Westworld season finale has one big problem

I love the HBO show "Westworld" but there was one big problem with last night's season finale. And before I begin, I'm going to warn you that there's going to be spoilers with the show and the finale revealed. So stop here if you don't want to know them. But come back when you've seen the show.

Okay, first let me say this about "Westworld." I enjoyed all the metaphors the show threw at you. The robots search for meaning in their narrative is like us and our search for a meaning to our lives. There are other themes also such as what it means to be human with our strengths and moral weaknesses.

But if you watch the Westworld's finale last night, you were struck with a nagging question.

Where does Westworld go with season 2?

If you recall the end of the show, robot Dolores (Evan Rachel Wood) starts to kill the board members of Delos which owns Westworld. She does this after recognizing her sentience and announcement to Teddy (James Marsden) that the robots own "this world." The slaughter begins with her shooting founder Dr. Robert Ford. (Anthony Hopkins)

Let me digress a little here. I never expect a big movie star actor like Anthony Hopkins to stay in a seasonal TV series. So, I was hoping for a mini-series with a satisfying ending. And yes, it could be a sad ending.  After all , this show is based on Michael Crichton's 1973 film, "Westworld."That had one sequel, "Futureworld" which could be relevant.

Back to the finale, there's a big problem with the ending. If the park is this big a failure, why would anyone in future go to it? Yeah, go to a theme park where you are likely to be killed by murderous robots. Fun for the whole family. Okay, you wouldn't want to take the kids to place where the adults are openly engaging in sex with robots. Then there's this. The government would likely carpet bomb the place and thus end Westworld.

Here's one possibility. The robots replace the board members with look a like robots. No massacre.   The park stays open .   Invite the rich and powerful.  Replace them with robots.   Robots rule the world.   And... we have the plots to "Futureworld" (1976)  and "The Stepford Wives." (1975)  

Don't get me wrong.  This "Terminator" plot line may work out.  I just hope the show continues to be smart.  Don't chicken out like the show "Lost" did in its final two years by forcing a conventional ending.     If smart fans guess the twists, I hope the producers stick to their guns.   Keep up the intelligence and you may have great science fiction.

Right-wing lies lead to a dangerous situation

It's finally happened. With all the right-wing lies peddled in the presidential election, a crazy person took one of them literally. There had been an internet lie which said that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and her aide John Depodesta were running a child sex slave operation out of the Washington, D.C. pizza restaurant called Comet Ping Pong. Well, this guy went there with a rifle and shot it. He admitted to the crime. Thankfully, no one was injured. CNN report

Donald, are you listening? Words have meaning. Untruthful conspiracy theories and lies that you have spewed have consequences. Try sticking to the truth. It will be much safer for us.

Trump causes international incident

He hasn't been sworn in yet, and right-wing President elect Donald Trump has demonstrated his total lack of knowledge of foreign affairs and diplomacy. A few days ago, he allegedly took a call from Taiwan president Tsai Ing Wen. CNN report. There seems to be some debate over how the call was set up. `Washington Post.

Sounds innocuous. But the United States has been running under the one China policy for over thirty years. You see, they don't believe that Taiwan is a country but part of China. Yes, the United States and Taiwan do have kind of an informal relationship, however we have been very delicate in not offending the Chinese by say, giving any type of recognition that Taiwan is a country. Until now.

Trump like a bull in a China shop, has created an international incident. And he isn't even President yet. Taking that call if that's what happened, gives recognition to Taiwan. And instead of apologizing, the Donald compounded the situation by attacking China on Twitter. CNN

Look, being racially Chinese, I'm no fan of the Communist Chinese. They are authoritarian. And Trump might be right on their actions with their currency and the South China sea. But the job of the presidency requires intellectual curiosity. I would have hoped as Trump ran for President that he would have at least read up on Chinese-American relations. They are after all, the largest country in the world. He should speak softly and show less of the big stick.

Saturday Night Live's Third Debate Parody is the best

Saturday Night Live's parody of the third Presidential debate was the best of the three Clinton-Trump debate skits. I believe the reason is that this one uses broad comedy that is less subtle than the other ones. And while that may not work all the time, it certainly works here. So, here it is. Enjoy.

Shut up Donald Trump, part 2. Taking Iraq's Oil is immoral, and illegal

If you watched MSNBC's Commander and Chief Forum with presidential candidates Democrat Hillary Clinton and conservative Republican Donald Trump, you heard The Donald say we should have taken Iraq's oil after the disastrous 2003 Iraq war. "To the victor go the spoils" he said. Well, Donald you are again showing that you are a fascist. (by the way, he's made the argument about taking the oil before, five years ago. I called him out on it back then.)

Stealing another country's resources after war is immoral, and illegal. The Wall Street Journal reports that such action like taking Iraq's oil would violate the Geneva Convention, and the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907. Not to mention, it is the simple crime of theft.

Look, here Donald. We are not the conquering Romans or Nazis out to plunder other countries. We are Americans. We stand for justice and freedom.

Chinese audiences love white people as the stars of movies

So, I'm watching the trailer for The Great Wall where Matt Damon saves the ancient Chinese from whatever the Great Wall was built to keep out. Mexican illegal immigrants? I kid The Donald. (Trailer for The Great Wall below.) And as a Chinese American, it bothers me that a major movie set in China needs a white guy to be the star. Should I ask, "Where would Asian civilization be without the white man?" Yeah, Republican Cong. Stephen King (Iowa) you made the point that whites gave the most to civilization.

Then I found this out. The movie is directed by a Chinese filmmaker, Zhang Yimou. And the movie is partly produced by the Chinese. (China Film Group Corporation) Okay, then I noticed more "whitewashing" of upcoming films. Actress Tild Swinton is playing The Ancient One in "Doctor Strange." That character is supposed to be a Tibetan man. Then there's Scarlett Johansson who's playing the lead in the Japanese anime classic Ghost in the Shell. Her character is supposed to be Japanese.

So what's going on here? It's not all racism in Hollywood. China is a big market for movies. There are changes to movies to appease a Chinese audience. ScreenRant: 15 Movies That Made Drastic Changes For A Chinese Audience You would think that more Asian actors would be cast for those markets.

