KentGZ
@kentmiller.bsky.social
Penna Seattle Guangzhou Sacramento. Among sundry jobs, retired foreign correspondent. The disabled are as good as you and me. Take the advice of my mom the librarian and read a good book.
Memo to self：Never use this as a pick-up line
You need to get into silent movies just for the infinite fun of referencing the other Harrison Ford, who specialized in light rom-coms and bedroom farces and never shot a single green alien under the table without warning
December 29, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Memo to self：Never use this as a pick-up line
Fugitive largely filmed in NC.
What what no His Girl Friday? transposed to NYC but original play pure Chicago newsroom
What what no His Girl Friday? transposed to NYC but original play pure Chicago newsroom
chicago cinema canon
thief
ferris bueller
widows
the fugitive
stranger than fiction
adventures in babysitting
high fidelity
thief
ferris bueller
widows
the fugitive
stranger than fiction
adventures in babysitting
high fidelity
December 29, 2025 at 1:53 AM
Fugitive largely filmed in NC.
What what no His Girl Friday? transposed to NYC but original play pure Chicago newsroom
What what no His Girl Friday? transposed to NYC but original play pure Chicago newsroom
Reposted by KentGZ
I had a great time speaking with Miranda Melcher @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social about “The Iraq Wars: A Very Short Introduction.” @academic.oup.com
newbooksnetwork.com/the-iraq-wars
newbooksnetwork.com/the-iraq-wars
December 28, 2025 at 5:09 AM
I had a great time speaking with Miranda Melcher @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social about “The Iraq Wars: A Very Short Introduction.” @academic.oup.com
newbooksnetwork.com/the-iraq-wars
newbooksnetwork.com/the-iraq-wars
Powell/Veidt Blackout AKA Contraband also very good, with evocative London blackout when London really was being blacked out every night
For Conrad Veidt, a huge star in his home country until the Nazis came to power, THE SPY IN BLACK was his first UK film after becoming a British citizen, and arguably his finest English speaking role. My Letterboxd review... #FilmSky
boxd.it/c7wM3b
boxd.it/c7wM3b
A ★★★★ review of The Spy in Black (1939)
The Reverand John Harris: "That medal ribbon. I don't seem to recognise it. What is it?" Captain Hardt: "The Iron Cross... Second Class." The Reverand John Harris: "Second Class... then you must be a ...
boxd.it
December 19, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Powell/Veidt Blackout AKA Contraband also very good, with evocative London blackout when London really was being blacked out every night
Reposted by KentGZ
Had our first graduate thesis defense of the academic year here at Duke - for Yueqi Chen's absolutely lyrical ethnography on nurses' aides working in public hospitals in Hunan, China.
Sharing, with permission, a beautiful passage from Yueqi's thesis which I found really moving:
#everynightapoem
Sharing, with permission, a beautiful passage from Yueqi's thesis which I found really moving:
#everynightapoem
December 3, 2025 at 3:56 AM
Had our first graduate thesis defense of the academic year here at Duke - for Yueqi Chen's absolutely lyrical ethnography on nurses' aides working in public hospitals in Hunan, China.
Sharing, with permission, a beautiful passage from Yueqi's thesis which I found really moving:
#everynightapoem
Sharing, with permission, a beautiful passage from Yueqi's thesis which I found really moving:
#everynightapoem
Left out Funny Face with Fred Astaire as Obi-Wan and Kay Thompson as Han, but still a good list
My ranking of Star Wars films, from best to worst:
The Seven Samurai
The Wrath of Khan
The Magnificent Seven
Coriolanus
The Big Sleep
King Lear
Harold And Kumar Go To White Castle
Star Wars
The Seven Samurai
The Wrath of Khan
The Magnificent Seven
Coriolanus
The Big Sleep
King Lear
Harold And Kumar Go To White Castle
Star Wars
November 28, 2025 at 4:50 AM
Left out Funny Face with Fred Astaire as Obi-Wan and Kay Thompson as Han, but still a good list
Reposted by KentGZ
Emmanuel, a 15-year-old with intellectual disabilities, wandered away from his mom’s fruit stand in October.
She reported him missing to Houston police. But instead of reuniting them, the city turned him over to ICE.
“They’re failing all of us,” his mom said.
thebarbedwire.com/2025/11/24/d...
She reported him missing to Houston police. But instead of reuniting them, the city turned him over to ICE.
