Retro reviews: Dan Brown's 'Da Vinci Code'.

A couple of weeks ago, as I decided to go through our fairly book library at our house I noticed an interesting book there. I noticed that there was Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code standing on our book shelf - a book that I hadn't managed to read before.

Indeed, even though I usually try to keep myself updated on popular culture stuff relatively well, for some reason I had missed this particular phenomenom completely. I hadn't read the book and I even hadn't managed to see the movie either.

Not surprisingly, since I've tried to get back to reading books lately, I thought that I had to give it a chance. I had to give it a go, because certainly its subject matter of historical conspiracies warranted my attention - even though I had read some negatives things about it.

Having now finally read the book, I have to say that as a whole, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of 'Da Vinci Code'. I was surprised in a good way by its quality, even though there are some flaws with it too that need to be mentioned.

So when it comes to those good aspects about 'Da Vinci Code', the very first thing that I have to mention here is that the novel is genuinely entertaining. Unlike so many others books that I've read lately, this one was actually a real page turner from start to finish. 

By that I mean is that in this book in which we follow our protagonists Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu in their plight, you can't help but to be interested in their story. Their struggle to get out of trouble and to find the truth about the Da Vince Code (holy grail) is simply riveting.

Indeed, the minute you get introduced to Langdon as a scholar and as a suspect in a murder in Louvre (joined soon by Neveu), you feel like you're part of the story. There's a murder mystery going on and also a larger conspiracy that involves all kinds of powerful people.

Later on, once our duo escapes the place with their 'clue' to their next destination, the stakes keep getting higher. There's constantly a bigger puzzle to be solved and the antagonists keep getting closer and closer to catching them (eventually our heroes do manage to save the day).

Story- and structure-wise, when it comes to the quality of the book, the reason that the story (mostly) works so well is that the author (Brown) knows how to plot a story. There are a lot of twists, turns, obstacles, revelations and a even huge MacGuffin that is used well.

Indeed, especially when it comes to the Hitchcockian MacGuffin, this plot device (our duo trying to break the code and find the 'holy grail') is what keeps things going. You want to know what happens next and are willing to overlook some things that don't always make sense.

At the same time, even though the book and the story mostly works really well, that doesn't mean that there aren't problems. There are flaws and issues with the book that range from its historical inaccuracies to its storytelling aspects in certain moments. 

For example, historically speaking, there's no question the book is simply fiction (mostly based on a discredited book 'The Holy Blood and The Holy Grail'). This is something that might turn you off, especially if you bought into Brown's claim that the book is 99% factual.

Story-wise, I couldn't help but to notice that there were some clear 'point of view' problems in the book's first half. The story changing from the protagonists to antagonists for quick, short exposition interrupted the flow (Silas & co.) rather abruptly and noticeably.

Furthermore, there's no question that in parts the story gets a bit too contrived. Especially when it comes to Fache changing his mind and the villain's reveal (well hidden but a bit convoluted), there's a bit too much stuff and explanation going on exposition-wise.

Still, when you put it all together, even though there are certain issues here, there's no denying that the story managed to keep me entertained. It kept me thrilled surprisingly well and even made me want to know more about the topics that the book covers.

After all, once I finished reading the novel, I immediately had to go visit wikipedia to check stuff that ranged from Da Vinci to Mary Magdalene and from Gnosticism to Merovingians. I was interested to find out more about its various aspects that included real life locations too. 

In that sense, in the end, if you're someone who's interested in mystery books and conspiracies that have to do with history, I think it's pretty clear that 'Da Vinci Code' might be a book for you. You should give it a chance and not be too discouraged by some of its detractors.

After all, even though the novel isn't historically speaking true and even though the 'holy grail' might not be what you thought at first, that's not a reason not to give it a shot. You shouldn't be thinking that just because the story is fiction you shouldn't read the novel.

On the contrary, when it all is said and done, 'Da Vinci Code', despite its flaws manages to entertain. It manages to entertain and holds your attention, even though it could have been better and even though most of its 'claims' aren't supported by data or accepted historical facts.

