My Favorite Moments: #35 – Obi Wan saves the day, one more time

I have been waiting years for someone to publish this exact clip from Angels & Demons (2009). There were always fragments of this scene on You Tube, and I even tried to record this myself to no avail.

The sequel to The Da Vinci Code (2005), the movie based on the highly controversial Dan Brown book, Angels & Demons drew far less notoriety. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the movie. My attention was focused entirely on the plot: the race against time to save the four cardinals from a gruesome death. I didn’t have time to be worried about whether or not any of the religious themes or stories were true. It was a fast paced movie that kept me on my heels. I had a good time watching it, and when I left the theater, I didn’t think about what it said about ‘the Church’. I just didn’t care.

I was enthralled by the music of the movie. Hans ZImmer produced the soundtrack, and once again, Hans Zimmer delivered.

Vittoria Vetra, played by Ayelet Zurer, is staring at imminent death. There, in the bowels of the Vatican, they have found what they’ve been looking for. A capsule of antimatter was stolen from CERN. The capsule containing antimatter is running out of power and is slated to detonate at midnight. When it does, it’s game over. A collision between matter and antimatter will completely level the city of Rome, killing millions of people. She has a new battery, but with just a few minutes left before the midnight explosion, she pauses.

”It’s cold down here, isn’t it?” she asks Robert Langdon, played by Tom Hanks, rhetorically.

”What’s wrong?” he grimly asks.

”Cold decreases battery life,” she explains. ”We may have less than five minutes.”

”So?” asks the Camerlengo, played by Ewan McGregor. He’s a man of the church, and also a soldier, but not a scientist.

”If I pull the power with less than five minutes, the residual charge won’t hold suspension,” she coldly tells him. With the clock winding down, Vetra makes a quick suggestion.

”We should leave it here, and get clear if we can. At least down here the damage…” she says before the Camerlengo makes a quick decision.

”NO!!!” he shouts before snatching the capsule and making a mad dash upstairs.

In the minds of many people, Ewan McGregor is Obi Wan Kenobi, a wholesome and virtuous person, who stands for the good in the galaxy. And up to this point in Angels & Demons, the Camerlengo is the same type. The Jedi can be viewed as a religious sect, one that knows how to fight as well. The Camerlengo is a beholden to the Church, but he was also part of the military, flying helicopters.

Combine that with the start of Zimmer’s ‘Science & Religion’ score, and you’ve got my emotions running on overload. The adrenaline kicks in, and suddenly, I’m one of the Camerlengo’s security detail, racing up the thousand year old stairs of the crypt. I’m trailing him in the wake of his robe as we step out into St. Peter’s square. As we race down the stairs, I jump ahead of him and start clearing out a path through the ever growing crowd to the helicopter. With the blades of the chopper whipping at full speed, I don’t hesitate, and open the door for him.

”Roberto,” says the Camerlengo. ” There’s an emergency. I’ll take her up alone.”

My goodness, he’s actually going to do it. His whole life devoted to service to God and to the people, he’s about to make the ultimate sacrifice to save millions. The Camerlengo is going to save everyone. Obi Wan is going to save everyone, again.

Vetra and Langdon make it out on to the steps of the Square just in time to lock eyes one last time with the Camerlengo. No time for goodbye. Just the chance to watch him sacrifice himself for the greater good.

Professor Langdon is a scholar, and a skeptic. He spent his whole career the history of organized religions right. He’s searching for truth, not just anyone’s version of the truth. And he’s not a believer in God, having not been ‘blessed’ with that in his life just yet. So when he’s watching the helicopter start its ascent to the Heavens, and he blurts out, ”Oh my God…” you know he’s not saying it to be facetious. He’s not mocking any one or any religion. He is truly stunned.

The crowd watches the helicopter disappear as it flies above the clouds. Rumors of a bomb swirled through the swarms of people while the helicopter blades swirled through the air. Did everyone really just watch the Camerlengo fly up to meet his ending?

Vetra is drawn to tears. Langdon is drawn to looking at her for some sort of guidance. Neither of them know what to do.

Suddenly, murmurs in the crowd point to a parachute. The Camerlengo has jumped out and put the helicopter on auto pilot, to auto ascent! But before he can safely land, the suspension breaks, and the true power of an antimatter and matter collision, is released. The people are knocked down. Facades crumble, and the entire square is shook like never before. But seemingly everyone survives. And the Camerlengo, knocked unconscious, makes his way back to Earth, a hero.

If the movie ended right there, with the Camerlengo receiving raucous applause and adulation, Ewan McGregor’s image of virtue would have continued for me. But there’s more to the movie, and more to Ewan’s acting abilities. You have no idea how happy I was that Disney brought him back to be Obi Wan once more. The whole Star Wars world got to see Obi Wan save the day once more, but for me, that happened back in 2009.

Can I Get a Ruling? #18 – Should the bystander be blamed for not helping the victim?

I’m writing this post under two assumptions:

1 – Everybody believes that the perpetrator is a POS.

2 – The video is not mirrored.

Thursday September 9th around 715pm, a man kicked a woman down the escalator at the Barclays Center subway station in Brooklyn, NY.

Rightfully so, the people went after the man in comments on news websites and social media.

But then, you know who else received some online hate?

The lady standing behind the victim.

