This story deserves more media attention.

New York Times 4.2.2019

SHAH ALAM, Malaysia — A Vietnamese woman charged in the airport assassination of the half brother of North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, was sentenced on Monday after pleading to a lesser charge of causing bodily harm.

The defendant, Doan Thi Huong, 30, was one of two women who smeared VX nerve agent on the face of Kim Jong-nam, Kim Jong-un’s elder brother, in February 2017. She was ordered to serve 40 months in prison.

“The girls should not have been charged in the first place,” Ms. Huong’s lawyer, Hisham Teh, told reporters

Ultimately, though, “we are happy because ultimately she can go home within one month,” he added.  Mr. Teh argued she should have been freed sooner, as her co-defendant was, because she was “naïve and gullible and was exploited.”

The  lawyer said she would be released on May 4, after time served and an additional sentence reduction.

Her co-defendant, Siti Aisyah, 27, was freed three weeks ago after intensive lobbying by the Indonesian government, including a personal appeal from President Joko Widodo to Malaysia’s prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad.

Officials still believe that the assassination was organized by North Korean agents: four North Korean men who were believed to have orchestrated the plot and then flew out of Malaysia within hours of the killing. Three other North Koreans implicated in the attack were later allowed to leave the country.

No one other than the two women ever faced charges.

The Catholic Church has enough controversy, already.  Star of the Sea is a fixture in the San Francisco Richmond District community. This is yet another sad issue to confront.

Excerpted from San Francisco Examiner 4.2.2019

A sharp decline in student enrollment is forcing an Inner Richmond Catholic elementary school to downsize and tap into parish funds after church leadership moved to push the curriculum in a more traditional direction.

Some parents have attributed the exodus of students to decisions by Star of the Sea pastor Joesph Illo, who has a history of polarizing the school community by making clear distinctions between Catholic and non-Catholic students and boys and girls.

Conflict between  Illo and the community began in January of 2015 when he made a controversial decision to stop the parish’s practice of allowing girls to work as ‘altar servers,’ according to local news reports.

Two months later, Illo reportedly created controversy again by distributing pamphlets that contained sexual topics to students as young as eight.

Illo went on to ban non-Catholic students from receiving blessings at communion and reading at school Mass in November of 2015.

While some of these practices were eventually revoked, Illo continued to push for greater distinctions between Catholics and non-Catholics that attended the school, according to parents interviewed by the National Catholic Reporter.

More recently a coalition of anonymous parents sent a formal complaint against Illo, following a combative meeting between school officials, parents on March 7, 2019.

“His methods have been unnecessarily destructive, abusive and hostile; and [he] has decimated the student population at the school in the last two years,” the letter states. “Fr. Illo does not possess the leadership ability to control his temperament under pressure.”

These claims mirror the findings of a 2003 Canonical Investigation into allegations of harassment raised against Illo during his time in a Stockton, California diocese.

So far only 40 to 50 students have committed to re-enrolling for the 2019-2020 school year, less than a quarter of the 220 students that were enrolled for the 2017-2018 school year, according to a school representative.

The school, which was founded in 1909 as an extension of the parish of the same name, is now considering combining grades, reducing its staff size and relocating teachers to other Catholic schools in their network, according to Mike Brown, director of communications for the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

https://www.sfexaminer.com/the-city/sharp-drop-in-enrollment-forces-cutbacks-at-inner-richmond-catholic-school/

April 28, 2019

UPDATE: Spoiler Alert.  This Post reveals details about the Film. A reader requested I provide this information.

 I went to see “Transit” on a quiet Sunday afternoon at The Clay Theater in San Francisco.  Having read the novel and seen the film, following are my thoughts on the cinematic adaptation.

April 1, 2019

“Transit” is like a Twilight Zone episode.  The 104-minute film, out of necessity, leaves out much of the 1942 novel by Anna Seghers.  But, still, the dystopian emphasis is apparent.  The main character, Georg, always appears to be in a mental fog and virtually everyone with whom Georg has contact either dies or disappears.

The main female character in the story, Marie, flows in and out of the story.  It is almost as if she is not there.  Instead, Marie is a ghost like presence with whom Georg strives to physically connect.  But, even in the few times they are together, Marie is slipping away mentally and physically.

