{"id":37135,"date":"2025-12-12T21:08:34","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T21:08:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.duck9.com\/blog\/?p=37135"},"modified":"2025-12-12T17:09:03","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T21:09:03","slug":"best-of-christmas-parties-worst-of-christmas-because-the-middle-class-died","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.duck9.com\/blog\/best-of-christmas-parties-worst-of-christmas-because-the-middle-class-died\/","title":{"rendered":"Best of Christmas Parties, Worst of Christmas BECAUSE THE MIDDLE CLASS DIED"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"postie-post\">\n<div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\">\n<div dir=\"ltr\">### Cabaret (1972 film) \u2013 Concise Summary<\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\">**Setting**: Berlin, 1931\u20131932 \u2013 the final months of the Weimar Republic, just as the Nazis are rising to power.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\">**Story** &nbsp;<\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\">An American academic, Brian Roberts (Michael York), arrives in Berlin to teach English and finish his doctorate. He rents a room in a boarding house and meets Sally Bowles (Liza Minnelli), a flamboyant, hedonistic American cabaret singer at the decadent Kit Kat Klub. &nbsp;<\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\">Sally is the ultimate \u201clive for today\u201d Weimar archetype: she dreams of stardom, parties relentlessly, and refuses to think about tomorrow because \u201ctomorrow might be worse.\u201d Brian, initially reserved and bisexual, is gradually pulled into her chaotic, pleasure-seeking world. They begin a complicated romantic and sexual relationship.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\">Meanwhile, a wealthy German baron, Maximilian von Heune, seduces both Sally and Brian in a brief, glamorous m\u00e9nage-\u00e0-trois that highlights the sexual fluidity and excess of 1930s Berlin nightlife.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\">Running parallel is the slow, sinister rise of Nazism. The Kit Kat Klub\u2019s sleazy Emcee (Joel Grey) performs increasingly dark, satirical musical numbers that mirror real-world events: Nazi rallies, antisemitic violence, and the growing intimidation of anyone who doesn\u2019t conform. The film repeatedly cuts from carefree cabaret scenes to brownshirts beating people in the street.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\">**Ending** (spoiler) &nbsp;<\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\">Sally gets pregnant (probably by Brian), but chooses abortion and her cabaret career over motherhood or leaving Germany. Brian returns to England, defeated. In the final shot, the camera pans across the Kit Kat Klub\u2019s audience\u2014now filled with Nazi uniforms\u2014while the distorted reflection in a mirror shows the Emcee giving a chilling Nazi salute. The party is over; the nightmare has begun.<\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\"><\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\">**Core message** &nbsp;<\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\">Cabaret is about willful blindness. While people danced, drank, and slept around to escape economic despair and political dread, evil quietly took over. \u201cLife is a cabaret\u201d becomes the tragic anthem of a society that partied instead of resisting.<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/lukegromen\/status\/1999559339414290893?s=43\"><\/p>\n<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" style=\"border:1px solid #ccd6dd; border-radius: 12px;\" width=\"500\" bgcolor=\"#ffffff\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"3\" style=\"font-size: 0px; line-height: 0px;\" height=\"12\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"18\" style=\"font-size: 0px; line-height: 0px; min-width: 18px;\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<td>\n<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" width=\"464\" align=\"left\">\n<tbody>\n<tr valign=\"top\">\n<td width=\"48\" valign=\"top\"><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/lukegromen?s=43\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/pbs.twimg.com\/profile_images\/1324915316359639040\/CHzzcMuI_normal.jpg\" style=\"border-radius: 50%; padding: 0px;\" height=\"48\" width=\"48\" data-unique-identifier=\"\"><\/a><\/td>\n<td width=\"8\" style=\"font-size: 0px; line-height: 0px; min-width:8px;\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ea.twimg.com\/email\/self_serve\/media\/spacer.png\" width=\"8\" data-unique-identifier=\"\"><\/td>\n<td valign=\"middle\" width=\"388\" style=\"min-width: 388px;\">\n<table cellpadding=\"0\" cellspacing=\"0\" border=\"0\" align=\"left\" width=\"388\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"left\" width=\"388\"><b><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/lukegromen?s=43\" style=\"font-family: Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; color: #292c2f; text-decoration: none;\">Luke Gromen<\/a><\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td align=\"left\"><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/lukegromen?s=43\" style=\"font-family: Helvetica, Arial, san-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none; color: #7e8c98;\">\u2066\u202a@LukeGromen\u202c\u2069<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\" width=\"20\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ea.twimg.com\/email\/self_serve\/media\/logo_twitter-1497383721365.png\" height=\"20\" width=\"24\" data-unique-identifier=\"\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td height=\"9\" colspan=\"4\" style=\"font-size: 0px; line-height:0px;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ea.twimg.com\/self_serve\/media\/spacer_464x1-1582829598167.png\" width=\"464\" height=\"1\" data-unique-identifier=\"\"><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"4\" style=\"font-family: Helvetica, Arial, san-serif;color: #292c2f; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px; text-decoration: none;\">&#8220;They\u2019re behaving like people living in a post-middle-class economy&#8230;So what happens?  They shift to a present-maximization mindset.  If the future is unaffordable anyway, why not buy the burrito now?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Watch the movie &#8220;Cabaret&#8221; &#8211; the youth in Weimar Germany behaved similarly.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td height=\"3\" colspan=\"4\" style=\"font-size: 0px; line-height:0px;\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"4\"><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/lukegromen\/status\/1999559339414290893?s=43\" style=\"font-family: Helvetica, Arial, san-serif;color: #667785; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; text-decoration:none;\">12\/12\/25, 1:17\u202fPM<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"18\" style=\"font-size: 0px; line-height: 0px; min-width: 18px;\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td colspan=\"3\" style=\"font-size: 0px; line-height: 0px;\" height=\"12\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><\/a><\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"image0.png\" src=\"https:\/\/www.duck9.