“They’re failing all of us,” his mom said.
thebarbedwire.com/2025/11/24/d...
A Disabled Child’s Mom Reported Him Missing. He Was Locked Away by Federal Immigration Authorities for 48 Days.
Emmanuel, a 15-year-old who has an intellectual disability, walked away from his mom’s fruit stand in October. Houston Police called ICE.
thebarbedwire.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Emmanuel, a 15-year-old with intellectual disabilities, wandered away from his mom’s fruit stand in October.
She reported him missing to Houston police. But instead of reuniting them, the city turned him over to ICE.
“They’re failing all of us,” his mom said.
thebarbedwire.com/2025/11/24/d...
She reported him missing to Houston police. But instead of reuniting them, the city turned him over to ICE.
“They’re failing all of us,” his mom said.
thebarbedwire.com/2025/11/24/d...
Wake me up before you ho-ho-ho
November 24, 2025 at 5:50 AM
Wake me up before you ho-ho-ho
Could’ve been my son
Lastly there’s Emmanuel Garcia, a 15 year old autistic boy who went missing a month ago.
Houston PD had his mother’s missing persons report, but chose to call ICE.
He’s been in federal custody ever since, and his mother has not been allowed to see him
www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...
Houston PD had his mother’s missing persons report, but chose to call ICE.
He’s been in federal custody ever since, and his mother has not been allowed to see him
www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...
Mother of Houston autistic teen in immigration custody still unable to see son
Attorneys have joined an effort to help a Houston mother reunite with her son, a teenager with autism who has been in immigration custody for weeks.
www.houstonchronicle.com
November 8, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Could’ve been my son
Reposted by KentGZ
In the last month at O’Hare International Airport, federal agents have repeatedly abducted rideshare drivers with legal work permits from their cars and disappeared them to immigration jails or fast-track deportation flights.
November 6, 2025 at 9:18 PM
In the last month at O’Hare International Airport, federal agents have repeatedly abducted rideshare drivers with legal work permits from their cars and disappeared them to immigration jails or fast-track deportation flights.
Years ago I cowrote Player’s Guide. Still brilliant gameplay and level design, it holds up like Dante’s Comedy
I finished Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island. What a game that turned out to be! The finale was pretty challenging.
November 4, 2025 at 8:22 PM
Years ago I cowrote Player’s Guide. Still brilliant gameplay and level design, it holds up like Dante’s Comedy
Hallyday-inflected contumely always welcome
October 29, 2025 at 9:51 PM
Hallyday-inflected contumely always welcome
www.cambridge.org/core/journal... Heritage destruction in war zones, a thoughtful discussion
Editorial | Antiquity | Cambridge Core
Editorial - Volume 99 Issue 407
www.cambridge.org
October 24, 2025 at 3:04 PM
www.cambridge.org/core/journal... Heritage destruction in war zones, a thoughtful discussion
Reposted by KentGZ
Babies and small children are amazing - *far* superior to any AI, current or imminent.
They form and eliminate about 10 million synapses per second.
They acquire dozens of words per day, effortlessly, through context, w/behavior.
And their brains do this on an energy budget of around 10-15 watts.
They form and eliminate about 10 million synapses per second.
They acquire dozens of words per day, effortlessly, through context, w/behavior.
And their brains do this on an energy budget of around 10-15 watts.
It’s fun seeing little babies out with their parents in a group setting and realizing they are just absorbing language and other human behavior far faster and smarter than AI
October 20, 2025 at 1:53 AM
Babies and small children are amazing - *far* superior to any AI, current or imminent.
They form and eliminate about 10 million synapses per second.
They acquire dozens of words per day, effortlessly, through context, w/behavior.
And their brains do this on an energy budget of around 10-15 watts.
They form and eliminate about 10 million synapses per second.
They acquire dozens of words per day, effortlessly, through context, w/behavior.
And their brains do this on an energy budget of around 10-15 watts.
Reposted by KentGZ
So THAT’S why my pickup lines in college never worked 🤦🏻
‘Booty’ and ‘butt’ are synonyms.
‘Call’ and ‘dial’ are synonyms.
But, a ‘booty call’ and a ‘butt dial’ are VERY different things.
‘Call’ and ‘dial’ are synonyms.
But, a ‘booty call’ and a ‘butt dial’ are VERY different things.