Two of the best scenes occur when Georg visits the Mexican and American consulates in Marseilles to obtain “Transit” papers.  At the American Consulate, Georg is pressed by the consular officer about why he does not plan to pursue his professional writing career after he emigrates.  Georg recites stories he has written on different topics and believe it is all superfluous.  Georg has come to believe he is simply impersonating his subjects and is no longer himself.

The film is captivating because I was unsure where Georg is going, why he is going and what he expects to find when he arrives at this destination.

In the end Georg sees the elusive Marie walk by him as he sits looking out of a café in Marseilles. A short time later he learns the vessel that Georg thinks she sailed earlier has been sunk and everyone aboard perished.

Is what Georg saw the real Marie?  Or a mirage?

You could believe that Georg is dead, and he is looking up from, or out of the grave because everyone in world is either dead or gone missing.

I’ve been listening to The Stones since I was 16. I have almost every album.  The first time I saw the group perform was 1970 in Amsterdam.  I was standing on  stage 10 feet from the band.  During  the Stones earlier concert in Paris there was mayhem in the audience.  Mick told the more subdued Dutch crowd, “Shake your asses, Amsterdam!!!!”

Picture above-1963 Publicity Photo.  Mick is in the middle of the group.

Excerpted from The Guardian – 3.31.2019

Sir Mick Jagger’s Rolling Stones bandmates have expressed their support for the 75-year-old frontman after he announced he was pulling out of a tour of the US and Canada because of an undisclosed medical problem.

Jagger, who follows a strict diet and fitness regime, said he was “devastated” to let down the band’s fans after he announced the group were postponing the North American leg of their tour on doctor’s orders.

Jagger’s bandmates were quick to voice their support. Keith Richards, who has been at the singer’s side since the band formed in 1962, tweeted: “A big disappointment for everyone but things need to be taken care of and we will see you soon. Mick, we are always there for you!”

The guitarist Ronnie Wood added: “We’ll miss you over the next few weeks, but we’re looking forward to seeing you all again very soon. Here’s to Mick – thanks for your supportive messages it means to much to us.”

A statement on behalf of the group said: “Unfortunately today the Rolling Stones have had to announce the postponement of their upcoming US/Canada tour dates – we apologise for any inconvenience this causes those who have tickets to shows but wish to reassure fans to hold on to these existing tickets, as they will be valid for rescheduled dates, which will be announced shortly.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/mar/31/rolling-stones-duo-give-backing-mick-jagger-tour-postponed

Israeli Defense Force (IDF) exerts its  military might to quell protests, kill and injure Palestinian citizens.  This is all a part of the corrupt, recently indicted, for corruption, Bibi Netanyahu’s upcoming re election campaign. It’s Bibi’s version of “Make Israel Great, Again (by waging war against the Palestinians).”

Excerpted from Deutsche Welle 3.30.2019

Deadly clashes broke out in Gaza as thousands of Palestinians clashed with Israeli forces at a protest marking a year of unrest in the region. Israeli military fired live rounds, according to eyewitnesses.

Excerpted from Deutsche Welle 3.30.2019

Even before the Nazis’ rise in 1933, anti-Semitism was present in film. After 1945, many directors struggled to deal with the Holocaust, but some continued to make movies with anti-Semitic tendencies.

Photo above – Schindler’s List (1993)

Margarethe von Trotta’s film about Hannah Arendt was well received in 2012. The director sketched a balanced portrait of the philosopher and publicist who, in the 1960s, grappled with a figure who was largely responsible for the Nazi genocide: Adolf Eichmann. Arendt coined the phrase “the banality of evil” to explain anti-Semitism clothed in seemingly harmless bureaucracy.

https://www.dw.com/en/why-hitler-watched-hollywood-films/a-48062877

This story throws into sharp focus the growing dichotomy between the Haves and Have Nots in The City of Saint Francis of Assisi.

Excerpted from The Guardian 3.28.2019

Residents from one of San Francisco’s most desirable neighborhoods are taking a controversial approach to blocking a new homeless shelter: launching a crowdfunding appeal.