Hundreds of internet heroes blamed the lady for not…

• Not catching the falling victim
• Not doing anything to help the victim after the victim had tumbled all the way down the escalator

The video shows the kick twice.

The first time is at the 0:06 second mark. The victim flies past the bystander within the 0:06 second mark.

The second time is at the 0:13 second mark. The victim flies past the bystander within the 0:14 second mark.

So the victim flies past the bystander around one second.

Let’s go over some facts:

• There are three people on the up escalator: the perp, the victim, and the bystander.
• The victim is ahead of and above the bystander, by about two or three steps.
• The bystander has her left hand on the railing, and a large purse over her right shoulder. Her right arm is not free.
• The victim is falling down towards the bystander very quickly, around one second.
• The bystander, with one second to react, reflexively moves herself and her purse out of the way of the falling victim.
• After the victim tumbles to the ground, the perpetrator is on the escalator, still ahead of the bystander.
• The bystander turns around to see the victim crash down, turns back around and proceeds up the escalator.
• The video stops before we can see if any people nearby come to the aid of the victim, bystander on the up escalator included.

NYPD News posted the video on their Twitter account, asking for help in identifying the perpetrator. I responded to the tweet.

That's a 45-55 yr old lady with a purse in her right arm, who's not in the best physical shape, behind the victim. Do you guys really expect that she can stop a 100-120 lb woman quickly falling down on her, without herself also falling down?

— Alan Ng (@mruvula) September 13, 2021

I called BS on all the people who cast blame on the bystander for not catching the lady.

I made a few assumptions:

• The bystander is a middle aged woman, mid 40s to 50s.
• The bystander does not look to be in peak physical condition, but rather in average shape for her age. She looks like a normal woman.
• The victim is between 100 and 120 lbs. It could be more because we don’t know what she’s carrying in any purse / bag / or pockets. You can see a bag in her left arm, but I can’t tell if she has a purse or not.

With the facts at hand, and with these reasonable assumptions up for debate, all the heroes on social media scolded the bystander for not grabbing the falling victim and saving her from a vicious tumble down the escalator.

The internet also scolded the bystander for not immediately running to the aid of the victim, somehow forgetting that the man who kicked the victim down WAS STILL ON THE ESCALATOR AHEAD OF THE BYSTANDER. That man just showed that he’s very willing to hit a lady. They also forgot that the bystander was still going UP on the UP ESCALATOR. If she were to run down immediately to check on the victim, she’d have to run down against the direction of the escalator. Is the average person able to do that?

=======================================================================

Now, I’m going to give the benefit of the doubt to all bystanders in the video for not rushing to the victim’s aid. The surveillance video is just too short. It focuses on the attack and the perpetrator. The intent of the video is to help the public to identify the perpetrator. We simply don’t know what happened in the immediate aftermath of the victim’s tumble.

So there are apparently three actions that the internet believes the bystander could have down to help the victim

1 – Try to grab the woman as she’s falling down and save her

Are you kidding me? Do you truly believe that an average middle aged woman can catch another person flying at her, while holding a purse in her right arm, while still trying to hold on to the railing, while standing BELOW the victim, while on a moving escalator?

Some are saying that maybe if she can just stick out her arm to slow the victim down, perhaps the victim could brace herself enough to prevent a total tumble. But then there’s also a strong possibility that in doing so, the bystander will fall as well. And then that means two women tumbling down on top of each other.

I am a 40 year old man who goes to the gym four days a week. I am 6 feet tall and consider myself to be in good shape. I don’t even know if I could catch that lady if I were in the bystander’s position. Maybe if you told me in advance what would happen, I could brace myself and get ready. But with one second to react? And while holding something in my right hand?

2 – Run down an up escalator to check on the victim

When’s the last time any of us tried going in the opposite direction of an escalator? High school when we were at the mall with our friends and fooling around before mall security shooed us away? The bystander does not look like a teenager to me. And how many steps did the victim fall? 20? 30? It’s not a quick jaunt down in calm times. And we don’t even know if she’s got the right shoes on for running.

3 – Hurry up the escalator and then run back down to check on the victim

Remember that the bystander just saw a man violently kick a woman down the escalator. That man just showed everyone that he’s not a gentleman, and that he’s willing to hit and hurt a woman. Do you truly expect that the bystander, a woman herself, to rush up the escalator past the perpetrator, while that perpetrator is still ahead and above her, and then proceed down the down escalator to the victim?

How do you know that the perpetrator won’t kick her down as well? What if he pushes her down the down escalator once he sees what she’s doing?

=======================================================================

I think it’s pretty obvious that a normal middle aged woman simply cannot do any of these three scenarios without seriously harming herself or putting herself at risk.

But tell me what you guys think.

Can I get a ruling?

Can I Get a Ruling? #17 – Should Claudiu Pusa have been scolded for shaking and slapping Judo Olympian Martyna Trajdos?

The International Judo Federation released an official statement, scolding coach Claudiu Pusa for grapping the collar of his Olympian, Martyna Trajdos, shaking her, and then slapping her in the face twice, before her match.

Without further context, this looks questionable, to say the least.

Thankfully, we get that context and crucial information leading up to the viral video, from the Judo competitor, Martyna Trajdos, herself!

https://www.today.com/news/judo-star-martyna-trajdos-defends-coach-who-slapped-her-face-t226842

(From the article) – ““As I already said that’s the ritual which I chose pre competition !” Trajdos wrote on her Instagram account.

