The Am I Evil? Graphic Novel project is in full swing! We’re currently taxiing for a Spring 2020 Kickstarter launch.
Please feel free to contact Jack by any method available to you to pledge your advanced support for the Kickstarter campaign. No money needed, just your name and contact info. If you’re not sure how to reach me, then go ahead and use the form at that other website:
About the Project
Thank you!
Firsties!
So it goes.
This made for nice background music. I do love me some good cello.
https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2020/01/16/video-premiere-raphael-weinroth-browne-tumult/
There is always room for Cello.
Is that a PLEDGE PIN I see on your uniform!
Needs more flying spittle…
I need an App for that.
We’re not gonna take it!
SzintisLaci!
Jack – you don’t mind if I clip out part of your “Trees” sketch from Deadpan #237 and add it to the audio comment I’m recording for The Rock’n’Roll Geek Show, do you? I’m recording a tribute to the late, great Neal Peart. You wrote it, so I’m asking before sending it in. Of course, I also plan to plug the “Am I Evil?” graphic novel in my audio comment. 🙂
Thank you, Amy!
And yes, I appreciate you asking. Feel free to use or repurpose any pieces of Deadpan any time. It’s an honor — especially for a Neil Peart tribute!
Thank you very much, Jack! My audio file has been recorded and sent in.
Goddammit, Saga.
If you’re not reading this series, you should be. Just don’t get too attached to any characters.
+1
I’m not as far in, but I plan on reading more in the near future. I’ve been reading some other series that have been piling up.
It’s on hiatus, so I’m fully caught up.
I’d advise against any searches about the series… I’m seeing some careless spoiler talk out there.
So this exists:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_VelociPastor
I so need to see this
I want to see a Velociraptor movie made on a budget of $35K.
Latest on the Marvel rewatch:
Black Panther – – a darn good film with a great villain. Powerful cultural message and significance, but otherwise, kinda just OK as a superhero action romp.
Infinity War – – such a gut punch.
Ant-Man and Wasp. So much more fun than the first. Sure, it goes way deep into quantum ridiculousness, but it’s a riot.
Up next: Captain Marvel
JW: Avenue 5 episode 1
Painfully unfunny. At least Hugh Laurie gets to his his English accent at times.
Lo will probably Iove it.
I bet 10p
Never heard of it. Don’t care.
On HBO Max
Morning Pan
Is it me, or has this month seemed particularly long?
I’m weird, January always flys for me. 20th today FFS
Well good news for me:
https://trib.al/RoHsFdT
So I only recognised one actor in The Warriors.
The one who is now more famous for playing bad guys.
..and Dexter’s Dad.
https://pm1.narvii.com/6039/020c0eb260d3500901835cd690230fea12a34422_hq.jpg
Was he a Florida serial killer?
Most of the cast in that movie are kinda familiar. The main white guys definitely had a few other big roles. Same with the girl from The Orphans.
Caaaan yoooouuuuu dig iiiiiiiit?
Speaking of actors that typically play bad guys. Just watched Alien3 after not having seen it since it originally came out. I saw Charles Dance in the opening credits and told Mrs. Asshat “he’s going to be the main bad guy. Watch for it.”. Was so glad to be proven wrong. Good to see someone paying a role other than what they are known for.
Alien3 is like Warriors in that almost every actor elicits a “hey, where have I seen that guy. . .?” response.
Unlike Warriors, Alien3 is terrible.
Alien 3 is really good actually. Dark, claustrophobic, and tense. People hate it for what it did to the characters of the previous film.
Rightly so, it pissed on Aliens from a great height.
The loss of Newt, in particular, disappointed me as it seemed to moot much of the point of Aliens. That aside, I didn’t see it as a bad movie. It wasn’t a great movie, but it was a good movie.
Considering I don’t have time to shit anymore I was surprised to find I had time to sit down and watch The Irishman.
It’s…. pretty goddamn great. The last half hour does drag a bit but that’s a small slight.
It’s pure film making. It’s pure Scorsese
Apparently, today is DeForrest Kelly’s 100th birthday.
He was my favourite in the original Star Trek
Fascinating.
A little bit of history:
https://t.co/JmBZjVfPEa?amp=1
If hubby’s not home sick, I think tomorrow will be a good day for a play by play
https://io9.gizmodo.com/our-first-look-at-the-discworld-tv-show-is-not-what-you-1841061466
Discworld TV show coming soon!
I’ll watch it, though I’m disappointed with some of the choices they seem to have made
More good news:
https://www.tor.com/2020/01/21/altered-carbon-season-2-netflix-february-27th-anthony-mackie/
So,I loved this show but it’s been gone for so long … I couldn’t even remember what it was called. Just last week I was thinking about it and wondering what ever happened to it but couldn’t google it because I had forgotten it’s name.
Has it really been gone for a long time?
We watched it within the past year, I think. I really enjoyed it- more than the Mr.; I think.
My voice is all gravelly this morning. I sound like Chrisjen Avasarala.
Read that as Christina Aguilera
Down boy down!
Have to admit I did as well.
I guess you just have to rub me the right way.
Well bugger!
Just bugger!
Don’t have any Sonos hardware that old:
https://t.co/ryzirNFwD9?amp=1
They have just described almost ALL of my Sonos investment.
I rarely throw this sort of language around publicly but, fuck you Sonos.
You don’t get another dime from me.
The fact that they will stop updating any new hardware that is connected to old hardware is the most egregious move by them.
Morning Pan
Will watch a movie after lunch.
Goodbye to the man behind Erik the Viking:
https://t.co/Pu3D8lvJXK?amp=1
It’s feeling like all the love, laughter and kindness is dying out of the world.
I’ll have the spam, egg, spam, bacon, sausage, and spam in tribute. RIP, Terry Jones.
I did not know he’d written the first script for Labyrinth.
My heroes are peeling away one by one. Seems like quite a few of them recently.
Also, that story on Jones is really well done. Far more in depth than you usually see.
Crap joke for the day:
Schick is walking down the boardwalk in Atlantic City, runs into a hooker, and he says, “How much?”
She says, “Twenty bucks.”
He says, “All right.”
They climb down under the boardwalk, and he bangs her. The next night, he runs into the same hooker, they go under the boardwalk, only this time while he’s banging her, she blasts two incredible farts. When they get done, he hands her twenty-FIVE dollars.
She says, “What the extra five?”
He says, “That’s for blowing the sand off my balls.”
The quality of the crap jokes has declined!
Gritty
FYI:
If you don’t frequent the Facebooks, we’ve posted and discussed the MMMmmmeetup poll results. Phoenix is in 1st place, with Denver in 2nd, St. Louis in 3rd. September is in 1st place for timing, with October 2nd, and June 3rd.
We’d also discussed just cancelling the 2020 gathering, to try and get a larger crew together in 2021. Feel free to chime in there – – or here.
I’d still like to meet this year.
Me as well, happy to come back to Phoenix if that means there will be more people attending.
CP: Uummannaq Song — KT Tunstall
Alright Deadpan. It’s movie time
Today’s movie is Deadcon
The Netflix elevator pitch: These internet celebrities are about to learn that there are things far scarier than badly lit selfies
Bwa ha ha ha ha!
I can’t justify the expense
It’s over
Bobby says hello
How long ago is this? Very old tech
Friends!
Bwa ha ha ha ha!
For some reason the word friend is scary
Now
Elevator
Live like you’re gonna die young
Oh oh, they were given suite 2210a
She needs a break
A little boy pic
Forbidden live
Live = love
Same pic, different room
Are you ready to get crazy?
She hates being an internet star
Her room is trashed
Please choose an activity
The walk in closet is cursed
They put guests in that room?
Warren is worried
Her camera is creeping on her
She’s two timing
The room is red
Finger stir
The power went out. Not good for internet stars
1984
Bleeding walls are so…1984
Wait, you change one light bulb and they all work? What is this, Christmas tree wiring?
Kitty!
He wants to do a sex tape
Of course
Fireworks
Ashley’s not normal
Tell me what to do
Her room is trashed again
He lost his game
She’s not hungover
Her boyfriend is there
Party!
She found a kid
Bunny balloon
A kid in the video
It was jumping on the bed
Killed by bunny balloon
Cleaning up
Chair spin
Drop it
The room looks fine
But looks can be deceiving
Let’s go
Doh head.only show the part you want
He fell asleep
Bobby took Meagan
Threesome!
Ok. This movie had potential. It was actually pretty decently acted. But, I have no idea what happened. I feel it needed fleshing out. It was only an hour and twenty minutes long. I think they should have added another 20 minutes to clear some of the huh moments
Ive attended a few unintentional Deadcons.
Van!
Alan Turing news!
https://bizwest.com/2020/01/20/feds-seize-alan-turings-doctorate-and-knighthood-medal-after-they-were-offered-to-cu-boulder
I hope the items get returned to Sherborne
I think that’s the plan but god knows how long it will take…
…or if they will get swiped again.
Van and ditto said something before the PBP about wanting to do a MMMmmmeetup this year. I’m in, though I already have some time commitments.
First question: where do we want to do that discussion?
A discussion on Facebook will be more easily updated.
I won’t know if I can travel until mid-April
The destination I could leave till then, taking off holiday for work I cannot, so hopefully we can lock the actual weekend down well before that.
I’ll suggest we pick a September weekend and commit. This past year, a lot of folks said that the September date was difficult.
Too many quotes in here to cut-and-paste. It’s a long read, but at least get through all of the pieces of Bruce Sterling’s intro:
https://people.well.com/conf/inkwell.vue/topics/507/State-of-the-World-2020-Bruce-St-page01.html
Not every day you meet the world’s greatest bass player. Tiffany and I just met Victor Wooten before his show.
World’s greatest you say…
Les Claypool. . . Geddy Lee. . . James Jamerson. . . Dave LaRue. . . Geezer Butler. . . Paul McCartney. . . Steve Harris. . . Billy Sheehan. . . Stu Hamm. . . John Paul Jones. . . all of these guys are heroes, but all of them stand in Victor’s shadow.
I must say, Steve Bailey held his own onstage with Victor, though, with his 6-string fretless bass. That guy is also incredible.
Davie504 would agree. Slap!
John Entwistle is nothing to scoff at either.
What about Hagar Ben-Ari ?
I have no idea how she stacks up with your list … but she’s The only one out of that group that I have a crush on.
John Entwistle – – Who?
I won’t get fooled again by that one.
I’m just going to place this right here
https://media.fromthegrapevine.com/assets/images/2017/6/Hagar%20posed2.jpg.824x0_q71.jpg
… and that’s all I’m going to say about that.
Nice-looking! I confess I don’t know her stuff, but will check some videos.
To hear her play, damn you! To hear her play.
Morning Pan
That’s two days this week I had 10 hours sleep. I don’t feel sick but maybe I did catch a touch of what hubby has
10 hours of sleep over the course of 2 days? That sounds about right. . . .
Seriously, I hope you guys can get through a period of time without (too much) crud.
It’s been a particular bad year for hubby this school year. If he didn’t work at a germ factory, I think we would have fewer sick days.
CP: Bedroom Hymns — Florence + The Machine
Well, here is an unfortunate update.
https://thebulletin.org/doomsday-clock/#
Moved up and is now reported in seconds, not minutes, away from Armageddon.