I think Bill Maher was onto something here when he said on his HBO show Real Time this, "The dirty little secret is most movies are made now with an eye to the foreign market, and Asians really are racist.” He added,

“I’m just honest. They don’t want to see black people generally in their movies. The Hollywood executives are, like, ‘We’re not racist, we just have to pretend to be racists because we’re capitalists. We want to sell our movies in China (and) they don’t like Kevin Hart.’ ”

From Jan. 22, 2016 Real Time with Bill Maher reported by Deadline


Being racially Chinese, and an American, I can't dispute Maher's notion. I don't believe the great number of Chinese are racists to non-whites but it exists. (See Huffington Post article.) Growing up, I heard the Taishanese Chinese around me speak of black people as "Black Ghosts." Trust me it's not a compliment. So, maybe the Chinese like their movie stars "white." Maybe that's their idea of human beauty. And it's their prerogative. But in doing so, cinema is going to be less diversified.

Donald Trump against the world....

What a week for The Donald. Okay, it was Donald Trump against the mother of dead soldier. Then it's Donald Trump taking on House Speaker Paul Ryan by declining to endorse him in his primary election. He just recently endorsed Ryan. Now, it's Donald Trump against a baby. A baby? Yeah, he told a mother to take out a baby who was crying and in a kind of well, elitist way. Um... Donald. you are supposed to kiss the babies as a politician not kick them out. I need Stephen Colbert to have some fun with this.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TONY BENNETT!

Happy 90th Birthday Tony Bennett!!! Here he is singing "This Is All I Ask" last night on Stephen Colbert's Late Night show. And check out that actor "Moonlighting" as a stage hand wheeling in the birthday cake. Anyway, the song is appropriate. i love you Tony.

What the.. ? Matt Damon is the savior of the ancient Chinese in The Great Wall"

So, I'm surfing YouTube when I see this movie trailer for a film called "Great Wall." It looks to be about the Great Wall of China and why it was built. Then all of sudden, Matt Damon shows up. WHAT THE .... ?????!!!!! Okay, I might be a little biased being a Chinese American. But what in the wide world of ... of... China is a white guy running around saving ancient China? I mean didn't the Chinese build the Great Wall? What, they didn't have warriors to fight for them? And before you say I'm a politically correct liberal just remember I criticized Chris Rock for his pc Academy Awards show which at times insulted white people.

Okay, doing some research indicates that Chinese are involved in this film. But it just goes to show you that maybe Chinese should be less enamored of white people in film and perhaps promote more of their kind. I mean this is a movie about the freaking Great Wall of China. What next? Scarlett Johansson as a Japanese anime hero? Oh, never mind. Could we get somebody in the film industry to watch some Bruce Lee movies?

"The Great Wall" trailer... as George Takei would say, "Oh... my."

Bill Maher: Hillary Clinton must become the monster that the right wing says she is

Here's Bill Maher's New Rule where he argues that Democratic Presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton must become the monster that the right wing says she is. Hilarious stuff from Maher's HBO show, "Real Time." Caution: There's cussing in the video.

John Oliver on the Democratic National Convention and Donald Trump

John Oliver covered the Democratic National Convention and of course, the conservative Republican candidate for President, Donald Trump. Because you can't go more than 24 hours without the Donald putting his foot in his mouth. Funny stuff from Oliver's HBO show Last Week Tonight.

A new series for this blog. "Shut Up"

I'm introducing a new series for this blog or label for articles. It's based on my desire to tell people to just "Shut Up." The first two articles were previously published. One for Chris Rock and his pc Academy Awards ceremony and of course the other is for Donald Trump, a guy that I'm sure there will be more in this series.

Star Trek Beyond's new title

Mild spoiler alert.

If you've seen Star Trek Beyond, the motivation of the villain Krall might seem familiar. His problem? He was abandoned on a planet by the Federation. And for that he seeks revenge. Check out the trailer below which spoils the movie. Does this sound like any other Star Trek movies? Yep. It's the revenge motive again.



Check out the revenge plots of the following Star Trek movies. Warning, spoilers below:

1. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)

Khan is mad at Kirk for abandoning him on a planet and not checking up on him. Khan now wants revenge.

2. Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)

Ru'afo seeks revenge against Ba'Ku for banning him from his home planet.

3. Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)

Shinzon is mad at the Romulan Empire for abandoning him. He seeks revenge at the Romulans and the Federation.

4. Star Trek (2009)

Nero is mad that the Romulan and Federation let his planet, Romulus be destroyed. He seeks revenge against the Federation.

5. Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

Khan is mad that Admiral Marcus used him to create warships while not reviving his frozen crew. He seeks revenge.

So how about a new title for Star Trek Beyond? Let's try, STAR TREK: THE WRATH OF KRALL.

Star Trek Beyond 3D review

If you've read other reviews of Star Trek Beyond, you would get the feeling that it is a big budget movie version of the original TV series. (TOS) (Check out Trekmovie's review here.) And you would be right if Star Trek was a science fiction franchise that was about shallow action. But in this fiftieth anniversary of this great pop culture icon, we should remember what the creator of the TV series, Gene Roddenberry, wanted. He made a science fiction show that had substance and meaning. (See letter of Gene Roddenberry defending the pilot, "The Cage.")

Star Trek Beyond starts with Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) on a diplomatic mission. Things go bad and he's forced to flee. The Enterprise returns to the huge or in Donald Trump's parlance "huuuuuuge" starbase Yorktown. While there, a Federation escape pod containing Kalara (Lydia Wilson) is recovered. She tells Starfleet that her ship is wrecked on a planet in a nearby nebula. The Enterprise is the only ship with advanced sensors to locate Kalara's ship and it's sent to rescue the surviving crew. When the Enterprise is in orbit around the planet, it is attacked by Krall's (Idris Elba) swarm ships.

First, let me start with the cast. The crew of the Enterpirse all return to reprise their roles from J.J. Abrams' 2009 Star Trek movie. And they're all good. Chris Pine is excellent as an older and more weary Captain Kirk. Anton Yelchin, in one of his final films, gives his Chekov the youthful energy of a person excited to be in Starfleet. Zoe Saldana as Uhura doesn't get much in dialogue and neither does John Cho as Sulu. Look there's only so much to go around. Simon Pegg as Scotty uses his comic talents well when delivering some of his jokes. But it's Karl Urban as Dr. McCoy and Zachary Quinto as Spock that are the best performances. Perhaps this relationship is the most similar to the TV series. It's the funny banter and affection between the two gives this movie its warmth. Hopefully, there will be no fear in showing more of this friendship in future movies. Unfortunately, Idris Elba is a one note performance as the villain Krall. More on this later. And one more performance we should take note of. Sofia Boutella (The Kingsmen: The Secret Service) gives a spunky performance as the survivor Jaylah.

