July 4th weekend movies

2021. This is the year that movie theaters and streaming services are definitely going head to head in competing for people’s eyeballs for the big American July 4th weekend at the movies.

From the movie theater side, we’ve got an aging horror series entry in “The Forever Purge,” an indie film in “Zola,” and an animated franchise release with “the Boss Baby: Family Business.” It should be noted, that there are a few more limited released films, but I’ll stick with the high profile releases. It should also be mentioned that “the Boss Baby” movie is also simultaneously available for streaming on Peacock TV.

In the streaming side of things, we’ve got Netflix releasing the animated film “America: The Motion Picture,” and the slasher flick “Fear Street: Part 1 - 1994.” HBO Max is releasing the Steven Soderbergh crime film “No Sudden Move.” Amazon Prime Video has the Chris Pratt sci-fi action blockbuster “The Tomorrow War.” Hulu is a little more down key by it’s release of the documentary “Summer of Soul.” Plus as mentioned before, Peacock TV has “the Boss Baby: Family Business” available to it’s subscribers as well.

Between the movie theater July 4 weekend releases and the streaming services’ offerings, you’ve got to admit, the latter reflects the holiday weekend much better. The biggest ammo that movie theaters actually have for the weekend is “F9: The Fast Saga” doing it’s second week of release. The biggest advantage that streaming services have are having even more variety of choices.

This is where we seem to be at now for watching movies. Straight to home releases are a legitimate choice for movie goers now. Should we embrace the change or push back a little bit?

make me not quit

I remember saying that I was going to at the minimum post at least one blog post here, every Month, during 2021. As I’m writing this, it’s May 31, and exactly one hour away from June. Pacific time that is. I already failed my goal by Eastern time. Why do I keep giving myself these responsibilities?

I don’t think I’ve been shy about saying that every week, I want to just give up on whowhatwhereswhy.com. To just quit altogether. I’m already spending so much time on it like it’s a part time job. Except I’m not getting paid for my effort at all. Over six years of this, and I’m still waiting for something to happen. Some would probably suggest that the moment has passed and it’s time to give up.

I read social media posts of other people who are saying the same thing about their careers. How they felt like they should just give up chasing their dreams, but they are going to still keep trying, because they still love it. You know the difference between those posts and mine (like this one)? There are actual people reading them! They actually have a fanbase to support them chasing their dreams. While the numbers suggests there are people who are paying attention to what we’re doing here, they sure aren’t acting like a fanbase. It sounds like I’m showing signs of jealousy, and you may not be wrong.

I want to be given a strong reason why I should continue all this, besides some arbitrary goals and achievements that I made up for myself, or how I’m just documenting my thoughts for future references about my life. I’m already telling myself not to give up every single day. Why doesn’t somebody else take a turn and make me not quit?

I just want to know if anybody out there actually cares.

Going back to work

As I’m writing this, I just finished my first full 40 hours week working my regular day job, after 13 Months of being on furlough. I did previously say that I really would rather not go back to work until I get my vaccine shots, so thankfully I did just that this past April 19, 2021. Of course I’m technically not “fully vaccinated” until 2 weeks after the 2nd Pfizer shot, but whatever.

The first week of work was tiring, exhausting, and my body had to once again start getting used to that daily and weekly grind of my day job. I’m not here to talk about how my job is going though. I’m here to share my thoughts on how my way of living has been altered again. Needless to say, 13 Months of just staying at home, was a blessing and a curse.

It was a blessing, because I was able to dedicate a lot more time on whowhatwhereswhy, and I would like to think that the overall quality of content for the website has definitely shown signs of improvement because of this fact. It was a blessing, because I was able to find more time on my other pastimes like video games, comic books, listening to podcasts, and watching TV. It was a blessing, because I was able to spend more time with my wife and my dog, away from my usual commitments to making content for this website, and especially away from my regular job.

My staying home all that time was a curse, because it showed me how it must be like to be able to retire. It showed me how it must be like to be well off enough to just do whatever I want to do, without having to do a regular job if I didn’t want to. It showed me what it was like to treat whowhatwhereswhy as my regular job, and I definitely like that idea. So yeah, those 13 Months was a curse, because it showed me a life that I can no longer have for the foreseeable future. I am in fact saddened by this a bit.

