Forget Nature Versus Nurture. Nature Has Won - Quillette

In Blueprint: How DNA Makes Us Who We Are Robert Plomin makes the case that genetic differences cause most variation in psychological traits – things like personality and cognitive abilities. The way your parents raise you, the schools you attend – they don’t have much effect on those traits. Children are similar to their parents, but that similarity is due to shared genetics, rather than shared family environment.

Obviously the thoughts in your head, the facts you know, are not the same as your great-great-grand-father’s – we learn those things. But how easily you learn those facts, how well you remember them, how optimistic or pessimistic you are – those are largely set by your genes. Almost every psychological trait has significant heritability, even political leanings. To a significant degree, you’re either born a little Liberal or else a little Conservative, to quote Gilbert and Sullivan.

And to the extent that your personality is not set by your genes, it’s apparently influenced by poorly-understood random factors, rather than your upbringing or social circumstances.

Believe (Some) Women - Quillette

As the revelations concerning Asia Argento – one of Ronan Farrow’s key sources in his Weinstein story who was recently accused of sexually assaulting a teenage boy have also demonstrated, the reality is that the world is a complicated place. Perhaps Argento is both a victim and an abuser. Perhaps Farrow was a good mother to two of her children and a bad one to others. Although many will find Allen and Previn’s relationship wildly inappropriate and distasteful, the affair has plainly resulted in a stable and abiding marriage. Ultimately, dividing the world into victims and villains, as #MeToo demands of us, fails to take into account the complexities of human nature. And the trouble is that it’s a much more difficult concept to believe.

Unsane (2018) ***

Extremely well crafted thriller from Mr. Soderbergh rises above its stalker genre trappings.

Oculus (2013) **

Well produced horror flick with a nifty script that doesn't cop out.

Night Nurse (1931) **

Interesting look at Depression era medical mores and practices.

Sweet Bird of Youth (1962) **

Southern fried melodrama, typical Williams fare, with a great cast and some great lines.

Resistance Means More Than Voting | by Garry Wills | NYR Daily | The New York Review of Books

Obama said that people who “secretly aren’t following the president’s orders” are not defending democracy: “These people are not elected. They’re not accountable.”

Interesting, and telling, that Obama seems to consider elections the sole means of accountability. So elected officials are the only persons who may affect change. And if they torture, commit war crimes, perpetrate massive financial fraud and theft, run illegal assassination programs, the only way to hold them accountable is vote them out. And once voted out, they are punished as much as can be. We know that's what Obama believes because that is exactly what happened during his terms.

Loving Vincent (2017) **

The sequences of the paintings coming to life is great. The rest not so much.

Ismael's Ghosts (2017) *

A colossal waste of two fine actresses in a film with about 45 minutes worth of a good story mangled up with another 80 minutes of confusion.

Cinema Verite (TV Movie 2011) **

There's reality and there's "reality" and sometimes they cross paths. Well done docudrama about the original "reality" show. Ms. Lane shines (as usual).

Dagon (2001) **

Fun, well made (on a shoestring budget) Lovecraft horror flick.

Barbara Harris - Biography - IMDb

[on appearing in Family Plot (1976)] Alfred Hitchcock was a wonderful man. He always wanted emotionless people in his movies. There was a scene in our film, where Karen Black was acting, acting, acting -- all that Lee Strasberg human-struggle stuff. And it took her so long to get those tears going, and Mr. Hitchcock turned to the cameraman and said, "We will just photograph the actors' feet in this scene." He wanted a beautiful woman who wasn't showing her life's history in a scene.

Paris Can Wait (2016) ***

Lovely trip through the French countryside with the luminous Diane Lane. No romcom cliches but lots of great food, wine, sights.

The Spy in Black (1939) **

Unusual spy thriller has you rooting for the bad guy almost to the end. (Lots of similarities to Eye of the Needle.) Early Powell shows his gifts with visuals.

Crazy Rich Asians (2018) **

Fairy tale romcom dialed up to 11. Nonstop cotton candy for the emotions. Lots of pretty people in pretty places.