Star Trek Beyond at first feels like that big budget movie version of the TV series. The idea of the Enterprise entering a strange nebula and investigating a strange new world is something, we Trekkers loved about the original series. Heck, that's why I get goosebumps whenever I hear the opening monologue to the theme. (Video below.) And Star Trek Beyond's initial premise is exciting. Go through a nebula. Investigate an unknown planet. Things are "fascinating" as Spock would say, for the first two acts.



But it's the third act of this movie that has the stamp of corporate approval all over it. Simon Pegg and Doug Jung's script devolves into a simple action movie where it is all about good versus evil. Anything that might be nuanced is watered down by all of visual pyrotechnics. I mean is this movie designed to appeal to a larger Chinese audience? After, all one of the production companies is Alibaba Pictures, a Chinese company. Regardless, try figuring out how the crew takes down the bad guy without much in exposition. At one point, Uhura cuts off Spock's technobable with a silly catchphrase. You will wish that he got to complete the sentence. You try to put together the plot before you give up and just watch the explosions. And what about Krall's motivations? If you've seen Star Trek movies from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan to the last one, you will say to yourself, "That old motive, again?"

Director Justin Lin (The Fast and Furious 3-6) is competent in the way he sets up the action. But perhaps he was a mistake to helm this movie. Yes, it is problem of fast cut editing in this movie. Star Trek is not The Fast and Furious. As stated before, Star Trek is supposed to be more thoughtful. Big action set pieces have so many fast cuts that it's difficult to tell what is happening. You'll ask yourselves after events, a question like this, "How did Kirk, Spock and McCoy escape?"

As for the 3D version of Star Trek Beyond, save your money. It's a conversion from 2D and that shows. There's no pop, i.e. pushing out from the screen and there is is almost no depth. The only time I really noticed the 3D was the end credits with all of those CGI planets.

Star Trek Beyond is a good action movie. It is not thoughtful Star Trek. The grade is B.

Shut up Donald Trump, U.S. kills top ISIS leader

On the campaign trail, conservative Republican Donald Trump has often said the United States doesn't win anymore. Specifically he says that the United states doesn't beat ISIS.

So this should shut him up. The United States has just killed ISIS' number two in command and minister of finance, Abd ar-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli. ABC News. So Donald, what do you have to say about that? Oh, and the guy who was and is the Commander in Chief during this victory? PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA.

Waiting for your reply. Or maybe you and lyin' Ted Cruz should just keep fighting over your wives. Here's an idea, Donald. Just shut up about losing to ISIS. Because Barack Obama should be known as the Killer of Terrorists.

Fallout 4: Destroy the Sentry Bot at the National Guard Training Yard easily

Playing Fallout 4? Here's a tip to destroying that nasty Sentry Bot at the National Guard Training Yard after you get into the armory and discover that sweet power armor. When you get out of the armory, Mr. Sentry Bot has gotten out of his bunker and attacks you. Well, do this. Run back into the barracks, the building you exited to go to the armory. The Sentry Bot follows you but gets stuck in the first part of the barracks. Now, use the debris for cover and unload on it with your favorite weapon. You destroy it in no time.

Fallout 4: Destroy the Legendary Assaultron at the Electrical Hobbyist's Club Tip

If you play Fallout 4, you may have discovered the shack called the Electrical Hobbyist's Club. It's surrounded by high levels of radiation. Chances are you will have to use a Hazmat suit to go into it. There's a nice laser rifle up here, so it's well worth checking this place out. As you loot the top floors, you will discover there's a cellar.

The Cellar.

Watch your steps as you enter the cellar. First notice the bobby trap at the bottom of the steps. It will fire a rocket from a missile launcher if you set it off. Disarm it. That's the A button for XBOX players. Directly left is weight scale. That will set off the Legendary Assaulttron who will likely kill you since there's very little room to manuever down here. Worse yet, if you destroy it, the thing will set off an alleged nuclear explosion. I say alleged nuclear because I've just found a way to survive the explosion. Disarm the scale. Mr. Assaultron stays asleep.

But first, let's disarm the remaining traps. There's a trip wire in the terminal room. Directly to the left of the door to this room is a turret. I disarmed a trap to the right of the door. Ran back outside. To the left of Assaultron, is a hole in the wall. I took out my sniper and shot at the turret to destroy it.

Okay, let's get to the point. You want to destroy the Legendary Assaultron without killing yourself. Go back to the stairs. Take out your sniper and shoot at the thing until it's down to little health. It starts to catch on fire. Check V.A.T.S. to examine its health. Take out two fragmentation mines and put them around it. Go to the terminal room. Access the terminal. Activate the Assaultron. Go to the corner away from the hole in the wall. That's the corner next to the terminal. The Assaultron will move and set off the mines. It dies and explodes. You survive. At least, I did.

Loot the body. Since this is a Legendary Assaultron, there will likely be a nice reward. I got the Quickdraw Revolutionary Sword. It has 22 damage and its speed is medium. More importantly, it "Costs 25 percent less Action Points." I'm sure this is worthwhile to you players who prefer a melee build for your character.

Happy St. Patrick's Day 2016!

Let's celebrate St. Patrick's Day with The Chieftains and The Corrs. Here's the song, "I Know My Love."

Captain America: Civil War has a big spoiler

At the end of the second trailer for the upcoming Captain America: Civil War, there's a big spoiler. Okay, maybe not so big if you've read the graphic novel that the movie is based on. At least, that's what I've been told and read in the Wikipedia page description of the novel. Anyway, I thought they should have not spoiled it by showing a particular character that's going to make an appearance. I didn't read the novel, guys.

Hold on. With Batman vs. Superman coming out this month, the two major comic book superheroes seem to be having an intramural battle with each other. Did they anticipate the Republican Party civil war? Art imitates life. Anyway, check out the Captain America: Civil War trailer below.

