Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Logging

TV: Mandalorian ep 3 and 4, The Witcher

Nerding out. I was impressed with Henry Cavill's physically in the Witcher as a contrast to Pedro Pascal's Mandalorian. Pascal has been better in everything I've seen him. He's not quite right for the Mandalorian, but I still really like the show.

The Witcher pilot started off terribly but grew on me. I'll probably continue to watch.
Hate Groups

A woman warns folks about how white nationalist groups target white teenage boys online.

The more we oppress language with the ridiculous "woke" standards and shame what amounts to typical "boy" behavior, I predict a rise in vulnerability to these groups.

When I was young, it was common sense that over strictness lead to rebellion. The most common being religious strictness. Nowadays, in coastal areas, I imagine the wokeness is even more oppressive than the religious stuff ever was in my childhood. What countervailing mainstream cultures are there in coastal areas to combat? Sports? Gamer life? Music?

Friday, December 27, 2019

Montana

You have first pick for all time quarterback. I know mine.
Good Take

Trump isn't a Nazi, he's a failure.

Last sentence:
But the Democrats are so committed to their exotic fairy tale — Trump is a monster, Trump is a Nazi, Trump is a white nationalist, etc. — that they have forgotten how to run an ordinary campaign against an ordinary failure.
Yep. And so we will be getting 4 more years of this shit.
Dishwashers

I really dislike my brand new, top of consumer reports rated dishwasher, so Trump is right on this one.

Also - do a remodel. The code restrictions are onerous and stupid. They presume users don't know how to turn on an exhaust fan in the bathroom.

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Logging

Book: How the Grinch Stole Christmas

So I don't normally log books I read to my kids, but it'd been awhile and here's the ranking of children's book writers:

1. Dr. Seuss
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Now the list for everyone else begins:

Margaret Wise Brown
Sandra Boynton
etc.

He's the Shakespeare of children's books.
South Korea Observations

-bfast food in Korea is often the same type of food as lunch and dinner.

-sweet potato lattes are common.

-South Korean people are excessively good hosts.

-South Korean people are generally anti-authoritarian

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Logging

Film: Richard Jewell

Maybe I'm smoking crack, but I thought the film was really good.

And I read this Washington Post article criticizing the film over the portrayal of Olivia Wilde's character. So much is wrong with the article:

1) The most egregious: the writer clearly didn't actually watch the film because he doesn't note the Olivia Wilde character arc, and criticizes the film for missing a "moment" that ACTUALLY TAKES PLACE IN THE FILM!

2) More broadly, the article worries about how the newspaper is depicted in the film. Does he realize the film is about RICHARD JEWELL! The film isn't called Kathy Scrugs or the Atlanta Journal. This level of stupidity belongs in a college newspaper.

3) He criticizes a dramatic scene for not actually taking place. What? Huh? A scene in a movie was made up for dramatic effect? Does he not know what a movie IS?

What a preposterous op-ed.

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Progressives

The biggest problem with progressivism is that it lacks idiot checks. You have this Congresswoman who sees the world in terms of exploited workers and selfish businesses, so she writes a law to attack the "gig" economy with the net result being hundreds of lost jobs and income for freelance writers.

The underneath problem is twofold. She doesn't understand how life works for freelance workers and has the arrogance to write laws to "benefit" them.

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Logging

Film: Uncut Gems (screener)

Couldn't resist -- I wanted to see in theater -- but last night, felt like I had to check out 20 minutes or so before bed. Of course, I watched the entire thing and then couldn't sleep. The anxiety the film induces is more subtle than I would've thought, but evident. Great performances all around. I've seen many better written movies, but movies aren't read, they are watched and in some cases (like this one), experienced.

Sunday, December 15, 2019

Travel

I just got back from Busan, South Korea.

South Korea is one of my favorite countries on the planet. Great food, great cinema, great cars, and terrific people.


Logging

Film: Cold Pursuit

Not sure if the airplane re-edited the movie for content, but the first 20 minutes or so made absolutely no sense.

Unwatchable.
Logging

Book: Slough House by Mick Herron

A humerous Le Carre. Took me awhile to finish, but finish I did.
Logging

Film: Gloria Bell

Enjoyable airplane movie.
The Left vs. The Rest

Liberalism has been hijacked by THE LEFT, as someone in the UK points out.

I noticed it in the aftermath of 9/11, when many on the Left blamed ourselves for the murder of 4000 fellow citizens in an act of war. And its only gotten worse since then with the Left's obsession with racism and gender fluidity and a whole stockpile of nonsense.

Monday, December 09, 2019

Fake News

Billy Dee Williams clarifies he's not gender fluid and furthermore, doesn't know what the hell it means.

I hope America realizes the old people are the ones who are going to save us from ourselves.
Good on Them

Ford and Sherman stand by Tim Ryan -- based upon his overall character.

The pettier people are about this racism stuff, the more it indicates there isn't much of a problem.

Sunday, December 08, 2019

Stupid Good

Somehow I stumbled upon a Dolly Parton mix on youtube and yeah...can't stop listening.
Logging

Films (on a plane: The Mule and The Favourite

The Favourite is a brilliant film. The Mule is not.

The inelegance of The Mule makes me worried for Richard Jewell - which looks terrific.

Wednesday, December 04, 2019

Logging

TV mini series: The Irishman

Watched the first 40 minutes or so. Casino felt like the closest comparison. He makes these movies that are more nakedly an assemblage of scenes involving the same characters held together by voice over without necessarily what one would call a plot.
Random Thoughts / Observations

My 4 year old loved the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Special. Important for parents, I think, to show kids old/slower paced tv shows, books, movies, etc, so they don't become too "present-focused."

My 4 year old came in to the bathroom while I was shaving today and basically recounted the Big Bang Theory and evolution -- he told me -- at first there were only stars in space, then a big explosion happened that created planets. Then shark eggs were created and there were sharks. Then, fish came. Then dinosaurs. Then dinosaurs died and came monkeys and humans. Now, maybe he didn't hit all the details correct, but for a 4 year old the summary of life was pretty good. I am a bit mystified about how he learned The Big Bang. My wife didn't teach him. I asked him if he learned it in school and he said no. He said his body told him. Who knows...he also peed on the bathroom floor this morning, so anyhow...kids...

I love watching regular season NBA and had this incredible idea for retirement - go live in cities where I like the NBA teams, for instance right now: Toronto and Miami for the NBA season and just go to games. Now I just need to spend the next 25 years getting the wife to become an NBA fan.

Sunday, December 01, 2019

Logging

Film: No Country For Old Men

Theory: best film of the 2000s.

Closest Coen companion pieces: Blood Simple and Fargo.