Are you watching this Hulu show “Paradise”?

I take notice of the volume of hype. If a show is reviewed everywhere, that means the producer/distributor has a lot invested in it, and I need to pay a modicum of attention.

I usually look at the last paragraph of the review. And maybe the first. Oftentimes that’s all you need to tell you whether it’s the worth the investment of your time. And if I’m getting a good feeling, I’ll go to RottenTomatoes for the ratings…well, oftentimes the foreign shows don’t even have ratings, but if it’s a popular American production, you’ll see numbers right away, which can fluctuate, up or down, but right this very second “Paradise” has a 79/80, and you know my threshold is 80, so…

I won’t watch anything week to week. It’s a lousy experience. And I did a bit of research and found out that all eight episodes of “Paradise” were presently available, but when I pulled up the show on Hulu this turned out to be untrue. But, without something more pressing to watch, I said what the hell.

We actually watched a movie the night before, “Number 24” on Netflix. Being a Norwegian production, the critics haven’t weighed in yet, but the audience score as I write this is 95. Does this mean you should watch it? I wouldn’t put it at the top of your list, but I will say it’s worth watching because…

It’s about the resistance in World War II. Norwegians who decide to fight against not only the occupying Nazis, but the Norwegians who are complicit with them. This is something I always think about. There is this organization of rich Republicans and entertainers in Northern California called the Bohemians. I’ve been invited to attend a few times, but I won’t. Because when the revolution comes, I don’t want my name on that list. They did not forgive the Norwegians who became Nazis, they shot them. Are they going to shoot those who did what was expedient, for the perks, when the revolution comes to America?

One thing you need to know about revolution. It happens instantly. That’s what we learned with the Arab Spring. One spark causes an entire conflagration, like the fires in SoCal.

So in “Paradise”… I don’t want to ruin the surprise, so I’ll just say something fishy is going on, and they can only depend on one person, Sterling K. Brown as Special Agent Xavier Collins, to figure it out and save the community. Because Xavier always does the right thing. Even if his father doesn’t like it.

I know almost nobody who does the right thing anymore. Everybody’s scratching for an edge. There are people stealing the identities of fire victims for the benefits. And the icons of yore have turned out to have clay feet, at least their present day descendants.

I know if I say anything negative about Trump I’ll get negative feedback and lose subscribers, but when you heard about the plane crash last night was the first thing you thought about DEI? I mean we can debate DEI programs and implementation, but it is not the root of all evil. Trump and his minions sacrifice credibility.

Then again, it’s a team sport and just like in major league sports, everybody’s looking for an edge, stealing signs, trying to make a fair fight less fair.

So who do you believe in?

Used to be the musicians. That was their power. Speaking truth, standing up to power. But we haven’t had that spirit here in the twenty first century. Sure, there are brain dead people who still believe in these sold-out performers, then again, Rick Beato posted his podcast with me on YouTube and the comments are filled with misinformation. The top one just now was demanding that Spotify pay a penny a stream. Forget that there is no per stream rate, but if there was and it was one cent, Spotify would be out of business nearly instantly. The math doesn’t add up. Spotify does not take in enough cash, nowhere near this. Nor do the rest of the streamers. But these wannabe musicians want theirs. That’s what it comes down to, they believe they’re entitled.

But underneath this constant jockeying for position whilst employing falsehoods is an incredible desire for honesty and credibility. Because we all need someone and something to believe in.

It got so bad that in the past couple of decades people have believed in brands more than bands. We can argue Apple vs. Android. It’s like a religious war. But the acts are niche cartoons, not worth spending your time picking apart. You’re a fan of BTS, good for you, I don’t care and I don’t want to talk about it, that’s how most people feel.

And Biden and Harris sacrificed all credibility and their support teams never blew the whistle. It’s kind of like these inane confirmation hearings going on in the Senate as I write this. No one is honest, everybody’s parsing the issues and lying, and we all know this is true. And you wonder why people don’t trust the government?

Now you can take sides.

But really, it’s all about the people sitting out. Just waiting for someone to carry the flag.

And for a lot of people recently it’s been Elon Musk.

Elon Musk spearheaded the adoption of electric vehicles, he’s advanced space flight, however he’s an extremely flawed human being. And the more he’s in the spotlight, the more this is evidenced.

But recently there was an inflection point, which undercuts Musk’s credibility and will haunt him hereafter.

He lied about his gaming ability. And continued to stonewall. And then finally admitted he had others boosting his scores, utterly taboo in the gaming world.

Now you may not care about gaming, but video games are bigger than both movies and music. They just don’t get the equivalent press. And the bros who play video games… These are the people who adore Elon, who put him and Trump over the line.

But now Elon has broken the code.

And has appeared mortal in the process.

Why do you need to be the best at everything, no one in the history of the world has been. Can’t you kick back and say I like playing games but I’m not in the league of those who do it for a living?

To be as good as Elon said he was you’d need to play 16 hours a day. Needless to say, Musk doesn’t have the time.

But, but, BUT, you say, look at Trump!

Sure, Trump has no credibility. But his success is based on him convincing his fans that he understands them and is working for them, the truth be damned. Find a Patriots fan who will admit to Deflategate… It’s impossible.

But Musk is different. He’s ultimately for nobody but himself.

This is like all those Silicon Valley titans who donated to Trump’s inaugural fund and showed up in D.C. last week. Mark Zuckerberg is one of the most hated men in the world.

It looks like these people are winning, but in truth they’re losing. Because life is a long game. And you only have one reputation.

But it’s hard to believe you should be honest and credible when everybody in the news is not.

That’s a rot at the center of our society. That does not make it right.

Without trust one lives in an outlaw community. Isn’t that the basis of relationships. trust?

People are hungry for honesty, trustworthiness and credibility. Sure, if you speak the truth there are some who won’t be able to handle it, who will excoriate you, but there will be a cadre of those who will be bonded to you.

I will never forgive Rod Stewart for making those “American Songbook” albums.

But Alex Chilton who had nowhere near the amount of success stayed true to his roots, his beliefs, until his death.

That was part of the magic of Kurt Cobain. And some of the classic rock acts who still won’t do commercial endorsements, who can still sell tickets.

Just because everybody else is doing it…

We’re looking for people like Xavier Collins, who will do the right thing. And they don’t have to tell us this, their behavior evidences it. And stands out in a world of expedience and phoniness.

Hell, if you don’t have an identity, if you can’t trust yourself, what have you got?

There are business legends with tons of money but no friends. Sitting home alone like the President in “Paradise.” How fulfilling is that?

Not very.