This seems like an overreaction by the IJF to only seeing the viral video. When the video made the rounds on social media, Trajdos immediately defended her coach, revealing that it was she who requested the shaking and slapping to psyche her up before her match. And then when the IJF released their reprimanding statement of the coach, Trajdos doubled down on her defense, insisting that the pre match routine was at her request.

Let’s just go over the facts:

• Martyna Trajdos is a 32 year old woman. This is not the case of a teenage female gymnast being accosted by her much older male coach. Trajdos is of sound mind and body.
• Trajdos is a fully formed and highly accomplished adult, as evidenced by the fact that she’s competing AT THE OLYMPICS!
• Trajdos asked her coach to shake and slap her. Coach Pusa did not do any of that of his own volition. He listened to Trajdos and did what the athlete wanted.
• Judo is a form of martial art, which means that Trajdos can defend herself. And being an Olympic caliber Judo competitor, that means she can easily defend herself against 99.5% of the world’s population. If Coach Pusa truly did this without her consent, she could have taken care of it herself.

It seems pretty obvious that the IJF did not consult Trajdos or Pusa. I can’t find any articles either way. I’m just judging from the reactions and responses of Trajdos herself. The IJF thought it would be bad optics for a male coach to physically slap his female athetle on live television.

But what is truly bad optics is not respecting the wishes of an adult woman who made a request from her coach. No, she didn’t consent to the warm up ritual. SHE REQUESTED IT. Trajdos, as an Olympic athlete, as an adult, requested it.

Is it part of standard warm up procedures or pre game rituals? No. Not every judo athlete gets slapped in the face before a match. That could be the IJF’s position. Verbal hyping up, and some light jabs to the shoulder or chest, have been done by thousands of athletes in dozens of different sporting events for years now. Perhaps, hits to the head and face area are deemed to have crossed an imaginary line. But the IJF deemed it bad behavior.

The IJF addressed a serious official warning towards the German coach, concerning the bad behaviour he showed during the competition. Judo is an educational sport and as such cannot tolerate such behaviour, which goes against the judo moral code. #respect

— Judo (@Judo) July 28, 2021

So, can I get a ruling?

My Favorite Moments: #34 – Spanglish: I’m Just So Glad You’re Back

Cloris Leachman during “Spanglish” Press Conference with Adam Sandler, Tea Leoni, James L. Brooks, Paz Vega and Cloris Leachman at Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles, California, United States. (Photo by Vera Anderson/WireImage)

Legendary actress Cloris Leachman passed away at the age of 94. I wasn’t alive when she was in the Mary Tyler Moore show, but I know I caught a few episodes of her on the Facts of Life. And I recognize her as Ida from Malcolm in the Middle. But to me, Cloris Leachman ignited a fond memory of her from her role as Evelyn in Spanglish.

Spanglish is the unpopular movie that I cherish. We all have one. This 2004 film starring Adam Sandler as a breakout chef who develops a spiritual connection with his insanely beautiful maid Paz Vega, didn’t get the greatest reviews from critics.

In the last third of the movie, Sandler’s character, John Clasky, finds out that his wife, Deborah, played by the wonderful Tea Leoni, has been cheating on him for several months. A stunned John leaves the house, and by pure coincidence, drives home his maid, Flor (Paz Vega). Seeing the two of them leave together, Deborah can only assume what they’ll be up to.

I’ll discuss another time about another favorite moment from this movie, the restaurant scene between John and Flor. But here, we see the aftermath. John returns home after his dinner with Flor. Deborah has been cooped up in her room with her mother, Evelyn, played by Cloris. Deborah is an absolute wreck and Evelyn has been doing her best to provide emotional support.

Deborah sees John’s car pull in, and she wants to sprint at him. Deborah is a complete control freak who can speak a thousand miles per hour. She’s never once listened to her mother, who in her time was a famous singer. Evelyn wasn’t exactly a role model for Deborah. It’s revealed that Evelyn led a rather promiscuous life. Deborah reminded her mother that she spent most of Deborah’s formative years as a black out drunk. Not once has Deborah ever sought her mother’s advice or looked up to her. But now is the time for Evelyn to save her daughter from herself.

Deborah wants to know everything that happened between John and Flor. But Evelyn knows better. Evelyn was the cheater in her romantic life, many times over. She knows what to do in situations like this. Evelyn can’t change the history between her and her daughter. The past is the past. But they can both learn from it. Evelyn can save her daughter right then and there.

And so Evelyn tackles her daughter to stop her from making a grave mistake.

”Do you know that right now, you are your own worst enemy?” says Evelyn, with her body resting on top of her daughter. ”You can’t trust one thought in your brain.”

”Trust me, and only allow yourself to say one thing to him,” says Evelyn. She’s trying to stop her daughter from repeating the mistakes of the mother.

“One thing. I am so glad you’re back.”

Deborah scoffs at the advice. She needs to know what John did. But Evelyn stands her ground.

”Just those words, if you’re going to have a prayer coming out of this.” Evelyn states.

Everything is on the line; John and Deborah’s marriage, the emotional future of their two children, their lives. All of it hangs in the balance of the next conversation between the two of them. Will Deborah finally listen to her mother?