Movies that I've managed to see lately.

So when it comes to my recent movie watching habits, over the last month or so, I haven't really been able to watch that many (if any) films. I haven't had a chance to watch the latest movies that have been released on dvd.

Nevertheless, last week I had some free time for myself and finally got back to watching some of the stuff that I had postponed watching for so long. I managed to watch some of these new movies that mostly managed to be fairly entertaining.

In any case, this time I have seen three recently released films that I get to review. These films are Guy Ritchie's 'The Gentlemen', Harrison Ford's 'Call of The Wild and Will Ferrell's vehicle 'Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga'.

So when it comes to the first film, 'The Gentlemen' is a mobster drama/comedy starring Hugh Grant and Matthew McConaughey. The film revolves around a marijuana kingpin (McConaughey) in London who is trying to sell his cannabis business.

Not surprisingly, in the story it will not take long before things spiral out of control. Once McConaughey's character starts shopping his underground business, all kinds of entities appear to make offers and this leads to extortion, blackmail, violence and sabotage.

When it comes to the quality of the film, this is as expected a 'Guy Ritchie' movie. You have the usual weird characters, stylish dialogue, 'English' banter, violent action scenes and other things that you have learned to expect from him.

Acting-wise, pretty much every actor in the ensemble gives really good performances. McConaughey is solid, Colin Farrell is out there in a good way and Hugh Grant does a really memorable role as a slimy blackmailing reporter.

The only real problem with the film is that the story in 'The Gentlemen' is a bit all over the place. There doesn't seem to be clear purpose and point of view to the film, which leads to the story lacking a clear meaning, if we're being honest here.

Indeed, especially when it comes to the ending, I don't really understand why it happened that way (no spoilers). The arc of the story pointed to another direction and the 'winners' really didn't do anything to deserve it (deus ex machina).

Still, if you have enjoyed other 'Guy Ritchie' films, this is probably a movie that you're going to enjoy. You're probably going to be entertained by it, even though in my opinion the movie could have had a much stronger and much more 'relevant' story than it had. 

The second film that I watched is 'Call of The Wild', a movie based on classic Jack London novel. The film is about the adventures of a big St.Bernard/Scotch Collie dog called 'Buck' and the dog finding its way in the world & the nature.

When it comes to the film, the biggest reason that the movie got so much publicity (or let's say heat) is that the 'star' of the film, 'Buck' is completely computer-generated. The dog and some of the backgrounds are totally fake, which not surprisingly pissed off some people.

Nevertheless, since the film had gotten relatively decent reviews (61% fresh critics & 89% fresh audience at Rottentomatoes.com, it was an easy decision to give it a shot. Clearly the film had some redeeming qualities that would keep me entertained.

So having now finally seen 'Call of The Wild', I have to say that the movie as a whole was worth watching and worth my time. It was worth watching, even though there are some issues with the story that have to be addressed.

Indeed, one of the biggest challenges with the story is that the dog is the actual main 'character' in the movie. Since it can't talk and express its 'thoughts' in any meaningful way, it turned out to be tricky to make it the focus of the story.

In practice, over the course of the movie, this is the reason that the story feels episodic and jumps from one place to another. Even though all the actors that Buck is surrounded with do a good job (special mention to Omar Sy), there are problems that cannot be ignored.

At the same time, just because there are problems in the film and the  'evolution' of Buck from a food hungry dog to a leader of the pack in Alaska is a bit contrived, that's not reason not to watch it. The relaxed tone and the nature aspects are what make the movie.

After all, even though a lot of the landscape in 'Alaska' felt a bit manufactured, I absolutely loved the atmosphere. As someone who likes to walk, run or otherwise exercise in the nature every single day, those aspects meant a lot to me.

In that sense, if you haven't seen the film yet, you should probably watch it. You should watch it, because even though the movie has its flaws, it still has tons of redeeming qualities (like Harrison Ford in a role that he seemed to enjoy) that help to put you on a good mood.

