Senator's Selects 2024/11/13
You must go on. I can't go on. I'll go on.
From the Desk of…
That subtitle is drawn from Sam Beckett’s 1953 novel The Unnamable. I’ve been thinking a lot recently about the Theatre of the Absurd, particularly Eugène Ionesco’s 1959 play Rhinocéros. In a world where I ever sincerely assembled a troupe, I’ve long thought that would be a great debut show. For those unfamiliar with the work, a rhinoceros rampages through a small French village, causing a ruckus and running over a cat. People spend their time arguing about whether they saw a rhinoceros or something else, how many there were if they did see any at all, and if it might not be alright to have a rhinoceros or two in the village. Over the course of time, the villagers themselves start turning into rhinos, and people spend their time arguing about if people can really transform like that and how maybe it’s alright if they do. Thankfully, the play ends on an upbeat note as the main character, who has been trying to warn everyone about the rhinos the whole time, seemingly the last human left alive, rejected by friends and lovers who have already transformed, finds himself incapable of becoming a rhinoceros and pledges to maintain the struggle.
I mean, that’s a big part of all this, right? This is not normal, nor should we allow such things to become normalized, nor should we allow rhinos to rampage across our villages and towns, nor should we adopt rhino ways and ideas into our minds, nor should we think that the only way to victory is to become rhinos ourselves. Of course, that ending is something to keep in mind too. “Being right” can be a terrible burden when you’re alone. Root yourself into community and branch out. Stay connected. Talk to people. Organize, or be open to being organized. There is always work to do, and you will find people willing to work alongside you. Many hands make light work, and I found organizing to be a balm for the soul in… during the first such administration. At the very least, it kept me focused on things I could influence on the very local levels, the kitchen table and backyard issues that impact the community. As much as one must imagine Sisyphus happy, one too must tend one’s own garden. No one will roll the boulder up for you, and no one will pull the weeds for you. People’ll help though, if you let them. Do you subscribe to Good Works Columbus yet?
Expect most, if not all, future Brain Dumps to be sourced from Bluesky. Recent events have really bolstered its activity levels as people seek refuge from X, the Fascist Everything App.
The Brain Dump
disappointed but not surprised that the john birch society ended up in the halls of power
interesting. thankfully i have spent over ten years developing my skills as a scanner and am now directing all of my psychic energies at david brooks's skull.
Skywalker is actually just a very common name in that galaxy, like Jones or Smith or Mohamed
lmao stranger things started when obama was president
life would be so much easier if i were evil
At the Movies
If 2017 is any indication, movie theaters better watch me coming. Alas… the times, they are different, even when they are the same. A fond farewell this week to Tony Todd. What a voice. “As for our deaths, there is nothing to fear. Our names will be written on a thousand walls. Our crimes told and retold by our faithful believers. We shall die together in front of their very eyes and give them something to be haunted by.” Haven’t really locked in and watched too much as late, and several things I’ve watched I haven’t been able to log so as to keep things a surprise for the Christmas Challenge 2024. I’ll pull some stuff out of the vaults, I guess.
Dial M for Murder (1954), dir. Alfred Hitchcock ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Wow, they really do a lot of dialing in this, don't they? Doesn't quite escape its theatrical staging, and there's a LOT of describing what people are doing while looking out a window, but the plot is clever enough. It's effectively a Columbo, so... who can really complain?
Decision to Leave (2022), dir. Park Chan-wook ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ❤️
Feels like it's revelatory how much I like this, Vertigo, and Twin Peaks. Maybe the revelation is that I really like Vertigo. I'm not going to think about it too much though because it feels like it could uncover... something. It's probably just that they're all a bit oneiric, and I like that vibe. Yeah, that's probably it.
Mars Attacks! (1996), dir. Tim Burton ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ❤️
Is this movie good? No, probably not. Does it execute what it wanted to do well? No, probably not. Does it make me laugh and have one of my favorite endings in film history? Yeah.
One Picture
Just try to stay away from this in these trying times, alright?
In closing,
These dispatches are likely to become shorter and shorter as we enter that end-of-year span of time that seems pass in the blink of an eye. Between holidays and other events, the amount of time I have to catch an errant news story gets real small. I’ll keep an eye out, but my other eye will be watching Christmas movies real soon.
Until next time, stay involved. We’ve got to cling to something when we feel adrift.
In case I've not said it before, you really write beautifully, man. Appreciate having these to read every week.