An exasperated Deborah sees the point Evelyn is making. She agrees to her advice.

”Thank you, mom.”

Deborah sprints down the stairs, stopping just a few steps short to maintain the high ground as a disjointed John stumbles back into the house. It’s time to play the damsel in distress, even though she’s the one who created all the stress between the two of them.

John tells her that he won’t go upstairs to their bedroom. Normally, Deborah would have argued. She liked to argue every little thing. But since she has absolutely no moral standing, all she can fall back upon is Evelyn’s advice. Deborah literally does the swallowing motion to signify her pride going down her throat and says…

”I’m just so glad you’re back.”

”I am.”

john, in no mood for a discussion, shakes his head in acknowledgement and trudges off to the guest room.

Deborah marches up the stairs. She’s a full grown adult, but she can’t bear to be alone at this time. And so she says the first word that come to mind.

”Mom?”

A mother’s job is never done.

Thanks you, Cloris Leachman.

My Favorite Moments: #33 – Law and Order: SVU – Barba’s Bluff

Season 22 of SVU has returned from winter hiatus, thank goodness! In the latest episode, former ADA Rafael Barba returns, this time to spar with his protege, Carisi, in court. I was sad to see Barba no longer be a regular cast member, so it was great to see him come back in a guest, and hopefully recurring role.

Barba was in more than one hundred SVU episodes, so it’s impossible to agree upon what his best moment was. But for me, one sequence stood out above the rest. It wasn’t an opening or closing monologue in court. It wasn’t a prepared statement. When you’re an ADA, you sometimes have a bull’s eye on your back from less than reputable characters of NYC.

In season 17 episode 22 ”Intersecting Lives” Barba goes up against the correction’s officers union, who have been accused of raping female inmates. There’s a public confrontation on the steps of the NY County Courthouse, After the little show of force, the crowd disperses, but not before a hired goon decides to whisper some not so sweet nothings in Barba’s ear.

The goon threatens to shove Barba down the steps to ”get your skull cracked open, bleeding to death…”

What made Barba so good in the courtroom was that he did his homework. He studied the cases and looked up previous cases to cite in court. He wrote and practiced his opening and closing monologues. He was extremely prepared and utilized his time wisely.

Right then and there, with a man threatening to kill him, right in his face, there was no time to look over his notes. There was no time to prepare. Barba’s life could be over, or at the very least forever altered, in just a few moments. So what does he do? He presents the facts of the current circumstance.

Fact: There will be plenty of witnesses to view a potential crime. “Right here in front of all these people? “

The goon, shifts his eyes around, surveying the landscape, as all the confidence in his body starts to waver.

Fact: The perpetrator would not be able to escape the crime scene. “Maybe they wouldn’t be able to save me, but they sure as Hell would catch you.”

The goon once again assesses the situation, realizing he’s surrounded by cops and news crews. I’ve personally walked by this building dozens of times. There are a crap load of cameras there covering every angle.

Fact: The penalty for attempted murder or murder of a district attorney is an extremely long jail sentence. So, amigo, I’ll tell you what. You want to kill a DA right here surrounded by all these cops and cameras and spend the rest of your life in prison?

Then Barba does what any good district attorney does. He strikes a deal. He takes out a pen and business card and starts scribbling.

“Here, here’s my home address.”

The goon’s mission was to scare, threaten, and bully Barba into submission. And the only language that bullies understand is the physical kind. You have to stand up to them with your own threats, with your own show of force. Barba looks him dead in the eyes. The goon can’t even maintain eye contact.

“You come by any time you want.”

Barba hands him the card and lets him know that he’s not afraid. Barba is ready for a fight, ready to die.

The goon shuffles off, walking down the steps, ceding the high ground. Barba breathes a sigh of relief, stumbling a bit as he comes down from his hind legs, like a cornered cat. He survived a near death experience.

That’s how you win a case, Barba!

Driving Tips from an Asian Guy: #1 – T Intersection Etiquette

I took the bus to work in New York City for nine years. The commuter lot happened to be in my town, all of four minutes away from my parents’ house. So naturally, I’d leave the house at the last possible minute to catch my bus. That meant a lot of aggressive driving from the main county road, to the service road leading to the commuter lot. And I wasn’t the only one driving like that. Everyone during the morning rush was doing the same thing as me,

The service road teed off from the county road. In the mornings, I would make a left turn from the county road on to the service road, and then haul ass to find a parking spot. Then I’d run to get in line for the bus to one of the most dreaded places on earth, Port Authority.

Returning from work, I’d get off the bus and make a mad dash to my car, just like everyone else. We all wanted to get home, ASAP. I’d fly out of the parking lot. Coming in, I’d make a left turn on to the service road. Now, going home, I’d make a right turn on to the county road.

The speed limit on the service road was 25mph, whereas the speed limit on the county road was 45mph. I had it easy going home. A right turn on to a road with a higher speed limit is much easier than a left turn. I only had to worry about traffic from one direction. (Yes, I of course had to look out for pedestrians, but there were no sidewalks or neighborhoods nearby. In those nine years, there might have been one pedestrian crossing when I was leaving.)

Meanwhile, the people making a left turn had to worry about speeding cars coming from both directions. The speed limit was 45mph, but a lot of people tended to creep towards 60. Factor in a long line of cars queued up behind you trying to make a left turn to get home as well, and that was a lot of pressure in that situation.