The third movie that I saw is Will Ferrell's vehicle 'Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga'. This is a Netflix movie about an Icelandic couple Lars & Sigrit (Ferrell & Rachel McAdams) trying to fulfil their dream of taking part and winning the Eurovision Song Contest.

So when it comes to the expectations of the movie, a lot of people weren't initially excited about watching the film. Based on the trailer, it seemed that the movie simply wasn't going to be that good since the trailer just didn't have that many funny moments.

However, once the film premiered on Netflix and the general audience started posting reviews, it became obvious that there was something special going on in here. It looked like the movie was well made and that I should give it a shot.

Having now seen the film a couple of days ago, I have to say that the movie does work surprisingly well. 'Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga' manages to deliver the goods, even though there are some tiny issues with the film that need to be addressed.

So when it comes to those good qualities, one of the reasons that the movie works is that Lars & Sigrit's journey to the song contest is handled in a respectful way towards everyone. This respect includes Iceland, its culture, the rest of the characters and their problems.

Indeed, even though the movie is about Lars & Sigrit's underdog story, it's not just about them. A lot of attention is also paid to the supporting characters and making them relatable - especially the 'ja ja ding dong' guy and the Russian antagonist (Dan Stevens).

Another major reason that the film works - perhaps even surprisingly - well has to do with its music. Every single song that was composed for the film is absolutely fantastic and you can't help but to admire the quality of them (even better songs than in the 'real' contest).

Story-wise, it has to be said that there are some moments in the film that could have been better written. Especially when it comes to the inciting incident (bomb goes off) and the reaction of the duo, it was a bit over the top for my tastes.

Still, when it comes to the film as a whole, these problems aren't that big and serious. Despite these minor flaws the movie manages to be watchable, thanks to the overall good nature of the film and the fact that there aren't really that many 'bad' guys in it.

In that sense, if you haven't seen the film yet, I'd suggest that you give it a shot. You should give it a shot because even though the premise is silly, the movie nevertheless works and manages to put you on a good mood (81% fresh by the audience at Rottentomatoes.com).   

Beware of YouTube's right wing 'gaming' channels.

So when it comes to all those different channels on YouTube, it's not exactly a secret that not everything on the site is something that is good for you. Even though most of the videos on the site are harmless - especially the cat videos - there's some stuff that's not good.

Indeed, especially when it comes to channels that have to do with 'right wing' politics, it's safe to say that the material there is not healthy at all. It's not constructive and the views and the accuracy of the information leaves a lot to be desired - to say the least. 

So when it comes to this kind of hateful stuff, it's been surprising how this political awfulness has lately extended to YouTube's gaming channels too. I was genuinely surprised about how many reactionary hate channels there are in the gaming universe.

Indeed, some of these supposed 'gaming' channels are not what they seem to be at all. Instead, they are right wing hate channels masquerading as gaming channels preying on those - especially in the 15-25 age bracket - who are confused about certain issues in life. 

So in nutshell, the reason that these channels (The Quartering, Geeks + Gamers etc.) are so tempting is that they tell you that if you have certain problems in life, they're not your fault. If you feel disappointed about things (emotions, girls, sex) they're someone else's fault.

Yes sir, when it comes to your problems, instead it's those social justice warriors, 'leftists' and 'woke' people that are causing your troubles and worries. They are the ones behind your suffering (for not getting a girlfriend) and are to be blamed.

So the way this thing works in these channels - the propaganda - is that if there's some relative minor problem (like in a game), these guys exaggerate it to no end. They will take an isolated issue (social justice) out of context and make it seem way bigger than it is.

What this basically means that if there's a game that has to do with feminism (etc.), these guys claim that it's a direct attack on you as a gamer. There's an active war by your enemies (women, sexual minorities, weak men etc.) going after your personal freedoms.

To be more specific, now that 'The Last of Us 2' was released, they have gone pretty much as nuts as expected. They haven't taken a rational approach where you concede that there might be some story issues in the game and that the story could have been better.