10 hours of my weekday is taken by my regular day job, and that includes dealing with traffic to and from work. The rest of those 14 hours in a day is taken by sleep, eating, and my time spent with my wife and doggie. The amount of hours I have left to dedicate time to this website and all my other pastimes, are just not comparable anymore to how it was when I was on furlough.

I say all that seemingly without the self-awareness that everybody else is going through this same situation. Isn’t that what’s sad about our reality though? A chunk of our time is spent on a job that we need, in order to even have a life. However, if we don’t have the time to live that life, then what’s really the point of having that job? That’s the rat race we’re all living isn’t it? That race to try to be wealthy and privileged enough to do whatever you want to do, without worrying about working a job that only seems to be getting in your way of living.

So yeah, this post seems completely unnecessary and only sounds like I’m whining. Yes it is and yes it does. It makes me feel a little better being able to write these down though, but it doesn’t change the fact that I should just snap out of it, and just make do with what I’m able to do. Let’s all make the best of it, do our darndest to keep on keeping on, and go back to work with the thought that we should feel lucky enough to be able to complain about such things.

P.S. Some random thoughts about my return to work… It felt like going back to school after a nice long summer break, and it’s a feeling I haven’t had in a very very long time. My work place has greatly been altered due to COVID-19 restrictions and safety protocols, which is something I wonder if I’ll ever really get used to. Working with people who don’t share my political beliefs is going to be a bit more tense than it’s ever been, and I just have to find clever ways of either avoiding the subject, or make that hard effort to not let things get heated.

March 13, 2020

For a lot of people, they consider March 11, 2020, as the first day of the COVID-19 pandemic. The day things changed for everyone. For me however, it was for the most part a regular day. I woke up, drove to work, did my regular 8.5 hours shift, and then drove home. Nothing too out of the ordinary. I was after all already aware of this novel coronavirus for weeks now at that point, and nobody has given me any indication that I was going to be affected in any significant way; unless I catch COVID that is. I have even voiced my opinion at work about making more of an effort to keep things more sanitized than usual, which only resulted with some co-workers giving me a look like I was overreacting. They said things will be fine.

On March 12, 2020, I did my usual routine just like the previous day, and even went to see a movie that night; “Bloodshot.” There was one thing extra that was on my mind however. I got word that there was a strong chance that my place of work was going to be forced to shut down because of the pandemic. Half of me thought that there was no way for that to happen, because a running business equals making money, and my work place is all about making money. They said things will be fine.

March 13, 2020, Friday the Thirteenth, and there was an air of concern that my place of work is actually going to have to close up for the pandemic. I finished my shift that day, and then went to go see another movie; “The Hunt.” Shortly later on, I was informed by the company that I didn’t have to return to work for an undetermined period. “We’ll probably see you in two weeks” they joked. My mind wasn’t too concerned. It won’t be a long break from work. They said things will be fine.

To my surprise. That Friday was the last time I went to work, as I was eventually furloughed. “The Hunt” turned out to be the last thing I saw at a movie theater. At the time I’m writing this, it’s been one year since I forced myself to be “safer at home.” It’s been one year since I went out to eat. It’s been one year since I’ve had a gathering with family or friends. It’s been one year since I’ve gone to any event. It’s been one effing year of just staying home. Will things really be fine again?

Now admittedly, I have always said that I’m a homebody, and I’m sorta anti-social. Just staying at home isn’t a big deal right? Correct! I joke that I’m made for a pandemic, because I’m the guy who is never bored, as there is always something for me to do. That absolutely has not changed, even though I’m home all the time now. I have the internet, TV, and gaming. I have my Wife and my pet Dog in my life. I’m thinking things really will be fine.

The only time I had to leave the house, is when I needed to buy groceries, get take-out food, or when I walked the dog. Occasionally, I needed to go check on my parents, and there was that one time I drove to San Diego for a few hours. Other than all that, I’m just at home. From living a life when I’m always leaving home, needing to drive somewhere practically everyday, to a life where the most driving I have done in a year is in the video game “Cyberpunk 2077.” This is almost like what they jokingly call a “staycation,” and it’s seriously been fine.

