Archive for March, 2020

Report from Louisiana: COVID-19 and online teaching

Posted: March 16, 2020 by Pat Austin in Uncategorized
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By: Pat Austin

SHREVEPORT – What a difference a day makes.  Wednesday, last week, I was cutting across the Atchafalaya Basin on an airboat enjoying Spring Break, and within twenty-four hours of that Governor John Bel Edwards closed down K-12 schools, universities were shuttered, and everyone is practicing social distancing. Well, except New Orleans; they do their own thing there.

As an educator, I can tell you that my students are full of anxiety. Fortunately, I’m in a better position than a lot of people in that my kids have already been using Google Classroom. I immediately posted a sort of “check-in” assignment and on Sunday, still technically on Spring Break, most of my kids responded. Since then, most have filled in.

By Friday, my husband and I had returned to Shreveport and decided we needed a few groceries after being out of town for a week.

Big mistake.

The store was chaos.

You’ve seen images from all over the country, or seen it yourself, I’m sure. Even today, days later, there are zero paper products in the stores. Zero dried beans, no rice, canned goods are sparse. Things are restocking, but good grief – what chaos.

In Louisiana, our schools are closed until mid-April; I’ve got friends in other states who have said they won’t return to school at all this year. So far there are no directives from the Louisiana State Department of Education on graduation or testing, which has filled my students with anxiety.

As of today, all casinos in Louisiana are closed for two weeks, except those on Indian reservation. The economic loss to the state is estimated at $22 million.

With bars and restaurants closing, people staying home from work, schools closed…I don’t even want to think about the long-term economic effects of this.  It’s mind blowing, to me.

So, meanwhile, I’m teaching school from home, trying to reassure my students and still be sure they are learning. We are staying in as much as possible. Louisiana currently has 114 positive cases and two deaths. Most are in the Orleans parish area – no surprise given that Mardi Gras just happened.

Stay safe where you are. Be smart. Don’t panic or overreact.

Pat Austin blogs at And So it Goes in Shreveport and is the author of Cane River Bohemia: Cammie Henry and her Circle at Melrose Plantation. Follow her on Instagram @patbecker25 and Twitter @paustin110.

The story of Brer Media, Brer Donkey , Brer Trump & the Corona Virus Brier Patch

Posted: March 16, 2020 by datechguy in Always look at the bright side of Trump, media, News/opinion
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Once upon a time in the land of Brer Eagle, there was a Political Party which thought that they had the right to always be in power. That part was run by Brer Donkey and was supported by their friend Brer Media who had a big platform in news and entertainment and was supported by academic, the news media and the entertainment media.

That party, got very upset when their preferred candidate for president, Sis Paintsuit (Wife of Brer Horny Toad) , lost to an outsider Brer Trump who had never run for office and promised to fix thing for people.

Brer Donkey & Brer media, decided that they were going to get rid of Brer Trump and joined by Brer Deepstate and Brer Rino launched all kind of plans to get rid of him. But despite all the efforts by Brer Mueller and Sis Nancy and all the rants by Brer Media that the was doomed, Brer Trump not only got away from all their traps but seemed to get more and more popular.

Well one day the land of of Brer Pooh, people started to get very sick and fall into the Briarpatch where they couldn’t get out. Brer Pooh downplayed this at 1st but Brer Trump saw the danger and decided to restrict travel from Brer Pooh’s land to Brer Eagle’s land that Brer Trump was in charge of and started to consult Brer Owl & the wisest doctors in Brer Eagle land to keep an eye on what was going on and to see what might be done in case . Brer Media wasn’t happy with this decision and along with Brer Donkey and their new candidate Brer old tired Joe said that Brer Trump was very nasty for not letting people from Brer Pooh’s land come to visit even if they might be sick.