On the contrary, these right wingers have gone absolutely full nuclear with their venom. The problems in the game are not because of the writers were lacking talent or making mistakes, but it's all about the 'feminazis' punishing the players with all their wrath.

Indeed, 'The Quartering'' (800k subscribers) went so far as to claim that the trans character that you have to play was there just to 'hurt' you. The 'cuck' writer wanted to directly insult you and show how impotent you are (female critic Anita Sarkeesian's name was invoked too).

Naturally, a reasonable person might think that the situation in these channels can't be that bad. Certainly when we're talking about a gaming & entertainment channel, there has to be some positive or neutral content too there that is not as problematic.

Unfortunately, the problem with these wingnut 'gaming' channels ('Geeks + Gamers' is even worse) is that all the content there is exactly that bad or even worse. There really isn't anything to balance out the misogyny, the misrepresentations and the hatred in any way at all.

Indeed, especially when it comes to 'Geeks + Gamers' channel, the guy has delusional fantasies about men's #antimetoo - movement. The content is extremely alarming and pretty much every single video there is an attack on women's rights, equality, race, #metoo etc.

In that sense, when I think of these right wing 'gaming' channels, even though I don't like being an alarmist, it's clear that we should be worried about them. We should be worried and not ignore them just because they're disguised as 'gaming' stuff or 'entertainment'.

After all, when you look at them, even though you might think that this kind of stuff is harmless (boys will be boys), there's no question that this level of misogynism & toxicity is bad. This is definitely the kind of material that will rile up young men to do some awful stuff.

In that sense, whether YouTube is going to react to these channels and is going to give them a ban hammer is something that will be seen. We'll see whether they have the courage to deplatform them and not be too worried about their 'free speech' arguments.

After all, even though it's statistically speaking still really rare for people to snap and go on a violent rampage, that's not the standard we should set. We (YouTube) shouldn't be complacent and think that something like that won't happen.

On the contrary, when it all is said and done, these channels are breeding ground for things like terrorism. They're breeding ground for horrible things and if nothing is done, it's only a matter of time before one of the viewers is going to snap and do something totally awful.

Workshop Q: How to improve your writing skills?

So when it comes to the question of how on could become better as a writer, it's not a secret that there's no magical answer to this question. No matter what kind of advice you give, that itself doesn't instantly make you a great writer.

At the same time, there's no question that it's possible to give advice that tends to be correct and that has value. There certainly exists advice that can lead to you to a path that makes you a better and a more competent scribe.

So the reason that I'm writing about this is that a couple of weeks ago on my writing workshop I was asked about this whole thing. During that class one of the participants was curious and wanted to know how he could become a better writer.

Indeed, he asked me because he as an aspiring writer was thinking about starting to write all kinds stuff in the near future. He had thought about writing poetry, lyrics and even some drama, since he thought that he could perhaps be able to do that.

So when it comes to answering his question, the first thing that I said is that there isn't just one way to write stuff right. There are as many styles as there are writers and that if one's 'technique' or 'style' works, there's nothing wrong with that. 

I also mentioned that it's most certainly a good thing to try different kind of genres. Even though it's hard to master them all (poetry, lyrics, short stories, novels, drama, comedy, tv, movies and stand-up) they all can improve your writing skills.

So once I had told these basic things to the class, the next thing to do was to talk a bit more about the learning part. I talked about things like should one read books about writing, should one take some additional creative classes and what about studying literature?

Not surprisingly, when it comes to those good books that are on the market, I (as usual) once again recommended Blake Snyder's 'Save The Cat Series'. That one is by far the best how-to series on the market and you can't go wrong with that.

After all, the book's 'story structure' analysis and the so called 'beat sheet' is absolutely the best (entertaining too) that is out there. Reading and studying the series will most definitely help you if you're interested in learning more about storytelling and the craft.

Also, when it comes to those bad how-to books that are out there, I didn't shy away from warning about those either. I especially mentioned Robert Mckee's 'Story', which is a book that in my opinion every single aspiring writer should avoid like the plague. 