It’s March 13, 2021 now, and I’m starting to think I’m under house arrest, instead of this vacation at home concept. I hit a snag in this homebody living. Due to some glitch, I haven’t received an unemployment check in two months now, and it hasn’t been resolved yet. I’m still on furlough from my work, so that’s a serious problem. Not having regular income coming in is obviously going to disrupt things. I only have maybe two months left of savings to accommodate paying the bills. I would like to go back to a job, but I really would rather get the COVID-19 vaccine first. I’m starting to feel depressed that things will not be fine at all.

During the past year, people have been frustrated with these lock down orders. People are complaining about getting cabin fever. Being sick and tired of communicating via video chat. Missing meeting friends and family in person. Not getting to go to parties, live events, or festivals. All that, plus more! Once again, as somebody who calls himself a homebody, I’ve been able to put up with all that. However, the most cliché thing is what’s actually getting to me. Money. Why does it always have to be about money? Why does it have to be such a necessity to have money to be fine?

One year later of being under the shadow of COVID-19, and financial instability still wins as the bigger threat. Why does money always have to be an issue? Why haven’t we figure out how to deal with income inequality in America? How is this still fine?!

More than 532,000 people have died from COVID-19 in America in a span of one year. With that said, I’m betting more people's lives are destroyed due to financial insecurity every year. That’s not fine at all.

Abusive behavior

When it hits the news that a well known person like a celebrity, politician, or an incredibly wealthy person, has been accused of abuse, the first thing that comes to mind is that somebody was sexually and/or physically abused. You're then expecting to see the hashtag #MeToo show up on social media. People will then talk about how it shouldn’t have happened. Complaints about people abusing their position of power are shared. Then there will be demand that it needs to stop. 

That's what comes to mind when somebody famous is accused of abuse. However, there's something else that needs to be addressed when it comes to the topic, that we seem to have accepted as part of society. It’s the kind of abuse that doesn't even need to get to a sexual or physical nature. 

I’m talking about being mean.
I’m talking about making disparaging remarks.
I’m talking about using derogatory phrases. 
I’m talking about cruelty. 
I’m talking about being dismissive. 
I’m talking about applying peer pressure. 
I’m talking about exerting authority. 
I’m talking about manipulation. 
I’m talking about thoughtlessness. 
I’m talking about rudeness.
I’m talking about being inappropriate. 

I would argue that those are legitimate examples of abuse as well, and are usually a combination of them. I’m sure you’ve witnessed and or experienced one of those, at your workplace, your school, your friends, and your family. 

Isn’t it abuse when your friends or family make you do something you know isn’t right? 
Isn’t it abuse when your classmates make fun of you or pick on you? 
Isn’t it abuse when your boss at work designates all the horrible assignments only to you, and plays favorites with your other co-workers? 

You probably thought that the person was just being mean, and that you hate having to put up with it. Somebody probably said that if you didn’t tolerate it, then you are being weak, thin skinned, or too sensitive. It’s then suggested that you need to work hard, so you can be in a position where you don’t have to take it anymore, and in turn be able to dish it out yourself. It might also be implied that you weren’t abused at all, and it’s your own fault if you think it was. 

“Hey! I’m just joking. Don’t get mad.” 
“Calm down, I meant no harm, why are you getting so upset?” 
“Look, I’m having a bad day, so don’t get on my nerves.” 

So if there was no physical or sexual harm, no hate crimes, nothing technically illegal was done, and that all you have to do is to not be the victim, then are some people correct when they say that those aren’t actual examples of abuse?

I think that’s the problem though. 

There’s a reason these “acceptable” forms of abuse have become an endless cycle through the generations. There are too many people perpetrating them, and not enough people speaking up against them. Those examples of abuse are a behavioral issue that people have just been conditioned to accept as a fact of life. As long as you are in a position of power, you can do and say whatever you want. Right? Just look at the recent popular example in the news of people complaining about abuse by Producer/Director/Writer Joss Whedon. Heck, just look at former President Donald Trump and what happened there! 

So yes. I absolutely think those examples given are true forms of abuse. Just because somebody wasn’t physically assaulted, sexually harassed, or called racist terms, doesn’t make them any less abusive. The result is still the same. It causes trauma to a person at the receiving end of those actions, that will have a lasting negative effect for the rest of their life. All because somebody thought their acceptable toxic behavior was “righteous” or “harmless.” 

