Other stuff is worth your consideration and all my links are sexy
Just a mental cleanse day here. The polly ticks can feel oppressive if ingested too often.
Last weekend, we all returned from Savings to the Standard Surreality…
One clock takes longer than the rest to fall back.
Our DOJ has been busy, announcing this yesterday.
“A 16-count indictment was unsealed today in federal court in Brooklyn charging 10 defendants with racketeering conspiracy, extortion, witness retaliation, and union-related crimes committed in an attempt to dominate the New York carting and demolition industries. All ten defendants are in custody and are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Ramon E. Reyes, Jr. In connection with the arrests, federal authorities executed search warrants, one of which resulted in the seizure of multiple firearms from an associate of the Gambino crime Family.
In a coordinated operation, Italian law enforcement today arrested six organized crime members and associates who are charged with, among other crimes, mafia association and connected criminal offenses. One individual remains at large.
The defendants are Joseph Lanni, also known as “Joe Brooklyn” and “Mommino,” an alleged captain in the Gambino organized crime family, Diego “Danny” Tantillo, Angelo Gradilone, also known as “Fifi,” and James LaForte, alleged Gambino soldiers, Vito Rappa, alleged U.S.-based Sicilian Mafia member and Gambino associate, Francesco Vicari, also known as “Uncle Ciccio,” alleged U.S.-based Sicilian Mafia associate and Gambino associate, and Salvatore DiLorenzo, Robert Brooke, Kyle Johnson, also known as “Twin,” and Vincent Minsquero, also known as “Vinny Slick,” alleged Gambino associates.”
Carting, I believe, is the hauling of waste and recyclables.
“As alleged, for years, the defendants committed violent extortions, assaults, arson, witness retaliation and other crimes in an attempt to dominate the New York carting and demolition industries,” stated United States Attorney Breon Peace. “Today’s arrests reflect the commitment of this Office and our law enforcement partners, both here and abroad, to keep our communities safe by the complete dismantling of organized crime.”
Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to the New York Waterfront Commission, the Office’s law enforcement partners in Italy, including the Prosecutor of Palermo, the Polizia di Stato, the Servizio Centrale Operativo, and the Squadra Mobile of Palermo.
“These defendants learned the hard way that the FBI is united with our law enforcement locally and internationally in our efforts to eradicate the insidious organized crime threat. Those arrested are alleged to have taken part in a racketeering conspiracy in an attempt to control the carting and demolition industries in the city. The FBI will continue to lead the fight against organized crime and ensure that individuals willing to cross the line face punishment in the criminal justice system” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Smith.
The full announcement is here.
The SAG/AFTRA strike is finally over so presumably by early January, new entertainment from the world of acting will return to us.
I’ve looked around a bit, listening and reading critic reviews of this year’s movies that could contend for Oscars in March. There’s at least half a dozen I’ll try to see. Here’s some drawing a lot of buzz. Go to the links for a review of each.
The first three are based on real stories.
Oppenheimer has an amazing cast to display the race to create the atomic bomb. As it hit theaters last summer, it might not reappear on movie screens till early next year for the Academy Awards race. If I go to see this one, it’ll be to see the great actors in it.
Killers of the Flower Moon brings together director Martin Scorsese, Robert DeNiro, Leo DiCaprio, Brendan Fraser and several indigenous actors including the late Robbie Robertson (from The Band; he wrote the score), and breakout star Lily Gladstone.
Nyad is the story of a strong determined swimmer with minor changes thrown in for emphasis. The two principals in the movie trained hard for a year then refused to use makeup, to make it even more authentic.
The Holdovers with Paul Giamatti sounds like it could become the next Christmas classic. It’ll hit most theaters for Thanksgiving weekend and I’ll have to see it as Giamatti’s one of our best actors.
Poor Things sounds pretty fantastic with some Mary Shelley redux and way way more fantasy and humor thrown in. It stars Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe and Ramy Youssef and will likely be a top contender for cinematography, costuming and makeup as well.
Napoleon is directed by Ridley Scott and stars Joaquin Phoenix which is good enough for me. Vanessa Kirby - nominated for her role in The Crown - is Napoleon’s love interest. It sounds like an epic and will also be out by Thanksgiving.
True stories abound this year with Bradley Cooper as Leonard Bernstein in Maestro, Kate Winslet in Lee as WWII photographer Lee Miller, and Rustin, about civil rights activist Bayard Rustin.
Barbie and American Fiction are getting a lot of Oscar buzz as well, so that’s 11 to consider. A few, like Nyad, are available on Netflix or Apple TV; the rest are for theater goers. You can get brief synopses and trailers here.
Okay, so a little politics, with humor…. from Sarah Silverman at The Daily Show.
Did you watch the GOP debate last night? If so, my sympathies. Vivek Ramaswamy, as narcissists do, dominated the stage as he took clever potshots at the other contenders. Except the one he fears. He made mention of the rot at the core of the GOP and then… instead of saying ‘Trump’ he aimed it at RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel, saying it was her fault the party did so poorly Tuesday.
Pretty cowardly.
Recommended Read: Mississippi Goddamn
And Bishop Talbert Swan makes a very good point.
@GazaMartyrs on Twitter profiles the lives of Gaza residents who have died as ‘collateral damage’. Those who condemn and those who defend, should be able to read these profiles daily too. This is how we stay in touch with our own humanity. And theirs.
Outstanding job, ladies! Best cover of this song I've ever heard! Thank you so much for sharing.