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image0-3-scaled.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"image1.png\" src=\"https:\/\/www.duck9.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image1-8-scaled.png\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"image2.png\" src=\"https:\/\/www.duck9.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/image2-3-scaled.png\"><br id=\"lineBreakAtBeginningOfSignature\"><\/p>\n<div dir=\"ltr\">\n<div><span style=\"font-size: 17pt; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);\">Chapter 1 to Chapter 14\u2019s an \u201cEaster Egg\u201d at&nbsp;<\/span><span style=\"background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 17pt;\">#ch1 to #ch14. Including #ch2 which\u2019s chapter 2 at my house in Napa California<\/span><\/div>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);\">http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ejeIz4EhoJ0<\/span><\/p>\n<div><span style=\"background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);\"><br \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);\">On 09-09-39, &#8220;What They Will NEVER Teach You at Stanford Business School&#8221; debuts at 300 w 44th St at New York Fashion Week&#8217;s front row<br \/><span dir=\"ltr\">http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=QXIaNZi3mHQ<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);\"><br \/>What A Super Model Can Teach a Harvard MBA About Credit&nbsp;<span dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.slideshare.net\/larrychiang\/what-a-super-model-can-teach-a-harvard-mba-about-credit\">www.slideshare.net\/larrychiang\/what-a-super-model-can-teach-a-harvard-mba-about-credit<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>American Express hosts me mentoring you about FICO scores at New York Fashion Week<br \/><span dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"http:\/\/t.co\/inxTmZAj\">t.co\/inxTmZAj<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>My video boils down 20,000 hours and moves you to the right on the entrepreneur bell curve&nbsp;<br \/><span dir=\"ltr\">http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=eudADPfTWiE<\/span><br \/><\/span><span style=\"background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 17pt;\">***********<\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);\"><span dir=\"ltr\">Steve Jobs Texted me on 650-283-8008 in the same way that Mr Jobs called Bill Hewlett&nbsp;<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/superSaiyanSkai\/status\/1941392367304761636\/video\/1\">https:\/\/x.com\/superSaiyanSkai\/status\/1941392367304761636\/video\/1<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\" style=\"background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);\"><\/p>\n<div><span dir=\"ltr\"><br \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div><span dir=\"ltr\">Larry Chiang<\/span><\/div>\n<div>Fund of Founders<\/div>\n<div>Founding Stanford EIR<\/div>\n<div>@duck9 alum, Deeply Understood Capital Credit Chinese Knowledge 9<\/div>\n<div>Solo Founder Uber API<\/div>\n<div>650-566-9600 Office<\/div>\n<div>650-566-9696 Direct<\/div>\n<div>Cell: 415-720-8500&nbsp;<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<div><span style=\"background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);\">650-283-8008 (cell)<\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);\"><br \/><\/span><\/div>\n<div><span style=\"background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);\">Editor of the widely syndicated &#8220;What They Don&#8217;t Teach at School&#8221;<br \/><span dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"http:\/\/whattheydontteachyouatstanfordbusinessschool.com\/blog\">whattheydontteachyouatstanfordbusinessschool.com\/blog<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>CNN Video Channel:&nbsp;<span dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"http:\/\/ireport.cnn.com\/people\/larrychiang\">ireport.cnn.com\/people\/larrychiang<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Read my last 10 X posts at&nbsp;<span dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.X.com\/LarryChiang\">www.X.com\/LarryChiang<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Author of #WTDTYASBS a NY Times Bestseller released 09-09-09 at #NYFW on a runway under the tents<br \/><span dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"http:\/\/whattheydontteachyouatstanfordbusinessschool.com\/blog\/?s=Ny+times+bestseller\">whattheydontteachyouatstanfordbusinessschool.com\/blog\/?s=Ny+times+bestseller<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span dir=\"ltr\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.fastcompany.com\/embed\/c0d4562ea2049\">www.fastcompany.com\/embed\/c0d4562ea2049<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p>52 Cards. Two Jokers. What They DO Teach You at Stanford Engineering<br \/><span dir=\"ltr\">http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=vDBY0GkI3-g<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Emergency swings and cutting deals as an 9 year old<br \/><span dir=\"ltr\">http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=OFGY7v9C4G0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Hunter Pence shared thoughts before winning WORLD SERIES&#8217; Game #7<br \/><span dir=\"ltr\">http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=usu0luYy9pw<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<div><span style=\"background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);\"><span dir=\"ltr\"><br \/><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>### Cabaret (1972 film) \u2013 Concise Summary **Setting**: Berlin, 1931\u20131932 \u2013 the final months of the Weimar Republic, just as the Nazis are rising to power. **Story** &nbsp; An American academic, Brian Roberts (Michael York), arrives in Berlin to teach English and finish his doctorate. He rents a room in a boarding house and meets [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":37136,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37135","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"post_mailing_queue_ids":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.duck9.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37135","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.duck9.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.duck9.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.duck9.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.duck9.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37135"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.duck9.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37135\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.duck9.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37136"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.duck9.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37135"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.duck9.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37135"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.duck9.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37135"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}