Bait and switch? (A little bit of a test, if I must confess.) I have never watched The Walking Dead, Fear The Walking Dead, The Walking Dead Go To Disney World or any other such programming. My knowledge of “popular culture” is extremely limited and my interest in zombie shows is nil.
I have not seen a movie in a theater in over a decade. I have never seen a Star Wars movie. I watch almost no TV from the “old” networks and, if it isn’t Velocity or CNBC or Mecum Auto Auctions, I watch almost no TV, period. I do not remember the last time I read a fiction book.
I’m not bragging and I’m not ashamed. The entertainment machine does not care about my demographic and it shows. Did you know that 70% of movie tickets are purchased by people 21 and younger? (From The Hollywood Economist, a very interesting book. Until I went to find the Amazon link, I didn’t know that a more recent version of this book had been published.) I don’t want to watch horror movies or “comedies” that are nothing but gross stupidity.
My brain craves knowledge. Virtually no entertainment feeds that craving. Learning about subjects in which I have intrinsic interest IS entertainment to me.
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Who won the Vietnam War? Yes, the Communists overran the South and Saigon is now called Ho Chi Minh City. Who really won the war, though? From the CIA World Factbook: “Vietnam is a densely populated developing country that has been transitioning since 1986 [emphasis mine] from the rigidities of a centrally planned, highly agrarian economy to a more industrial and market based economy, and it has raised incomes substantially…In addition, the country is committed to continuing its global economic integration…To continue its trajectory of strong economic growth, the government acknowledges the need to spark a ‘second wave’ of reforms, including reforming state-owned-enterprises, reducing red tape, increasing business sector transparency, reducing the level of non-performing loans in the banking sector, and increasing financial sector transparency.”
Vietnam has a functioning stock market. Ironically, the largest stock exchange there is called the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange. (Truth is stranger and more interesting than fiction.)
Again, from the World Factbook:
Exports – Partners:
US 20.1%, China 14.5%, Japan 8%, South Korea 6.8% (2017)
From europe.autonews.com a picture of the VinFast Lux A2.0 sedan. (Yes, the same company will be producing an SUV.) Deliveries of the sedan and SUV will begin in Vietnam in June or July of 2019 with exports starting in 2020.
VinFast is Vietnam’s first domestic automobile manufacturer. The CEO of VinFast is James DeLuca, who was formerly the executive vice-president for global manufacturing for…General Motors!
The sedan has a lot of BMW DNA in addition to Italian styling. I just think this is a remarkable story and one that doesn’t seem to receive too much attention in America. The Vietnam War has been over for a long time. Most people alive today in both the US and Vietnam were not alive when the overt fighting ceased. At that moment could anyone have predicted Vietnam would eventually have a capitalist economy and trade heavily with the US? Once again, history is replete with examples of the folly of human beings trying to predict the future.
Disaffected Musings 
You forgot The Good Doctor and Manifest. And I recommend A Million Little Things. By the way I am so far removed from the Ferrari/Maserati argument. I hardly see them on the road and have never been in either. And I am writing this parked in a minivan with two child seats.
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You mentioned two “old” network shows. How many prime time shows are on the four “old” networks? I repeat: for me learning IS entertainment.
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Thank you for introducing me to the VinFast! I didn’t know about this! 🙂
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You’re welcome, 56packardman, but no need for thanks. This is what people who are obsessed with automobiles do.
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VinFast seems tailor made for the next release of Fast and Furious.
Hmmm wonder who on the cast will be assigned to drive the VinFast?
I suspect everyone reading this, except for the author of this post, will be able to answer off the top of their heads 🙂
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Even I’ve heard of Mark Sinclair, also known as Vin Diesel.
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