Spotify (except where noted): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1ahRbLIzuwTCogongsaKTs?si=f6123c996dec4f36
"20th Century Man" - "Muswell Hillbillies"
"Celluloid Heroes" - "Everybody's in Showbiz"
"Money Talks" - "Preservation Act 2"
"He's Evil" - "Preservation Act 2"
"Salvation Road" - "Preservation Act 2"
"You Can't Stop the Music" - "Soap Opera"
"I'm in Disgrace" - "Schoolboys in Disgrace"
"Juke Box Music" - "Sleepwalker"
"Life Goes On" - "Sleepwalker"
"A Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy" - "Misfits"
"Permanent Waves" - "Misfits"
"Live Life" - "Misfits"
"Catch Me Now I'm Falling" - "Low Budget"
"(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman" - "Low Budget"
"Destroyer" - "Give the People What They Want"
"Come Dancing" - "State of Confusion"
"Living on a Thin Line"- "Word of Mouth"
"The Video Shop" - "Think Visual"
"Scattered" - "Phobia"
"To the Bone" - "To the Bone"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ1T0u9WxXk
"I'm Not Like Everybody Else" - "To the Bone"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7inGyVKNCNY
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Saturday, 14 February 2026
Friday, 13 February 2026
Latter-Day Kinks-SiriusXM This Week
Tune in Saturday February 14th to Faction Talk, channel 103, at 4 PM East, 1 PM West.
If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app. Search: Lefsetz
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If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app. Search: Lefsetz
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Bud Cort
I found out he died in the "CT Insider," which Apple News+ suggested to me probably because my sister Wendy sent me so many articles from the publication. And I wondered whether I was getting the full flavor of the Nutmeg State news when I noticed in the upper left-hand corner a button entitled "Sections," which when clicked upon rendered a menu and one of the choices was "Entertainment." Wondering what was going on in the old nabe, I clicked on it. I saw that Matteo Bocelli, the son of Andrea Bocelli, was booked to play in Westport. And there was a podcast about the Martha Moxley murder whose host said Michael Skakel wasn't near the top of his suspects list. And then further down the page, I saw that Bud Cort died. In Norwalk. At an assisted living facility. I think of those places as being for the truly aged, in their late eighties and nineties. But Bud was 77, and recovering from pneumonia, and the grim reaper got him.
We don't have cult movies anymore. Nothing that comes out to little effect but then spreads through the culture and becomes a phenomenon, like "Harold and Maude," which I found out about from my mother, the culture vulture.
Now my mother grew up with the movies, all of our parents did. But when the renaissance happened in '67, with "Bonnie and Clyde" and "The Graduate," she became addicted, reading Pauline Kael in "The New Yorker" and going to Judith Crist weekends. It might be hard for younger generations to learn that up until this turning point, films were not seen as art. But then universities started offering film courses and right along with rock and roll, movies drove the culture.
And music was a big part of "Harold and Maude," it was the first major exposure of Cat Stevens. It featured the song "Trouble," from "Mona Bone Jakon," which most people never heard, their fandom beginning with its successor, "Tea for the Tillerman."
Everybody didn't see "Harold and Maude" at the same time. Today there's focus on an event, a meme, something, and everybody checks it out immediately and then it's forgotten. But back then... There were revival houses, playing different flicks every night. You'd get the schedule at the record store, along with the rest of the throwaway press. And you went to the theatre to fill the holes in your viewing history. Stuff from the thirties and forties, but even more foreign flicks, and then those movies that had been overlooked and gained momentum over time, like "Harold and Maude."
Bud Cort is really not famous for much else. He complained that he was typecast, but his obits also said he was difficult to work with. And for a while there he was out of sight, but then I went to some benefit at the Universal Amphitheatre and he came out as an old man, overweight with facial hair, it was cognitive dissonance, it didn't compute, it was like running into an old girlfriend or classmate decades later, their image is frozen in your brain, but the truth is time has gone by, and just like you, they've aged.
I'm not saying Bud wasn't talented, or that I'm unfamiliar with his filmography. I saw "Brewster McCloud," it was a requirement if you were an Altman fan...at a revival house, it played for about a minute in theatres upon release. And yes, he was in "M*A*S*H" and so much more, but his performance in "Harold and Maude" was transcendent, a perfect encapsulation of the early seventies ethos, when the protests against the Vietnam War died down with disillusionment and we were looking inward.
So...
I'm reading the "CT Insider" article and there's a hyperlink to the "Times" obit, from two days ago? How did I miss this?
Yes, I read the obits. My father was a fan. Getting older, I have become one too.
Shouldn't a death of this proportion have risen up, superseded the dross of information they call news which is really anything but? Shouldn't the public at large feel this cultural moment? Shouldn't boomers be e-mailing and texting each other about it?
Well it seems like no. I had to stumble upon Bud Cort's death in a vacuum.
And I knew about the car accident and the facial surgeries, that was the excuse for his absence from the screen... But I did not know that he was from Rye, nor that his parents were in show biz, his father on stage, his mother behind the curtain. Bud was not much older than me, but I didn't grow up with anybody from this background.
Now in a world focused on the young, where oldsters imitate youngsters and lie about their age, consciousness of the march of time, towards the end, is a singular journey. No one wants to talk about it. But there are these markers...when friends become ill, when friends die, and when our heroes pass.
Yes, Bud as Harold was a hero, because he was a nonconformist. You were supposed to let your freak flag fly, question authority, stand up for your truth, being a quiet member of the group to get along was anathema. Those were our values, a lot of boomers jumped the ship in the dash for cash in the Reagan eighties, but underneath the trappings, they still remember bell bottoms and long hair and love each other and individualism...
I've never heard a young person reference "Harold and Maude." Then again, you ask them about their favorite film comedy and they'll say something like "Old School," which was released in 2003. Not a bad picture, but not in the league of the Marx Brothers, who've been completely forgotten, turns out Bud lived in Groucho's house for a while...
If it's old, if it's in black and white...
But that was no hindrance to us. We were filling in the gaps. When video shops came along in the eighties this process was on steroids...you picked up all the films you always wanted to see and then even more which starred certain actors or were done by certain directors and...
I was just really weirded-out when I learned Bud Cort died. Like I said, no one contacted me about it and I found out days later...
But maybe this is how it ends. Alone with your thoughts and experiences. No one else knows, never mind cares. But for my cadre, the boomers, "Harold and Maude" was bedrock, and as good as Ruth Gordon was, and she was phenomenal, it's But Cort's Harold that is the center of the picture, because he was so different. And we understood where he was coming from, and we could relate.