The reason that books like these don't work and make you a better writer is that they don't teach you about the story or the structure. They don't really illustrate in 'layman' terms how the story is supposed to be bent and how the character arcs work.

This is also the reason why one shouldn't necessarily study literature either if you want to become a better writer. The curriculums are notorious for lacking meaningful story or structure analysis (contemporary culture & context analysis is not that helpful).

As a whole, when it comes to writing as a craft, we shouldn't forget that it really is about 'storytelling'. It's about trying to tell a story, regardless of whether you're writing a poem, a joke, an article or whether you're coming up with a short story, novel or a movie script.

Indeed, even though it might not seem completely 'intuitive' at first, whenever your trying to write something, you're always trying to get a story through. You're always trying to come up with something that the reader would find to be relatable or compelling. 

In that sense, when it comes to becoming a better writer, whether you like it or not, you absolutely have to pay attention to the story aspects of your writings. You have to pay attention to them so that you could come up with stuff that would make sense.

After all, even though there are other things too that matter with the craft (clarity of text, dialogue, themes etc.), they aren't as important when it comes to the big picture. They aren't as important as coming up with a well rounded story that has value.

In that sense, in the end, the next time you're trying to come up with something as a writer, try to make sure to think about its 'story' aspects. Try to think about whether your stuff has some kind of an arc that could make sense drama-wise, even if you're just writing a short poem.

After all, even though coming up with something that would have a beginning, middle and an end isn't always easy, that's not a reason not to try. You shouldn't think that it sounds too complicated or is something that you won't be able to do.

On the contrary, when it all is said and done, coming up with a story will improve your skills. It will improve your writing skills and makes it much more likely that you'll be able to come up with stuff that makes sense and that has value to your readers and to your audience.

How to know if your story idea is good enough?

So when it comes to your story ideas for a screenplay, how do you know as a writer if the idea that you're having is good enough? Is there a way to know if it has potential and is something that could be turned into a screenplay?

After all, considering that writing is hard work and takes serious effort, you don't want to take on a task that you won't be able to pull off well. It's not fun to spend months working on a project that doesn't have enough potential to become something solid.

So below I decided to list some things that you should keep in mind when it comes to your story ideas. You should take these things into consideration when you're thinking about your ideas and whether they might be strong / practical enough. 

1) Did you come up with the idea yourself? 

First of all, even though this might sound a bit silly, you should ask yourself whether it was you who came up with the idea for the story. Did you come up with it, or did someone else perhaps come up with the idea and make a movie out if it? 

The reason that I bring up this is that a lot of times people decide to write a screenplay after they have seen the latest 'hit' movie that they found to be cool. They think that copying the idea of the film (or something about it) needs to be done.

The problem here is that in the vast majority of cases the scripts that come up after the hit movies are absolutely terrible. There are so many examples that you can't really even mention them all (good examples, 'Lethal Weapon', 'Superbad' copycats).

2) Is the story idea organic enough? 

You should think about is whether you think your idea actually makes sense and 'feels' organic. Is there something about the premise, the setting or the characters that makes you feel that there's some potential there (subconscious mind speaking)?

After all, let's not forget that you're not just supposed to write a script unless, there's at least some sort of an semi-'objective' reason to write it. There should be some actual value and meaning behind your story idea that you're thinking of taking further. 

In reality, there's no doubt that the more natural and the more organic the premise feels, the easier it is to start building on it. (good example: 'Amelie', neutral example 'biopic films', questionable example 'Spies in Disguise' (agent transforms into a pigeon).

3) Do you have an overarching storyline figured out already? 

So when it comes to your story idea, it would help if you'd have some sort of an 'end game goal' for your character. It would help tremendously if you already know what the basic things that your protagonist wants to achieve.

After all, in a good screenplay a character will go through some sort of an transformation that will change his life (or the life of others). At the end of the movie something has happened that makes the experience meaningful (you can figure it out later too).