Things that make you go… hmmmmm
I saw a meme recently pointing out that the highest officials in just every nuclear nation are all madmen. Rump, Putin, BoJo. . .
Things that make you go… boom
Morning Pan
Off to the city later this morning.
Beth Case posted this on the Facebooks. https://modernmrsdarcy.com/reading-challenge-2020/
I really like how down-to-earth this system is. Most of these kinds of things look down their noses at you, like “ohhh, if you haven’t read every word scratched out by Dickens, then you’re not even worth talking to.”
Yeah but have you had his cider?
This is keen, but what it doesn’t tell you is how to actually find time to sit your ass down and read. “Make time!” is easy to say, hard in practice
You can easily find the time…. Somewhere in between waking up after too little sleep, working all day, spending essential time with the family, managing chores and outside responsibilities, and getting to bed too late.
Man. Ever since Disney got a hold of Star Wars they just have never had a real plan for what to do with it. What a mess.
https://collider.com/obi-wan-series-delayed-disney-plus/
“Good job!”
–
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Maybe they’d rather sell us death sticks…
Disney had never unveiled an expected release date for the Obi-Wan series. Hours after the news broke, IGN caught McGregor at an event, and he told the outlet he did not expect the release of the series would be delayed, but noted filming would shift from this summer to January 2021.
“It’s just slid to next year, that’s all. The scripts were really good,” McGregor said. “Now that Episode IX came out and everyone at Lucasfilm has got more time to spend on the writing, they felt they wanted more time to write the episodes.”
———————————————————————–
Per https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/obi-wan-kenobi-series-hold-as-calls-goes-new-scripts-1272499
If the scripts were “really good” why the need to tinker more? And send all the crew home?
Shrug thing.
CP: No Guilt — The Waitresses
CW: Justified S1 Ep 1
I am going to re-watch this series. It is a favorite, Top 5 for me.
Those damn hillbillies just get themselves into some stupid shit. I love me some Timothy Olyphant.
Crap joke for tonight:
A guy walks into a library and yells, “Can I get a grande mocha Frappucino?”
The librarian sighs and says, “Sir, this is a library.”
“Oh right,” the guy whispers. “Sorry.” And then in a low voice he says, “Can I get whipped cream on that Frappucino?”
https://www.slashfilm.com/michael-keatons-batman/
tl:dr “Michael Keaton is the best Batman.”
I think I agree. Maybe Christian Bale is the best Bruce Wayne, and Keaton is the best Batman.
My spoiler free impression of Star Trek: Picard – while it was all very shiny, I found the concept pretty meh and Patrick Stewart’s performance was just as bad as I feared it would be. He should have given this series a shot about 10 years ago.
He was very spry for an old guy.
My friends list is geeking out with love for it.
Still better that RoS
hush
How does the weekend of the 19th and 20th September sound for the meet-up?
Decent, though the 21st is my wife’s birthday, so I’d probably plan to return home on the 20th
I think that’s good for us. I’ll see if my official scheduler can chime in.
WTF is the Dolly Parton Challenge?
Yes, I’m sure I can probably google it….
See the group on Facebook
It’s safe to Google. A little bit reminiscent of the “What my friends think I do… what my parents think I do…. what I really do…” meme.
Colour Out of Space was just mad, mad, mad, MAD!
Nic Cage Chews the scenery.
Looks like it only pays lip service to the original story?
Updated it for the 21st century.
In other news, we watched episode 1 (finally) of Star Trek: D. Keep yer spoilers, we’re gonna be slow going through all of these episodes.
Intriguing start tho.
I stopped this one after ep 3 through no fault of it’s own.
Michael Stipe’s new (ish) single ”Your Capricious Soul”, seems to be permanently lodged in my brain.
it’s a good tune – Socially relevant, haunting and For some reason … totally STUCK in my head.
The first ep of Picard was genuinely enjoyable if not a bit overstuffed.
I learned yesterday of the loss of one of my old extended crew. I hadn’t talked to him in years, and honestly, probably never would have seen him in person again – – but it still breaks my heart to hear. Lots of good memories with him at Photon and hanging after it closed. RIP Sathar. Fuck cancer.
*hug*
Sorry, man
Tragic:
https://nypost.com/2020/01/26/kobe-bryant-reportedly-killed-in-california-helicopter-crash/amp/
Tragic. The guy was a legend in his sport.
The worst part of this (so far) is that his daughter was with him.
Holy crrrrrrap, season 5 of the Flash is dumb dumb dumb dumb so far. Last season was really bad, but this is insulting.
Morning Pan
It’s suppose to be a nice day today so I may go for a walk later this morning.
Just started season 2 of The Expanse.
Like it.
So rewatched The Man from UNCLE last night, great film but I only just realised the actress playing the villain played the High Priestess in Guardians of the Galaxy 2.
Doh!
I remember enjoying the movie in the theater, but I don’t remember a damn thing about it. I also never watched the TV show, so there’s that too.
I don’t know if this makes me impressed or if it makes me want to summon the Great Old Ones to end humanity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxWR5VtTMbM&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR1Kuzjy2Nx2oz7ObnJOM0CmR-XJ3SQHT_QzUIQXpsUP3nZpePj1FG0s41w
Being a parent
Does THAT
to you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giaMRyn47Xg&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR2qTFHsAzUR5yHjNhNlUPXN8-nVwAECqZN_zCel9d5rlHDTIZhVR2PLrrA
OK wow, a lot of production and rehearsal time went into this silly little video and sog. Any fans of David Tennant, Catherine Tate, and/or John Barrowman will squee.
I remember seeing this back when it came out. It’s still fun
Science! Killing dreams since time immemorial:
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/life-unbounded/death-on-mars1/
Three episodes into Trek: D. I think the writing is great and the characters are really well-crafted. Each episode has ended with a clever cliffhanger.
It doesn’t really seem to fit into any Trek universe – – but I have heard that the show eventually addresses those questions/concerns.
From what i understand it’s both canon and non canon which is real confusing. I’d just enjoy for what it is and not worry about the grander scale
I like it as a sci fi show, not as a Star Trek show.
Well that September weekend is still free at work so I can get it off, so over to you.
If I’m able to travel, that weekend would work.
It’s just a game:
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/01/plague-inc-maker-dont-use-our-game-for-coronavirus-modeling/
Really. That would be like using the board game Pandemic to track how the virus would spread
Morning Pan
Hubbiless this evening
He’s such a curmudgeon. I like it.
https://io9.gizmodo.com/i-do-not-like-working-too-hard-or-too-long-a-refreshin-1841209529
The comment section is quite hilarious. Some say he wants to be the Polish Alan Moore. LOL
Somehow, not sure how, I’ve been convinced to do a podcast for work. Luckily I’ve been given creative licence so I’ve decided it will have nothing to do with Tyche’s books. Yes, there will be a connection, but it won’t be the main subject. Will flesh out the details at brunch with the boss on Thursday. More info coming soon.
Because there is a connection to Tyche (one of the artists also does some of our covers), I’m hoping to have our very own Jack M, as well as others involved, to do a group interview on the new podcast to discuss Am I Evil.
Of course, I won’t officially ask until next week. Oh wait… 😉
1. You will do a great job with a podcast. Be sure to say “motherfucker” a lot.
2. I have a great suggestion for a recurring podcast segment: “Dumbass Memories.”
3. !!! I’d be honored!! And would love to. Thanks!
https://www.abc15.com/entertainment/events/atari-to-build-a-video-game-themed-hotel-in-phoenix-here-is-what-we-know-so-far
Awesome that Phoenix is getting the first one!
Built with extra ET games. Prices of rooms will reflect the price of a 2600 adjusted for inflation.
If there aren’t spinning coins along the corridors I’ll be disappointed.
It is an Atari hotel, not Nintendo.
I hope an Intellivision hotel opens up across town, that is far less popular, but which a small group of people swear is way better.
Yes. During the great Atari/ColecoVision wars, I had Intellivision. I loved it. I had a friend who had an Atari and I though Intellivision was better than that. Never had a friend with ColecoVision so I can’t compare on that end.
Looks like there’s one coming here too. Look forward to PHX being the guinea pig. Hope it succeeds!
I pity the fool.
https://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/arts-entertainment/fond-memories-of-the-a-team-ruined-by-watching-it-20180209144101
I like CoC, tho I don’t listen to them as much as I used to.
53 is WAY too young
https://loudwire.com/reed-mullin-death
The CoC albums he played on were excellent. “Deliverance” is one of the finest of its kind.
Deliverance is excellent. Definitely gave them more exposure to the masses.
Technocracy is a gem of mid 80’s thrash punk
CP: Longshot — Catfish & the Bottlemen
Van and Ed and Bunny and everyone else….
How about Sept 26th instead of the 19th- it works a little better for our household and maybe for Ed?
I’ll have to ask work and it would mean I hVe to take 2 weeks off off instead of 6 days.
How come?
Because I’m working that weekend unless i can take it off.
I could do the 26th.
What do you think, Van? And everyone else here?
At the moment, I don’t have any conflicts.
Sent off an email to the boss, should have an answer tomorrow.
Morning Pan
I get to see the dentist today. Lucky me.
I have no words of encouragement.
Joy.
No cavities
” I like the way you brush it”
https://bestclassicbands.com/bob-shane-obituary-kingston-trio-1-27-20/
The last of them. The Kingston Trio are definitely not as well known these days, but they were huge – – and seemingly pretty influential – – in the 50s/early 60s.
This is a band that history shouldn’t forget. RIP.
Agreed.
My mom was a fan so I grew up aware of their music. It is actually good stuff if you ever find yourself in the mood for some folk music.
I like them. 😀
The Kingston Trio song I know best.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4k5XftdTMs
Hilarious! That’s got to be the white-est version of that I’ve ever heard. Great fun.
Goodnight mush.
Ooooh:
https://blog.eu.playstation.com/2020/01/29/februarys-free-ps-plus-games-bioshock-the-collection-the-sims-4-and-firewall-zero-hour/
The Bioshock games were good. Sims 3 is better than 4. I never played Firewall
The ooooh! Was for the BioShock games.
Would you kindly? 😉
Morning Pan
Brunch with my boss, then supper alone.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egzF66hDkFs
Watched the second episode of Picard.
Yeah, think I’ll stick with this one all the way through.
CP: Crowds — WHITE ASH
Ok, Retro Bowl on the App Store, play American Football like it’s 1987.
You know it makes sense..
Are you enjoying Retro Bowl?
You are called Jack not Eliza
I. . . um. . . yes. . . that’s accurate. . . ?
Early program from AI research that was used for therapy.
It was called Eliza and when you made a statement it would asking you a bloody question.
Ah. And how did Eliza make you feel?
and THAT my friends, is COMEDY!
Patrick Stewart playing Lenin, who knew? You do now:
http://www.survivorstvseries.com/FallofEagles.htm
😮
https://digg.com/video/ames-window-optical-illusion
TIL: DIGG is still a thing.
😀
Ok can get the Weekend 26th/27th off, over to you.
Last day of January
Brexit today
There’s quite the line up for the car wash this morning
https://medium.com/bigger-picture/gen-x-will-not-go-quietly-3b0429c63c70
“Gen X may be a small generation that’s stretched too thin right now as we look after our kids and our parents, but that just makes us all the more wary and skeptical. “
It’s in Czech, but this institute in Prague looks perfect for a steampunk film:
https://www.industrialnifotografie.cz/blog/smichov-kde-se-cas-zastavil-137.html
Looks like something out of Miyazaki.