SNL: Who votes for Donald Trump

Here's Saturday Night Live's fake ad on who votes for Donald Trump. Great stuff.

SNL: Hillary morphs into Bernie

I've noticed that Hillary Clinton is beginning to sound a lot like Bernie Sanders lately. Could it be that Sanders destroys her with the young voters? Saturday Night Live had fun with that. Check out this SNL Hillary ad. Funny stuff.

SNL mocks Trump and Sanders in open

Saturday Night Live had fun with the Ben Carson endorsement of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. I forgot. They also go after the violence at Trump rallies. Funny stuff. Check it out.

Ariana Grande has great jazz chops!

I have no idea who Ariana Grande is. Hey, I'm no longer a young kid. But last night on Saturday Night Live, she did this wonderful song with a nice jazz feel. Anyway, she demonstrated great jazz chops. I mean she can sing jazz. Nice phrasing and she hit all the notes. Great stuff. Hey, Ariana cut a jazz album. Um, that's what they do nowadays? Do records still exist?

Defend yourself, Bernie Sanders

At an Ohio rally, Donald Trump called Senator Bernie Sanders, a "communist." This will be the line of attack, Sanders will face from conservative Republicans especially from Trump.

Sanders responded by calling Trump a pathological liar. Bernie, you must do better. Defend yourself. This reminds me of 1988 when Mike Dukakis was attacked viciously by George W. Bush. And Dukakis basically did nothing. Bernie, you must educate the Donald. Here's what you should say,

"Donald, you say you went to the best schools. Well, obviously you must have been a terrible history student. Socialism is not communism. Communism is like the old Soviet Union, the system that your buddy Putin yearns for. Democratic socialism is like Denmark, which is a democracy. I'd be very happy to educate you further if you can take time from calling Mexican immigrants rapists and calling on your supporters to pledge allegiance to you."

SNL mocks Trump's Super Tuesday news conference

After Super Tuesday, Donald Trump had his first surreal victory news conference. Saturday Night Live had some great fun with it and the other events during the week. Oh, by the way, the Trump... um, body part joke is based on the raucous March 3 Republican debate. Enjoy this video from SNL.

Listen to your heart, vote for Bernie Sanders

Okay, Bernie Sanders and I share the same first name. But that's not the reason I'm endorsing Senator Sanders for President. As a Democrat, my brain tells me Sanders can't win. He's a socialist. But my heart knows he's right.

Sanders didn't go into politics for ambition or fame or ego. He's always had a belief that the rich and powerful were crushing the middle class and the poor. It's a belief that government can help people to live happier lives. Yes, it's anti-Reagan. Socialism is not communism as some conservative Republicans might have you believe. It's more western European. Sanders believes in universal health care, i.e. Medicare for all. College tuition free to public schools. It's all about getting government to work for the middle class.

Bernie is right. This country needs a revolution. It must be a country that is not for corporations, or the big rich. It must be a country for the people. This March 15 in Ohio, vote for Bernie Sanders for President of the United States.

Donald Trump has First Amendment rights

Okay, tonight in Chicago, a Donald Trump rally was cancelled due to the unrest in the arena. As much as I dislike Donald Trump and even think he is a fascist, I say to the protesters that Donald Trump also has First Amendment rights. He should be allowed to spew his hate speech. Now, don't get me wrong. I support the right to protest. But not at the cost of silencing another's voice. So, protest. But do it outside of the venue.

We live in a democracy where we value the marketplace of ideas. An angry mob should not be allowed to shut down speech. The First Amendment was designed to protect unpopular speech. That's so ideas can be heard and compete. That's how change happens. An unpopular speech with the government may be the right approach to change. It should not be censored.

Trump's fake steaks

Okay, let me say that Donald Trump did display REAL steaks at Tuesday's victory news conference. And why was the Donald displaying red meat? Because Mitt Romney and John Oliver pointed out that Trump Steaks was a failed business. However, the steaks he showed were not from a Trump steak company. Ironically, they were produced by a company called the Bush Brothers Provision Company. (New York Post story.)

Oy. For comedians this is like shooting fish in a barrel. Here's The Daily Show's take.

Don Meredith's signature song appropriate for Rubio, Kasich and Cruz

Super rich guy Donald Trump just took the Republican primaries for President in Michigan, and Mississippi. Oh, little Marco Rubio. John Kasich. Lyin' Ted Cruz. Remember Don Meredith from Monday Night Football? Here's what he would be singing, "Turn out the lights.... the party's over..."

Some political advice to Donald Trump

Dear Donald Trump,

I've decided to write this open letter giving you my advice on how to wrap up the Republican Presidential nomination by the end of March. Yes, I am a liberal Democrat but like you am somewhat politically incorrect. But I want you to win the nomination. Why? Because I don't believe you have a chance of winning the general election and even someone who is an avowed socialist like Bernie Sanders will win. So, let's get to it.

1. Winning Ohio and Florida next week will clinch the nomination for you. Yes, it ain't over if you do that but nobody is going to catch you if you take Ohio and Florida. Ted Cruz? Cruz is not going to take New York, California or Pennsylvania. He's out of states near Texas and I don't count the Maine win as anything substantial. That's like Marco Rubio taking Puerto Rico. But Ohio and Florida are winner take all states. Ohio has 66 and Florida has 99 delegates at stake. You win these two, and you can pretty much tell everybody to drop out.

2. Let Cruz help you in Florida. I know you hate "lying" Ted as you call him. Hey, who doesn't hate Cruz? But as long as he's in Florida, he takes away votes from Marco Rubio which is his home state. If he and his Super PAC put money in Florida to defeat Rubio then rejoice. And there is a Politico report that's this is true. Well, Donald move some of your assets elsewhere.

3. Put John Kasich out of his misery. Yes, I am an Ohioan but I'm objective when I say Ohio is important in the general election. Why do you think the convention is in Cleveland? Republicans don't win if they don't take Ohio. For you, Donald, you can probably end the primary race in Ohio.

Since Cruz is going to tie down Rubio in Florida, start moving more appearances and money to Ohio. Public Policy Polling has Ohio governor Kasich trailing you but only by three points, 38-35 percent. And you can't make the argument that Kasich is hated in his home state. But it's a state within your grasp.