Indeed, if you don't eventually have an overarching plot in your script, the screenplay will simply wander aimlessly for 120 pages. There isn't any proper theme or anything other meaningful stuff in it, and it's impossible to market and to sell it.

4) How much research is needed for the project?

When it comes to the execution part of the story, do you need to do any research to be able to tell your story? Is this a story that requires a lot of extra studying so that you could make it seems believable for the reader / expert?

After all, there are certainly movie genres where you absolutely have to be able to master some things that you don't know yet. Even I had to do minor research for my children's story that I thought wouldn't need any studying whatsoever.

As a whole, this is important because if your story idea requires tons of research that you haven't already made, it's definitely going to make the project more difficult. The less you have to study and the more you get to concentrate on your story beats, the better.

5) Is there an actual market for your story idea?

Also, even though this isn't a question that shouldn't be necessarily always asked, it's still something that you should keep in mind. Do you think that there's a potential market for the story idea if you decide to go through with it.

After all, if you're coming up with a story that is full of idealism, kindness and humour, then it might be something to pursue. It's obvious that people want to experience something that more than likely would put them on a better mood.

On the other hand, even though your 'idea' might somehow make 'sense', if it's too dark, I'm not so sure about it. If it's not something that a movie goer or a book reader might want to experience (and yes I mean way too dark), you should probably think again.

6) Overall, do you feel excited about writing the story?

Finally, it cannot be overstated how important it is that you're actually motivated and excited about tackling your potential task. Do you feel like that this is a journey that you're willing to take yourself on and that it will be worth the effort?

After all, if you think that your idea as whole might be something that is fresh, something that can you actually pull off and is perhaps marketable too, that is something to consider. You should feel at least cautiously optimistic about the project.

On the other hand, if your answer to this question is a no, then you should not give it a shot. You shouldn't do it, because even though writing is a good thing and everyone should try it, there are already too many scripts on the market that are absolutely awful.

Update on writing projects & other stuff.

So when it comes to the things that have happened lately to me as a writer, I have to say that - as unfortunate as it is - things haven't gone exactly as planned. I haven't been able to achieve all the things that I have wanted lately.

Indeed, even though I have worked pretty hard and diligently on different projects, things haven't gone my way. It hasn't been easy to get things to the point where would I be able to get some sort of a reward for my efforts.

So when it comes to these setbacks and disappointments that I've experienced, by far the biggest disappointment has had to do with my book project. I had no idea that it could be this difficult to get your book published as a writer.

By that I mean that once I got my children's book more or less completed late last year, I thought that at least one of the publishers would take the bait. I felt confident and optimistic that the quality of the story would be high enough.

However, after having now gotten rejection letters from six different publishers, I've had to accept that it might be that things won't go my way. There's a good chance that the book won't be published (although I still have notable publishers left). 

The really disappointing thing here is that what I managed to write is way better than what usually gets published. Every single person who has read the book says that it's well written (some have said it's a superbly well written & a beautiful book). 

Indeed, not only are the characters in the book relatable and interesting, the story makes sense and is well crafted. It has a good structure, there's ton of substance and observations about life and you simply feel better about life once you read the book.

The setback that I've experienced here has been so disappointing that it has also made wary of starting with another project that I have in the works. I haven't started writing that book, even though I have some pretty solid ideas for it already. 

After all, I can't help but to think that if the book that I wrote isn't good enough to be published, then what is then, really. The idea of having to spend another six months or so working on a project that might not get anywhere either doesn't exactly make you feel great.

Still, just because these particular projects haven't been going my way, that doesn't mean that nothing good has happened. I'm not saying that all is lost and that there's no point in me developing my craft and trying to become more versatile as a writer.

By that I mean is that some weeks ago I was contacted by a foundation that does all kinds of creative work (art, music, studio stuff, lyrics) and they asked me for help. They asked whether I would be willing to start a workshop that had to do with creative writing. 

The reason for this request was that there was demand for the class and that they had gotten good references from others. They thought that since I had given lectures elsewhere and stuffs, I would be the guy who would be able to pull this thing off too.

