1) I was listening to an old interview with author Jon Ronson (THE PSYCHOPATH TEST, THE MEN WHO STARE AT GOATS, and many other nonfiction books). He talked about being overweight when he was a kid, and how he was picked on because of it. He said there was one particular bully who initiated things, and one time, at the main bully’s urging, a couple of kids threw him into a lake.
Ronson said after he became a bestselling author, he tracked down the head bully and emailed him. He asked the man if he remembered him and remembered when he, along with some other kids, threw him into a lake because he was fat. Ronson told the man,
“I’m a bestselling author now. What do you think about that?”
The man (former bully) answered, “We didn’t throw you into the lake because you were fat. We threw you into the lake because you were a pain in the ass. And by the tone of your email, I can see you haven’t changed.”
2) OMG, I wish this would stop:
Any time I see an article or YouTube video about someone arrested for child abuse, child molestation, or sex offenses in general, there are always comments from people saying,
“He won’t last long in prison. The other inmates will see justice done.”
No. It’s not true. Hollywood has lied to you. Prisons are not filled with kind hearted anti-heroes who will seek vigilante justice against a sexual predator or someone that murdered a kid. Anyone who enters prison with a high profile crime is generally segregated. If they feel threatened, the prison will keep them isolated from the general population.
Why? Because prisons have been sued in the past for not heeding threats against inmates.
Even if they aren’t protected inside by the prison staff, most of them, if they can keep their mouth shut and mind their own business, will get along fine. Sure, they might receive some verbal threats and insults. They might have their commissary stolen. They might even have piss and shit thrown on their beds. But physical assault? That usually only happens when someone runs their mouth or refuses to pay a debt (gambling or otherwise).
“But why? Don’t some of them have children on the outside? Don’t they hate any violence against kids?”
Sure. There are many people like that in prison. Problem is, a lot of them are trying to do their time so they can get back out to their families. They’re not looking to add extra time for beating up a child molester.
The ones that have multiple life sentences? Why don’t they do something against child predators in prison?
Some do, but the majority don’t care. Why should they? You think they received multiple life sentences because they were out doing some Robin Hood-style shit? They’re not good guys in any sense of the term.
Remember that case a few years back when the guy killed his cellmate because he was a child molester? Well, not exactly…
He was serving a long prison sentence already. No chance of getting out. His cellmate was a convicted child sexual predator. The cellmate kept talking about his crimes. The other guy told him to stop. He didn’t, so that’s why he killed him. Not because of his crimes, but because the guy told him to stop talking about it and he didn’t.
Later, when talking to the police, the guy even said, “I’m no hero.” If his cellmate had kept his mouth shut, he’d probably still be alive, and the two of them would still be sharing a cell today.
Stop thinking prison is filled with people who will seek vigilante justice.
3) I keep thinking back to a few years ago at my previous job…
A freelancer left us high and dry on a job for two very important clients. It was through no fault of my own. I hadn’t even hired the flaky freelancer. That was someone else’s fault. Still, since it fell under my department, upper management put the blame on me.
I was able to salvage the job, and through other departments, was able to finish everything. Clients were miffed and we were forced to give some discounts, but it all worked out. Upper management still thought a lot of the blame should fall on me.
A month later, the sales department was awarding their quarterly award for the person who “went the extra mile” and who they thought excelled at the company’s commitment to excellent service and attention to detail. They picked me as the recipient of the award, which included a decent cash bonus.
Only bringing this up because I find it funny, and kind of telling, that management in a company can put the majority of blame on one person, while another department (sales, in this case) can look at the same situation and say, “That person handled it all very well!”
4) MURDERBOT concluded its first season, and did a great job. Especially since they didn’t end on a cliffhanger like a lot of these shows do.
I hate when they do that. Just give us an ending, even if you want to continue the show! Anyway…
First season is done, and they left it at a point where it can go anywhere for a second season. And if it doesn’t? That’s okay. The story has a conclusion.
The movie, OPUS, stars John Malkovich and that girl, Sydney, from THE BEAR (sorry, I don’t feel like looking up the actress’s name right now). Malkovich plays a reclusive rock star who announces he’s coming out with a new album after 27 years, and he picks a select group of people to come to his estate/commune to hear it. “Sydney” is one of the people Malkovich invites, although she’s a nobody in the world of rock journalism.
Example: She’s worked at a Rolling Stone-style magazine for 3 years, pitching articles, and never had anything published.
Soon after her arrival, “Sydney” senses there are nefarious things going on at the rock star’s commune, and suspects he’s the head of a cult. Malkovich is great at chewing the scenery, playing someone equal parts Elvis, Elton John, L. Ron. Hubbard, and a little Jared Leto thrown in, although imagining him as an international singing star is a bit of a stretch.
The movie is fun and there are lots of red herrings to keep you guessing throughout. My only problem with the movie is, the twist ending doesn’t feel natural. In fact, it feels a bit forced. When a movie does a twist ending well (e.g. THE USUAL SUSPECTS or THE SIXTH SENSE), you can look back at the clues presented throughout and see how they line up. That doesn’t quite happen in OPUS. Still worth a look, though.
That’s your Dispatch for the week.
Slade Grayson is a writer who relies on the kindness of strangers. And readers. And sometimes strange readers. You can buy his books here, or buy him a coffee here.