best, I think he’s an attractive candidate for both franchises. With the Bears, Carroll’s old school philosophy is the Bears traditional approach. It would be great to see a physical team with a great defense and run game. Plus, I think he has the QB of the future, and he would know how to utilize a sandlot QB. With the Raiders, his philosophy of letting the players be themselves would make a good fit. But they have a big holes to fill, especially at the QB position. I think the key is who his coordinators will be, as well as the GM. Also, is he going back to the 4-3 or will he install a 3-4. (He’s a less attractive candidate if it’s the latter.) Depending on the alternatives, I’d be happy if he were got the Raiders job.

Second, Mike Vrabel. I would like him to get the Raiders job, too, but it sounds like he’s the next Patriots coach. I hope not. I’ve grown to dislike Robert Kraft, so I’m rooting against the Patriots.

2024 NFL Playoffs

The playoffs start today. Who are you cheering for? I’m rooting for the Steelers and Chargers. I would not be unhappy if the Lions, Bills, or Vikings win the Super Bowl, though. By the way, I didn’t realize the Eagles and Packers play each other in the first round. Man, that seems like a raw deal for both teams.

Thoughts on Taste

Reading Criterion.com’s Trash and Treasure at the Razies, I came across the following quote, which I liked:

People “distinguish themselves by the distinctions they make,” writes sociologist Pierre Bourdieu in Distinction: “between the beautiful and the ugly, the distinguished and the vulgar”—between art and trash. “Art and cultural consumption are predisposed, consciously and deliberately or not, to fulfill a social function of legitimating social differences.” We reveal ourselves through our preferences; like a space telescope photographing faraway light from the beginning of the universe, our esteem for a particular film is a lens that sees backward in time, to the economic class, educational history, and subcultural sensibility in which such preferences are forged. You are what you like—and, crucially, you aren’t what you don’t. To prefer this to that is to align yourself with these people instead of those, an assertion of in-group belonging through a common agreement about what tastes are unpalatable. Per Bourdieu, “all determination is negation; and tastes are perhaps first and foremost distastes, disgust provoked by horror or visceral intolerance.”

As a reaction to the quote, I want to explore some of the following questions in this thread:

  • What is taste (art, etc.)?
  • What is good taste?
  • Is having good taste important?

Trump Tracker (2nd term)

Ugh, I hate starting this thread (and it’s revolting to write “2nd term”), but I want a place to post articles that will serve as a matter of record. For example, this WaPo article about Trump transition not working with the federal agencies that help every president make the transition. Here are things the Trump team are not doing:

Trump has yet to collaborate with the General Services Administration, which is tasked with the complex work of handing over control of hundreds of agencies,because he has not turned in required pledges to follow ethics rules.His transition teams have yet to set foot inside a single federal office.

In calls with foreign heads of state, Trump has cut out the State Department, its secure lines and its official interpreters.

As his team considers hundreds of potential appointees for key jobs,he’s so far declined to let the Federal Bureau of Investigation check for potential red flags and security threats to guard against espionage — instead relying on private campaign lawyers for some appointees and doing no vetting at all for others.Trump’s transition team is considering moving on his first day in office to give those appointees blanket security clearances, according to people familiar with the discussions who spoke on the condition of anonymity to disclose private conversations.

My concerns: control over the agencies will be poor; jeopardizing national security by not using secure lines of the state department with competent interpreters and giving blanket security clearances to people that shouldn’t have them.

Has the Descent into Autocracy Begun?

I believe Anne Applebaum of the Atlantic stated that modern day authoritarian regimes don’t usually occur through a violent coup. Instead, they happen gradually. The executive in power attempts to control the press, first through intimidation and threats, and then maybe eventually getting literal control. They take over the equivalent of the Department of Justice and FBI and begin to use these institutions to protect themselves and their family, while siccing these entities on their political enemies. They also surround themselves with people loyal to them–loyalty being more important than competence and fidelity to the rule of law. This is just some of things an autocrat does to gradually erode a liberal democracy.

Unfortunately, I think that process has begun in the US. (I would love to be convinced that I’m being too alarmist about this.) Really, I feel like I’m living in a nightmare, and I have a hard time believing this is happening. The situation is stressful, and in addition to praying a lot and greater effort to rely on God, I thought creating a thread to track the occurrences of backsliding would be therapeutic–specifically, having a place to let this out instead of keeping it bottled up. (Then again, this might have the opposite effect, in which case I might abandon the project.)

When I think about the beginning of liberal democratic demise, WaPo and the LA Times announcing they would no longer announce presidential candidates is what comes to mind.

A few days ago, here are some other things relevant to the topic:

  • Reports that Jack Smith will stop the two prosecutions against Trump;
  • Reports that Trump allies want to punish Smith, including talks that Rep. Jim Jordan will start a House investigation;
  • Trump’s appointments–Rep. Matt Gaetz to be the AG; Tulsi Gabbard to Director of National Intelligence (DNI); Pete Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense. That’s a few off the top of my head. This makes me think of a warning I constantly heard before the election: In Trump 2.0, there will be no guardrails.

More later.

What I Expect After the Election

In the last eight years I’ve consumed the most news in my life–subscribing to both the NYT and WaPo for the first time (sometime during Trump’s first term). For a lot of this time, I also followed several academics, journalists, politicians, former political appointees and federal government officials on Twitter. In the sections below, I have written things I expect–or at least won’t be surprised by–based on all the information I’ve consumed–including what I’ve seen and read from Trump himself. Indeed, if they don’t happen, I will be really surprised.

If Trump loses

  • Trump will claim he won and claim the election was rigged;
  • Trump and his supporters will attempt to overturn the election in a variety of ways;
  • (I’m hoping this doesn’t happen) violence from Trump supporters–including violence against prominent politicians;

If Trump wins

  • Harris concedes;
  • Protests from Harris supporters and maybe some violence from them;
  • Trump will surround himself with people who will do his bidding.
  • Trump will use the government to go after political rivals, journalists, businesses that have crossed or criticized him;
  • Trump will have federal court cases against him dropped;

I’m sure there are other things, but these are the ones that come to mind quickly. To me, everything I said above would be uncontroversial to anyone who has followed good sources of news for the last eight years; I don’t have special insight or knowledge. (I did spend some time and energy in consuming the information, though.)