I noticed early on, that the people making a right turn didn’t help.

• 

The orange cars are queued up to make a left turn on to the county road. They had to wait for traffic to be clear on both the left and right side, before they could make that left turn.

While the lead orange car was stopped at the T intersection checking traffic in both direction, virtually every blue car would roll out in front of the orange car. This would block the orange car from seeing oncoming traffic from the right. Every time I saw a car ahead of me doing this to make their right turn, I’d think to myself

”That person is selfish.”

So what happens? After the first blue car rolls past the orange car and makes the right turn, the second blue car…DOES THE SAME THING. Now the lead orange car has another car blocking its view of the right, save for the two seconds before the next blue car can roll past.

The cycle just continues.

The orange car driver gets more and more upset.

The other orange cars get impatient.

They start honking.

The pressure mounts.

And then.

Road Rage.

What would happen next, I saw often. The lead orange car gets furious, and decides to peel out, dangerously and barely ahead of a car coming from the right. That car that just got cut off, now has to slam on the brakes. The horn is honked for an extended period of time. The orange car nearly fishtails, before finally gaining full control, while flooring it. Now the orange car has an angry driver close behind. The road rage has been passed along. Tailgating has commenced. Who knows what happens after that? Hopefully nothing. But sometimes, something might happen.

So how can we avoid that?

The Polite Way to Make a Right Turn at a T Intersection

• 

The lead orange car is still in the same position as before, right at the stop sign trying to find a safe time to make a left turn. But this time, instead of the lead blue car either rolling past or even with the orange car, the blue car is instead slightly behind it.

I recognized the quandary for the orange car. After all, there have been many times where I had to make a left turn at a T intersection on to a busier road. I’ve dealt with that frustration and pressure before. So I asked myself if there was a way for me to safely prepare to make a right turn without completely obstructing the orange car’s view.

When it was my turn to make a right turn, I slowly moved forward and glanced to my left. That’s when I realized I could see through the windows of the orange car and see oncoming traffic from the left side. The dotted red line going through the two lead cars is the line of sight that I gave myself if I pulled up slightly less than half a car length behind the lead orange car.

Most of the time I could see very clearly if a car was coming from the left. Obviously, there are certain situations where your view will be obstructed. If the orange car has tinted windows, you can’t see. Also, if the orange car is a truck or moving van, you’re out of luck. And if the other driver has a big head, it’s no good. But most of the time, I could see quite clearly.

This is not 100%. The only way to know for sure that there’s no car coming from the left, you need an unobstructed view. So what I would do is look through the orange car’s window for no traffic. Then I would quickly roll just ahead of the orange car, and make a quick glance to my left. I had to check that the coast was clear. Once I was absolutely certain that I was safe, I made the turn. This checking move would take perhaps five seconds.

Now, you might argue that the original method of just rolling right up to the stop sign past the lead orange car might only take five seconds as well. The thing is, you’re not certain if the coast is clear. And you’re definitely blocking the view of the orange car. My method allows me to check for traffic from the left without blocking the orange car’s view UNTIL I’m fairly certain I’m safe to turn. Only then do I actually pull ahead, and double check. Only during the double checking period am I obstructing the orange car’s view.

I did this more courteous and highly effective maneuver for nine years out of that commuter lot. We work about 250 days a year. That’s more than 2,000 times I made that right turn. And not once after I pulled ahead of the orange car to double check, was I wrong about the coast being clear. If I really wanted to, I could have just made the right turn, but it’s vitally important to double check. You can never be too safe.

Try it next time. Pull up to the stop sign slightly trailing the car first in line to make a left turn. Look to your left through the other car’s windows. You should be able to see oncoming traffic without blocking the other driver’s view of the right. Once you’re fairly certain that there’s no car coming from the left, pull ahead and double check. ALWAYS DOUBLE CHECK. Once you’re certain you’re safe, then make the turn. You’ve gotten yourself clear of the intersection safely while also minimizing the amount of time you’ve obstructed the view of the other driver. You’ve kept things moving along. And that’s what we want all other drivers to do. Just keep it moving.

My Favorite Moments: #32 – HBO – Rome: Titus Pullo Enters the Arena

It’s Christmas Eve, and many people are excitedly preparing to watch “Wonder Woman 1984” at home on HBO Max tomorrow, as opposed to going to a potentially contaminating theater. I know I sure am.

As we are approaching a full year into the pandemic, we as a society are consuming an insane amount of content. We’re chomping down like hungry hippos at any new show that was able to produce episodes following strict protocols. And we’re also looking back at any old shows we always said we’d get around to if we had the time. Now is that time (assuming you’re a responsible person who adheres to all the protocols and guidelines…)

Signing up for HBO Max gives you access to the entire HBO archives. Sure, you can watch ”Game of Thrones” from the beginning again, to see how a show so masterful and thought provoking, could come to such a frustrating crash and burn. Or, you can devote a weekend binge through two seasons of its predecessor; Rome.

Set around the time of Julius Caesar’s ascension, the writers decide to take a slightly different approach. Most of the show centers around Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo, two actual centurions in the Roman army, as written by Caesar himself, in his Commentarii de Bello Gallico, book 5 Chapter 44.