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We don't have cult movies anymore. Nothing that comes out to little effect but then spreads through the culture and becomes a phenomenon, like "Harold and Maude," which I found out about from my mother, the culture vulture.
Now my mother grew up with the movies, all of our parents did. But when the renaissance happened in '67, with "Bonnie and Clyde" and "The Graduate," she became addicted, reading Pauline Kael in "The New Yorker" and going to Judith Crist weekends. It might be hard for younger generations to learn that up until this turning point, films were not seen as art. But then universities started offering film courses and right along with rock and roll, movies drove the culture.
And music was a big part of "Harold and Maude," it was the first major exposure of Cat Stevens. It featured the song "Trouble," from "Mona Bone Jakon," which most people never heard, their fandom beginning with its successor, "Tea for the Tillerman."
Everybody didn't see "Harold and Maude" at the same time. Today there's focus on an event, a meme, something, and everybody checks it out immediately and then it's forgotten. But back then... There were revival houses, playing different flicks every night. You'd get the schedule at the record store, along with the rest of the throwaway press. And you went to the theatre to fill the holes in your viewing history. Stuff from the thirties and forties, but even more foreign flicks, and then those movies that had been overlooked and gained momentum over time, like "Harold and Maude."
Bud Cort is really not famous for much else. He complained that he was typecast, but his obits also said he was difficult to work with. And for a while there he was out of sight, but then I went to some benefit at the Universal Amphitheatre and he came out as an old man, overweight with facial hair, it was cognitive dissonance, it didn't compute, it was like running into an old girlfriend or classmate decades later, their image is frozen in your brain, but the truth is time has gone by, and just like you, they've aged.
I'm not saying Bud wasn't talented, or that I'm unfamiliar with his filmography. I saw "Brewster McCloud," it was a requirement if you were an Altman fan...at a revival house, it played for about a minute in theatres upon release. And yes, he was in "M*A*S*H" and so much more, but his performance in "Harold and Maude" was transcendent, a perfect encapsulation of the early seventies ethos, when the protests against the Vietnam War died down with disillusionment and we were looking inward.
So...
I'm reading the "CT Insider" article and there's a hyperlink to the "Times" obit, from two days ago? How did I miss this?
Yes, I read the obits. My father was a fan. Getting older, I have become one too.
Shouldn't a death of this proportion have risen up, superseded the dross of information they call news which is really anything but? Shouldn't the public at large feel this cultural moment? Shouldn't boomers be e-mailing and texting each other about it?
Well it seems like no. I had to stumble upon Bud Cort's death in a vacuum.
And I knew about the car accident and the facial surgeries, that was the excuse for his absence from the screen... But I did not know that he was from Rye, nor that his parents were in show biz, his father on stage, his mother behind the curtain. Bud was not much older than me, but I didn't grow up with anybody from this background.
Now in a world focused on the young, where oldsters imitate youngsters and lie about their age, consciousness of the march of time, towards the end, is a singular journey. No one wants to talk about it. But there are these markers...when friends become ill, when friends die, and when our heroes pass.
Yes, Bud as Harold was a hero, because he was a nonconformist. You were supposed to let your freak flag fly, question authority, stand up for your truth, being a quiet member of the group to get along was anathema. Those were our values, a lot of boomers jumped the ship in the dash for cash in the Reagan eighties, but underneath the trappings, they still remember bell bottoms and long hair and love each other and individualism...
I've never heard a young person reference "Harold and Maude." Then again, you ask them about their favorite film comedy and they'll say something like "Old School," which was released in 2003. Not a bad picture, but not in the league of the Marx Brothers, who've been completely forgotten, turns out Bud lived in Groucho's house for a while...
If it's old, if it's in black and white...
But that was no hindrance to us. We were filling in the gaps. When video shops came along in the eighties this process was on steroids...you picked up all the films you always wanted to see and then even more which starred certain actors or were done by certain directors and...
I was just really weirded-out when I learned Bud Cort died. Like I said, no one contacted me about it and I found out days later...
But maybe this is how it ends. Alone with your thoughts and experiences. No one else knows, never mind cares. But for my cadre, the boomers, "Harold and Maude" was bedrock, and as good as Ruth Gordon was, and she was phenomenal, it's But Cort's Harold that is the center of the picture, because he was so different. And we understood where he was coming from, and we could relate.
--
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--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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Thursday, 12 February 2026
Kenny Greenberg-This Week's Podcast
Songwriter/producer/player Kenny Greenberg is lead guitarist in Kenny Chesney's band.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kenny-greenberg/id1316200737?i=1000749420394
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7vImGNf3WyI0ycRbNDbU4d?si=kN1yXmZoTd2I-FcFpjH0jg
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/kenny-greenberg-322463791?app=listen
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/7dc13686-cab3-40a5-b8b4-fd65f597a13b/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-kenny-greenberg
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-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
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https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kenny-greenberg/id1316200737?i=1000749420394
https://open.spotify.com/episode/7vImGNf3WyI0ycRbNDbU4d?si=kN1yXmZoTd2I-FcFpjH0jg
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/kenny-greenberg-322463791?app=listen
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/7dc13686-cab3-40a5-b8b4-fd65f597a13b/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-kenny-greenberg
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Wednesday, 11 February 2026
Calibration
As you may remember, we purchased an LG OLED TV back in 2020, a 65 incher.
Now I'm not going to get into a technological discussion with you about what is the best TV... When it comes to TVs, many high ticket items, it's like skis. There are many brands, but if you ask someone on the lift how they like their boards they'll always say they love them, BECAUSE THEY PAID FOR THEM! Oftentimes they've never even skied on anything else, but they're convinced their skis are the best.
Now there are two kinds of TV buyers, those who do the research and those who do not. And it's really those who do the research who are the most opinionated. Is OLED still the best format? Is it really only good in the dark? Has it been superseded?
Like I said, I'm not going to get into all this. All I will say is LG OLED TVs are considered the absolute best by many, especially those in Hollywood. And the reason I'm getting so detailed is because the picture is astounding. Revelatory. You can't believe it's that good. Truly. You may think your cheap TV is adequate, and you get more for your buck than ever before, but for a little bit more you can get image quality that truly rivals the movies, which are usually shot digitally today anyway.
So loving the LG so much, we decided to buy another for the condo in Vail. Only in this case there's a defined space and only a 55 incher will fit. And believe me, you can tell the difference, that extra ten inches adds to the viewing experience. (And for the uninitiated, TV size is measured diagonally.)