Helping my daughter with her Hamlet scene for class: win.
It devolving into giggles. Double win.
The Captain Marvel movie still motherflerkin rips. It’s so thrilling when she lights up.
Just wish she dressed hotter…
Burn your eyes out letch!
She is hot whatever she wears
She should really smile more.
Is pour over coffee a thing in North America?
Just looks like filtered coffee with a steel filter instead of paper.
We pour our coffee over here, yes
I’ve not heard of this — but if there’s an alt method to make coffee, some hipster somewhere has tried it.
https://boingboing.net/2020/02/01/this-bodum-pour-over-coffee-ma.html
Just never heard it called pour over coffee before.
It’s been around for quite a while. It’s really for coffee snobs.
There’s always cat poop coffee:
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2012/09/20/161478954/heres-the-scoop-on-cat-poop-coffee
Gaming cancelled for this evening.
Not sure what we’re going to do.
A very good non-Depeche Mode Dave Gahan thing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnPDWlVlBfI
But I have one more link for the night.
Dig it
LeeLoo said “man singing about the statue.” I think that’s a thumb up.?
Hmmm:
https://www.polygon.com/2020/2/1/21117295/best-books-science-fiction-fantasy-to-read-january-2020-science-fiction-fantasy-recommendations
It seems long, but it’s not really. Worth the read. I can only describe this as “Incredibly young cursey person watches Raiders of Lost Ark for the first time:
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1223711977568116740.html
And now I feel older than George Burns.
Well he got a more sophisticated take on the film than I did when I saw it in the early 80s
Is this guy for real? It feels more like an epic troll.
So turns out Amber Heard physically abused Johnny Depp.
We need to get over the consensus that men can be abused.
-can +cannot
Phew. Im really glad you cleared that up
cough
Yes. We’ve got to stop assuming shit, based on stereotypes.
I hate hate hate hate hate celebrity gossip, but I did read a Quora article detailing all of her abuses and false claims against him, all of which made the woke community vilify him – – even shaming the Fantastic Beasts fills for casting him. If he’s truly innocent (and I don’t have the facts to know who’s right or wrong in their case), then everyone who hated on him should be fucking ashamed of themselves.
fills = folks
WTF:
https://youtu.be/POjqJ5BgV00
Could be fun?
Are we going to lock down that weekend in September?
I’m good with it. Phoenix, call the ball.
Which one, Cougar?
The 19th? Or the 26th?
26th
I’m down. And grateful for sparing us the baby travel.
If – if – we commit to PHX, I think we should discuss some options in other parts of AZ. Maybe even some overnights.
Now you’ve made me imagine us all singing Benson Arizona in Benson Arizona…
Sunset in Monument Valley?
https://utah.com/monument-valley
Email to come!
Boo’s birthday is tomorrow so we’re taking her out to dinner tonight.
I feel old.
Apparently there was a WandaVision commercial? The only notable ones I saw were the Bill Murray, the Arya Stark, and the baffling Sofia Vergara.
And apparently that orange sack of shit had one too? I did see the nauseating fox nation ad.
There was a “The Shinning” parody for Mt. Dew that was kind of fun. Also a Fargo parody that was fun.
https://youtu.be/eEUhVeQCzos
Holidays booked in for the meet-up.
Just to add when it comes to deciding on what to do, I’m going to be limited in how far I can walk on varied terrain (so hiking is basically out).
There’s a better than average chance my travelling days are done.
🙁
🙁 Sorry to hear it, Bunny. We will have to take the party to you one year soon.
Morning Pan
Hubby’s aunt passed over the weekend. We only saw her maybe once every few years, and she wasn’t particularly close so don’t need condolences.
I mention it because she was only eight years older than we are.
Some days, like when your kid turns 33, and people near your age are passing, I feel really old.
It’s the decrepitude that is getting me. Not helped by meeting a cheerful 84 year old at work who doesn’t have arthritis as bad as me.
Some good medical news at last.
Hooray for whatever it is!
This one straddles the line between satirical and infuriating.
https://thehardtimes.net/blog/how-i-traveled-the-world-with-nothing-but-a-backpack-and-massive-trust-fund/
Ed. Please let us know if all is well with your family at A&M
I feel he are safe- as the incident happened up near Dallas.
His fam is at the main campus, I thought.
I hope.
No idea where the campuses are. My bad.
Well he was replying to my Airplane About an hour in Facebook so I’m figuring he’s safe.
Appreciate the concern – but it is true, my offspring is at the main campus in the College Station. This terrible business today was at another campus of the university system up closer to Dallas.
Not sure how common it is in the other states, but Texas A&M, The University of Texas, and The University of Houston each have a system of campuses spread out across the state. Many of those were originally their own colleges/universities but were absorbed into one of these three when they couldn’t keep going as independent institutions.
No idea where the campuses are. My bad.
No idea why this posted twice. Clearly I suck.
Well, before today, I couldn’t have told you where that campus was located either. Actually, it didn’t even join the A&M family until after I graduated. So, no suckage for you….
The major AZ schools have campuses all over the state too.
The important thing is that you and your family are safe. Sadly not the case for those other TX families tonight.
Fuck! The Chieftains are doing a farewell tour.
Fuck! Those tickets are expensive.
So this week discovered another podcast:
https://rottenindenmark.wordpress.com/podcast/
The goal is for the two hosts to shed light on a topic that has been misremembered in the public imagination.
I’ve only listened to the Tonya Harding and DC Sniper episodes, but found them interesting.
There’s a podcast called Our Fake History that takes historical subjects and breaks out the fact from fiction. The last episode I listened to, it turns out Machiavelli wasn’t very Machiavellian at all.
How is the DC sniper being misremembered?
And are they discussing how Tonya Harding has somehow been made into a sympathetic figure?
Listen to the podcast to find out!
Fucker!
Morning Pan
I’m overhauling our mailing list and redoing it in a new, more interactive format. How do I get myself talked into these projects?
While you’re at it, can you also make it gluten-free?
I present the next crime fighting team up:
https://www.fws.gov/news/blog/index.cfm/2016/11/2/Spotted-A-Coyote-and-Badger
I found this adorable
I’m buying the screenplay rights before Disney can- – too late.
1. I want them.
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NL6CDFn2i3I
Badgerbadgerbadgerbadgerbadgerbadgerbadger
https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/28626947/flyers-mascot-gritty-cleared-wrongdoing-alleged-assault
I’m glad that gritty was cleared. I’d hate for him to become something creepy.
You guys have the weirdest way of choosing your party leaders. Just sayin’
I have a feeling it’s going to get a lot weirder before it’s done.
Unions, not a big thing in the golden age of sci-fi:
https://hugoclub.blogspot.com/2018/12/imagining-future-of-organized-labour.html
The original Tartakovsky Clone Wars series on Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLdlwZUO5mo&t=11s
Remastered film from 1896:
https://youtu.be/3RYNThid23g
Ooooh the excitement!
*Runs from theatre screaming*
Brilliant! (the technology – – and Bunny’s response)
Madness:
https://pocket.co/xd5Eyq
Yes, that is fucking horrible.
Hmmm:
https://loandbehold.substack.com/p/the-invisible-lesbian-in-young-adult
“Fortunately for Maurice, he gets a happy ending.”
https://www.npr.org/2017/07/21/538472671/world-faces-global-sand-shortage
Anakin rejoices.
https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/gene-reynolds-dead-dies-mash-lou-grant-1203493159/
We are in a link fest today
Just gonna say this. . . then you can get back to your regular activities. . . We are reliving early 1930s Germany. And I don’t think that a Democrat win (if it’s even still possible) in November will save us.
I wish I could argue the point.
We just had an Impeachment removal proceeding (clearly NOT a trail) in which the ruling party claimed that ANYTHING a president does is legal if HE, for WHATEVER reason, thinks it is in the best interest of the country. This includes stopping an opposing candidate if HE thinks he is what’s best for the country.
The Chief SCJOTUS over saw this proceeding and never challenged or corrected those contentions.
The President’s DOJ has also claimed that he CANNOT be charged with any crimes while he IS the sitting president.
Based on that, and all of trumps words and deeds to this point, why would anyone believe we will ever have a “free and fair” election again.
Democracy has died with a whimper.
https://politics.theonion.com/rush-limbaugh-admits-presidential-medal-of-freedom-less-1841475204
At least we have The Onion.
It’s scary the things y’all have been taught to believe some times.
I sincerely hope we’re overestimating the threat.
Yep.
I can’t emphasize enough, how much I hope to be apologizing for doubting the system, when trump is successfully voted out of office.
And he isn’t allowed to refuse to leave.
If by “taught”, Ed, you mean watching what’s actually happening in this country then I guess so.
Insulting.
Wondering whether to pay a hundred quid and get my old iPad Pro battery replaced or wait another year before upgrading.
You could replace the battery and not upgrade next year?
Yeah, it does everything I need from a tablet and should get at least an upgrade to iOS 14 this year.
Fiona Apple covers a Waterboys track:
https://youtu.be/7h3a_EJXxNQ
This is lovely.
Hollywood legend Kirk Douglas dies at 103 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-51394855
A darn good innings.
What a life!
I’m in:
https://youtu.be/BpbtLSJEHJQ
You can tell, in the comments, who hasn’t read the books.
Initial reports for the Locke & Key show are promising. I plan to watch with low expectations. . . That comic series is one of the best I’ve ever read.
Except…. this comment wasn’t meant here, it was meant for the bottom of the thread.
I liked Altered Carbon book 1 and season 1 well enough to come back for season 2.
This is Canada’s version of The Onion. Unfortunately, it’s not that funny.
https://thebeaverton.com/2020/02/us-senate-confirms-committing-crimes-not-illegal/
Yeah, that’s not really satire.
A co-worker is going on a 49ers-themed cruise.
I’m normally a very nice guy, but I couldn’t resist asking: “How did you get tickets to that? Did you win 2nd place in a contest?”
He never replied.
Shots fired!
Ha!
Morning Pan
Sometimes you feel like a genius, Sometimes you feel like an idiot.
I’ve already gone through both feelings this morning.
This morning I felll ,wtmjt1
tjj
y
sleepy
What we need is another must read book list
https://theportalist.com/black-science-fiction-and-fantasy-authors?src=au-fb&fbclid=IwAR1k6-yL0AXaJD3HFhFf73tO-8oYX8fettW1WcV3e2Ah3jZ35rgoT-hgeM8
I was assigned a twisted Ishmael Reed book when I was in college. I remember digging it.
I’m halfway through The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin, which is brilliant. I know it’s a fave of EssBee’s.
I’ve read some Victor LaValle. Kinda sorta liked the Lovecraft one.
I’ll add some of these to my reading backlog, for sure.
I have yet to meet a book by N. K. Jemisin I haven’t liked
Good list.
Your feel good moment.
Don’t watch this unless you need a good cry.
https://mashable.com/2017/01/31/danish-ad-all-that-we-share-box/?utm_cid=mash-com-fb-main-link&fbclid=IwAR0jovPn4Qf44Dw3bu8tqgFpYA4UEvYv6QKwNRmbc-cRrgDdPSpP4BWA5T8#8DMUMhYvD9qk
Ticket booked to see Birds of Prey this weekend.