No matter how minimal and mild it may seem, or it supposedly being a justified action, any form of abuse is not harmless, and it has to stop. 

Right now, the most popular method of trying to hold people accountable from their abusive behavior that doesn’t involve legal or criminal actions is to “cancel them.” Get rid of their public presence, ruin them financially, and cease support of their work. Hopefully that gives others the idea to not be abusive. However, the problem is that it’s still a reactive form of action, and only gives abusers the idea that they just have to try harder not to get caught. 

We need to be more proactive in stopping the abuse from happening in the first place. We need to tell people not to be abusive. We need to teach ourselves (I include myself there), to try to avoid such toxic behavior. We need to encourage people to consider the well being of others.

That lesson starts at home. It continues in school. It’s applied to where we play. It’s enforced at the workplace. It’s performed in life. 

If you need just one simple reminder to not be an abuser, then it’s this... 

Be nice. Don’t be mean.

P.S. I didn’t even address the internet, and we all know how much abuse goes on in social media, YouTube, news + opinion websites, and more.

Has to be said

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed that during 2020, I’ve started becoming a lot more vocal about politics, and shared many related posts on my Stories. Recently, I’ve been keeping a tab on some opinions I’ve shared on that platform, and will continue to do so. I thought I’d share those thoughts here as well…

———-

To Republicans,

For the few decades that I’ve been aware that there is a solid difference between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservative Republicans, I have for the most part been very cordial between the two sides. 2020 was the year that I had to actually “pick a side,” and I chose the side that wasn’t persistently denying multiple topics; COVID-19, systemic racism, the election, and economic inequalities. Then January 6, 2021, happened, and now I also have to add accountability to that list.

Republicans, what the heck happened to you? You are supposed to be the party of financial responsibility, accountability, and state rights. Lately however, you seem to be the party that supports tax cuts for the rich in spite of the national deficit, believe in ridiculous conspiracy theories, and are okay with breaking the rules to commit sedition. The Democrats are actually the ones being responsible enough to step up to help Americans financially during a pandemic, are all about facts over unsubstantiated speculation, and want accountability on those who commit a crime.

Did Trump and QAnon completely brainwash the party, or at the least implode it? Don’t you Republicans realize that your continual act of denial and defiance against facts and the well being of all Americans, are making you out to be the bad guys, and not these supposed revolutionary saviors of the USA?

Seventy percent of Republicans believe that Joe Biden stole the election! Seventy percent!

To you Republicans who still don't believe Biden legitimately won the 2020 Presidential election, you have the right to just never vote again. Your lack of faith in the voting system of American Democracy is unbecoming. If you actually believe that there is widespread voter fraud that would actually affect the outcome of the electoral votes for the US President (but somehow not the results of the Senate / Congressional races?), then you just outed yourself as somebody who shows no faith and no respect to all those American ballot counters, and is outright undermining the American voting system that represents the Democracy of the USA. How Un-American of you.

How dare you Republicans spread fake news about widespread voter fraud. What are you, triggered and acting like a snowflake who can't accept the LEGAL results of the election, that have been validated and verified by even the top Republican officials? If this election fraud conspiracy actually existed, don’t you realize how many people would have to be involved, and how many loose ends that would create that could easily prove it happened? Don’t you realize how ridiculous your election fraud claims sound? Why don't you just move to Russia if you want to have an Authoritarian Totalitarian President that much?     

Of course, for those Republicans in charge who actually know for a fact that Democrats just simply outvoted Republicans in the 2020 Presidential election, they now want to make it even harder for people to vote, by creating more restrictions on this act of United States democracy. What an unsurprising move.

Speaking of unsurprising. Remember when you Republicans said that COVID-19 was just a “plandemic” conspiracy, that was made-up for political reasons, and would immediately just “go away” right after the election? Hey! It’s literally Months after the election! Coronavirus is still here you idiots! You anti-maskers, anti-vaxxers, facts denying imbeciles! If you don’t believe in the vast majority of Health professionals who say COVID-19 is real, and that you should take precautions to curtail the spread of this virus, then never ever go to a Doctor or go to the Hospital for your health! Don’t be a hypocrite. You either believe in the science or you don’t.