Well after a little wile Brer media, Brer Donkey and Brer Deepstate unable to think of any other way to stop Brer Trump saw that Brer Pooh was in deep trouble in the Coronabriarpatch and thought that they might be able to catch Brer Trump in it. After all the CoronaBriarPatch was a dangerous place and Brer Donkey, Brer Deepstate, Brer Rino and Brer Media were convinced that even though was lucky enough to get out of their other traps Brer Trump would be too stupid to get out of the CoronaBriarPatch.

Meanwhile Brer Trump, who wasn’t as foolish as Brer Donkey thought saw what Brer media was up to and call them out on it saying they were trying to panic people in Brer Eagle country about the CoronaBriarPatch. When he did Brer Media and their friends all screamed that Brer Trump said the Brer Trump said the CoronaBriarPatch wasn’t real but all the Time Brer Trump was keeping an eye on the CoronaBriarPatch and kept consulting Brer Owl & the smartest Doctors on how to be ready coronabriarpatch started growing in Brer Eagles land.

Brer Trump figured out that Brer Owl and the rest of the smartest Doctors would be able to come up with a way to control the CoronaBriarPatch if given enough time and that the if the right precautions made that he would be able to get out of the CoronaBriarpatch and lead most of Brer Eagle’s people through it after some time and with a little help from industry.

Meanwhile Brer Media, Brer Donkey and their candidate Brer old tired Joe managed to scare a lot of people in the areas of Brer Eagle’s country that they were in the majority in and started to tell everybody all over Brer Eagle’s land that the coronabriarpatch was all Brer Trump’s fault, and when Brer Pooh started to say that the coronabriarpatch didn’t start in his land but came from Brer Eagle’s land they repeated it. They demanded that Brer Trump be thrown into the coronabriarpatch convinced the he would never be able to get out of it again.

Meanwhile Brer Trump took Brer Owl and his team’s advice and coordinated with industry. He realized that while you couldn’t destroy the #coronabriarpatch he started taking the steps needed to keep the #coronabriarpatch under control and did such a good job that even Brer Newsom and Brer Cuomo who worked for Brer Donkey had some nice things to say about him.

Nevertheless Brer Media, Brer Deepstate Brer Rino and Brer Donkey kept insisting that millions of people where going to die and the economy of Brer Eagle’s land was going to tank in the #coronabriarpatch because Brer Trump was doing a bad job. They insisted be thrown in the CornoaBriarPatch and prove there was a safe way out. They were convinced that he wouldn’t be able to get out before election day to stop Brer Old Slow Joe.

Well Brer Trump decided he was ready and went straight into the #coronabriarpatch and told the people he and Brer Owl and the rest of his team would do their best. When he did the stock market that had dropped really far because they were afraid of the conronabriarpatch jumped way up, but it didn’t matter to Brer Donkey, Brer Deepstate, Brer Media and Brer old slow Joe. They were sure that once he was in the Coronabriarpatch Brer Trump would never get out again and that Brer Old Joe would be put in charge of Brer Eagle’s land.

I know that you all want to know the end of the story, but I’m afraid the story isn’t over yet, but if I know Brer Trump he’s going to cut his way out of the #coronabriarpatch and because Brer Media, and Brer Democrats and Brer Slow Old Joe said he’s couldn’t what when he what do you think the people who live in Brer Eagle’s land are going to say?

I think they’ll say: Wow! Brer Media and Brer Donkey said that millions were going to die and the economy was going to be destroyed by the coronabriarpatch but Brer Trump got us out if it. Let’s keep him in charge.

Review: Season One of Ragnarok

Posted: March 15, 2020 by John Ruberry in culture, media
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By John Ruberry

“The whole world groaned beneath them. A storm, the likes of of which had never been seen, scorched the sky. Ragnarök was upon them, the twilight of the gods.” Nicholas Day, in the Netflix series Myths and Monsters.

Many religions have an end-time narrative, including the ancient Norse faith. If you are familiar with the movie Thor: Ragnorok, then you know that Ragnarök encompasses total destruction, only there are no space ships and no Incredible Hulk in those old tales.