So I figured the LG was not as good in Vail because it was smaller. But I got home after the holidays and I was blown away by how good the image was on the 65" set. And the set in Vail is four generations newer! It doesn't make any sense that the image would be worse, they're both C models, if you know your LGs.
But reading voraciously I stumbled upon another article about TV calibration. Now the set at home was adjusted by the installer. The one in Vail...we're just using the settings as shipped. Used to be they were set too bright, to impress buyers in stores, but that's not always the case anymore, but...
This article reminded me that we've come to the point where you can calibrate your TV yourself. Because sites have listings for your specific set.
And I'm sitting in L.A when I'm reading about this and I decide I'm going to dive in when I get to Vail.
Now the site the article referred to was from "Consumer Reports," and we're subscribers, to both print and digital.
So, you go to:
https://www.consumerreports.org/mycr/benefits/tv-screen-optimizer/
If you're a digital CR subscriber.
Is there a similar site elsewhere on the web? Probably, I leave it to you to Google.
But with CR, you enter the brand and the model number of your TV set and then you're given a list of settings, what values to make them for your particular TV. If you can follow instructions, and can find where the settings are on your TV, it's a no-brainer, anybody can do it.
Not that I expected that much.
But HOLY SH*T! It was a completely different TV set, I was completely blown away.
Now the set looked just as good if not better than the one at home. Really, with only ten minutes of aligning the numbers on the set with those in "Consumer Reports." It should not be that easy, I shouldn't be able to tweak my TV to perfection all by myself, but I did!
And I've been thinking of writing about this, but I finally am because of the images in "Train Dreams" last night.
Now "Train Dreams" is streamed in 4k, which you have to pay extra to see. I didn't used to think it was worth it, but having done A/B comparisons, I now know it is. Almost everybody has a 4k capable set today, so I recommend you pay Netflix the extra bucks. Try it for a month, you can always cancel.
But watching "Train Dreams" last night on the calibrated LG OLED TV it was clear to me that this image was as good as the one you can get in a theatre, positively jaw-dropping.
Oh, people will argue with me. Sure, the bigger the image the better the experience. But that experience also comes with people talking, texting on their phones, it's anything but a religious experience.
Now some opinionated person will weigh in and try to convince me that the image in a theatre is a bit better. That could be true. But that is missing the point. This is the exact same situation we had in music. Everybody bitched that the MP3 had inferior sound to the CD. But for the average consumer, the MP3 was good enough. And the funny thing is now that multiple outlets stream in hi-def, oftentimes in better than CD quality, almost no one buys the DAC to hear it. And you can hear it if you have the service and equipment, and I'd like to tell you the difference is night and day, but it's not.
So what is the lesson here?
Calibrate your TV. You can do it, it's easy, like taking candy, from a baby! You will see the difference.
Also, you get what you pay for. Sure, you can get a set for under a grand and it's pretty good. But it's kind of like stereo, there's extra to be gotten, and you don't have to pay an exorbitant amount to get it.
If you saw "Train Dreams" on my TV...
I'm not inviting you over. To tell you the truth, I find the fewer people watching, the more I can get engrossed in the picture.
But I'm nudging you...calibrate your set. And if you've got an old crummy one that you think is good enough, I recommend ponying up for a new one, and subscribing to Netflix 4k.
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Now I'm not going to get into a technological discussion with you about what is the best TV... When it comes to TVs, many high ticket items, it's like skis. There are many brands, but if you ask someone on the lift how they like their boards they'll always say they love them, BECAUSE THEY PAID FOR THEM! Oftentimes they've never even skied on anything else, but they're convinced their skis are the best.
Now there are two kinds of TV buyers, those who do the research and those who do not. And it's really those who do the research who are the most opinionated. Is OLED still the best format? Is it really only good in the dark? Has it been superseded?
Like I said, I'm not going to get into all this. All I will say is LG OLED TVs are considered the absolute best by many, especially those in Hollywood. And the reason I'm getting so detailed is because the picture is astounding. Revelatory. You can't believe it's that good. Truly. You may think your cheap TV is adequate, and you get more for your buck than ever before, but for a little bit more you can get image quality that truly rivals the movies, which are usually shot digitally today anyway.
So loving the LG so much, we decided to buy another for the condo in Vail. Only in this case there's a defined space and only a 55 incher will fit. And believe me, you can tell the difference, that extra ten inches adds to the viewing experience. (And for the uninitiated, TV size is measured diagonally.)
So I figured the LG was not as good in Vail because it was smaller. But I got home after the holidays and I was blown away by how good the image was on the 65" set. And the set in Vail is four generations newer! It doesn't make any sense that the image would be worse, they're both C models, if you know your LGs.
But reading voraciously I stumbled upon another article about TV calibration. Now the set at home was adjusted by the installer. The one in Vail...we're just using the settings as shipped. Used to be they were set too bright, to impress buyers in stores, but that's not always the case anymore, but...
This article reminded me that we've come to the point where you can calibrate your TV yourself. Because sites have listings for your specific set.
And I'm sitting in L.A when I'm reading about this and I decide I'm going to dive in when I get to Vail.
Now the site the article referred to was from "Consumer Reports," and we're subscribers, to both print and digital.
So, you go to:
https://www.consumerreports.org/mycr/benefits/tv-screen-optimizer/
If you're a digital CR subscriber.
Is there a similar site elsewhere on the web? Probably, I leave it to you to Google.
But with CR, you enter the brand and the model number of your TV set and then you're given a list of settings, what values to make them for your particular TV. If you can follow instructions, and can find where the settings are on your TV, it's a no-brainer, anybody can do it.
Not that I expected that much.
But HOLY SH*T! It was a completely different TV set, I was completely blown away.
Now the set looked just as good if not better than the one at home. Really, with only ten minutes of aligning the numbers on the set with those in "Consumer Reports." It should not be that easy, I shouldn't be able to tweak my TV to perfection all by myself, but I did!
And I've been thinking of writing about this, but I finally am because of the images in "Train Dreams" last night.
Now "Train Dreams" is streamed in 4k, which you have to pay extra to see. I didn't used to think it was worth it, but having done A/B comparisons, I now know it is. Almost everybody has a 4k capable set today, so I recommend you pay Netflix the extra bucks. Try it for a month, you can always cancel.
But watching "Train Dreams" last night on the calibrated LG OLED TV it was clear to me that this image was as good as the one you can get in a theatre, positively jaw-dropping.