You Republicans love saying that COVID-19 is nothing more than the flu (over 49k die of influenza a year), with a survival rate of 98% or whatever you want to comfort yourselves with. First off, that’s very disrespectful to the 439k plus of Americans who have died from COVID-19, and the family and friends who have to suffer from the loss. Secondly, don’t you remember what happens when you get the flu? You’re told to stay home, so you don’t infect others. You know like social distancing? You’re told to take flu medicine to get better. You know like taking the COVID vaccine? When people around you find out you have the flu, they say “don’t get me sick,” “stay away from me,” hinting that you shouldn’t be around people, and if you are, then you may as well wear a mask so you don’t spread it around! If you have the flu, you’re not hanging out with other people, and purposefully denying health advice. Double standards much?

You want to compare COVID-19 to other things that cause death? Alright here we go… Over 650k die of Heart disease a year. It’s constantly promoted to eat healthy and exercise. Heart disease is not contagious. About 600k die of cancer a year. There are warning labels about cancerous products, and there’s treatment for those affected. Cancer is not contagious. Over 173k die of unintentional injuries a year. We have safety guidelines that ranges from work classes, safety-belt laws, to simple common sense. Unintentional injuries are not contagious. Over 150k die of stroke or cerebrovascular disease a year. Experts remind you to live a healthy life, and there are even guidelines to follow. Strokes are not contagious. Over 120k die of Alzheimer’s a year. There are also guidelines to follow to minimize the risk. Alzheimer’s is not contagious. Over 87k die of diabetes a year. Eat healthier and exercise. Diabetes is not contagious. Over 51k die of Nephritis; kidney inflammation, a year. Living a healthier lifestyle is suggested. Nephritis is not contagious. Over 47k die of suicide a year. Encouraging mental health is advised. Suicide is not contagious. These are leading causes of death in the USA. None of these mentioned are contagious, but they do have procedures and treatment to deal with them that are generally accepted by everybody.

So let’s have this addition to that list now. Over 439k died of COVID-19 so far. Social distancing, wearing masks, and taking the COVID vaccine, are what is advised by the experts. Coronavirus is in fact contagious. Do you really want to minimize coronavirus by comparing it to other forms of death now?

The United States of America is essentially at war against COVID-19! What do you do in war? You soldier-up, join forces, take precautions, go into battle with a strategy to win against the enemy. Well, the enemy has killed 439k plus, and you’re just letting it happen!

Why do you Republicans refuse to take COVID-19 seriously? I thought you were all about the strength of the economy. You know what happens during a pandemic? The economy tanks. You know this for a fact, because that’s exactly what happened in 2020. If Trump really wanted to save the economy, then he should have done everything he can to not let the pandemic get out of control. The irony here is that China has finally overtaken the United States as the world’s leading destination for foreign direct investment. That’s right, new investments by overseas businesses into the U.S., which for decades held the No. 1 spot, fell 49% in 2020, as the country struggled to curb the spread of the new coronavirus and economic output slumped. You see that people? High COVID numbers equals a bad economy. Do your part Americans!

Speaking of the economy, you Republicans are all about that trickle-down economics right? Cut taxes for the rich, and money is supposed to flow down to the middle-class and poor? Well… “In a new study, David Hope of the London School of Economics and Julian Limberg of King’s College London lay waste to the theory. They reviewed data over the last half-century in advanced economies and found that tax cuts for the rich widened inequality without having any significant effect on jobs or growth. Nothing trickled down.” Billionaires actually gained $1 Trillion of wealth during this pandemic, despite the fact that Millions of Americans lost their jobs and are in danger of being destitute. The stock market actually went up, while millions are lining up in food banks! That’s crazy!

Don’t you Republicans dare deflect by saying that the economy will be even worse under a Democrat President. The past several decades have proven that Republican Presidents have a habit of tanking the US economy, and it takes a Democrat to save it, time and time again.