A few weeks ago the Norwegian six-episode series Ragnarok began streaming on Netflix. On the surface it’s a teen angst drama. After many years away, teens Magne (David Stakston), Laurits (Jonas Strand Gravli), and their mother, Turid (Henriette Steenstrup), return to the small industrial town, Edda, that is adjacent to a fjord. By the way, “Edda” is the term scholars have given to the medieval collections of Norse mythology, the Poetic Edda and Prose Edda.

As the family arrives in Edda, an old man riding a motorized scooter blocks their car as it stalls. Magne gets out and asks him, “Do you need help?” The old man oddly replies, “Do you know what a strange town this is?” Magne gets the scooter running and then the old man’s wife, who operates the local grocery, smiles at him and then tells Magne, “You’re a good kid” as she touches his forehead. Magne’s hazel eyes then flash with lightning. Magne’s hero journey has started.

Edda is indeed a strange town. Surrounded by gorgeous mountains, the economic engine of the town Jutul Industries, owned by Jutuls, the fifth-richest family in Norway. Its factory sits right next to the fjord. If it is ever said what Jutul produces, other than toxins that end up in the drinking water, I missed it. Vidar (Gísli Örn Garðarsson) is the patriarch and he runs the factory, his wife, Ran (Synnøve Macody Lund), is the principal of the high school Laurits and Magne attend. Their children are Saxa (Theresa Frostad Eggesbø) and Fjor (Herman Tømmeraas). They are all beautiful. Seemingly perfect. Too perfect because the are really jötunn, giants in Norse mythology, the enemies of the gods. And Saxa and Fjor aren’t really children.

Magne learns after his encounter with the grocer that he can run very fast, he has superhuman strength, he can speak Old Norse, and tellingly, he can throw a sledgehammer–Thor’s weapon was a hammer–an enormous distance. And Magne no longer needs his eyeglasses.

Like the young Clark Kent in Man of Steel, Magne has trouble fitting in with other kids, His only friend is Isolde (Ylva Bjørkaas Thedin), another social misfit who is the school’s biggest green advocate. And there is plenty for Isolde to investigate in Edda.

Laurits, who is a bit of a prankster, has better luck working his way up the high school social ladder, which is of course dominated by the student Jutuls, and Ragnarok contains quite a bit of the distress that you find in most television shows centered on teenagers. Meanwhile Magne’s powers, which he barely comprehends, draw the attention of the entire Jutul family.

And Magne and Fjor fall for the same girl, Gry (Emma Bones).

Ragnarok was filmed in Norwegian, it is dubbed in English for Netflix, although the trailer posted here is in Norwegian with English subtitles.

The coronovirus pandemic will sadly find many people with lots of free time on their hands. Watching Ragnarok is a worthy way to fill that void. Although I’m still working, for now, and I viewed the series last week.

Netflix has already approved a second season.

Ragnarok is rated TV-MA. It contains brief nudity, violence, foul language, teen alcohol consumption, and sexual situations.

John Ruberry regularly blogs at Marathon Pundit.

Sundays at Rest: The Movies I’ve Bought from Amazon: The Seven Samurai

Posted: March 15, 2020 by datechguy in culture, entertainment
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I’m been meaning to get this Series of movie posts started for while but with Corona Virus/Wuhan Virus panic in place it seems the best time to start recommending movies to buy and watch at home that perhaps folks have not seen.

Common sense tells you that a movie that runs over three hours and twenty minutes would have a slow moment or two that you can or want to take your eyes off the screen.

However that is only common sense if you’ve never watched the Seven Samurai.

There is not a shot, not a performance and not a line not even a glance in the picture that is wasted. Everything plays to the story. It’s everything that a movie is supposed to me.

If you are firm in the quite rational belief that The Godfather or Casablanca or Gone With the Wind or Citizen Cane is the greatest movie ever made nothing will challenge it more than watching this movie.