I know Ohio. You need to turn out your voters first. Your voters are obviously the angry white men with many of them of the redneck variety. Those voters are south of Columbus. Try southeast Ohio. Here in Hamilton County, where Cincinnati is, there are still many angry white male Republicans. They all live in the suburbs. So do your ad buys and events in these areas. Later in the week, campaign in parts where you will be welcome but not overtly Democratic areas like Cleveland. That would be further north of Columbus. You don't want videos of your racist followers beating black protesters. Remember that Joe the Plumber is from Holland, Ohio near Toledo. There are pockets up northwest where Republicans are comfortable.

Part of your appeal to the neanderthals of the world is your bullying of other candidates. Again, bad to attack Kasich in his home state. Instead make Rubio your scapegoat. He's still in the race and you can whip up the Nazis, er ... crowd by beating up on him. Keep calling him 'Little" Marco and talk about all his sweat.

Well, good luck Donald. Hope you win the nomination so you can be destroyed by the Democratic nominee.

Sincerely,
Bernie "Not Sanders" Wong.

Rubio raised the size of Trump's junk first

So, I'm watching the Republican debate last night. And a fight broke out about the size of Donald Trump's hands. You see Sen. Marco Rubio had been making jokes about how small Trump's hands and a part of a man's body. Well, Trump showed his hands to demonstrate they were big and made a comment that there was nothing wrong about another part of his body, implying... ahem, his penis. There I said it. Well, a man has got to defend his junk. However, oh my God, this is freaking history. We have in a Republican debate, a candidate defending his junk. And yes, this is a PG rated blog so I'm not going to discuss any particular sex act. But folks, we had a scandal where President Clinton was impeached by the Republicans for lying about not having sex so none of this should be shocking.

But these attacks have on The Donald sound familiar. I've already written about Rubio's joke that Trump bankrupted his own casino. It's very reminiscent to Lewis Black's hilarious piece from The Daily Show in 2011. That Black joke starts at the 1:20 minute mark below.

I've also noticed that Rubio's jokes about Trump's hands sounds familiar. And remember, Rubio was the one that started this hand and junk stuff before the debate. (Breibart report.. Yes, I know that's a right wing site. Hey, I'm fair and balanced.) Well, it sounds like he might have got the idea from John Oliver in his HBO piece on Trump. Oliver notes that Trump is thin skinned about the size of his hands. Check that out in the riotous video below at the six minute mark.



And after you've seen Oliver's videos, you'll note something that sounds familiar. Mitt Romney's attacks on Trump's businesses and self financing reflects Oliver's jokes. Maybe the establishment Republicans should give some credit to those liberal Hollywood comedians.

Did Marco Rubio steal a joke from Lewis Black?

So, I'm watching Sen. Marco Rubio do his insult comedy routine on Donald Trump. And he says about Trump's failed casino, "This guy bankrupted a casino. How do you bankrupt a casino?" It reminded of comedian Lewis Black's great piece about Trump in 2011. Black says basically the same thing. Again check out Black's riotous piece on The Daily Show below.

Holy Cow! Republican civil war erupts

Today, former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney tore into GOP front runner Donald Trump. Romney called him a "phony" and "fraud." Romney said, "His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University." CNN report. And get this. He didn't endorse Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio. In the speech given at the University of Utah, he urged Republicans to vote for anybody but Trump. Telling people to vote for Rubio in Florida, and Ohio governor John Kaisch in Ohio. That means he wants Trump not to get the majority of the delegates which would lead to a contested Republican convention. CNN report. Holy Cow! In my decades of following politics, I have never seen anything like this.

So what was Donald's response? Trump said, ""He was begging for my endorsement. I could have said, 'Mitt, drop to your knees' -- he would have dropped to his knees." CNN report. Um... I'm speechless.

Trump's bigoted actions show GOP's racism

Now let me say this off the bat. There are many Republicans who are not racist. But the GOP has a dark history when it comes to racism. It's called the Southern Strategy. From Wikipedia, "In American politics, the Southern strategy refers to a strategy by Republican Party candidates of gaining political support in the Southern United States by appealing to racism against African Americans." From the same article, Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman apologized to the NAACP for the policy in 2005.

Let me say this, I don't think it's any mistake that GOP front runner Donald Trump initially refused to disavow David Duke, a KKK member and racist. Yesterday, black college students were ejected from a Trump rally for doing nothing. They were there to watch. USA report. , Today, Senator Mike Rounds R-S.D. said that even if Trump did not make a mistake about not disavowing Duke or white supremacists that Trump would still be the better than the Democrats. Really? A racist would be a better president? But here's what to remember about today. It's Super Tuesday where a bunch of southern states will vote. Alabama. Arkansas. Georgia. Oklahoma. Tennessee. Texas. Virginia. And for Trump, that's a lot of white racist votes for him to get.

Furthermore, the Republicans never liked President Obama. And they've disrespected him from the beginning. First there was Sen. Mitch McConnell who outlined the GOP agenda about making Obama a one term president. Then there was the birther stuff. A lot of it coming from Trump. He even questioned Obama's intelligence by raising doubts as to how he could get in Columbia and Harvard. Now, the Republicans refuse to hold hearings on Obama's Supreme Court. justice nominee. I've never seen such disrespect for a president. I can only put it on one thing. The old racists in the GOP still have power.

But it's one thing to appeal to the racists in the party for primary. It's another thing in the general election. The Republicans can count on losing moderates, liberals and independents for such policies, let alone minorities. This is not 1968.

John Oliver exposes Donald Trump

Last night, HBO's John Oliver did an excellent and funny piece on Donald Trump. He exposes him for the fraud that he is. So you Republicans that are in full panic mode over the specter of Trump winning the Republican nomination, enjoy this hilarious video courtesy of HBO and Youtube.

Celebrate Black History Month with Charlie Parker

In honor of black history month, I present the greatest musician of the twentieth century. CHARLIE PARKER. Here is his great song "Confirmation."

Shut up Chris Rock

So I'm watching the Oscars and am waiting what host Chris Rock would say about the lack of people of color in the acting categories. And his monologue was funny but went on too long about the lack of blacks in cinema. I mean the whole thing was about that. Then he insulted the first presenters Emily Blunt and Charlize Theron by making a joke about Emily and saying she's accompanied by somebody even whiter. These actresses didn't need to be insulted like that. They can't help it if they are white.