You want to talk taxes now? Remember that 2017 “Tax Cut and Jobs Act” that you Republicans and Trump passed? Well, those tax cuts are designed to decrease in the span of 8 years. By 2027, Taxpayers with incomes of $75,000 and under (65 percent of taxpayers) will face a higher tax rate than they did in 2019. Gotta make up for those Tax cuts for the rich right? So are you going to keep claiming that only Democrats raise taxes? Now put another tidbit into perspective… In the 1950s and 1960s, when the economy was booming, the wealthiest Americans paid a top income tax rate of 91%. Today, the top rate is 37%. On the subject of the past, do you know how much the federal minimum wage would actually be, if it had kept pace with productivity? $24! How much is it now? $7.25! Do you Republicans really want to help fight against economic inequality? Then stop being selfish, and tax the rich. Let’s make it actually fair for all Americans.

About Americans. So called Americans on January 6, 2021, thought they were going to “save the country” via insurrection in the US Capitol, because they wanted to prevent the constitutional act of confirming the electoral college votes for the US President? How can any American justify this attack of American democracy? An attack that would not have happened if Trump and his cronies did not incite the mob to go for it.

This Trump mob storming the US Capitol is the height of privilege. Their guy losing an election is enough reason for them to try and commit insurrection against the American government? People of other countries have far far far more legitimate reasons to be actual true revolutionaries. Shame on these traitors of American Democracy!

I know you Republicans love your whataboutisms. Since you want to justify January 6, 2021, you compare it to the Black Lives Matter movement protests in 2020, let me just say this. You can’t equate an insurrection to protests! You can’t equate trying to overthrow the American Government, to opportunistic people that cause the lootings and burnings. You can’t equate those traitors of American Democracy, to the real patriots fighting for equal rights!

The vast majority of people in the BLM movement actually want peaceful; albeit disruptive, protests. They don’t actually condone the looting and burnings. BLM have been seen to have actually protected businesses against such violent acts. Unlike Trump who continually encourage his supporters to get more violent. To further clarify the different stances, on May 31, 2020, Biden released a statement that said protesting police brutality is “right and necessary” and the “American response." “But burning down communities and needless destruction is not,” Biden wrote. “Violence that endangers lives is not. Violence that guts and shutters businesses that serve the community is not.” With that said, during January 6. 2021, members of the mob were actually proud that they stormed the US Capitol for Trump’s sake. As usual, Trump only claimed to condemn the violent acts hours after the fact (he usually takes days), when it’s already too late, as he wants to give his supporters a wink and a nod that he is just saying that to appease the critics (stand back and stand by).

Trump and his cronies should be held responsible for the deaths and damage done that day. Congress did the right thing by impeaching him for a second time BEFORE he left office. The conviction needs to happen to finalize that, but politics once again is influencing the decisions of the Republican politicians. All because they don’t want to lose votes and monetary contributions. Cowards!

For those who believe Trump should not be convicted on his impeachment, let me ask you this… Do you not believe in accountability? It’s the reason we imprison those who commit crimes. It’s the reason we punish kids for bad behavior. It’s the reason we have rules and laws. If Trump doesn’t get convicted, it opens the door for future lame-duck Presidents to do whatever they want to undermine an upcoming administration. Do you really want that?

You Republicans cry that Democrats needs “to move on for the sake of unity, and not create more division.” You know what? Attempting to throw away 81.2 Million votes for Joe Biden isn’t exactly an act of unity, but it is definitely an act for division. You Republicans simply have not been very convincing that you actually want unity. What you want is for Democrats to just give in to all your demands. That's not unity, that's an unhealthy toxic abusive relationship.

If you’ve read this far down, and actually are a Republican… Did I offend you? Did I trigger you? Did I hurt your feelings? Let me ask you these now… Why is it, the Democrats always have to worry about not hurting the feelings of Republicans? Always having to be the one to reach across the aisle? Always having to worry about whether conservatives are going to cry or be upset. Who is the real snowflake here?

You Republicans need to do a bit of soul-searching and figure out what happened to your party. Ask yourselves why you are getting all these push-back from your fellow Americans. Ask yourselves how far you’ll go for unsubstantiated speculative conspiracy theories that have no basis in facts. Ask yourselves why during the Trump Presidency, the global image of the USA has declined in embarrassing fashion. Ask yourselves if you’re even the Republican party, or the Trump MAGA party, or the QAnon party. Ask yourselves why I said everything I said in this lengthy blog post, and consider the fact that all the points I have made couldn’t possibly be all lies. Right?

———-

Relevant links found on this post…