In theory the movie is about Seven Samurai who are hired come to save a poor village from bandits.

The reality is it’s really about how the process of doing so saves them. I find it one of the most Catholic movies I’ve ever seen. It’s all about responsibility, sacrifice and being one brother’s keeper and the costs that come from it.

In the beginning we see the bandits arriving at the village and noting that the barley harvest has not yet taken place and deciding to come back later when it does. The villagers frustrated by the cycle that all of their labor going to feed others without recompense look for a solution. The old man of the villege suggesting hiring Samurai. When they insist they have nothing to offer expect for food he replies “Find Hungry Samurai”.

Thus begins the 1st of three distinct phases of the picture

  1. The quest to find Samurai
  2. The preparing of the village
  3. The Actual Battle

For the modern viewer ignorant of history the culture shock of the caste system whereby a Samurai has the authority to kill and the villager is nothing and where rice is a currency in itself is striking, but this group of poor farmers attempt to approach Samurai who consider themselves far above them is really something. Eventually they get lucky when they encounter Kambei Shimada (Takashi Shimura) a wandering rōnin, (masterless samauri) who saves a young boy taken hostage by a bandit who considers their problem and agrees to help, they also get in the bargain the young and inexperienced Katsushirō (Isao Kimura) who, impressed by Kambei’s rescue of the child begs to be his disciple. Meanwhile Kikuchiyo also impressed by Kambei’s ( Toshirô Mifune ) actions starts shadowing them .

This entire sequence of Kambei attempting to find and recruit men to go on this quest that offers no glory or reward could easily stand alone as a movie in its own right. In fact if this picture was made in 2014 instead of 1954 it would likely have without a doubt been a trilogy and a whole franchise. Eventually Kambei recruits an old friend Shichirōji ( Daisuke Katô ), Gorobei ( Yoshio Inaba) who is fascinated by Kambei, Heihachi ( Minoru Chiaki) whose real skill is morale rather than the sword ; and Kyūzō ( Seiji Miyaguchi ) the master swordsman interested only his his craft.

These six (followed by Kikuchiyo ) head to the village where the 2nd part of the movie begins. The interaction between the villagers and the Samurai, the preparation for the attack and the bonding of them as a team and dramatic contrast as the villagers deal with both their fear of the Samurai and the sacrifices that they come to realize this entails. There is also the drama of Rikichi one of the farmers who went to recruit the Samurai who has a painful history unknown to them.  It is also a time of comic relief provided mainly by Kikuchiyo & Heihachi who never passes up a chance to needle him.

The climax of this idylic scene comes shortly after the encounter between Katsushirō and Shino ( Keiko Tsushima ) whose father Manzo ( Kamatari Fujiwara ) has disguised as a boy to hide her from the Samurai he fears. They spot three scouts for the bandits coming to spy on the village and the transition to the final phase of the movie, The Battle, begins.

The initial repulse of the 1st attack fills the villagers with confidence that they will be left alone for easier pickings but when they discover that the bandits are in worse shape than them and need to conquer or starve comes the realization that it is a battle to the end. Here we see the real costs of war as the villagers and the samurai both take losses up to the climax.

Ironically director Akira Kurosawa was constantly going over budget and Toho films tried to kill the project repeatedly. Kurosawa who wrote as well as Directed the picture however reasoned that the investment in the picture had been so great that they were unlikely to let it die and successfully argued fought for its completion.

While the movie was a success the critics in Japan were not as impressed but upon foreign release it reaped rewards and directors far and wide would be inspired by this storytelling. The film would be remade in the US as the Magnificent Seven replacing samurai with gunfighters with Mexico as a setting over Japan but the reach of this film, it’s cinematography is perfect, the performances (particularly Mifune & Shimura ) are outstanding and complement some of the best writing and storytelling you will see in a movie.

Social Isolation from the Corona / Wuhan Virus might not be pleasant, but if it means that you and millions others will discover this classic it will certainly not be wasted.

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