September 14, 2025 at 1:15 AM
So THAT’S why my pickup lines in college never worked 🤦🏻
Reposted by KentGZ
Contributing to anti-doomscrolling with Max Linder, the sparkling French comedian who inspired Chaplin and is the earliest known movie star with his name on a poster (circa 1909).
September 13, 2025 at 3:47 AM
Contributing to anti-doomscrolling with Max Linder, the sparkling French comedian who inspired Chaplin and is the earliest known movie star with his name on a poster (circa 1909).
“ … Privilege came up because a parent wrote a glowing review of staff that said what a privilege it was to work with them.”
Citing concerns about DEI, the Department of Education has halted funding for programs that support students with combined hearing and vision loss in eight states.
“How low can you go?” one advocate asked. “How can you do this to children?”
By @jodiscohen.bsky.social @jsmithrichards.bsky.social
“How low can you go?” one advocate asked. “How can you do this to children?”
By @jodiscohen.bsky.social @jsmithrichards.bsky.social
Programs for Students With Hearing and Vision Loss Harmed by Trump’s Anti-Diversity Push
Citing concerns about DEI, the U.S. Department of Education has halted funding for programs that support students with combined hearing and vision loss in eight states. “How low can you go?” one advoc...
www.propublica.org
September 12, 2025 at 12:48 AM
“ … Privilege came up because a parent wrote a glowing review of staff that said what a privilege it was to work with them.”
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Pretty interesting, I’d say
Pretty interesting, I’d say
Tom Stevenson · Beyond Mesopotamia: Linear Elamite Deciphered
Three things are necessary to decipher ancient writing. You need lots of examples of the script. You need a good...
www.lrb.co.uk
September 2, 2025 at 12:57 AM
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Pretty interesting, I’d say
Pretty interesting, I’d say
Reposted by KentGZ
When I think about the fact that universities are ALSO supposed to be repositories of knowledge and expertise you can't get elsewhere (and not just job training or even educational enterprises) I immediately go to ancient languages. I don't think ppl realize you can just lose them
There will be many casualties from UChicago ending ('pausing') PhD admissions in Humantities, but one which I am keenly aware of: this is close to a death sentence for teaching cuneiform in the United States (esp. Sumerian, Hittite, Elamite, Eblaite, Luwian) and it will affect the whole world.
“Chicago has long helped to keep alive tiny fields & esoteric areas of humanistic study... Without the univ’s support, & the continued training of grad students who can keep these bodies of kn going, entire spheres of human learning might eventually blink out.” www.theatlantic.com/culture/arch...
August 27, 2025 at 2:07 PM
When I think about the fact that universities are ALSO supposed to be repositories of knowledge and expertise you can't get elsewhere (and not just job training or even educational enterprises) I immediately go to ancient languages. I don't think ppl realize you can just lose them
Batman ‘66>boring prestige dramas
Penguin www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFJa..., Josh. The Penguin.
The Debate: Batman vs. The Penguin
YouTube video by BATMAN ON FILM
www.youtube.com
August 21, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Batman ‘66>boring prestige dramas
I’ve never before seen a citation to a prizefight. Clever
... Her dissent reminded me of watching a prizefight where a champion batters a challenger to a pulp, while the ref waits too long to call a TKO. (See, e.g., Muhammad Ali v Cleveland Williams.) Here, for instance, Pillard lists 4 implausible steps Katsas takes to conjure ambiguity...
/10
/10
August 13, 2025 at 3:51 PM
I’ve never before seen a citation to a prizefight. Clever
Intelligent thread
Rick says he's skeptical the measure would withstand the SCt, and he's probably right, but it highlights one of the doctrinal problems with Citizens United. Namely, the court says corporations have a First Amendment speech right, but corporations are legal structures -
“Montana Initiative to File Bold Blueprint to Challenge Citizens United; New Amendment Would Use Corporate Law to Ban Political Spending” electionlawblog.org?p=151217
July 29, 2025 at 2:01 AM
Intelligent thread
Reposted by KentGZ
As promised, in light of the WaPo report of Everglades camp detainees being swarmed by mosquitoes in the shower and unable to sleep at night due to being bitten, I want to briefly address concentration camp history and mosquitoes. I won't be comprehensive but will give a few examples. [1/17]
July 17, 2025 at 9:42 PM
As promised, in light of the WaPo report of Everglades camp detainees being swarmed by mosquitoes in the shower and unable to sleep at night due to being bitten, I want to briefly address concentration camp history and mosquitoes. I won't be comprehensive but will give a few examples. [1/17]