Not surprisingly, since I've tried to turn myself into a 'yes' man lately, I agreed and said that I could do it of course. I agreed and last week we had our first online workshop that (thankfully) went a lot better than I had expected at first.

In that sense, even though (among other things) my speaking tour is still cancelled thanks to the covid-19 restrictions and other stuffs, I try to stay positive. I try to look at silver lining of things and not get too depressed about life. 

After all, even if my book wouldn't eventually be published (and other things), I suppose that's not all there is to life. I shouldn't be thinking that this is a setback that is too severe and that I won't be able to overcome them.

On the contrary, when it all is said and done, even though I feel down on my luck currently, I shouldn't give up. I shouldn't give up, because writing is something that I like doing and is something that gives me hope, even when things don't seem to go my way.

The sexual assault accusations against Joe Biden.

So when it comes to the democratic presidential primaries in the United States, things didn't go the way I wanted. As sad as it is, my favourite candidate Bernie Sanders suspended his campaign a month ago and in all likelihood won't be the nominee.

The biggest reason for this is that the Democratic Nation Committee again went all in against Bernie. After the first primaries, they put all their weight behind Joe Biden, pushed every other 'centrist' candidate out of the race and managed to consolidate the support for him.

At the same time, just because it currently looks like that former vice-president Biden is going to be the nominee, things don't exactly look good for him. There are some real issues that might still force him out of the race if things don't go his way.

Indeed, last week it was revealed in the news that there is a serious sexual assault accusation against him. According to a claim by Tara Reade, a former aide of his, Biden raped her in 1993 (rape with fingers) when she was working in the United States Senate.

So when it comes to the credibility of these claims - based on the reading I've done, it has to be said that her claims seem to be credible. It's very likely that Biden did assault her on the capitol hill and that she's actually telling the truth here.

The reason for this is that even though there's obviously no video of the alleged incident, there's a lot of contemporary corroborating evidence that supports her claim. Reade told multiple people about the incident either right after it happened or later over the years.

Indeed, among other witnesses, the witness list includes her mother (that even called Larry King live about her daughter's 'problem' with Biden) and an aide to late Sen. Ted Kennedy. There are also at least four other people that confirm her story.

Based on the amount of witnesses she has, you might think that her claims would have been accepted in the 'leftist' media. Surely the #metoo- liberals like Alyssa Milano and the rest of the elite democrats would have taken her account seriously.

Unfortunately, that has simply not been the case here at all when it comes to Biden. The hypocrisy and the double standards that they have exhibited in this case has been absolutely mindboggling and really preposterous if we're being honest here.

Indeed, unlike with Christine Ford's claim against Brett Kavanaugh a year ago, they just don't believe Reade. They think that she's lying and is not to be trusted (can't recall some of the tertiary aspects of the case, because she's in debt, or because she has Russian friends).

What is especially egregious about the whole thing is that in reality Reade's claim against Joe Biden is orders of magnitude stronger than Ford's case against Kavanaugh was. There's so much more evidence that something actually happened between these two.

After all, even though Ford was very likely truthful in her claims against Kavanaugh, her case just wasn't that strong. Unlike Reade, she didn't have any witnesses corroborating her story about the events (her main witness said she couldn't remember it happening). 

In that sense, when you consider the importance and the implications of the case as a whole, it's pretty clear that the democratic establishment should get a clue here. They really shuld come to their senses and stop pretending that there's no problem here.

After all, even though the stakes are high here and it's true that it isn't easy to come to grips with the idea that your 'own' democrat candidate might be a rapist, you can't stay in denial forever. You have to be able to come to terms with reality at some point.

In that sense, when it comes to guessing how this case is going to develop in the media, I'm feeling cautiously optimistic about how things are going to progress. There's a reason to believe that at some point the dam might break when it comes to Biden's denials.

After all, especially considering that Reade just did a mainstream interview with Megyn Kelly, I'm feeling that something might happen here. I'm feeling optimistic and that at some point the pressure is going to be too much and that Biden has to drop out of the race.