Oh, people will argue with me. Sure, the bigger the image the better the experience. But that experience also comes with people talking, texting on their phones, it's anything but a religious experience.
Now some opinionated person will weigh in and try to convince me that the image in a theatre is a bit better. That could be true. But that is missing the point. This is the exact same situation we had in music. Everybody bitched that the MP3 had inferior sound to the CD. But for the average consumer, the MP3 was good enough. And the funny thing is now that multiple outlets stream in hi-def, oftentimes in better than CD quality, almost no one buys the DAC to hear it. And you can hear it if you have the service and equipment, and I'd like to tell you the difference is night and day, but it's not.
So what is the lesson here?
Calibrate your TV. You can do it, it's easy, like taking candy, from a baby! You will see the difference.
Also, you get what you pay for. Sure, you can get a set for under a grand and it's pretty good. But it's kind of like stereo, there's extra to be gotten, and you don't have to pay an exorbitant amount to get it.
If you saw "Train Dreams" on my TV...
I'm not inviting you over. To tell you the truth, I find the fewer people watching, the more I can get engrossed in the picture.
But I'm nudging you...calibrate your set. And if you've got an old crummy one that you think is good enough, I recommend ponying up for a new one, and subscribing to Netflix 4k.
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Train Dreams
Netflix trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Nk8TrBHOrA
They don't make 'em like this anymore, only in this case they did.
Back when the world was smaller, you could track the purchases at Sundance to the ultimate distribution of the pics, usually close to a year later. But now...
I knew about the bidding for "Train Dreams," I knew Netflix bought it, but I can't hold that much information in my brain, with the tsunami of music, movies, TV and news coming down the pike. Unlike in the old days, something can be great and still not surface, that's how hard it is to spread the word. Whatever buzz there was on "Train Dreams" at Sundance, it dissipated and never reignited, at least in my world.
Turns out "Train Dreams" was put out in theatres, to take care of the Oscar qualification issues, but then it appeared on Netflix, in November of this past year. I was not aware of this, and never would be except for the fact that I'm constantly searching for things to stream, and "Train Dreams" came up on some site I was doing research on and it turned out the RottenTomatoes score was 95/90, which is extraordinary, and it was nominated for Best Picture.
That's right, a film you've probably never heard of and probably won't in the future is one of the ten nominees. As you will remember, they expanded the slate in order to slip in a popcorn movie or two to satiate those who can no longer relate to the Oscars, to rope them in. This didn't work, but they still have ten nominees instead of the old five. And if you do the math...you can win the award without even getting twenty percent of the vote, how is this the best? Ditto on the Grammys.
Anyway, we pulled "Train Dreams" up on Netflix after the Olympics last night and I've got to tell you, for about twenty minutes I was thinking of turning it off, because it was slow and I didn't know where it was going. A lot of vaunted films never pan out in the viewing experience, you're waiting to see what the critics saw...and you never find it, and you've lost another two hours of your life.
But since it was nominated for an Oscar, I let "Train Dreams" play on, and it clicked.
What we've got here is a seventies movie. About people and their hopes, expectations and inner life. The kind the theatres used to be filled with. But the seventies were fifty years ago, and small films, even if profitable, were superseded by blockbusters and now studios swing for the fences with each and every release, and they don't release many. Furthermore, people won't go out to see these "small" films. They're out of the habit of going. You've got to get in your car, find a place to park, maybe even pay for it, lay down twenty or so dollars and endure too many trailers for a film that you ultimately might not like. Meanwhile, for the same amount of money you can get a Netflix subscription with a plethora of content that starts whenever you want it to, which you can stop if you don't like it, all for the same amount of money it costs to go out to see a film in a theatre. Tell me how this paradigm survives?
It doesn't.
So "Train Dreams" is based on a story by Denis Johnson that I have not read, even though I'm aware of him.
And what you've got here is a rich landscape and the story of Robert Grainier, who has no pedigree, no advantages, doesn't even know his own parents or birth date, and he's just trying to survive, day by day. And survival is no different today, even though we're confronted with "winners" living lives of luxury 24/7. But a hundred years ago, when most of "Train Dreams" takes place, the world was not networked to anywhere near the degree it is today. Grainier never ventured far from his home in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, and only did so for work.
And Grainier's work is as a sawyer, cutting down the vast forests of the northwest for the war effort, for a burgeoning America. And the work is hard...before machines it took a damn long time to cut down all those trees. And during the season Grainier hooks up with a crew and... There's a bit of camaraderie amongst some of the men, but the truth is you could work with someone for months and then never see them again.
William H. Macy is nearly unrecognizable as old geezer Arn Peeples. Dropping wisdom from his lengthy experience, even though the youngsters laugh at him. That's one thing "Train Dreams" gets right, you're the young buck and you don't think you've changed but then a new generation comes along and has contempt for you.
And how long can you work with your hands anyway?
And another old codger talks a good game, but he's sacrificed his entire life to cutting down trees. Maybe he just never found the right person to love.
Gladys finds Grainier. They have a love affair, they get married, build a house, have a child and...
The thing about "Train Dreams" is the expected never happens.
You expect everything to work out in the end. Because that's how it normally works out in Hollywood. By chance you meet someone who will rescue you, who will fall in love with you, and your life will have meaning. But that's not the way it usually happens.
This film explores loneliness and loss incredibly well. Topics that are rarely explored in today's world where everybody projects togetherness. How do you cope with loss day by day. Do you ever get over it? Do you have these feelings until you die?
And the older you get do you find out life has meaning or none at all?
And you're here today, vibrant, but then you live your life and are forgotten, just another cog in the wheel of civilization. Life is supposed to work out, right?
I'm not so sure about that.
"Train Dreams" rings true in a world where so much entertainment does not, especially movies, where name brand stars supersede the story which is flimsy and predictable.
If you're gonna watch it, commit to the whole thing, that's what you have to do in order to get it. But it's under two hours, it's not a huge commitment.
And that's a flaw in movies, there's much more character development in series, never mind more plot/story, but human emotions are explored and nailed in "Train Dreams" and that's what makes it stick out. I'm not so sure I can recommend it, because so many people are not up for this kind of entertainment. But if you combed the movie listings, went to the theatre multiple times a week, saw the hip foreign flicks back in the day, "Train Dreams" will resonate with you.
--
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They don't make 'em like this anymore, only in this case they did.
Back when the world was smaller, you could track the purchases at Sundance to the ultimate distribution of the pics, usually close to a year later. But now...