I am currently in Golden, Co.
It’s snowing.
And cold.
Ick.
God talks to man about protecting his family:
https://www.designmom.com/lets-talk-about-protecting-our-families/
“Is there anything you’re willing to do to protect your family that’s not the plot of an action/thriller?”
I have to admit, that one got an audible chuckle from me.
Ah, Van’s recent FB post makes more sense with this context.
Did Rambo ever do laundry? Do you ever see Scarface taking care of his children? Does John Wick make kids wash their hands in his movies? I rest my case.
Another take on the Wuhan Pneumonia experience.
https://www.wired.com/beyond-the-beyond/2020/02/american-doctors-report-first-coronavirus-patient/
https://t.co/YsfNJQWoBu?amp=1
Well I saw Birds of Prey, it was ok.
It rather cemented my opinion that I find the character of Harley Quinn too annoying and it rather spoilt the film for me.
She was the only not-terrible part of Suicide Squad.
Goodbye to Robert Conrad:
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/robert-conrad-dead-wild-wild-west-action-star-was-84-1119262
If you use Turbotax:
https://t.co/TVytPknWh8?amp=1
Fuckers.
Space Base seems like a fun game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPkvfImGgfQ
I saw Birds of Prey this afternoon. I thought it quite fun, but yeah, if you don’t like Harley Quinn in all of her psychotic glory- then you wont like this movie.
Bravo to Ewan McGreagor – he was a juicy, rotten bad guy!
Yes you can make a classical guitar out of lego:
https://youtu.be/rPCEImSfCwc
Interesting. The micro-tones sometimes sound out-of-tune – – but it’s a neat take.
Next, someone needs to make an entire guitar and fretboard out of Lego.
… and then smash it on stage.
Morning Pan
It’s a blustery morning today.
Last night, we were going to watch Doctor Sleep, the sequel to The Shining but it occurred to me, I never actually saw The Shining. I knew everything about it because it’s so prevalent in our society but never actually saw it. So we watched that. We’ll probably watch the sequel tonight
Hubby has said The Shining is now going to be the first one we watch in a long list of “modern classic” movies I never saw
The Shining is an easy one to miss – – and even think you had seen – – because its images are everywhere. My teenage memory says that the book was one of his better ones, too, though not his best. I haven’t read Doctor Sleep, nor seen the film.
Curious to know your next “modern classic” after The Shining.
John says the next movie I need to see is One Who Flew Over the Coocoo’s Nest
I also haven’t seen any of the Godfather movies so I’m sure they will be watched at some point
I remember some details of OFOTCN. I haven’t seen it since the 90s.
We recently did the Godfather films in our house too, because Desert Pixie hadn’t seen them. Shut out everything you may have heard about them, if possible, and just go through the entire saga. Again – – this is something that’s been parodied multiple times.
We’ve discussed The Shining with elder daughter. When she does finally see the movie, she’ll probably be laughing through most of it, because the scariest moments have been parodied, e.g.: the twins, the typewriter, the elevator, the axe through the door. . .
Yeah, I didn’t find it very scary, but I did add it to my want to read list all the same
Scariest book I’ve ever read.
I can recall getting lost in it, then looking up and realizing at was 2am and feeling totally creeped out as the thought came over me “I’m the only one awake in the house … probably on the whole block!”
Then I pulled the covers over my head.
Never saw the film because of that. I was afraid it would ruin that perfect creep-out feeling.
I have read and seen both books/movies. Doctor Sleep does a great job of making things work with the differences between the endings of the book/movie The Shining. The Doctor Sleep movie was well done, if not a hair on the slow side. I enjoyed it quite a bit.
CP: Dark Crow — Man With A Mission
I’d never heard of the Disco Demolition Night before: https://www.wbur.org/onlyagame/2019/07/12/disco-demolition-dahl-veeck-chicago-white-sox
Lest we forget that vicious mob stupidity has been there our entire lives.
A two-fer.
Here is both the best tweet of the day AND your crap joke of the day.
“Wait, how can Parasite win the Oscars if there’s no host?“
😀
Ahhhhhh … brain … melting …
https://www.jwz.org/blog/2020/02/the-cyberizer/
Tonight on MTV’s 120 Minutes.
I can here to post cool science news:
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-51420402
Solar Orbiter: Sun mission blasts off
The first Anchorman film was still a good laugh.
You may be introduced as Jack … but to those with a certain synesthesia, you’d be remembered as good ‘ol “purple red green yellow”.
https://elemental.medium.com/amp/p/51bb3f0dc638?__twitter_impression=true
Well what a fucker:
https://t.co/2x7FC79al5?amp=1
This is one guy’s accusation based on theory – – who wasn’t there. It’s something to ponder, but I’m not convinced either way by what’s presented in that article. And dammit, I’m not going to jump to positive or negative conclusions or jump in on a group beatdown based on one guy’s accusations.
I’m not even going to read the piece.
Not going to join the mob based on one guy shouting that there is a monster.
I have too much on my plate.
That is all
Well, you can’t have any pudding if you don’t eat your meat.
How can you have any pudding if you don’t eat your meat?
Stolen from FB:
I don’t like making plans for the day because then the word “premeditated” gets thrown around the courtroom.
Hubby’s messing with my schedule.
He wants to wear something specific tomorrow so asked if I could wash it. Laundry day is tomorrow damn it! 😉
Laundry day here is when I start running out of clean underwear and/or the washing machine is full.
I want to believe.
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/616374/uk-releasing-ufo-reports
CP: Romeo & Juliet — Dire Straits
A rare treasure, a song heard by ditto that I not only recognise but like.
I’m saying it unofficially here first:
It looks like we’re going to be able to hit a March 25 launch date. Stay tuned.
CP: Without You — Junip
https://schmedium.org/2020/02/10/introducing-beyond-broccoli-made-from-100-real-pork/
Interesting list of the top 25 best hard sci-fi novels. The author tries to keep it, mostly, current so it isn’t a rehash of the same lists that have been generated since the 1970s.
https://upjourney.com/best-hard-science-fiction-novels
Meh. Not a great list even considering “current” books. Some interesting choices though.
I must confess, that guys definition of sci-fi and fantasy are very different from mine. Not saying anything about the books chosen as I don’t know most of them, but I strongly disagree that the primary purpose of “hard sci-fi” is to try to teach scientific concepts.
I am relieved that it wasn’t a list of “count the rivets” starship Sci-Fi.
I’d also never have classified Old Mans War as Hard Sci-Fi.
I agree with ditto, meh
I think the one that surprised me most was World War Z. I love the book immensely. But although I can kind of sort of maybe in a way see it as science fiction, I see it as a psychological piece of work rather than a “hard science” piece of work.
It’s snowing
While having a beer with a buddy-
Me -“Hey, I like that new Pearl Jam tune ‘Clairvoyant’”
Him- “Are you kidding? It sounds like a Talking Head cover”
Me, taking a sip of beer and thinking about it- “I guess maybe I like the Talking Heads more than Pearl Jam.”
Same as it ever was.
The older daughter is singing “from roo oo oots to boo oo oots”. So that’s a win.
Morning Pan
It will surprise no one that hubby is working late this evening.
I have way too many tabs open in my browser, and yet, I’m going to open more.
Live on the edge!
She canna handle much more, Cap’n!
We (which means me) are completely redoing our newsletter. Currently in the testing phase. Adding the giving of a book on signup has made the whole thing more… complicated.
Fingers crossed everything works the first time.
Let me know if you need a volunteer tester.
This, I need to hear: https://www.notreble.com/buzz/2011/03/16/marvin-gaye-james-jamerson-whats-going-on-isolated-vocals-and-bass/ (I haven’t listened yet)
Morning meetings done. One more link before I bugger off into work tickets:
http://www.listenmusicculture.com/features/james-bond
The James Bond themes ranked.
*I never knew “Nobody Does it Better” was a Bond theme.
Call yourself a nerd.
This person knows nothing. NOTHING, I tell you!
Sorry, OK! I like Carly Simon, I just didn’t know – – oh, you mean the article’s author. . .
Yeah, some of their choices are a bit odd.
Just finished another David Mitchell book (of Cloud Atlas fame) and it appears there isn’t a book he’s written that I’ve disliked.
So there is that.
At the ice rink. My fingers are popsicles with knuckles.
I grilled up a steak for my supper. It was nummy
So we did finish ST: Discovery S1. I thought it was excellent. Mostly good episodes, and the main characters are great – – especially Michael Burnham – – and it did answer some of my questions about the continuity weirdness. I look fwd to season 2.
Oh this looks like it will be gloriously cheesey:
https://youtu.be/ncL4nNCz8Ec
I can’t decide if I want to see this or not.
Probably not a theater movie, but I’m down
Enough of this silliness. Time to pull out the vacuum.
I need a tester or more. For reasons I cannot define, our first welcome email, that’s suppose to come shortly after you sign up, seems to only work about 50% of the time.
We can’t for the life of us figure out what the issue is. Pop me an email if you want to give it a try for me. I’ll send you two links. They will lead to slightly different landing pages. Doesn’t matter which one you use but I’ll need to know which one you did use and what mail client you are using so I can figure out if it’s the sender or receive that’s the problem.
Thanks
I’ll send you an email – – but consider me a tester volunteer.
Thanks
Ha! I’ve confounded tech. They have no idea why the emails aren’t working either
https://geektyrant.com/news/amblin-is-producing-a-goonies-re-enactment-drama-series-for-fox
Wait, what? A fictional TV series about a group that wants to make a shot for shot remake of the Goonies? And I thought Hollywood could sink no lower than the remake. I think the best part is the self aggrandizing perspective that movie making is the stuff that powers towns in need.
“their passion will inspire a town in desperate need of hope in this love letter to the power of cinema, storytelling and dreams”
We can’t make a remake without everyone crying foul – – so how about a faux-sincere fake reality TV show?
Forget it, Jake. It’s Fox town.
RE: Locke and Key tv series.
Watched the first 8 episodes and it’s been a fun ride.
Never read the comics, did listen to the audio drama adaption on Audible but have no idea how faithful that was, so they be murdering it for true fans of the comic.
The comic series is one of the best I’ve ever read. I’m looking forward to watching the show.
Well it.’a been a long time since I saw an anime film at the cinema, but ticket booked to see ‘Weathering with You’ at the cinema tomorrow.
Which ended up not seeing as I got the time wrong.
I’m looking forward to seeing that one.
Crap joke for the day:
A Welsh farmer drove to a neighbours farmhouse and knocked at the door. A boy, about 9, opened the door.
“Is your dad or your mum home?” said the farmer.
“No, they went to town.”
“How about your brother, Howard? Is he here?”
“No, he went with Mum and Dad.”
The farmer stood there for a few minutes, shifting from one foot to the other, and mumbling to himself.
“I know where all the tools are, if you want to borrow one, or I can give dad a message.” said the boy.
“Well,” said the farmer uncomfortably, “I really wanted to talk to your Dad. It’s about your brother, Howard, getting my daughter Susie pregnant”.
The boy thought for a moment…
“You would have to talk to Dad about that. I know he charges £500 for the bull and £50 for the pig, but I don’t know how much he charges for Howard.”
