Category Archives: Film, TV, and Radio

Frank Abagnale at Google

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The first  time I heard about Frank Abagnale was for a book report in 9th grade English (I think I got a B+?).  Since then, he’s had a movie produced about him and a Broadway musical too.  Google invited him to speak a few years ago.  Listening his story is pretty fascinating.  But I think the Q&A portion is much more interesting since two of the topics he discussed are very relevant today.

Here’s the full talk.

Age of AI

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Artificial Intelligence is an area of huge scientific advancement, wonder and personal interest.  This includes automation, computers that mimic the cognitive thinking process, and machine learning.  This 2-hour PBS documentary about AI reports on on the current state of AI… both the benefits and harms from utilizing the technology.  Discussion includes productivity and wealth impacts; privacy concerns (surveillance); economic effects (job loss/creation); machine learning benefits (early cancer detection); and political and social impacts.

 

As all documentaries go,  the show looks at what is in store for the future and more importantly how to use AI for civilization’s benefit.

 

Frontline PBS Documentaries

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I recently noticed Frontline PBS put out documentaries on YouTube.  I’m not sure how long they’ve been doing these documentaries but it only recently popped up on my YouTube suggestions.  This documentary about Jeff Bezos and Amazon is pretty interesting.  It’s worth a listen if you have 2 hours.

 

 

Netflix Explains COVID-19

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Netflix has a new documentary on what is COVID-19 disease.  It’s a nice synopsis of everything the scientists currently know about the disease COVID-19 as well as the SARS-COV-2 virus that causes this disease.  And… there’s still a lot the scientists do not know.  If you still don’t think this pandemic is not “really that bad” and you want to “open up for business,”  this should be a mandatory watch for all of you.  I hope you change your mind after this.

However if you insist on still wanting to get out and open for business, please do everyone a favor and decline ANY AND ALL medical attention.  If you openly defy sound scientific advice, then naturally you should also not seek these scientific based medical attention that could save your life.  After all, the limited resources should be going to those essential workers (healthcare, grocery, restaurant workers) who were taking all the necessary precautions and were infected by the dummies who believed their freedoms were being “trampled on.”

There is no freedom from death.  There is no freedom when dead.

Asian Enough Podcast

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To have LA Times support a podcast called Asian Enough where celebrity Asian Americans are interviewed about their unique experience and background while growing up Asian American is very remarkable.  It’s very refreshing to hear how these Asian celebrities describe their childhood difficulties of not being American enough in US while simultaneously not being Asian enough from their country of cultural origin.  Doesn’t that sound familiar?

 

Netflix’s J-Style Trip

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Jay Chou… musician, songwriter singer, actor, entertainer… and now a travel show host on Netflix.  Jay Chou certainly is using his leverage and star power to invite a lot of the Taiwanese guest entertainers to his show (so far up to episode 4).  What’s fun about the show is the guest will show Jay around a city (usually their home city) and the local attractions.  In addition to the guest, he also has a group of friends that tag along with him and act as the targets of his antics.  And of course the crowds that follow them trying to take a picture or autograph.  He has also has

What I didn’t know is Jay’s fascination with magic tricks and competitive nature.  In just about every show so far, there’s a competition with a punishment associated with losing.  Of course, Jay “has to not lose” every time and will stack the cards in his benefit.  Even his friends know that and are willing to play along.  In those interviews afterwards, you can tell they don’t take it him too seriously and it’s all in good fun.

In the Taipei episode (episode 4), Jay saying he’ll treat everyone at the restaurant is a good PR move.

Netflix’s Tiger King

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If there’s a trainwreck documentary to watch, Netflix’s Tiger King would be very high on that list to watch.  There’s just so many things that’s crazy and wrong about the show that it’s hard to stop watching.  I really don’t know how to describe it.  It’s also a top ranked Netflix show.  Even President Trump was asked about it (clip from Twitter) .  Talk about crazy…

Amazon’s Making the Cut

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Do you remember Bravo’s Project Runway? Amazon was able to sign both Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum (the OG hosts of Project Runway) to a new show that looks and feels EXACTLY like Project Runway called Making the Cut.  The twist?  Apparently, the winer of each episode gets to have their design sold on Amazon.

Apparently, the show is popular enough and generated enough interest to have things “sold out.”  Although if you look at the Amazon review of the first episode’s winner, the reviews appear to be mixed.

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Regardless, I find that these shows where creativity and design translates into tangible wearable clothing to be pretty fascinating.  It’s very similar to cooking competition shows like Top Chef, Master Chef or even Iron Chef (OG Japanese version is much better).  Both types of shows focus on the creativity of the chef or designer to create something that just “wows” the judges.  There’s rarely any cut throat or back stabbing like you see with other reality shows like Survivor, Bachelor, or Big Brother.  I also find creative/design shows to be different from talent shows like The Voice or American Idol.  With talent shows, people usually will know who a good singer is and it becomes a matter of cultivating that talent through hard work, good music and proper guidance of experienced professionals.

Anyways, if you have Amazon Prime… check out the show  Making the Cut.

Bill Gates the Oracle?

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Have you seen this TED Talk from Bill Gates talking about an epidemic…. FIVE YEARS AGO?  FIVE YEARS AGO!! Egads…

A highly infection virus?  Prepared response teams? Enough inventory to support the hospitals and 1st line workers?  Gates even presented solutions on some of the biggest concerns.  And I’m pretty sure as we’re in the middle of the COVID19 pandemic none of the solutions were implemented.  Seriously…. the adage of “ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” still holds true.

Here’s a pretty cool follow up in 2020.

Netflix’s Dirty Money

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Netflix has this fascinating documentary called Dirty Money that describes in detail some of the ways Americans cheat other Americans.  The show is in season 2 and episode 5 about Guardianships absolutely sickens my stomach. The greed of individuals who are “managing” the estate of people knows no bounds and then using the court systems to “enforce/force” the older population into such an arrangement.  

I have to admire the older population who have been responsible and managed to amass a significant amount of wealth.  They worked, saved and managed to finally live a comfortable life including a bright retirement future with little need to worry about finances.  They are still in good health and have sharp, lucid mind.  Many of them are more than capable of living alone with perhaps a person to check on them every day/few days.  Truly a person able to enjoy their golden years with little monetary worries is something to admire.

When it comes to guardianships, I understand why there is a need for it.  There will be times when people are unable to make decisions let alone take care of themselves.  Yet from the documentary, there seems to be a system that seeks to take advantage of the court system to strip the elderly of the right to have a voice in the matter while assigning them to people who’ll manage the assets for a percentage of the total assets.  Not only that, the management could have special kickback relationships with other companies who provide services to the elderly that end up charging exorbitant prices.  Free reign over a person’s financials with no checks and no balances… egads…