I knew about the bidding for "Train Dreams," I knew Netflix bought it, but I can't hold that much information in my brain, with the tsunami of music, movies, TV and news coming down the pike. Unlike in the old days, something can be great and still not surface, that's how hard it is to spread the word. Whatever buzz there was on "Train Dreams" at Sundance, it dissipated and never reignited, at least in my world.
Turns out "Train Dreams" was put out in theatres, to take care of the Oscar qualification issues, but then it appeared on Netflix, in November of this past year. I was not aware of this, and never would be except for the fact that I'm constantly searching for things to stream, and "Train Dreams" came up on some site I was doing research on and it turned out the RottenTomatoes score was 95/90, which is extraordinary, and it was nominated for Best Picture.
That's right, a film you've probably never heard of and probably won't in the future is one of the ten nominees. As you will remember, they expanded the slate in order to slip in a popcorn movie or two to satiate those who can no longer relate to the Oscars, to rope them in. This didn't work, but they still have ten nominees instead of the old five. And if you do the math...you can win the award without even getting twenty percent of the vote, how is this the best? Ditto on the Grammys.
Anyway, we pulled "Train Dreams" up on Netflix after the Olympics last night and I've got to tell you, for about twenty minutes I was thinking of turning it off, because it was slow and I didn't know where it was going. A lot of vaunted films never pan out in the viewing experience, you're waiting to see what the critics saw...and you never find it, and you've lost another two hours of your life.
But since it was nominated for an Oscar, I let "Train Dreams" play on, and it clicked.
What we've got here is a seventies movie. About people and their hopes, expectations and inner life. The kind the theatres used to be filled with. But the seventies were fifty years ago, and small films, even if profitable, were superseded by blockbusters and now studios swing for the fences with each and every release, and they don't release many. Furthermore, people won't go out to see these "small" films. They're out of the habit of going. You've got to get in your car, find a place to park, maybe even pay for it, lay down twenty or so dollars and endure too many trailers for a film that you ultimately might not like. Meanwhile, for the same amount of money you can get a Netflix subscription with a plethora of content that starts whenever you want it to, which you can stop if you don't like it, all for the same amount of money it costs to go out to see a film in a theatre. Tell me how this paradigm survives?
It doesn't.
So "Train Dreams" is based on a story by Denis Johnson that I have not read, even though I'm aware of him.
And what you've got here is a rich landscape and the story of Robert Grainier, who has no pedigree, no advantages, doesn't even know his own parents or birth date, and he's just trying to survive, day by day. And survival is no different today, even though we're confronted with "winners" living lives of luxury 24/7. But a hundred years ago, when most of "Train Dreams" takes place, the world was not networked to anywhere near the degree it is today. Grainier never ventured far from his home in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, and only did so for work.
And Grainier's work is as a sawyer, cutting down the vast forests of the northwest for the war effort, for a burgeoning America. And the work is hard...before machines it took a damn long time to cut down all those trees. And during the season Grainier hooks up with a crew and... There's a bit of camaraderie amongst some of the men, but the truth is you could work with someone for months and then never see them again.
William H. Macy is nearly unrecognizable as old geezer Arn Peeples. Dropping wisdom from his lengthy experience, even though the youngsters laugh at him. That's one thing "Train Dreams" gets right, you're the young buck and you don't think you've changed but then a new generation comes along and has contempt for you.
And how long can you work with your hands anyway?
And another old codger talks a good game, but he's sacrificed his entire life to cutting down trees. Maybe he just never found the right person to love.
Gladys finds Grainier. They have a love affair, they get married, build a house, have a child and...
The thing about "Train Dreams" is the expected never happens.
You expect everything to work out in the end. Because that's how it normally works out in Hollywood. By chance you meet someone who will rescue you, who will fall in love with you, and your life will have meaning. But that's not the way it usually happens.
This film explores loneliness and loss incredibly well. Topics that are rarely explored in today's world where everybody projects togetherness. How do you cope with loss day by day. Do you ever get over it? Do you have these feelings until you die?
And the older you get do you find out life has meaning or none at all?
And you're here today, vibrant, but then you live your life and are forgotten, just another cog in the wheel of civilization. Life is supposed to work out, right?
I'm not so sure about that.
"Train Dreams" rings true in a world where so much entertainment does not, especially movies, where name brand stars supersede the story which is flimsy and predictable.
If you're gonna watch it, commit to the whole thing, that's what you have to do in order to get it. But it's under two hours, it's not a huge commitment.
And that's a flaw in movies, there's much more character development in series, never mind more plot/story, but human emotions are explored and nailed in "Train Dreams" and that's what makes it stick out. I'm not so sure I can recommend it, because so many people are not up for this kind of entertainment. But if you combed the movie listings, went to the theatre multiple times a week, saw the hip foreign flicks back in the day, "Train Dreams" will resonate with you.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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Tuesday, 10 February 2026
Re-Resist & Unsubscribe
I love Scott Galloway. He totally gets it. And you are correct, the most effective change agent is financial impact. I don't know if Galloway has a large enough footprint to move the needle, but if enough musicians get on board with the concept, especially if they re-post and drive traffic to Galloway's movement, it could create a viral tipping point. It didn't take that much or too long to reverse Jimmy Kimmel's "suspension" (cancellation in sheep's clothing).
Tom Player
__________________________________
I agree that Galloway himself can't make a broad change, but it helps when someone with your reach shares it. As a Minneapolis resident, I gladly kicked Uber to the curb and will be going with Lyft and DoorDash for the foreseeable future. Amazon's on double secret probation, too.
- Michael McGivern
__________________________________
Love Galloways idea and have unsubscribed from
Apple News
Apple TV
Amazon Prime
David
__________________________________
I've been doing Resist and Unsubscribe using Galloway's suggestions on thehttps://www.resistandunsubscribe.com site. I'm hopeful that it makes a difference. If not, I'll stay with it!
Thanks Bob,
Sarra Gallagher
__________________________________
As a CanadianI have cut both Amazon prime and Netflix.
Robert Gunn
__________________________________
The second I learned of Galloway's movement, I deleted Facebook from my phone and stopped paying for ChatGPT. Every little bit helps.
Joah Spearman
__________________________________
Thanks for the push, Bob, just cancelled my pro subscription, I used it but I don't need it, it makes you lazy.
Laurie Gelfand
__________________________________
Thank you for sharing this. We have unsubscribed from Prime and ChatGPT. While we do not shop at Lowe's or Home Depot, we prefer to support our local hardware store. We also choose not to patronize Chick-fil-A or other chain restaurants that have openly supported the current administration, instead favoring local options whenever possible.