I’m getting you a book of jokes next year for DPSS.
Oh Deadpan, will you be my Valentine ?
So Jack, did you stand in line at your local record shop to get your copy of Huey Lewis’ new release album?
A friend of mine wants to talk to me about Huey Lewis and the News. Not sure why he’s holding that axe.
Sometimes bad is bad? 😉
An interesting article about Huey and his Meniere’s Disease:
https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/music/a30783979/huey-lewis-weather-hearing-menieres-disease-interview/
Cute:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ProgrammerHumor/comments/f2z70g/today_this_was_use_in_a_meeting_between_our/?utm_source=share
I’ve become rather obsessed over the Wonder Woman 1984 trailer.
Don’t recall ever watching a movie trailer this many times.
So there is this thread on Twitter about writing British characters if you aren’t British and it made me realise:
None of you have internal doors to your kitchen. Well the few houses in the USA and one in Canada that I’ve visited haven’t any doors.
Yes my small kitchen has a door that I can close.
Thinking back to my childhood, most of the houses I knew had doors on the kitchen. Not all, but the house I grew up in and both of my grandparents’ houses had doors.
But now that you mention it, I’ve never seen a house west of the Mississippi with kitchen doors.
Alright, I’ll bite – why would you even want a door for a kitchen?
Well you would have to ask the original architect who designed the house.
But when I posted question on Facebook people replied with keeping out pets and the spreading of smoke if you’ve burnt stuff.
Oh my house is not open plan and it also has 5 walk-in cupboards.
Oh and until it was plastered up, the kitchen had a serving hatch to pass through food to the sitting (living room). Never used it for that though.
I think there used to be a sense that the mess and bustle of the kitchen and food prep was not meant to be seen by guests, so the door would be a barrier.
So I got to thinking about it and the kitchen in the house I spent most of my childhood in had a door between the kitchen and the dinning room. We just rarely ate meals in there and I can’t ever recall the door being closed.
I suspect the assumption was, if you were having a dinner party you could isolate your guests from the mess in the kitchen.
BTW – there was no door between the kitchen and family room.
Doors everywhere. Front door has a porch, so there is another door into the sitting room, another door leads to the passage which leads to the kitchen (door), back door and staircase. Upstairs the three bedrooms and wet room all have doors.
Oh and the downstairs toilet also has a door.
I can’t say for certain if the Victorian house of my childhood had a closed-off kitchen originally. My recollection is that it had frames for doors, but the doors had been removed. My folks totally remodeled and that portion of the home is all different now. Totally open.
I was inspired to do a little London site seeing via Google Earth. While looking around Buckingham Palace I noticed a young family. I zoomed in closer and they are wearing American flag shirts and their young son has a Chicago Cubs ball cap on. Freaking Americans, they’re everywhere.
Cute:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-space-exploration-koch-idUSKBN2081SX
Hmmm:
https://frisco-uplink.com/2020/picards-uneasy-fandom/
Goddammit, I sat down intending to be productive, and I just scrolled around like a mindless zombieman. I guess I needed the break.
Slowly going through the Studio Ghibli films on Netflix and tonight it was Porco Rosso.
The sky pirates are silly, but the planes look great and the story was fun.
Ooh, we need to get our Ghibli on.
Watched the first episode of the gender flipped High Fidelity tv series. Not that impressed will give it a few more episodes though.
Underrated fantasy books:
https://www.grimdarkmagazine.com/ten-criminally-underrated-fantasy-books/
You may recall my love for the book. The Cusack movie was OK. I’m curious about the series. Rob’s idiosyncrasies were always very classic “male.” It would be interesting to see those appended onto a female character.
Almost done with Marvel Phase 3! Endgame was tonight. Even better on the 2nd viewing. Even more powerful. Bravo.
How a mystery novel caught a murderer and saved a few lives:
https://t.co/PfqJHfck4G?amp=1
I had forgotten how much of a time sink Bioshock was, easy to play for four hours with out realising it.
Need to check this game out:
https://fantasy-hive.co.uk/2020/02/what-happened-to-alien-isolation-video-game-review/
Hubby played this and liked it
The myth of the male bumbler:
https://theweek.com/articles/737056/myth-male-bumbler
The fuck?
Morning Pan
Holiday Monday here.
A slice of the future that might have been:
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2020/02/the-fairey-rotodyne-the-vertical-take-off-and-landing-airliner-time-forgot/
Strange Fruit has always struck me as an incredibly powerful song, decades ahead of its time. I guess I should have known that it would have caused her to suffer some backlash.
https://progressive.org/dispatches/strange-fruit-caused-the-murder-of-billie-holiday-180220/
Tab groups! https://allthings.how/how-to-use-tab-groups-chrome-and-microsoft-edge/
I should try this.
Bloody hell, it’s utterly shit:
https://t.co/Jz5l14KT8V?amp=1
I’d never heard of the show, Salem, but it was recently recommended. Any good? Anyone watched it?
If it’s the series I’m thinking of (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2963254/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_2) we saw the first season and about half of the second. It was ok. I won’t give rave reviews about it but I won’t hate on it either.
I don’t think we stopped because it was getting particularly bad, more like we just petered out.
I watched half of episode 1, and kinda checked out. Great looking series, but a little bit soapy.
Morning Pan
Finished the book The Shining. While Kubrick is great with visuals, I can see why Stephen King didn’t like the original movie.
Based on the ending of the book, the movie Doctor Sleep seemed to be based more on the movie than anything but I will find out as that’s what I’m starting next.
Apparently there is a more recent mini-series of The Shining that is closer to the book than the original movie.
I remember that mini-series (from the 90s, I think). As I recall, it was pretty unwatchable.
Kubrick’s movie definitely strayed – – a lot. It works because of some terrifying mood and imagery – – and brilliant performances from the main 3 actors.
Back from seeing Parasite at the arty cinema.
The director deserved that Oscar and all the cast are great.
CP: Pain — Cellar Darling
A friend of mine talked up this version of Dracula, which he says is the most book-faithful he’s ever seen. I’m not familiar with it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u36VjXirmlY&list=FLLiLrjrJTybnN3cne6wvAUw&index=2&t=164s&fbclid=IwAR1vtakDa1Kt9LZUcS8OxEpgfZdtQcKGpeCyzXg_mGyCb1GimeRRB3AkaKI
I have a feeling I’d find it too dated to make it all the way through (even if I had time to sit and watch a full-length movie), but I’m intrigued. If nothing else, maybe it makes a good PBP for Bunny.
I’ll. Look into it tomorrow. If it’s available through any of the various streaming services we get, I’ll pbp it
Louis Jordan as Dracula, that’s a blast from the past, originally shown on the bbc.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Count_Dracula_(1977_film)
I don’t see that Dracula on our streaming but I did find this beauty
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0070003/
That’s gotta be worth watching
Jack Palance as Dracula…… You realize we can’t pay you to endure this movie for a PBP, right?
TEB is your TV not a smart TV? Cos if it is then it should have a YouTube app.
Yes we have a smart TV. No I won’t watch on YouTube.
I work for a publishing company and my hubby is an educator. While admittedly, not always possible in this silly internet world, I do try to avoid watching/listening to things that are the wrong side of copyright legal. Lead by example and all that silliness.
*shrug* what are you gonna do?
There’s only one version of Dracula that counts:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079489/
The only thing I remember about this movie is the final scene, of the 2 bats flying away.
At least you didn’t pick the Leslie Nielsen one.
Children of the night… shut up!
Another hubbiless evening
What to do, what to do…
Bloody Hell Kikki’s Delivery Service starts off dark, with young lass leaving home at 14 and thrust out into the world.
The cat is voiced by Phil Hartman – – if you want to add more darkness.
I noticed 🙁
Still, it’s an adorable kids’ movie, as I remember it.
I occurs to me, I haven’t had my shower yet this morning. I better get on that.
Speaking of open browser tabs: I’ve had this one up for days, intending to check it out. The Circle of Fifths.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UxzDjU3-hM&feature=emb_rel_end
I made it about 7 minutes before nodding off.
CP: Raise The Dead — The Hollywood Vampires
https://www.collective-evolution.com/2019/12/06/prime-minister-of-iceland-calls-for-prioritizing-well-being-of-citizens-over-gdp/
This is the way to the future.
I want you guys to do this for me during “I Saw the Sign” at an Ace of Base reunion concert.
https://www.stereogum.com/2073774/fan-ashes-mr-bungle-show/video/
The TL;DR:
A bunch of guys bought Mr. Bungle reunion concert tix in Brooklyn. One of them died before the show, so his buddies took his ashes to the show – – wrapped up in underwear – – and threw them onstage during the set.
Morning Pan
The cable company is coming this morning to do… something. I’m not 100% sure what they are doing but apparently I’ll be able to put my TV where ever I want in the house regardless of if there is a cable connection near by or not.
Since our internet is often a little iffy here, I am a little leery of this working as advertised.
This sounds like the way that a spy or law enforcement gets into your house. At least if bad movies are anything to go by. If the cable person is astoundingly bungling, it could be inspector Clouseau.
“But I didn’t call about a faulty phone?”
“And yet, here I am, a telephone repair person right here at your door.”
That’s what I was thinking!
We’ve seen very different movies involving the housewife and the cable guy. . .
CP: Club Foot — Kasabian
Where is my cable guy? They said between nine and eleven. It’s ten, you don’t get more between than that
Apparently your cable guy goes to eleven.
Actually, he went to 10:15. He’s just finishing up now
The new system has a whole different channel numbering system. Damn it! I had the other one pretty much memorized.
anyway. This is going out over the new system so I guess it works ok.
Nebula Award Finalists Announced
February 20, 2020
The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA, Inc.) is pleased to announce the finalists for the 55th Annual Nebula Awards, including the Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation, and the Andre Norton Award for Outstanding Young Adult Science Fiction or Fantasy Book. The awards will be presented in Woodland Hills, CA at the Warner Center Marriott during a ceremony on the evening of May 30th.
