A lot of travel this week, many movies, as much football as possible. And the Germany match on Saturday against Sweden. After the Mexico disaster, I remained optimistic. But over 94 minutes I turned into a pessimist. The Kroos goal in the last second might be the turning point for the team. We’ll see.
That’s why people love football.
What I watched
Death of Stalin: It felt like a 90-minute version of Veep, with a lot of executions, deportations and even more absurdity.
Red Sparrow: Could be a good spy movie with interesting angles but the problem is the director must have watched too many times “Showgirls”. Still, a great plane movie.
Black Panther: Finally a superhero movie with strong characters, a deep story, great music and overall enthralling vibe. Maybe too ambitious but one of the best movie experiences of the year.
The 15:17 to Paris. I hope Clint Eastwood has more movies in him because this one was terrible. The actors should never work again, the storytelling is lame and I have no clue why I watch this abysmal movie until the end.
What I read
Suicides have increased. Is this an existential crisis? “How do we find meaning and purpose in our lives? There are many paths, but the psychological literature suggests that close relationships with other people are our greatest existential resource. Regardless of social class, age, gender, religion or nationality, people report that the life experiences they find most personally meaningful typically involve loved ones.
Critically, studies indicate that it isn’t enough to simply be around or even liked by other people. We need to feel valued by them, to feel we are making important contributions to a world that matters. This helps explain why people can feel lonely and meaningless even if they are regularly surrounded by others who treat them well: Merely pleasant or enjoyable social encounters aren’t enough to stave off despair.”
The Messy Fourth Estate: I want to believe in journalism. But my faith is waning. “At the end of the day, if journalistic ethics means anything, newsrooms cannot justify creating spectacle out of their reporting on suicide or other topics just because they feel pressure to create clicks. They have the privilege of choosing what to amplify, and they should focus on what is beneficial. If they can’t operate by those values, they don’t deserve our trust. While I strongly believe that technology companies have a lot of important work to do to be socially beneficial, I hold news organizations to a higher standard because of their own articulated commitments and expectations that they serve as the fourth estate. And if they can’t operationalize ethical practices, I fear the society that must be knitted together to self-govern is bound to fragment even further.
Trust cannot be demanded. It’s only earned by being there at critical junctures when people are in crisis and need help. You don’t earn trust when things are going well; you earn trust by being a rock during a tornado. The winds are blowing really hard right now. Look around. Who is helping us find solid ground?”
What I listened to
Rough Translation: The Apology Broker. A touching story how one veteran who worked as POW in a labor camp for Mitsubishi finally received the apology he waited for all his life. And the reasons why it took so long.
Revisionist History: The Hug heard round the world. “Sammy Davis Junior was one of the world’s greatest entertainers for the better part of half a century. He was black. But he thought the best way to succeed in the world was to act as if he wasn’t. Did we judge him too harshly?”