It's encouraging to see others making thoughtful choices about where they spend their money. I appreciate your perspective on this and the conversation it inspires. While services like Xfinity are difficult to avoid due to limited alternatives—there's only AT&T as a competitor in our area—we do our best where possible to support businesses that align with our values.
Although making a substantial impact individually can be challenging, I believe that even small changes can contribute to positive outcomes over time. Thank you again for sharing your thoughts and helping foster this important dialogue.
Best regards,
Judi Flournoy
__________________________________
Thanks for the Resist and Unsubscribe link! I'm disappointed that I hadn't heard of it before. I'm sharing it with others.
Cheers,
Bill Lackemacher IV
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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--
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Tom Player
__________________________________
I agree that Galloway himself can't make a broad change, but it helps when someone with your reach shares it. As a Minneapolis resident, I gladly kicked Uber to the curb and will be going with Lyft and DoorDash for the foreseeable future. Amazon's on double secret probation, too.
- Michael McGivern
__________________________________
Love Galloways idea and have unsubscribed from
Apple News
Apple TV
Amazon Prime
David
__________________________________
I've been doing Resist and Unsubscribe using Galloway's suggestions on thehttps://www.resistandunsubscribe.com site. I'm hopeful that it makes a difference. If not, I'll stay with it!
Thanks Bob,
Sarra Gallagher
__________________________________
As a CanadianI have cut both Amazon prime and Netflix.
Robert Gunn
__________________________________
The second I learned of Galloway's movement, I deleted Facebook from my phone and stopped paying for ChatGPT. Every little bit helps.
Joah Spearman
__________________________________
Thanks for the push, Bob, just cancelled my pro subscription, I used it but I don't need it, it makes you lazy.
Laurie Gelfand
__________________________________
Thank you for sharing this. We have unsubscribed from Prime and ChatGPT. While we do not shop at Lowe's or Home Depot, we prefer to support our local hardware store. We also choose not to patronize Chick-fil-A or other chain restaurants that have openly supported the current administration, instead favoring local options whenever possible.
It's encouraging to see others making thoughtful choices about where they spend their money. I appreciate your perspective on this and the conversation it inspires. While services like Xfinity are difficult to avoid due to limited alternatives—there's only AT&T as a competitor in our area—we do our best where possible to support businesses that align with our values.
Although making a substantial impact individually can be challenging, I believe that even small changes can contribute to positive outcomes over time. Thank you again for sharing your thoughts and helping foster this important dialogue.
Best regards,
Judi Flournoy
__________________________________
Thanks for the Resist and Unsubscribe link! I'm disappointed that I hadn't heard of it before. I'm sharing it with others.
Cheers,
Bill Lackemacher IV
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
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Chappell Roan Leaves Wasserman
A change is gonna come.
I'm not going to get into the minutiae of Casey Wasserman's correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell. Whatever did or did not happen, this is the straw that breaks the camel's back after the "Daily Mail" report citing 11 women who declared Wasserman was a "serial cheater" who engaged with subordinates, including assistants and a private jet attendant.
Billie Eilish left the firm after those revelations.
It turns out the Epstein files may not bring down Donald Trump, but their release has led to payback for the rich and famous who believe the rules don't apply to them. The adulation of billionaires was already declining, in an era where the public feels disadvantaged and screwed over, where they're told the economy is good when grocery prices are stratospheric and billionaires don't need to pay any more tax and Elon Musk is responsible for the firing of government employees whilst being on the way to becoming a trillionaire.
So what happens next?
The problem for Casey Wasserman is the Epstein files are the third rail. So now...
But in this case, unlike Brad Karp losing his gig at Paul, Weiss, Wasserman OWNS the firm!
But that does not matter to the talent, and the agency is nothing without its talent.
So what happens now?
Wasserman has got to go. How it goes down is the only thing left to question... Whether the agents buy the firm, leave with their clients or...
Now it is great that women are standing up. But other than Finneas, who left with his sister, no male has reacted, no male has threatened to leave the firm.
Same as it always was.
You see it's a boys club. And the boys in charge... That's what the Epstein files told us, a lot of rich nerds who had no game were finally able to leverage their assets to act like those who bullied them.
Furthermore, if you're a male and you exhibit weakness, you're excoriated in everyday business. You don't have to be famous.
As for acts...the code of the road, you want to stand in solidarity, you don't want to be an outlier, become a pariah.
Now the men will ultimately push for Wasserman's ouster, when the noise gets too loud and...
How come the acts can't use this power in other ways? Like refusing to play gigs? All kinds of boycotts. Not playing with the companies and individuals who can speak truth to power.
We already know that relying on a protest song is a fool's errand.
Somehow Kid Rock can stand up for Trump, yet putting it all on the line against Trump? We can't find anybody who'll do that, other than those saying that ICE sucks.
Look at the numbers. The majority abhors not only ICE, but many of Trump's actions.
Now the truth is as soon as you anything anti-Trump MAGA comes out and works the refs. It's like sweepers in curling. To the point that those who disagree are afraid to say anything.
What is it going to take for a Chappell Roan to say no mas to Trump? To endure heat at first before the entire edifice crumbles?
That's what I want to know.
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I'm not going to get into the minutiae of Casey Wasserman's correspondence with Ghislaine Maxwell. Whatever did or did not happen, this is the straw that breaks the camel's back after the "Daily Mail" report citing 11 women who declared Wasserman was a "serial cheater" who engaged with subordinates, including assistants and a private jet attendant.
Billie Eilish left the firm after those revelations.
It turns out the Epstein files may not bring down Donald Trump, but their release has led to payback for the rich and famous who believe the rules don't apply to them. The adulation of billionaires was already declining, in an era where the public feels disadvantaged and screwed over, where they're told the economy is good when grocery prices are stratospheric and billionaires don't need to pay any more tax and Elon Musk is responsible for the firing of government employees whilst being on the way to becoming a trillionaire.
So what happens next?
The problem for Casey Wasserman is the Epstein files are the third rail. So now...
But in this case, unlike Brad Karp losing his gig at Paul, Weiss, Wasserman OWNS the firm!
But that does not matter to the talent, and the agency is nothing without its talent.
So what happens now?
Wasserman has got to go. How it goes down is the only thing left to question... Whether the agents buy the firm, leave with their clients or...