Then there was the first filmed skit. It featured scenes from this year's movies with black actors interrupting the scenes with jokes about not being in these films. Not funny. Why? The type of racism that they portray is not present. For example, NASA would not abandon an astronaut on Mars because he was black. Maybe that's funny in Blazing Saddles when that type of racism existed but not now.

Then Chris Rock decided to say something about one actor who was not nominated. Michael Jordan. When Rock introduced Jordan, he said he should have been nominated. Really? Does that mean the other actors in the Best Actor category were not deserving? Maybe you want a quota system? It insults the performances of the actors who were nominated in this category. Then there was the unfunny Black Moment in Film sketch. And then there was the video piece where Rock interviews black people about the controversy. That skit come at almost two hours later! Sigh.

Enough Chris Rock. Shut up. It was just two years ago that Lupinta Nyong'o won an Oscar for 12 Years a Slave. Hollywood is the most liberal segments of our society. They have pushed diversity for years. Sure, there are problems getting more people of color in film. I do want more people of color to be considered for roles that don't require a particular race.

Classic Saturday Night Live Republican debate skit

As I watched clips of last week's Republican Presidential debate, I couldn't help but think about the hilarious Saturday Night Live Republican debate skit from last fall. I meant there was a bunch of insults thrown in that skit by Donald Trump. And as I watched the real thing, it's almost as if life was imitating art. Back then it was art imitating life but now you can't separate them. So here it is. The SNL riotous Republican Presidential debate from September 2015, just in time for today's South Carolina primary. Enjoy.

Apollo 10 astronauts hear space "music"

Cue the X-Files theme. The Huffington Post is reporting as Apollo 10 was orbiting on the far side of the moon that the astronauts heard space "music." This music really sounds like a whistling noise that was heard through the radio. Now note as the ship is orbiting that part of the moon there is no radio contact. The report is highlighted in the Science Channel's series, "NASA's Unexplained Files." Check out the clip from the show below.

So, what was it? Easily explained ship noise? Then why is it over the radio? Or is it from aliens? The truth is out there.

Classic SNL Democratic debate skit from 2015

Okay, let's take a breather from Republicans slinging mud at each other and watch this classic debate parody from Saturday Night Live. Yes, I know this covers this year's Democrats and you may think it's too early to call it classic. Just watch it. It's very funny and they got Bernie Sanders just right. Kudos to Larry David for playing him. It's Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld as Bernie Sanders. Gotta love Hillary trying to tell voters to be well more practical versus Sanders' idealism. Enjoy.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day. How about "Sunday Morning" from Maroon 5?

Conservative Republicans immediately politicize Scalia's death

Justice Antonin Scalia died yesterday. And within a few minutes, Conservative Republicans have politicized his death by fretting over his replacement on the Supreme Court. The man has been dead for less than a day folks. Can't we mourn his death and celebrate his life?

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky) has said he wants the next president to pick his successor. What the .... ? Dude, President Obama has 340 days left. This is the Supreme Court. Decisions need to be made in a timely manner. These are critical decisions that affect the nation. Let me guess. he wants a right wing judge. Because if she's a liberal or moderate, the right wing is afraid of decisions that don't fit the conservative mode. I'm sorry but the needs of the nation trump conservative fears. It's simply despicable that conservative Republicans put their political views ahead of the welfare of the nation.

Ted Cruz is a hypocrite when it comes to Christian values

I hate to say this but I agree with Donald Trump. Sen. Ted Cruz is a hypocrite when it comes to Christian values. And I'm not talking about Trump's charge that Cruz is liar. Well, Cruz does play dirty. Look at the shenanigans he pulled on Ben Carson by saying he withdrew in Iowa.

Anyway, Cruz has lately pulled an ad that featured actress Amy Lindsay. His reason was that she was in some soft core porn movies. First, I say "so what?!" She wasn't doing any porn in the ad unless you consider his Cruz's ad to be porn. Why are we punishing this woman for her career choices? Second, assuming that it's a Christian virtue to forgive and doing porn is bad, where is Cruz's forgiveness? Yep, if interferes with his right-wing values, Cruz is a hypocrite when it comes to being a Christian.

Deadpool review

So, yesterday, I wrote a film review on Carol, a lovely story about two women who have an affair against the background of a fifties homophobic society. Today, I'm reviewing Deadpool. And it ain't an indie drama about two cowboys finding love. Nope. Deadpool is a fourth wall busting, kick-ass action comedy. I meant Deadpool could have had gay cowboys but that wouldn't fit the plot. Maybe next time, Deadpool 2, The Sequel could have subplot about gay henchmen.

Deadpool shows you the tone of this movie during the opening credits. I don't think I've ever seen funnier opening credits which destroyed the superhero genre. Yes, if you know anything about the comic book hero Deadpool, you know he will break the fourth wall. Anyway, the film starts out with Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) chasing the villain Ajax (Ed Skrein) and his henchmen in a wild car chase and firefight. But before we find out what happens, the film then flashes back to show how Wade Wilson (Reynolds) became the mutant Deadpool. You see it was Ajax that mutated Wilson and now, Wilson aka Deadpool, aka The Merc with a Mouth, seeks revenge.

I like the idea of a superhero movie making fun of its genre. Ryan Reynolds delivers his sarcastic lines with more than a little mischief as many fanboys thought he would be the perfect superhero. See Reynolds in Green Lantern (2011) or don't as it bombed. By the way, there are a couple of good jokes at Green Lantern's expense in this movie. With that and those opening credits, Deadpool frequently demolishes the fourth wall. And many times the jokes hit their target the way Deadpool's bullets blow off the heads of bad guys.

Alas, not everything is chimichangas, Deadpool's favorite food. Not all the jokes work. And believe it or not the filmmakers seem to have curbed some of jokes. For example, during a sex scene between Wilson and his girlfriend Vanessa (Morena Baccarin), she is um... having her way with Wilson. Well, you have to think about the punch line and Reynolds facial close up to get the joke. Would have been much funnier if we got to see the, ahem... marital aid. Yeah, it could be done in a "R" movie as this one. There was much worse in The Hangover II. You think they were afraid the kiddies would sneek in to see this or worse yet, the parents brought the kids to see it. Which makes me wonder if you brought your children to see Deadpool and say, "Are you nuts?" No wonder why Mike Huckabee thinks the country is going to hell.