At times at odds with each other, we follow the daily lives of Vorenus and Pullo as they are cogs in the larger schemings of the political rivals in Rome. Though they are brothers in arms in the 13th legion, upon returning to Rome, their fortunes and paths diverge. Vorenus is hand picked by Caesar to become a magistrate, eventually grooming him to a better life. Pullo, no longer in the army, resorts to using only one of his good skills, and becomes a hired thug.

Pullo is sent to kill a local merchant in broad daylight, and is obviously caught. A sham trial is arranged in public. Some other members of the 13th legion are preparing to spring him loose via brute force, but Magistrate Vorenus calls them off. His fellow brothers of the 13th can’t believe it. Vorenus is willing to let Pullo be sacrificed for political reasons, and the ”good of Rome.”

But as Lucilla asks at the end of ”Gladiator”, is Rome worth one good man?

The attack is called off. Vorenus has lost face to his brothers. Pullo is sentenced to death in the arena.

https://www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/x2ztqv9

If I said I’ve watched this scene fifty times, I might be telling a half truth.

A completely broken Titus Pullo is literally at rock bottom, skulking in a cellar awaiting his fate. Even there, at the lowest point of his life, he makes one last plea to the gods. But it’s not for him. It’s for his beloved Eirene, and his brother Vorenus and his family. Pullo’s life is about to end. There’s nothing he can do, so he begs for the wellness of those he cares about.

Pullo is led into the arena and given a sword. He is to fight until he dies, serving the people one last time as entertainment for the day. But he has no fight in him. He merely sits down, ready to die.

The hit squad, a bunch of gladiators, surround him, looking down upon this sad excuse for a soldier. Brother Vorenus anxiously watches in the crowd. He can’t just sit at home wait for news of Pullo’s execution.

”Come on, coward! Fight!” yells someone from the crowd. People paid good money for a show. They are not happy and boo Pullo mercilessly.

”Stand up and fight,” orders one of the goons.

”I don’t want to,” replies Pullo. He just doesn’t care anymore.

”That’s not how it works,” says the goon. Even when you’ve been given legal authority to execute someone, you still can’t kill an unarmed man in ancient Rome.

The brutes resort to verbal insults.

”You’re not but a bloody molly. You and the whole 13th. Not but bloody mollies…”

Well, that did it.

You don’t insult the honor of a man’s brothers. Just look at the man’s eyes. He is ready.

As the goon prods Pullo one more time with his spear, expecting no resistance, Pullo snatches it from him. He’s going to give them the fight as they’ve requested. He stuns the first goon, impales the second, and hurls him into the third, all while seated on the ground.

The crowd roars to life. What an opening salvo! Everyone gets on their feet. Plebians, noblemen, and CHILDREN alike, are filled with thrill. This is what they came to see.

Pullo takes a few hits and cuts while taking out the first wave. He howls at the crowd, taunts the nearby soldiers. He will not go out quietly.

The second wave runs in. Pullo is outnumbered. He does his best, fighting for every second of life. But after killing the eighth man to come after him, he’s spent. All the bashes to the head and lacerations from swords and spears, have broken him. He can’t even stand anymore. Pullo desperately uses a sword to prop himself up.

”Thirteen!!!” cries Pullo. The strength in his voice and body is wavering. Vorenus can barely watch. The crowd tries to cheer him on. He is a fan favorite now, a fan of the people.

The gate opens.

We get the ominous view of a skull grinning back to us.

It’s game over. Show is over, folks. The manager has sent in the closer. They’ve brought in the giant executioner.

• 

The joy in the crowd is quickly extinguished.

Everyone, please take your seats. The show is about to end.

The giant knocks away Pullo’s sword, not that he had the strength to wield it anyways. Pullo desperately crawls away, trying to extend his life for just a few more seconds. The giant decides to toy with his weakened prey, like a cat torturing a mouse it just caught before going for the killing blow. He kicks the man when he’s down, deciding to insult the man who just killed eight of his fellow goons.

The camera switches to Vorenus, who can barely contain himself. Did he really come down here to watch his best friend be executed? It looks like he’s deliberating, fighting with himself. Vorenus was explicitly told by Caesar, the man who through back channels, ordered the execution of the merchant, not to interfere with Pullo’s execution. Is he really going to defy the dictator of Rome?

The giant goes for the ultimate insult, spitting in Pullo’s face, and throws him down once more.

Deliberation is over.

Damn the orders. Damn Caesar. Damn the Republic. Pullo is my brother and he will not die in the arena for the people’s entertainment.

Vorenus rips off his coat and marches into the arena.

The giant apparently has a finishing move, two thousand years before video game designers could think of one. He’s preparing to impale Pullo through his traps and stab him in the heart. But before the giant can drop his mace down from its apex, Vorenus grabs a sword from a barrier.

”THIRTEEN!!!” he bellows.

Startled, the giant looks back. A hush falls upon the crowd. There’s an enemy behind him. Who is this interloper? Perhaps a few people recognize its magistrate Vorenus. All they really know is, the battle goes on. Standard battle tactics dictate that you must deal with the enemy behind you before you can move forward. They square up.

Vorenus gets off a solid slice to the giant’s back. He studies his opponent and sees what everyone else sees, brute strength. The giant has a massive edge in size and force, as evidenced by Vorenus being knocked back even after blocking his attacks. But Vorenus is a seasoned soldier. After a few moves, he can see that the giant is all offense, and no defense.