2019 Nebula Award Finalists
Novel
Marque of Caine, Charles E. Gannon (Baen)
The Ten Thousand Doors of January, Alix E. Harrow (Redhook; Orbit UK)
A Memory Called Empire, Arkady Martine (Tor)
Gods of Jade and Shadow, Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Del Rey; Jo Fletcher)
Gideon the Ninth, Tamsyn Muir (Tor.com Publishing)
A Song for a New Day, Sarah Pinsker (Berkley)
Novella
“Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom”, Ted Chiang (Exhalation)
The Haunting of Tram Car 015, P. Djèlí Clark (Tor.com Publishing)
This Is How You Lose the Time War, Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone (Saga)
Her Silhouette, Drawn in Water, Vylar Kaftan (Tor.com Publishing)
The Deep, Rivers Solomon, with Daveed Diggs, William Hutson & Jonathan Snipes (Saga)
Catfish Lullaby, A.C. Wise (Broken Eye)
Novelette
“A Strange Uncertain Light”, G.V. Anderson (F&SF 7-8/19)
“For He Can Creep”, Siobhan Carroll (Tor.com 7/10/19)
“His Footsteps, Through Darkness and Light”, Mimi Mondal (Tor.com 1/23/19)
“The Blur in the Corner of Your Eye”, Sarah Pinsker (Uncanny 7-8/19)
Carpe Glitter, Cat Rambo (Meerkat)
“The Archronology of Love”, Caroline M. Yoachim (Lightspeed 4/19)
Short Story
“Give the Family My Love”, A.T. Greenblatt (Clarkesworld 2/19)
“The Dead, In Their Uncontrollable Power”, Karen Osborne (Uncanny 3-4/19)
“And Now His Lordship Is Laughing”, Shiv Ramdas (Strange Horizons 9/9/19)
“Ten Excerpts from an Annotated Bibliography on the Cannibal Women of Ratnabar Island”, Nibedita Sen (Nightmare 5/19)
“A Catalog of Storms”, Fran Wilde (Uncanny 1-2/19)
“How the Trick Is Done”, A.C. Wise (Uncanny 7-8/19)
The Andre Norton Award for Outstanding Young Adult Science Fiction or Fantasy Book
Sal and Gabi Break the Universe, Carlos Hernandez (Disney Hyperion)
Catfishing on CatNet, Naomi Kritzer (Tor Teen)
Dragon Pearl, Yoon Ha Lee (Disney Hyperion)
Peasprout Chen: Battle of Champions, Henry Lien (Holt)
Cog, Greg van Eekhout (Harper)
Riverland, Fran Wilde (Amulet)
Game Writing
Outer Wilds, Kelsey Beachum (Mobius Digital)
The Outer Worlds, Leonard Boyarsky, Megan Starks, Kate Dollarhyde, Chris L’Etoile (Obsidian Entertainment)
The Magician’s Workshop, Kate Heartfield (Choice of Games)
Disco Elysium, Robert Kurvitz (ZA/UM)
Fate Accessibility Toolkit, Elsa Sjunneson-Henry (Evil Hat Productions)
The Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation
Avengers: Endgame, Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely (Marvel Studios)
Captain Marvel, Anna Boden & Ryan Fleck & Geneva Robertson-Dworet (Marvel Studios)
Good Omens: “Hard Times”, Neil Gaiman (Amazon Studios/BBC Studios)
The Mandalorian: “The Child”, Jon Favreau (Disney+)
Russian Doll: “The Way Out”, Allison Silverman and Leslye Headland (Netflix)
Watchmen: “A God Walks into Abar”, Jeff Jensen & Damon Lindelof (HBO)
Well I will be watching.
https://youtu.be/pDJbFA32_QY
Yeah. Us too
My partner in viewing was not down to continue after season 1.
That’s not to blame her. I just need to make time to watch season 2.
I’d watch this
https://ca.ign.com/articles/chris-pratt-and-tom-holland-want-to-start-an-avengers-cast-dungeons-and-dragons-party
Cumberbatch needs to be involved. As a wizard or the DM.
I know I’ve posted Heilung before, but it’s just the most mesmerizing thing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRg_8NNPTD8
Maybe I just need more Viking Trance music in my life? Or an antler hat.
Crap joke for the day:
A man goes into the doctor and says, “Doc, you gotta check my leg. Something’s wrong. Just put your ear up to my thigh, you’ll hear it!”
The doctor cautiously placed his ear to the man’s thigh only to hear, “Gimme 20 bucks, I really need 20 bucks.”
“I’ve never seen or heard anything like this before, how long has this been going on.” The doctor asked.
“That’s nothing Doc. put your ear to my knee.”
The doctor put his ear to the man’s knee and heard it say “Man, I really need 10 bucks, just lend me 10 bucks!!”
“Sir, I really don’t know what to tell you. I’ve never seen anything like this.” The doctor was dumbfounded.
“Wait Doc, that’s not it. There’s more, just put your ear up to my ankle,” the man urged him.
The doctor did as the man said and was blown away to hear his ankle plead, “Please, I just need 5 bucks. Lend me 5 bucks please if you can.”
I have no idea what to tell you,” the doctor said. “There’s nothing about it in my books,” he said as he frantically searched all his medical reference books.
“I can make a well educated guess though. Based on life and all my previous experience I can tell you that your leg seems to be broke in three places.”
This joke needs to be hobbled.
Hobbled nothing!
That joke needs to be taken out back and put out of our misery.
Morning Pan
Last night, after dinner, hubby rearranged the living room furniture. Why? Because now he can *sigh*
There. My washrooms are all clean for another week
I re-watched Every Which Way but Loose last night having not seen it since I was more or less a kid. Clyde and Ma are still seriously fun to watch, but I think the love letter to the country western lifestyle aspects are lost on me any more.
Corduroy pants, Paul Williams, simian-sidekick movies. . . Some things should just stay in the 70s.
Maybe I should re-watch B.J. and the Bear instead.
😀
10-4, Bandit.
Frame freezes.
Voice Over- “It’s right about now that those Duke boys realized they were in the wrong thread.”
I’m I. The city. I decided not to wear a coat. How crazy is that
Well since you are in Canada..
I hope Global Warming really sets in by lunchtime, for your sake.
Eh. It’s 6C. I’m wearing a sweater. It was fine
CP: The Grid/Breathe — Daft Punk vs Prodigy
All you wanted to know about the price of Lego over the decades:
http://www.realityprose.com/what-happened-with-lego/
Of course he fucking was:
https://t.co/J677w65X4A?amp=1
“ This is yet more proof of the Internet Event Horizon, where what was widespread cultural knowledge in the mid-‘80s to mid-‘90s is lost behind a veil of ignorance because it happened before everything was put online but was too recent to record as nostalgia”
– Tom Scocca
Crap joke for the day:
A cowboy, who just moved to Montana from Texas, walks into a bar and orders three mugs of Bud.
He sits in the back of the room, drinking a sip out of each one in turn.
When he finishes them, he comes back to the bar and orders three more.
The bartender approaches and tells the cowboy,
“You know, a mug goes flat after I draw it.
It would taste better if you bought one at a time.”
The cowboy replies, “Well, you see, I have two brothers.
One is in Arizona, the other is in Colorado.
When we all left our home in Texas, we promised that we’d drink this way to remember the days when we drank together.
So I’m drinking one beer for each of my brothers and one for myself.”
The bartender admits that this is a nice custom, and leaves it there.
The cowboy becomes a regular in the bar, and always drinks the same way.
He orders three mugs and drinks them in turn.
One day, he comes in and only orders two mugs.
All the regulars take notice and fall silent.
When he comes back to the bar for the second round, the bartender says, “I don’t want to intrude on your grief, but I wanted to offer my
condolences on your loss.”
The cowboy looks quite puzzled for a moment, then a light dawns in his eyes and he laughs.
“Oh, no, everybody’s just fine,” he explains.
“It’s just that my wife and I joined the Baptist Church and I had to quit drinking.”
“It hasn’t affected my brothers though.”
TL:DL
A YouTube channel for nerding out over sci-fi spaceships:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfjaAUlTZRHJapJmCT6eyIg
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/star-trek-episode-saved-next-generation-1280374
As important as “Yesterday’s Enterprise” is a one of the great TNG episodes, it would have been interesting to see what Ron Moore could have done with using the concept for the “Generations” hand off movie between the original and next gen crews.
I recognize that Generations is a failure overall, but it has its moments.
Well that article inspired me to go and watch the TNG episode again. It has aged well.
Morning Pan
Another gaming day with friends. You’re all shocked, I know.
CW: Castle in the Sky
Another Saturday evening another Studio Ghibli film.
Another great movie.
Yeah, just a pity they spend two thirds of the film getting to Laputa. The ancient tech doesn’t get a good exploration.
And we watched A Quiet Place last night. Absolutely a good and tense flick. But I have questions….
Long story short: we said we’d take some friends to dinner to thank them for a favor. We had a great time with them tonight.
But holy jeebus. . . They each ordered a bunch of mixed drinks, which brought the bill up to the price of a small Hawaiian. Island. I’m not mad at them at all, they didn’t take advantage of us, I’m just reeling from sticker shock.
Big skating test passed this morning! Big sigh of relief, then we celebrate!
Excellent! Truly!
Hazaah!!!
That’s great!
Speaking of skating, this is a fun story
https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/28761372/zamboni-driver-42-stars-emergency-goalie-hurricanes
This is a great story.
Next up if he couldn’t do it would have been the old lady at the concession counter.
Crap joke for the dAy:
A scotsman,an englishman,an irishman,a welshman,a latvian,a turk,an aussie,a yank,a kiwi,a springbok,an egyptian,a jap,a mexican,a spaniard, a greek,a russian,an estonian,an italian,a german,a pole,a lithuanian,a swede,a finn,an israeli,a romanian,a bulgarian,a serb,a czech,an austrian and a swiss ALL went to a nightclub…..the doorman said SORRY I cant let you in without a THAI…!!!!!!!.
Pad se ew.
CP: Fortune — Wye Oak
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_pu_oCb3ic
It took me along time to get through The Fifth Season, but I did. NK Jemisin is deserving of all her accolades, but goddamn, the last stretch of the book is brutal.
Better Call Saul S5 and Altered Carbon S2 start this week.
Oh yeah.
Yes!!!!
Speaking of Miyazaki:
https://soranews24.com/2020/02/21/studio-ghibli-suddenly-makes-38-albums-of-anime-music-available-on-spotify-apple-music-and-more/
Morning Pan
We had a dusting of snow last night.
Usually we get kids asking for bottles for their various activities all the time. We haven’t seen one in a month or more. How strange.
I guess I’m off to the bottle depot as we are running out of space.
So I am making a cross country plane flight at the end of this week.
Am wondering if I should wear one of those contagion masks. 🙁
I don’t know what to believe, at this point. Maybe they’ll let you board in a full hazmat suit?
I think the big picture will become a lot clearer in the next two weeks. That’s based on what we “think” we know about incubation/contagion period to this point.
If the geometric progression of the virus around the world stops increasing I think we will be ok.
I think we will know within the next 14 days if it has gotten loose in the US.
Meanwhile … life goes on. With perhaps a LOT more hand washing.
Past generations would have mocked 2020 me as being OCD – – but I’m fanatical about hand-washing.
There’s always this option:
https://www.wired.com/beyond-the-beyond/2020/02/make-epidemic-mask/
I did try the new Moffat Dracula series on Netflix.
A few decent things, but overall, the silly killed it (staked it?). I checked out after about an hour.
The guy playing Dracula is Danish and speaks better English than me..the fucker!
The actress playing Sister Agatha was great.
I liked the first two episodes. The third one didn’t quite work for me
Yea.
I hit a pot hole and blew out a front tire.
Frakk! No injuries beyond the front tire, I hope!
Yeh. A “run flat” tire so I was able to drive to the tire shop … but really annoying.
I wish I hadn’t read the past few days’ articles about Covid-19 :-/
“We want – and need – to hear advice like this:
Try to get a few extra months’ worth of prescription meds, if possible.
Think through now how we will take care of sick family members while trying not to get infected.
Cross-train key staff at work so one person’s absence won’t derail our organization’s ability to function.
Practice touching our faces less. So how about a face-counter app like the step-counters so many of us use?
Replace handshakes with elbow-bumps (the “Ebola handshake”).
Start building harm-reduction habits like pushing elevator buttons with a knuckle instead of a fingertip. ”
https://virologydownunder.com/past-time-to-tell-the-public-it-will-probably-go-pandemic-and-we-should-all-prepare-now/ Read at the risk of your chill.