I'm also not a fan of the flashback to orgins plot device. It pretty much brought the movie to a halt as it was too long, and at times, too serious. I mean you start out with a wild action scene, interrupt it and then we have to wait for about forty minutes for it to resolve. Deadpool should have also stuck to its more satirical roots. Because a third of this movie felt more like a conventional superhero flick.

So, you might have some questions after reading this review. "Is this movie any good?" "Will we ever see a Green Lantern II and III starring Ryan Reynolds?" "Should I vote for Ted Cruz?" The answers to those questions are: Yes, no, and hell, no. Ted Cruz? Really? You probably think Richard Nixon was not a crook. The grade for Deadpool is B.

No, you are not getting the red band trailer. This is a PG-13 blog.

Carol review

There's a scene in the movie Carol where actress Cate Blanchett is sitting in a diner pinning over her lost love. I actually know this restaurant. You see this movie was filmed in my hometown of Cincinnati. Today, that diner no longer exists. But it made think about the people who worked there, the waitress that served me, and Bill, the owner. Now, they've faded away and there is disappointment that I didn't get to say goodbye or have one last conversation. It's just a segment of my life that has passed. Maybe, it's the characters in Carol that made me feel that way. Their longing for happiness. The regret.

The movie is based on Patricia Highsmith's novel, The Price of Salt. It takes place in 1952, New York City. Therese Belivet (Rooney Mara) is a sales clerk at a department store. It's Christmas time. Wealthy socialite Carol Aird (Cate Blanchett) is shopping for a doll for her daughter. They don't have the doll she's looking for but Therese suggests a train set since she is a fan of that kind of toy. They seem to be attracted to each other. Carol buys one and has it sent to her home however she leaves her gloves at the store.

Therese mails the gloves back to her and Carol uses the gesture to invite Therese to her home. While there, Carol shows that she is interested in Therese in more than a platonic way. Unfortunately, Carol's husband, Harge, (Kyle Chandler) arrives and we find out that the marriage is in distress because Carol's previous lesbian affair. At risk because of Carol's lesbianism is custody of their daughter.

Director Todd Haynes has created a movie that feels like 1952. It also reflects films of that time. There are interior scenes with film noir conventions. Light reflected through blind curtains. He and cinematographer Edward Lachman have drained color from the film, thereby giving a faded and thus dated look. Many of the scenes look like they are from a Edward Hopper painting. It gives the movie a feeling of the past, not just the character's past but it makes the viewer think of his past. Haynes also doesn't over-direct. He let's the story dictate. There is very little fast cutting and there's some old school cover shots. Haynes' direction allows the audience to focus on the compelling story.

Cate Blanchett as the conflicted Carol is her usual solid self. She maintains a cold exterior yet she has lesbian desire while struggling to retain custody of her daughter. I don't know if this is a problem but I will say Blanchett's glamour and beauty many times overwhelm a scene. Rooney Mara gets to really stretch her acting chops her. She plays Therese as a naive woman who has lesbian leanings while suppressing them. Her looks and grace remind me of Audrey Hepburn. She's the second actress in a year that has reminded me of Hepburn. The first being in Elizabeth Debicki. (The Man From The U.N.C.L.E. 2015)

My only problem with this movie is the lack of dialogue. Yes, you heard that right. This movie actually needs more dialogue. I'm talking about two scenes. The first being the meeting between Carol and Therese at Carol's home. There needed more conversation between the two women to build up the attraction between the two. The second occurs at a later time which I won't discuss it in detail since it contains spoilers. But again it's a meeting between Therese and Carol. This absolutely needed more dialogue from Therese to explain her motivation and feelings. Shots of Rooney Mara's face doesn't let me know what she is thinking. Still, none of this hurts the film significantly.

Carol is a film about a time where homosexuality was considered immoral, a psychological disease. It's an emotional story about two women who struggle to live with their love when the world is against their very happiness. It's heart wrenching and well told. The grade is B Plus.

The problem with Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton started as the shoo-in Democratic presidential nominee. That idea has taken a hit after last night's New Hampshire primary. Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont destroyed her by winning 60-38 percent. She lost among every major demographic of the Democratic Party. (Fox News report. Hey, I'm fair and balanced.) Particularly troubling is her gap with young people.

So, what's wrong with Hillary? Here it is from this liberal. We don't trust her. She seems to want to be President because of raw ambition. Unlike, Bernie Sanders who is idealistic. I don't believe she will be a liberal in the White House. She can scream that she is one but she comes from the Clinton wing of the party. And that is Democratic Leadership Council, whose purpose was to move the party to the center so it could win elections. Nothing wrong with being a moderate but the Democratic Party has a long history of being idealistic. For example, she can't talk about Wall Street reform when her husband as President repealed sections of Glass-Steagall and allowed banks and investment banks to merge. That helped to lead to great economic crisis of 2008. ( The film, Inside Job. 2010) Yet, I strain to hear her talk about any legislation to rein in Wall Street. Worse, she has earned a king's ransom in speaking fees from Goldman Sachs amounting $675,000.00. And I'll bet she didn't tell them to "knock it off." Because that's not a message that the bankers pay to hear. (See Politico article.)

Hillary's problem can be summed up in this skit from Saturday Night Live, "A Hillary Christmas." She comes off as all ambition.

The New American Fascist, Donald Trump, Wins

First let me just say that I was one of the first to call Donald Trump, a fascist. (April 26, 2011 post) That was long before fellow Republicans called him one. So today, I'm happy he won the New Hampshire Republican primary for President.

Happy you say? Absolutely. I don't believe a racist and fascist can win the White House. That means that even a socialist like Senator Bernie Sanders could be our next President. Second, this just shows you who populates the modern Republican party. Angry, white men who agree with Trump's racist ideas. And don't get me wrong. The Republican Party has some good people in it but those angry white guys from the Tea Party wing are now dictating policy. Third, I will have some great comedy to post in the upcoming months.

For example, comedian Lewis Black raised the possibility of a Trump candidacy in 2011 on The Daily Show. Here's his riotous video piece. Enjoy.

The Daily Show - Back in Black - Trump 2012
Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

The Oscars are not racist

I'm a liberal and love film. But I'm not a totally pc person. I am also not white. So, I find it disturbing that some African American film artists are protesting this year's Oscar nominees as being so white. It's as if they're saying there was racism in the nomination process. African American actress Jada Pinkett Smith and directer Spike Lee are going to boycott the Oscar ceremony.