Now it is great that women are standing up. But other than Finneas, who left with his sister, no male has reacted, no male has threatened to leave the firm.
Same as it always was.
You see it's a boys club. And the boys in charge... That's what the Epstein files told us, a lot of rich nerds who had no game were finally able to leverage their assets to act like those who bullied them.
Furthermore, if you're a male and you exhibit weakness, you're excoriated in everyday business. You don't have to be famous.
As for acts...the code of the road, you want to stand in solidarity, you don't want to be an outlier, become a pariah.
Now the men will ultimately push for Wasserman's ouster, when the noise gets too loud and...
How come the acts can't use this power in other ways? Like refusing to play gigs? All kinds of boycotts. Not playing with the companies and individuals who can speak truth to power.
We already know that relying on a protest song is a fool's errand.
Somehow Kid Rock can stand up for Trump, yet putting it all on the line against Trump? We can't find anybody who'll do that, other than those saying that ICE sucks.
Look at the numbers. The majority abhors not only ICE, but many of Trump's actions.
Now the truth is as soon as you anything anti-Trump MAGA comes out and works the refs. It's like sweepers in curling. To the point that those who disagree are afraid to say anything.
What is it going to take for a Chappell Roan to say no mas to Trump? To endure heat at first before the entire edifice crumbles?
That's what I want to know.
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
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Sunday, 8 February 2026
Lindsey Vonn
Marcel Hirscher tried to come back and he tore his ACL in training.
That was last year.
This year he tried again and sustained a calf injury and...
Marcel is 36. He's won the World Cup eight times, more than any other skier.
But Hirscher did not ski downhill.
Mikaela Shiffrin sat out today's downhill, she's not skiing downhill this year after her puncture wound in GS at Killington in 2024. But the amazing thing about Shiffrin is she's won in downhill, which is astounding. She has won in all four events, something that Lindsey Vonn has not achieved, that few others have achieved.
There are four events. Slalom is the most technical, with many gates and short turns. Then comes giant slalom, the gates are set wider apart and the turns are much broader and the speed is much faster than it looks. Super-G is downhill with a shorter, more controlled course, more gates, fewer turns than GS, but more than... Downhill... Is close to just letting it go, it's not completely uncontrolled, it's not quite pointing your skis downhill and letting it go, but it's close. And the speed can reach 90 miles an hour.
In the World Cup downhillers are the big kahunas, they take the most risk. Almost none of them are any good in slalom or GS. Males are macho. Women...
You have to know at this level of sport, these people are jocks. Billy Kidd was a relatively slight guy from Stowe, that type can't win anymore. You've got to spend hours in the gym. And the conversation amongst these athletes is not all lovey-dovey...there are put-downs and psychological warfare and bullying and...
You may play the sport at home, but don't think it's the same environment.
So... For decades the USA was a relative also-ran.
And then came Bode Miller.
And then came Lindsey Vonn. Previously known as Lindsey Kildow, from Vail via Buck Hill in Minnesota.
Prior to this Americans could win, but not on a sustained basis. Miller and Vonn could hold their own with the Europeans, and whatever respect they got in the U.S. was superseded by the adulation on the continent, where they were true stars.
Now the average American did not know who Lindsey Vonn was until the Vancouver Olympics, where she bitched in advance about her shin and using cheese on it...and this is where I turned on her, I was a big fan before. Why the complaints? Everybody hurts. Truly.
She of course went on to win. Congrats.
But Julia Mancuso won the downhill silver in Vancouver, and the combined too...a combination downhill/slalom event which is just about extinct. Mancuso also won the giant slalom at the Turin Olympics in 2006. And she got another bronze in Sochi in 2014.
But the average American has no idea who she is.
Why?
I'd posit Mancuso is not blond, she's not glamorous.
As for Shiffrin, I've never seen such a verbal skier, willing to tell the truth to boot, she's the best of all time, man or woman, she's got a good amount of name recognition in the U.S., but nowhere close to Vonn's.
But Shiffrin is the best of all time. By far. Her total victory count is 108, when Vonn's is 84, close to Ingemar Stenmark's 86, who held the long-standing record recently broken by Shiffrin, who is only 30 and still going.
Now ski racers used to retire early. Especially Americans. But then the Europeans got better in their thirties and many are hanging in there.
Because it's hard when you retire. But at least you can ski, whereas when you retire from so many sports you can no longer participate in them, like football.
So Lindsey Vonn decides to come back. And all her contemporaries, all the retired greats weigh in, negatively.
But she proves them wrong. She wins. Which was truly astounding. Showing skill, technique, knowledge...they can compete with strength and youth. Her success was amazing. Kudos.
Now most of the stars of yore didn't think Lindsey could come back and win, but first and foremost they thought she should not come back because of the odds of injury, which affect old bodies more.
And now Vonn is injured. Truly, it was only a matter of when. Because that's Vonn's style, to hang it all out there, and you've got to hang it all out there to win. Just watch Franjo von Allmen's victory in yesterday's men's downhill. There were men who carved better turns, were technically better, but they didn't win. Von Allmen took the risk and won.
Now in skiing, the Olympics don't get much respect, they're seen as an anomaly, because anybody can win on any given day. It's the season long World Cup that matters.
But the Olympics are when Americans pay attention.
So Vonn tears her ACL and decides to ski in today's race anyway. And falls again, her coach, legendary Norwegian competitor Aksel Lund Svindal, says it's because she favored her right leg, the uninjured one, the one with the artificial knee, that allowed her to make this comeback.
This was foreseeable.
Meanwhile, Breezy Johnson, unknown to most Americans, won the gold medal, which is an unbelievable triumph, to win in downhill not only on a European track, but in the Olympics. Those paying attention knew that Johnson had stepped it up a notch, had been putting down some great results, but her story was eclipsed by that of Vonn. And her victory will be overshadowed by Vonn's attempted comeback and her failure today.
So is Vonn a hero?
She's a great skier. And a legendary gym rat. And I respect that. However, there's more to life than ski racing. At some point you have to pivot into a new lane, which is nearly impossible for most athletes, many do their best to trade on their sports achievements, but...
I guess what I'm saying is Vonn proved us all wrong by coming back and winning, that's amazing. But we knew how this would end, and it has.
But I wonder why she sucks all the air out of the room, why she gets all the attention, when Shiffrin is in another league and up and comers like Johnson are putting down good results.
Vonn is not warm and fuzzy, far from it. She's a fierce competitor.
But she's 5'10" and blond. And in America that seems to count. It's a trump card that...even Trump focuses on looks, oftentimes first.