I’m fatalistic about this if it goes pandemic. I work with the public so I’m screwed anyway, as sooner or later I’m going to be exposed to the virus unless they shut the whole public transport system down.
Well, there’s bad news on that front
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2020/02/covid-vaccine/607000/
On a light note, fingers crossed:
https://t.co/XrvCf11sOt?amp=1
If that holds up, it would indeed be fantastic news. So far, I’m still pretty Meh on this new Picard show and I can’t say I’m terribly excited about Section 31, but I’d definitely keep the subscription going for Pike’s version of the Enterpise crew.
I’m hearing that the show is really dark, which is unusual for Star Trek.
Well the Captain ends up badly burnt and stuck in a chair so it was pretty dark anyway.
I suppose you can only go up when your original series featured a mixed race science officer who used dogmatic logic and emotion suppression to withstand a torrent of insults based on racism and stereotypes from the ship doctor.
Brunch with the boss today
I’ve been working my way through this article today. Fascinating track-by-track examination of one of my favorite albums of all-time, Physical Graffiti:
https://ultimateclassicrock.com/led-zeppelin-physical-graffiti-track-by-track/
CP: People Who Died — Hollywood Vampires
Mazzy Star were a good band, even beyond their one massive hit.
RIP.
https://pitchfork.com/news/mazzy-stars-david-roback-dead-at-61
Wtf is a yumpu app? I just want to read a pdf, damn you…
Morning Pan
Plan to watch a movie after lunch. Aren’t you lucky?
I love getting up before the sun, then sitting around waiting for the person who needed the ride. #teenagers
I listen to lots of good and interesting music. . . . yet it’s the Twenty One Pilots from my daughter’s playlist that gets stuck in my head every day.
Too many pilots
Ok peeps, it’s movie time
Today’s movie is Dan Curtis’s Dracula
The Prime write up: Jack Palance stars as Count Dracula in this newly restored and terrifying adaptation of Bram Stoker’s classic vampire legend
With that, be prepared to be terrified
The howling dogs made kitty perk up
The opening credits are very… early 70’s
Language barrier
He travels light
Sometimes, especially in older movies, day for night shots can be pretty obvious
Let the man eat
Cigars and port
A month!
He sleeps in his clothes
Thief!
Oh look, a new looking coffin in this room covered in cobwebs
Three babes
That wasn’t nice
The escape
The escape didn’t work
The train
Poor Lucy
It’s always poor Lucy, we need a version of Dracula where she kicks ass.
I don’t think that would be cannon
What if she HAD a cannon!
That fires wooden stakes!
Staring at her won’t help her sleep better
Who kisses like that?
Damn it Arthur. You had one job
Lucy’s feeling better
Lucy is having wet dreams
She removed her garlic necklace
It’s at this point I pause the movie to fold laundry
BRB
“I have crossed oceans of Tide Pods to find you. . “
Now, where was I?
Oh yes, poor Lucy
A funeral
A funeral
Don’t let her in
Staking Lucy
She can’t. She’s been staked
What have we learned?
Don’t piss off the Dracs
On the hunt
One box is missing
He has a gun. They should be safe now
… or not
They burned his beds
What the hell kind of scream was that?
Can you hear me?
On the trail
More cobwebs
They found Jonathan
You are in my domain
Dracula’s death scene was amazing
You know, this was a pretty decent adaptation
I liked it
Palance’s hammy acting makes Shatner look subtle and nuanced. I don’t think I could take him as Dracula.
Shatner as Dracula?
Man, that would just be torture
Yes. Gloriously wonderful torture.
Jim: I… want to… Suck… Your blood!
Bones: Dammit Jim, you’re a vegetarian!
CP: Because I’m Awesome — The Dollyrots
Clive Cussler: Dirk Pitt novels author dies aged 88 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-51644229
Never read any of his novels but have seen Sahara.
I’ve read a couple of his novels. Hubby’s read about a half dozen. They were fun, check your brain at the door, kind of books.
Yeah, he made an impact, touched countless lives, and seemed to be well-liked and respected. Rest in peace and well done.
Awww my Mom loved his books!!
It seems like every month, she was reading a new Dirk Pitt book. She said they were fun.
Looks like my patience has been rewarded:
https://blog.us.playstation.com/2020/02/26/marchs-free-ps-plus-games-shadow-of-the-colossus-and-sonic-forces/
Crap joke for the day:
Miss Beatrice, the church organist, was in her eighties and had never been married.
She was admired for sweetness and kindness to all.
One afternoon the pastor came to call on her and she showed him into her quaint
sitting room. She invited him to have a seat while she prepared tea.
As he sat facing her old pump organ, the young minister noticed a cut-glass bowl
sitting on top of it. The bowl was filled with water. In the water floated, of all things,
a condom! When she returned with tea and scones, they began to chat.
The pastor tried to stifle his curiosity about the bowl of water and its strange floater,
but soon it got the better of him and he could no longer resist.
“Miss Beatrice”, he said, “I wonder if you would tell me about this?”
pointing to the bowl. “Oh, yes” she replied, “isn’t it wonderful?
I was walking through the park a few months ago and I found this little package
on the ground. The directions said to place it on the organ, keep it wet and that
it would prevent the spread of disease. Do you know I haven’t had the flu all winter!”.
This joke is your magnum opus.
No, it’s actually terrible.
Morning Pan
Just me and the kitty this evening
Rage Against The Machine added a 2nd Phoenix show (solely on my request)…
I scored regular-price tickets. I’m excited.
Beyond.
Yes! Now we stop spending money for awhile.
Some of those that work forces,
Can’t afford to pay concert ticket prices.
CP: The Boys In The Bright White Sports Car — Trooper
I’m not familiar with the books, but I know of the RPG. I had no idea they were making it a live action series.
https://collider.com/tales-from-the-loop-trailer-matt-reeves-amazon-series/
I saw the name and assumed it was more stuff in the Looper universe. I guess I don’t know the source on this at all.
A while back Van had posted a promotional link to get a free PDF version of the RPG.
https://www.amazon.com/Tales-Loop-Simon-St%C3%A5lenhag/dp/1624650392/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=tales+from+the+loop+rpg&qid=1582842711&sr=8-3
Late night airport in Huston.
To tired to spell it correctly.
Only saw two people with face masks.
Every time someone coughs it feels
Like we’re in The Omega Man .
The face mask panic is interesting. The reports I’ve read have said that those are mainly recommended to be worn by those who get Covid-19, not by others to prevent catching the sickness.
Still don’t own a smart watch.
What’s that about?
Ok Steve Trevor
So started watching that 1977 Dracula tv series, then noticed that although the coach is travelling through green fields the view from the coach shows snow.
Stopped watching.
Really? Depending upon the show, to me, sometimes the continuity errors just add to the show.
Hubby and I are thinking about getting a new love seat for the living room. Now furniture is all Amazon and Facebook are advertising to me
I’m not going to ask what a love seat is.
Usually not involved with rumpy pumpy.
It’s different than a Love Boat: there’s no Gopher. 😉
A love seat has two sitting spaces as opposed to a couch that has three.
Neat:
https://www.metalsucks.net/2020/02/27/this-time-lapse-video-of-rammsteins-60-hour-stage-setup-process-is-insane/
It’s incredible how much prep and construction work goes into some concerts.
Nice to see that there are still bands out there who are willing to go way to seriously far by half!
CP: The Process — Chastity Belt
WTF!!
https://t.co/11Ls67Wwmr?amp=1
How now???
Didn’t Hershey scientists splice cacao tree DNA with cows to give them their brown color? Isn’t that how GMO works?
When I was very young my mother told me this lie because she thought it was funny.
CP: Values in Blood — Shireen
A good understanding of what we know about the epidemiology of COVID-19, right now.
https://www.popsci.com/story/health/how-diseases-spread/
Home after seeing The Invisible Man at the flicks. It was bloody great.
..and it’s goodbye to Freeman Dyson:
https://t.co/chc7Wx3Z9D?amp=1
He was involved in Project Orion as well.
Non paywall link:
https://t.co/Tt51Pl126u?amp=1
His vacuums were pretty cool.
We’re halfway through His Dark Materials on HBO. So far, pretty good! I’d never seen the movie or read the books (I recall that Joe Murphy was a fan). The setting has plenty of puzzling rules and aspects (I don’t quite get the relationships between people and daemons), but I’m down to see how it plays out.
https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a29686709/what-are-daemons-in-his-dark-materials-animal-companions-explained/
Maybe this answers some questions
I’m sure the show will provide more answers before we’re done. I’ll read that after we finish the season.
https://getpocket.com/explore/item/wipe-out-when-the-bbc-kept-erasing-its-own-history
It’s amazing how much BBC TV history was just taped over.
The humble rat, genetically not so humble:
https://t.co/HaVzLcQnSd?amp=1
“ After weeks of failing to catch the culprit, she called in an exterminator, who told her she was using the wrong bait for Cambridge’s rats, which prefer Dunkin’ Donuts pastries and Slim Jims, a dried-sausage snack, over the peanut butter-laced traps she was setting. ”
Not to tempt you with another tabletop op game but a review of a game you cannot currently buy:
https://60minuteswith.co.uk/reviews/review-blockers-the-stacking-game/
In case you missed the Kickstarter link on the review page:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/crabstudios/blockers-the-stacking-game-relaunch
What an odd video. Looks fun.
Hmm. Altered Carbon S2 is available.
Has this been talked about already and I missed it?
Well I mentioned it some way back, enjoying it so far.
We’ve only seen the first couple of episodes of S2 but are enjoying it
I liked a lot about season 1. Disliked a few things too. I’d felt the same about the books.
I’m game for season 2.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R_Qk1AN5S4
“Four Women” by Nina Simone, performed by her daughter and 3 other singers. Mesmerizing.
*yawn*
Well Utah can fuck right off:
https://t.co/Zodxl1xjNl?amp=1
That mom was way out of line.
I say that a few times a day.
Agreed in this case.
Got my 2019 royalty statement for an anthology I was in years ago. 21 cents!!! With next year’s royalties, I plan to buy a pack of ramen.
Stolen from FB
Wash your hands like you convinced your husband to murder the rightful king and you can’t get the blood off.
Out, damned flu!
Morning Pan
My get up and go has got up and went.
Maybe I need more cheese?
Not how I remember the lyrics for that Aerosmith song.
There, my body is clean for the day.
Well, crap. Daniel Craig is younger than I am. Sigh.
He’s also Welsh, just to rub it in.
That’s not really a plus for me. Maybe for you. 😛
No, he has vowels in his name.
Llanfairpwllgwyngyll-gogerychwyrndrobwll-llantysilio-gogogoch
So Disney are doing a offer that if you pay up front for a year you save 20 quid on Disney+
So my question to you North American’s who signed up for Disney+ is do you think it was worth it?
Not really for us. We paid for a year and hardly use it. We’ve watched The Mandalorian and Duck Tails. Unless they come out with awesome new content, we’ll probably drop it when our year is up
I’ve only watched The Mandalorian, a couple of Marvel movies, and The Black Hole. But there are things coming up that I’m eager to see: mainly the Marvel and Star Wars series. And my household watches other stuff on it. It’s worth it for the low intro rate we got. Nothing beyond that.