My problem is that some African Americans seem to be mandating a quota. Art should be color blind. That means talent is judged by quality not race. If the Academy members that have viewed the movies nominated those that they felt were best of the year and not on the basis of race then there is no racism. Simply saying there are no black nominations does not mean that decisions were based on race.

The irony of all this is that Hollywood is the last place for racism. In the sixties, Hollywood was in the forefront of pushing African Americans into the mainstream. In the sixties, there were black leads in TV. Nichelle Nichols as Uhura in Star Trek. Diahann Carroll in Julia. Today, there are TV shows with black leads. And on and on. And it's not as if people of color do not win Oscars. See African American actress Halle Berry. See Director Ang Lee. Update: I forgot one big example. 12 Years a Slave won Best Picture and also won Oscars for black actress Lupita Nyong'o and best adapted screenplay for African American John Ridley IV. And that just occurred in 2013.

The best in film should not be effected by how many African Americans are nominated. The Oscars should be awarded to those who excel in film regardless of race.

The Problems with Star Wars: The Force Awakens

I'm going to commit pop culture heresy here and say some negative things about Star Wars: The Force Awakens. (2015) First, let me say it's a good movie not a great one. It's well made but there are some major problems with it. Warning. There are spoilers ahead.

1. THERE IS NOTHING ORIGINAL ABOUT STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS AND IT IS DERIVATIVE OF MOVIES IN THE SERIES.

While I was watching Star Wars: The Force Awakens, I was surprised at how much of the movie is derivative of other films in the Star Wars series. First, let's start with Rey's home planet, Jakku. She's the main protagonist and her planet is dominated by deserts. Look familiar? It's much like Luke Skywalker's home planet Tatooine which was also a desert planet. And since she's related, ahem... to Luke, you wonder if the writers (Lawrence Kasdan, J.J. Abrams, and Michael Arndt) decided to bring all things familiar from Star Wars to this movie. That will become apparent as The Force Awakens goes on.

The cantina on Takodana. This scene was similar to one in Star Wars which featured a cantina with strange aliens and an alien band. Iconic. I don't see why the filmmakers decided to remake another scene in a cantina with strange aliens and alien band playing music. You get this feeling that the writers decided to say "Hey, let's do another cantina scene like they had in Star Wars." It's almost like they were making another Jurassic Park sequel.

The Starkiller. Yes, there is another. And by that I mean there's another Death Star. In The Force Awakens, the Empire aka The First Order, has a planet killer superweapon just like the Death Star from Star Wars, and Return of the Jedi. (1983) It's a planet that destroys star systems but is very reminiscent of the Death Star. And don't ask me how they move the planet. Star Wars is fantasy not science fiction so don't sweat the details. But come on guys. This is the third movie with a Death Star.

Han Solo's death. Solo confronts his son, Kylo Ren aka Ben, on a bridge like structure in the Starkiller. It's reminiscent of Luke learning the truth about Darth Vader being his father in The Empire Strikes Back. Ren kills Han and he falls to his death. Very similar to Luke's fall in Empire and also Darth Maul's fall to his death in The Phantom Menance. (1999) And while I get this may be a homage to those scenes, this and other scenes demonstrates a lack of creativity.

The destruction of the Starkiller. Okay, to destroy the Starkiller, Han must lead a team to bring down the shields so X-Wing fighters can exploit a weakness and destroy it. Sound familiar? In Return of the Jedi, a team had to disable the shields on Endor so fighters could enter the Death Star to destroy that Death Star. And guess who led that team? Han Solo.

The fighter ships. It's about thirty years after the events in Return of the Jedi. The rebels are still using X-Wing fighters and the Empire is still using Tie fighters. Really?

2. STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS DOES NOT HAVE AN ENDING.

The whole point of the movie is the search for Luke Skywalker. (Mark Hamill) Both the Rebel forces and the Empire aka The First Order are looking for him. The Empire wants to destroy him as he is the last Jedi Knight. And the Rebel forces want his assistance in restoring peace and justice in the galaxy.

It's clear, Skywalker can answer some important questions. One, Skywalker can answer as to what happened to the Jedi Order. Two, he can tell us, the audience, why he went into hiding.

Well, assuming you have seen the movie, you know what happens at the end. Rey finds Luke. She hands him his light saber and that's it. No answers. And before you say it's supposed to be a trilogy, you the audience don't know that. And by the way, even The Phantom Menace had an ending. We knew the prequels were a trilogy. Yet, every film in that particular series had an ending.

But what about The Empire Strikes Back which is considered by some to be best film in the Star Wars series? It ended in a cliff hanger. First, after the success of the first movie, the audience was educated that there was going to be three movies. And this is important. Empire was the second act in a three act play.

The Force Awakens is the first part of a trilogy, assuming that there was going to be three. You would have to be a loyal Star Wars fanboy, to assume that there was going to be a trilogy. I meant if the first movie of this series bombed, it's quite possible that there would be no others in the series. Second, the movie did not have to end this way without answers. Luke could have told Rey what happened to the Jedi Order, and why he was in hiding. Then the film could have left Rey's and the Resistance's future to be determined. Instead, we're left with a wait of maybe two years or longer to see what Luke says to Rey. You going to wait that long for a simple conversation?

This ending leads us to the next flaw in The Force Awakens.

3. MARK HAMILL DOES NOT HAVE A LINE.

The promise of seeing the original trinity of Luke, Leia and Han was certainly going to be a feeling of nostalgic warmth for Star Wars fans. Seeing the actors, Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (Leia Organa) and Harrison Ford (Han Solo) is like seeing beloved uncles and aunts. It didn't matter what they looked like now. We know that they're older. We loved them then and love them now. Well, we did see Han and Leia.

But where was Mark Hamill as Luke? He doesn't say a bloody thing. I mean you sit through the whole movie just to see him and all you get is a look. What a gyp. I mean who wrote this thing, the creator of Lost? Um... never mind about that. Regardless, I was very disappointed with the end of this movie.

The question for me is whether I'm going to get excited about about what Luke utters in the next movie. It's going to be a two year or longer wait. The questions of The Force Awakens could have been answered in the movie.