The giant raises up both arms and prepares to thrash his mace on Vorenus. But such a move leaves your entire front completely exposed. The first time he does it, Vorenus kicks him. The giant counters with a quick spiked jab from his mace. Vorenus is reeling from the hit, but he knows how to cut down this giant. He blocks the giant’s attack once more, before cutting him at the knee. You can’t defend yourself from an enemy on his knees, if your arms are above your head.

The crowd once again roars to life. The giant falls to his knees. Vorenus snatches his mace from him, and doesn’t let the finishing move go to waste. The people are ecstatic! Their heroes of the hour are victorious!

Vorenus stumbles over to Pullo, and lifts up his brother. Vorenus and Pullo walk out of the arena. Even the soldiers meant to keep them there, applaud and let them through. The entire crowd is at their feet, cheering Pullo’s name in unison. They have done it.

They’ve won the crowd.

Can I Get a Ruling? #16 – Who’s responsible for the $16k micro-transactions bill?

It came out recently that a 6 year old racked up $16,293.10 in Apple App Store charges through micro transactions for the Sonic Forces game. The boy’s mother, Jessica Johnson, noticed the charges on her bank statement on July 9, ranging betwen $53 to $600. Mrs. Johnson did the right and prudent thing; she immediately contacted the bank about this suspicious activity. The bank informed her, in October, that these charges were legitimate and that she should contact Apple.

But when she reached out to Apple, they said that they couldn’t do anything about it, because the 60 day period to dispute charges, had passed. It passed because Mrs. Johnson went through the proper channels of reaching out to her bank first. So initially, Apple said that she would be responsible for the full amount. Because we are still in the pandemic, Mrs. Johnson and family’s financial situation would be stressed even more. There would be ripple effects regarding their mortgage, utility bills, and food. And since their child is only 6 years old, it’s not like he can go out and get a job to repay the debt.

So, who’s responsible for the $16k micro-transactions bill? The parents, or Apple?

First things first; the boy is innocent. He’s just a kid. They’re just pushing buttons on a screen and want to play.

Let’s take a look at both sides.

It’s the parents’ fault:

It boils down to this. The parents are responsible for the actions of their children. They should have been monitoring the boy’s actions. I think everyone agrees that you wouldn’t let your child watch an X rated movie, would you? And how would you make sure that doesn’t happen? You regulate what the child can and cannot watch. Also, you have to keep an eye on the kid. And there are child safety measures to block out certain channels.

So the same principle can apply to smart phones and devices. You need to keep an eye on your child’s activities. Every phone and tablet device has child safety measures. There are passwords to input. An unless your child is a hacker prodigy, it’s the adults who input passwords and credit card information. Apple products definitely have security settings that require passwords before purchases can be confirmed. From the GMA article…

According to Apple, customers can require a password for every purchase or require a password every 15 minutes. They can also choose how often they’d like to enter a password when buying items, including in-app purchases, from the App Store and iTunes Store,

“Always Require” means every time you make a purchase, you’ll be asked to enter your password, even if you’re signed in with your Apple ID.

“Require After 15 Minutes” means if a password was entered within the last 15 minutes, the customer won’t be asked to enter the password again.

Within parental controls, customers can manage in-app purchases and Ask to Buy, keep track of family’s app usage, create app limits, only allow kid-safe apps and set up downtime for specific times when apps and notifications are blocked.

So there are protections and security measures that exist. The Johnson’s didn’t fully utilize these. This situation could have been avoided.

And I get it. We’re in the pandemic. If you’re properly quarantining, that means you’re around your kids 24/7. And they’re driving you crazy. So it’s understandable to throw a tablet at them and let them play for a few hours so you can get some peace and quiet. But you still have to keep an eye on what they’re doing. You’ve got to use those security settings to protect your children and yourself.

It’s Apple’s fault:

Mrs. Johnson went through the proper channels to investigate these charges. She immediately contacted the bank and gave them the time to look into things. It’s not like she sat on her laurels. She’s not like the many thousands of Americans who just blindly and automatically pays off her bills. She didn’t just ‘set it and forget it’.

She was diligent.

By the time she was advised to reach out to Apple to dispute these now verified charges, Apple said that the 60 day period to dispute the charges had passed. There was now nothing they could do.

Really, Apple?

You’re a multi-billion dollar company, and it’s clear as day that this is a unique situation. Exactly how many people spend this much money on a children’s game? A five figure amount? There’s obviously some shenanigans going on. You can’t work with this lady to figure something out?

Where’s the notification to Mrs. Johnson’s email saying ”Hey, you’ve bought these Red Star Rings bundles for $99.99 more than a dozen times? Is this you? Are you sure that you want to make these purchases?” Shouldn’t someone on the Apple side simply have flagged this and sent out a cursory email?

Where’s the follow up on this situation? Apple could have very easily reached out to Mrs. Johnson’s bank to verify that she did indeed contact the bank back in July about these charges, well within the 60 day dispute period. Apple should have found out that it was the bank’s fault for taking three months to deliberate on these charges. Have some flexibility and work with Mrs. Johnson, ESPECIALLY DURING 2020.