You get what you're born with, you get no choice.
But I wish Mikaela Shiffrin was even more of a household name. She's Babe Ruth. And her consistency is jaw-dropping. She won seven in a row in the 2016-17 season, and won six in a row from the end of last year to the beginning of this one.
But she's not blond. She's attractive, but she does not have model good looks, never mind the height, not that Mikaela is short, I figure that's got to be the reason.
So Vonn goes into surgery as the most famous American skier of all time. She can trade on that perception for the rest of her life.
But me? I've lost my passion for her. She gets my respect, but...
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That was last year.
This year he tried again and sustained a calf injury and...
Marcel is 36. He's won the World Cup eight times, more than any other skier.
But Hirscher did not ski downhill.
Mikaela Shiffrin sat out today's downhill, she's not skiing downhill this year after her puncture wound in GS at Killington in 2024. But the amazing thing about Shiffrin is she's won in downhill, which is astounding. She has won in all four events, something that Lindsey Vonn has not achieved, that few others have achieved.
There are four events. Slalom is the most technical, with many gates and short turns. Then comes giant slalom, the gates are set wider apart and the turns are much broader and the speed is much faster than it looks. Super-G is downhill with a shorter, more controlled course, more gates, fewer turns than GS, but more than... Downhill... Is close to just letting it go, it's not completely uncontrolled, it's not quite pointing your skis downhill and letting it go, but it's close. And the speed can reach 90 miles an hour.
In the World Cup downhillers are the big kahunas, they take the most risk. Almost none of them are any good in slalom or GS. Males are macho. Women...
You have to know at this level of sport, these people are jocks. Billy Kidd was a relatively slight guy from Stowe, that type can't win anymore. You've got to spend hours in the gym. And the conversation amongst these athletes is not all lovey-dovey...there are put-downs and psychological warfare and bullying and...
You may play the sport at home, but don't think it's the same environment.
So... For decades the USA was a relative also-ran.
And then came Bode Miller.
And then came Lindsey Vonn. Previously known as Lindsey Kildow, from Vail via Buck Hill in Minnesota.
Prior to this Americans could win, but not on a sustained basis. Miller and Vonn could hold their own with the Europeans, and whatever respect they got in the U.S. was superseded by the adulation on the continent, where they were true stars.
Now the average American did not know who Lindsey Vonn was until the Vancouver Olympics, where she bitched in advance about her shin and using cheese on it...and this is where I turned on her, I was a big fan before. Why the complaints? Everybody hurts. Truly.
She of course went on to win. Congrats.
But Julia Mancuso won the downhill silver in Vancouver, and the combined too...a combination downhill/slalom event which is just about extinct. Mancuso also won the giant slalom at the Turin Olympics in 2006. And she got another bronze in Sochi in 2014.
But the average American has no idea who she is.
Why?
I'd posit Mancuso is not blond, she's not glamorous.
As for Shiffrin, I've never seen such a verbal skier, willing to tell the truth to boot, she's the best of all time, man or woman, she's got a good amount of name recognition in the U.S., but nowhere close to Vonn's.
But Shiffrin is the best of all time. By far. Her total victory count is 108, when Vonn's is 84, close to Ingemar Stenmark's 86, who held the long-standing record recently broken by Shiffrin, who is only 30 and still going.
Now ski racers used to retire early. Especially Americans. But then the Europeans got better in their thirties and many are hanging in there.
Because it's hard when you retire. But at least you can ski, whereas when you retire from so many sports you can no longer participate in them, like football.
So Lindsey Vonn decides to come back. And all her contemporaries, all the retired greats weigh in, negatively.
But she proves them wrong. She wins. Which was truly astounding. Showing skill, technique, knowledge...they can compete with strength and youth. Her success was amazing. Kudos.
Now most of the stars of yore didn't think Lindsey could come back and win, but first and foremost they thought she should not come back because of the odds of injury, which affect old bodies more.
And now Vonn is injured. Truly, it was only a matter of when. Because that's Vonn's style, to hang it all out there, and you've got to hang it all out there to win. Just watch Franjo von Allmen's victory in yesterday's men's downhill. There were men who carved better turns, were technically better, but they didn't win. Von Allmen took the risk and won.
Now in skiing, the Olympics don't get much respect, they're seen as an anomaly, because anybody can win on any given day. It's the season long World Cup that matters.
But the Olympics are when Americans pay attention.
So Vonn tears her ACL and decides to ski in today's race anyway. And falls again, her coach, legendary Norwegian competitor Aksel Lund Svindal, says it's because she favored her right leg, the uninjured one, the one with the artificial knee, that allowed her to make this comeback.
This was foreseeable.
Meanwhile, Breezy Johnson, unknown to most Americans, won the gold medal, which is an unbelievable triumph, to win in downhill not only on a European track, but in the Olympics. Those paying attention knew that Johnson had stepped it up a notch, had been putting down some great results, but her story was eclipsed by that of Vonn. And her victory will be overshadowed by Vonn's attempted comeback and her failure today.
So is Vonn a hero?
She's a great skier. And a legendary gym rat. And I respect that. However, there's more to life than ski racing. At some point you have to pivot into a new lane, which is nearly impossible for most athletes, many do their best to trade on their sports achievements, but...
I guess what I'm saying is Vonn proved us all wrong by coming back and winning, that's amazing. But we knew how this would end, and it has.
But I wonder why she sucks all the air out of the room, why she gets all the attention, when Shiffrin is in another league and up and comers like Johnson are putting down good results.
Vonn is not warm and fuzzy, far from it. She's a fierce competitor.
But she's 5'10" and blond. And in America that seems to count. It's a trump card that...even Trump focuses on looks, oftentimes first.
You get what you're born with, you get no choice.
But I wish Mikaela Shiffrin was even more of a household name. She's Babe Ruth. And her consistency is jaw-dropping. She won seven in a row in the 2016-17 season, and won six in a row from the end of last year to the beginning of this one.
But she's not blond. She's attractive, but she does not have model good looks, never mind the height, not that Mikaela is short, I figure that's got to be the reason.
So Vonn goes into surgery as the most famous American skier of all time. She can trade on that perception for the rest of her life.
But me? I've lost my passion for her. She gets my respect, but...
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
Listen to the podcast:
-iHeart: https://ihr.fm/2Gi5PFj
-Apple: https://apple.co/2ndmpvp
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
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If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
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If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists/?p=unsubscribe&uid=0eecea7b60b461717065cbde887c8e25
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