Their campaign on GoFundMe – best known as a site that hosts fundraisers for medical expenses or victims of natural disasters – has prompted an angry response from the city’s mayor.

It has drawn more than $46,000 dollars, nearly half of its stated $100,000 goal. The money is to go to  local attorney Andrew Zacks working on behalf of the residents, and its 91 donors include an anonymous contributor who gave $10,000, along with hedge fund managers, executives and authors.

A rival GoFundMe in support of the proposed shelter was launched on Thursday, and quickly received a $5,000 donation from GoFundMe itself.

A thriving tech economy has squeezed the San Francisco housing market, and like many cities on the west coast it is grappling with an overwhelming homelessness crisis. The number of homeless people has remained constant despite massive investments, and the new shelter in the Embarcadero was to be part of the city’s promise to increase the number of shelter beds by 1,000. There are roughly 7,500 homeless residents in the city and more than 1,400 are waiting for temporary spots to open.

“People want us to address the challenges on our streets and help our unsheltered residents into housing, and I am committed to doing the hard work to make that happen,” the San Francisco mayor, London Breed, said in a statement given to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The money raised will be paid to  real estate attorney Zacks, who advocates on behalf of the rights of property owners and last made the news in 2017, when he defended a San Francisco property owner who tripled the rent on his tenants, from $1,900 to $6,700.

The 2.3 acre vacant lot just beneath the Bay Bridge, on San Francisco’s eastern shore, seemed the perfect spot for a new temporary shelter, which would add 200 beds.

But, situated close to tourist attractions, seaside bike lanes, and – most notably – neighborhoods filled with million-dollar-homes and condos, the site was primed for local pushback.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/mar/28/san-francisco-gofundme-homeless-shelter-embarcadero

Yesterday I Blogged about the movie (“American Gangster”) and the book (“The Force”). Today we have a real life event.

Excerpted from San Francisco Examiner 3.28.2019

Photo above. Jamare Coats (left center) and Sean Harrison (right) at their arraignment on Wednesday, March 27, 2019. (Ellie Doyen/Special to S.F. Examiner)

The deadly shooting that prompted the indefinite closure of the beloved Fillmore Heritage Center was a “gun battle” that erupted during a funeral reception for a local pimp, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Assistant District Attorney Michael Swart said the Saturday night shootout started with a confrontation between several men attending a memorial for Ron Newt, a storied San Francisco pimp and businessman.

The shooting killed 25-year-old Mister Dee Carnell Simmons III, injured five others and led to the cancellation of all events at the newly revitalized center in the near future to the outrage of community members.

The center has tried to distance itself from the shooting, calling it a “random incident” along the Fillmore Street corridor.

The shooting prompted the Fillmore Heritage Center to cancel all events through the end of the month. Community members fear that the newly restored space could close permanently as a result of the violence.

Supervisor Vallie Brown said the center needed to be closed because the violence was a potential liability for The City, which owns the building.

Brown said the center failed to inform city officials that it planned to host the funeral reception so that police units could be provided.

Brown said the Entertainment Commission and the Police Department recommended that the center be temporarily shut down over the lack of a security plan for the funeral reception.

“There was a complete disconnect,” Brown said. “There weren’t any police around and … the security wasn’t there.”

David Stevenson, a police spokesperson, confirmed that police officers were not asked or hired to perform security at the funeral reception.

https://www.sfexaminer.com/the-city/gun-battle-erupted-at-fillmore-heritage-center-during-memorial-for-pimp-prosecutors-say/

March 27, 2019

Taking a break from the daily news. Watching Ridley Scott’s 2007 film “American Gangster.”  As the movie promotes itself, “Based on a true story.”  Interesting, gripping, violent, well acted and fast paced by the Director of Blade Runner. Simultaneously, I am reading the 2017 novel by Don Winslow, “The Force.” In the photo above Denzel Washington, portraying real life New York gangster Frank Lucas, walks the street with members of his family.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Gangster_(film)

The Force is just as gritty as American Gangster and equally riveting.

March 26, 2019

My favorite Music Video.  U2 doing a knock out performance of “Pride-In the Name of Love” in Berlin August 31, 2018 at the Mercedes Benz Arena.

Fantastic!!!. The crowd and the opening video ads to the aura.