“If you’re right and you know it, speak your mind. Speak your mind. Even if you are a minority of one, the truth is still the truth.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

Have you been following the news of the tragic death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, where actor Alec Baldwin fired a prop gun on the set of the movie Rust that he believed held no live ammunition?

Everything about that “accident” makes me sick, starting with this heartbreaking account:

“Cameraman Reid Russell, who was standing near Hutchins and Souza when the gun went off, said that he ‘remembered Joel having blood on his person, and Ms Hutchins speaking and saying she couldn’t feel her legs.’”

So what happened, and who’s to blame?

This morning I turned on CNN and watched high-powered Hollywood attorney Gloria Allred talking about her new client, a traumatized crew member, who witnessed the shooting and who “has information and evidence which she believes will be helpful in this investigation.”

Really? The crew member has information and evidence? Then why didn’t she speak her mind and walk off the set prior to the tragic event taking place. It makes me sick.

I also read that there were hundreds of live rounds of ammunition on the set. What the hell for? Why didn’t people speak their minds and demand that they be removed? It makes me sick.

Finally, I recently watched an entertaining movie where the majority of characters were running around, blasting guns of all shapes and sizes. Clearly, all of the gunshots were CGI added in post-production.

So given that there’s no reason to have live ammunition, or real guns loaded with blanks, on a movie set, what prevented the people on the set of Rust from doing the right thing and making the right decisions? It makes me sick.

I’ve witnessed this type of decision-making (no decision is a decision, no response is a response), over and over again in organizations large and small. It happens because people create and rationalize their own versions of reality; ones that maintain the status quo, confirm their beliefs and desires, and protect their identities and reputations.

They avoid the conflict that comes with dealing with the truth of a situation, and instead go along to get along, which typically leads to wasted time and money, missed opportunities, and a stressful and disengaged environment. But it rarely leads to death, so it doesn’t make me sick.

It just makes me confused, and disheartened.

🦃 Random information for November

* Squid Game is worth close to $900 million to Netflix. According to Bloomberg, the hit South Korean drama generated $891.1 million in impact value, which Netflix uses to assess a show’s performance.

* If you adjust for inflation, Gone With the Wind is the highest-grossing movie of all time, earning approximately $1.8 billion.

* An award-winning Spanish female author is actually three men. Carmen Mola’s works have been cited on lists of must-read books by and about women.

* Amazon just surpassed FedEx as the third largest package courier in the US. That’s even more striking considering that Amazon only got into delivery in 2014.

* People want pools made from shipping containers. The cargo pools are recycled, can be installed in a few hours, and are often cheaper than other in-ground designs.

* Opossums don't "play dead." When frightened, they become overexcited and pass out.

* Criminals faked a company director’s voice to steal $35 million. The “deep voice” audio clone helped convince a bank manager a series of money transfer requests were legitimate.

* Spiders can be scared of spiders. An “arachno-arachnophobia” study found jumping spiders leap away from bigger, hairier predators.

* The Wiggles are throwing an adults-only reunion tour. The Australian group’s original lineup is hoping to cash in on the nostalgia of the grownups they delighted as children.

* Manure methane sales have been a windfall for California dairy farmers. The byproduct, which is used to produce energy, is more lucrative than milk.

* Sweden is so efficient, only one percent of its garbage ends up in a landfill.

* Researchers from three universities in Germany have created the coldest temperature ever recorded in a lab—38 trillionths of a degree warmer than absolute zero to be exact.

* A robot server helped human waitstaff earn more in tips. Restaurant workers had more time to spend schmoozing with customers.

* The Wizard of New Zealand is out of a job. Christchurch City Council has paid Ian Brackenbury Channell NZ $368,000 (US $259,000) since 1998 for his mystical services.

* Killer whales are swimming closer to Vancouver’s shore. It’s OK—scientists say it’s a sign of the ecosystem getting back to normal.

* Depression can be treated with brain stimulation. A pacemaker-like device sends electrical impulses that counteract abnormal brain activity.

* Beethoven’s 10th symphony was finished using AI.

* Nobody understands the economy. A US Federal Reserve bank economist shook up the profession with a paper questioning fundamental assumptions about how people react to changing prices.

* The largest Lego set ever released is a 4.5-foot (1.4-meter) long model of the Titanic. It has 9,090 pieces—but still not enough lifeboats.

* John broke up The Beatles. Or at least, that’s what Paul is now saying.

* The world's largest Ferris wheel just opened in Dubai.

👁 Take a look

I’m not really sure why, but I’m fascinated by Drew Leshlo’s creations.

🧠 Think about this

“A good teacher does not teach facts, he or she teaches enthusiasm, open-mindedness and values.”~ Gian-Carlo Rota

“Knowing how to look is a way of inventing.” ~ Salvador Dalí

“It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.” ~ Elinor Smith

☝️ And remember

Please reach out to me with any recommendations, questions, complaints or comments, or simply to say hi: hello@tomasacker.com (or use the contact form).

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Until next time, slow down.

Tom

P.S. I’m committed to getting the ideas in Your Brain on Story into the world, in the hope that it can help inspire others. And, perhaps, relieve the growing anxiety of our times. Please consider forwarding it to anyone who may benefit from it. Here are some reviews.

The Business of Belief

It makes me sick.