By letting the situation go this far and hit the mainstream media, you, Apple, are incurring a massive PR hit. Do you really want to face the full wrath of social media? You probably didn’t, but here we are. This looks bad on you. You’re not willing to work with the Johnson’s DURING THE PANDEMIC???

Additional info

On December 15th, Mrs. Johnson got a call from Apple, who agreed to refund her $10,553.86, about two-thirds of the total amount of charges. So that means a combination of PR pressure and acknowledging some responsibility for this, is giving the Johnson’s some financial relief.

So Can I Get a Ruling?

My Favorite Moments: #31 – The Expanse – Drummer’s Speech

The current belt holder for ”Best Sci-Fi on Television” has just returned! Season 5 of The Expanse has just been released on Amazon Prime. Most people hate Jeff Bezos, but he did curry some favor by saving this show. SyFy has no idea what they’re doing letting this show go. (Does anyone even watch that channel anymore?)

Anyways, without giving anything away, season 5 picks up with Belter boss bitch, Camina Drummer, played masterfully by Cara Gee, in hot pursuit of something, or someone. Science fiction, among many genres, is too male dominated. Drummer’s character and actress are perfect examples of how to write and portray a strong female lead. She has many wonderful moments in the show, but I feel that there is none better than this:

The Belters are preparing to enter the Ring. Where does it lead to? Is it a one way trip? Can they even make it through? Will they ever be able to come home? No one knows. There’s a lot of fear and uncertainty echoing through the Behemoth, the massive ship the Belters ”procured” from the Mormons.

So Drummer does what a great leader does; she rallies her crew.

“Beltalowdah, listen up.”

She addresses the elephant in the spaceship, head on.

”You may think that you’re scared. But you’re not. That isn’t fear. That’s your sharpness. “

“That’s your power.”

Second in command, Ashford, whom many thought would try to usurp Drummer’s rule, shows his support for her, demonstrates some of that power, and slams his hand down on the railing. The echoes reverberate throughout the bridge. He thought it was just a one off show of unity, but then…

The crew begins to reciprocate.

“No one has more right to this, none more prepared!”

The energy on the bridge keeps building.

”WE ARE! THE BELT!”

Drummer keeps feeding the frenzy.

“We are strong. We are sharp. And we don’t feel fear!’‘

The crew have never stood more at attention than right then.

”THIS MOMENT BELONGS TO US!!!”

The energy reaches a crescendo before Drummer bellows.

”FOR BELTALOWDAH!!! “

This is how you rally your crew before they face the unknown. This is how you quell any fear lingering throughout your ship. This is how you lead. Drummer is the perfect person to be in command.

She’s done her job.

And then Ashford does what any good second in command does. He repeats his captain’s orders.

“BELTALOWDAH!!!“

The raised fists and primal screams increase with each…

BELTALOWDAH!!!

BELTALOWDAH!!!

Drummer roars.

The Behemoth breaches the Ring.

Here. We. Go.

Can I Get a Ruling? #15 – Should Lauren Kwei be judged for having an Only Fans account?

On Friday, the NY Post decided to ‘out’ Lauren Kwei, a Bronx paramedic who has an Only Fans account to supplement her paltry pay.

A young NYC paramedic says she is so cash-strapped from her low-paying ambulance job that she moonlighted by selling online access to erotic photos and videos of herself.

The pay to be a paramedic, someone who is trained to provide first aid care at critical times, is “[…] pretty crappy,” another paramedic said of rookie jobs with private ambulance companies.” That’s a tough job. The medical knowledge you have to possess to assess situations and possibly make split second decisions, is a great deal. And the stress, knowing that other peoples’ lives are at stake? My goodness.

The article also noted that Kwei also previously had a second job as a hostess at a restaurant. So this proves that Lauren has a strong work ethic. She wants to work. She’s not lazy. And with the pandemic still going on, the restaurant industry has been decimated. There are very limited options to get another hostessing gig.

So what better way for her to help pay the bills than to have a job that you can work from home? She’s not the first person to make money off of her looks. There are female AND male models in the fashion industry.

But not everyone sees it that way.

Later on in the Post article…

A veteran FDNY paramedic agreed that EMT pay is paltry, but blasted Kwei’s choice of a side career.

“Other EMTs and paramedics make more money by pulling extra shifts, instead of pulling off their clothes,” he said.

This veteran paramedic was too afraid to put his name to his opinion. His belief is that Kwei should spend more hours outside the safety of her home, exposing herself to more people during the pandemic. She’s being judged by her peers, for deciding to work a second job from the safety of her own home.

The backlash to the Post article was swift. A Go Fund me was started for Lauren

https://www.thedailybeast.com/lauren-kwei-medic-outed-by-new-york-post-for-onlyfans-account-is-deluged-with-donations

More than $40,000 has been donated.

So the question is, why is it that young women like Lauren are being judged for making money off of their looks, but no one says anything bad when male first responders do the same thing?

How many decades have fire fighter calendars been around, where all the men are topless? And those photos aren’t just taken by friends. Those are professional photos taken by paid photographers, and often times at locations not named the firehouse. I don’t see any NY Post article outing the hundreds of male fire fighters, posing for a calendar.

And who are we to judge what another person does in his or her spare time?

Has her work suffered since she started her Only Fans account? I didn’t hear any complaints from her company.

Should Lauren be judged for having an Only Fans account?

Can I get a ruling?