We did the three year deal (and I think we’re also getting a year from Verizon on top of that).
Mandalorian was excellent…Clone Wars so far has been a bit underwhelming.
I like having all the Star Wars and Marvel (well almost all the Marvel) content available, but I haven’t taken great advantage yet with all the first run content I’m trying to keep up with.
I’m sure I’d get more out of it with younger kids…but that ain’t happening again.
It’s never too late, Ed!
CP: From The End Of The World — Maeda Jun & Yanagi Nagi
Donnie Darko still rocks.
The friend I was with was less than impressive, he has no soul!
Thanks for all of that info, guys. And Bunny, I certainly hope that this is among the safest places on the internet to ask sensitive politically-adjacent questions.
https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2020/2/27/21145969/starbucks-coffee-drinks-stores?utm_source=pocket-newtab
I’ve only skimmed it so far, but it’s an interesting take on Starbucks in “flabby middle age.”
What?
https://soranews24.com/2020/02/25/brain-breaking-optical-illusion-from-japan-is-a-lie-within-a-lie-truly-amazing%e3%80%90video%e3%80%91/
Off to this today:
https://t.co/gGSV6kcOg3?amp=1
+see
Morning Pan
Heading to the city later this morning.
I have a Covid-19 question for our US Pannites. I don’t mean this as a knock or snark, or in any other way, so if it comes off that way, I apologize.
I heard on our CDN news that, because the US does not have free healthcare, there might be a higher than average transmission (and possible death) as not everybody will be able to afford to get proper treatment.
My question is, is at least the testing (kits) covered or do people have to pay for that too?
If you can’t afford to get tested, how can you know what you have?
My understanding is the CDC is distributing the kits to the state level; they aren’t in the hands of private companies, afaik. I have no idea if hospitals will charge to have the test sent to those testing labs.
My understanding is that no individual gets to “ask” to be tested.
If you get sick and go to your doctor (or the ER if you don’t have a doctor) they will asses you and it has to escalate up a chain of command until a hospital doctor passes tour case to the cdc and they say you match their risk factors and THEY authorize the official test.
All that being said … if you have no insurance and feel sick, you just tough it out (including you continue to go to work because you have bills to pay) until someone around you decides you need to go to the hospital … until then you were exposing everyone you came in contact with.
So yes … lack of universal health care will make the spread of this worse.
BTW – The “must meet the profile” threshold is why there have now been several cases where a person had been in the hospital for days before they were even tested. Initially, regardless if symptoms, if you hadn’t just been to China OR knowingly been around someone who had just returned from there, they didn’t test these hospitalized people.
(I get most of my info from NPR or BBC.)
So I just saw this on Twitter … so take with a LOT of skepticism… but it matches the NPR report.
+++++++++++++++
Matt McCarthy, physician, NY-Presbyterian
“I’m here to tell you, right now, at one of the busiest hospitals in the country…I still have to make my case, plead to test people. “
There are 88 KNOWN cases of novel Corona in the US.
Incubation 2-14 days.
++++++++++++++
This makes no sense as a response to Van’s Donie Darko comment. Better here:
Thanks for all of that info, guys. And Bunny, I certainly hope that this is among the safest places on the internet to ask sensitive politically-adjacent questions.
My simplistic rant on all of it (details may be wrong, but the thesis is not wrong):
The response to so many crises in America is: “There’s not enough money, not enough resources.” Social systems and court systems for kids and people in crisis are backlogged, overloaded, and mostly incompetent. Libraries, schools, hospitals, national parks, arts endowments, (non-private) prisons, non-profits, the CDC, FDA, etc. – – all of these things operate with skeleton crews and non-existent budgets, to the detriment of our society and its betterment.
And why? Why is there no money for these important things? Why do we suffer? Our country is a wealthy superpower, so the funds are there – – where is all that needed money going? Answer: the money is going into the wallets (i.e., non-taxable portfolios) of the top 1% on the wealth chart. And it’s not being taxed or redistributed or significantly reinvested in our social systems, it’s just being hoarded, Smaug-like.
For the past 40 years, the US’s main objective has been to funnel all of the money to the richest people. The money is going away from where it’s most-needed, and ending up where it’s least-needed.
I seen many comments on twitter that the US healthcare system will encourage poor people to go into work sick. No argument on that but even with the NHS people go to work sick and send their children ill to school.
So basically human nature suggest Covid-19 is going to fuck up a lot of people and cause chaos.
I disagree with your “human nature” assessment. While it may be partial true, it’s more that people feel they *have to* go to work. In Poland, for instance, if you are sick, you are required to take the week off. People are fine with that policy because you are not “punished” at work for following it. In the US, however, there are companies that write up employees that are sick beyond a couple of days, even when they take time off. Sometimes you don’t even have the time off due to how things are structured at work. So, yeah… lots of people go into work sick because they feel they don’t have a choice.
Here’s a true story that I personally experienced: One of our VPs at a previous job berated the engineers for going to the bathroom. He felt we were going unnecessarily even though a lot of us drank a huge amount of coffee to get through the crap planning and work schedules. And this behavior from managers and executives is not all that uncommon.
I think you guys are saying a very similar thing. The US healthcare system is just one of the factors that frightens people into going work when they’re sick. Just bad cultural programming and incentives.
CP: Buzzcut Season — Lorde
Soooo….. 4 episodes into ST: Disco season 2, and it’s been a huge letdown so far. I’m sorta curious to get past all this nonsense to the Spock storyline, but you know me. . . I’m the runaway bride when TV shows are bad.
No spoilers, but does this season get back on the ball? Remember that I loved season 1.
I couldn’t get into it.
I enjoyed the whole season, but it certainly improves as it goes along.
The one where the crew go to Talos IV hit me in the feels.
Awwww:
https://urbannature.blog/2020/02/12/george-and-mabel-a-love-story/
It’s a morning
From a different point of view it’s the afternoon.
Ok.
It’s a day
Accidentally bumped into the tap while cleaning the shower. That woke me up.
Nice:
https://t.co/bEFiioWZMa?amp=1
I have another US politics question.
Both Pete and Amy stepped down and backed Biden. The both had some delegates from previous primaries and caucuses. Since they are now backing Biden, do their delegates then go to Biden or are they just lost in the wind?
Sorry, I can’t learn if I don’t ask.
Going anywhere by train in Canada is pretty expensive.
Ok, the train thing should be at Van’s link, not here
That’s an excellent question. I’d assume they just evaporate? Like the points earned by a hockey team that fails to make the playoffs?
Please please please talk about this all you want, but I’ve never participated much in the “elections-as-sportsball” spectacles. It’s never been my jam. Politics are important. . . I vote, I stay informed, but I keep it all at arm’s length.
I love the “answer” in this post: It’s complicated. 😀
https://www.minnpost.com/national/2020/03/what-happens-to-klobuchars-delegates-now-that-shes-dropped-out-of-the-presidential-race/
CP: She’s Kerosene — The Interrupters
I need to put in my headphones to avoid overhearing the political discussion occurring a few desks over.
In the lunch room at work today conversation progressed from politics to rap music. I would say from bad to worse, but really it would have been from worse to bad. Either way, it sucked.
Was the second part of the discussion in Autotuned rappers? Because that would have been grounds for calling HR.
My cubicle neighbors moved on to drinking stories.
Hello, late night, my old friend. I’ve stayed up too late again.
I got into my work this morning and forgot to say good morning.
Good Morning!
You must have been stressed out from your commute.
Now it’s time to do some housework
LinkedIn tells me to congratulate Ed. Congratulations, Ed!
I haven’t been on LinkedIn in ages
I saw this, and immediately thought of ditto.
https://www.wired.com/beyond-the-beyond/2020/03/universal-lego-sorting-machine/
Yeah, that is pretty cool. 😀
I am congratulated…all is well…well, sure 🙂
CP: πr^2 — Clint Mansell
CP: Mastodon – The Sparrow.
Pursue happiness
With diligence.
CP: Ball of Confusion — Love & Rockets
I’m at my desk. It’s a start. I haven’t even showered yet this morning.
What I learnt today:
You might get called out by calling your character Tiffany if your work has a medieval setting. Be accused of using a modern name.
But your accuser would be spouting bollox as Tiffany was a quite common name in medieval times.
https://medium.com/swlh/the-tiffany-problem-when-history-makes-no-sense-703b86522627
You hear that Pixie? You can now go medieval on people’s asses Without being called out for it
Oh, I know allllll about the Tiffany Problem. . . . . (I kid! I kid)
I was just talking about this kind of fake anachronism last night, in fact.
Ooooooooo let’s do it!
The most historical thing I have ever known about the name, Tiffany, is Louis Comfort Tiffany and his artwork – which is beautiful. I would love to own some tiffany glass in my lifetime.
*Fun Fact* thanks, Van
Alberta is now main stream. Calgary has its first case of Corvid-19
Sonos has done a bit of backsliding:
https://www.engadget.com/2020/03/05/sonos-kills-its-device-bricking-recycle-mode/?utm_medium=newsletter&utm_source=morningafter
Yes. I am through Giving Sonos any of my money. Their products and brought me a great deal of joy over the years but randomly bricking something that is working 100% fine for me feels as though someone walked into my house with a sledgehammer and just randomly started smashing stuff they sold me.
Given their view on this… only a fool would spend hundreds of dollars on equipment Sonos can just brick at their whim.
Have a grand birthday LoPan, you god wannabe
Happy birthday, Lo to the Pan!
Honest Trailers does The Witcher
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exgoaU3Fr5E
Boobs!
You just said the magic woid!
I’m not saying I have ADD or ADHD – – I’ve never diagnosed – – but this still rings very true for me.
https://psychcentral.com/blog/sleep-strategies-for-adults-with-adhd/
https://globalnews.ca/news/6640221/henri-richard-death/
Rest in Peace, Pocket Rocket. I never saw him play, but he and his brother were puck legends.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/happy-80th-birthday-first-woman-space-180962319/
On a happier note, Valentina Tereshkova – – the first woman in space – – is still alive and celebrating her 83rd birthday.
Another casualty of the pandemic:
https://t.co/YsAq1SjoM6?amp=1
Ughhhh
So devastating. I can’t say it was the right thing to do. My gut says it was not; but maybe it was.
Morning Pan
D&D today. Our party is borderline dysfunctional. I have’t decided if that’s a good thing or not yet.
As long as the players aren’t dysfunctional.
Since we will literally be hacking one of the characters to pieces today, we’ll see how that goes too.
So tonight watched Superman:Red Son, which I enjoyed but looks like they made some major plot changes to the comics so consider yourself warned!
Also watched the first episode of the new Amazing Stories on Apple+, a rather silly time travel story that was well done.
I remember enjoying the book, but it’s been awhile. I wasn’t aware it had been turned into an animated film (but of course it has).
Somehow I had made it this far in life without having seen the one James Bond film staring George Lazenby. My god it was awful.
I can see why Lazenby only had one outing as Bond, though I don’t really blame him. Diana Rigg’s abilities were also terribly wasted.
No, directing, writing, cinematography, choreography, and editing all combined to make this an epicly painful experience.
Waiting for JustaJ0e’s rebuttal.
I have not seen this one.
Waste of Telly Savalas as the bad guy as well.
Seems like I have tried to watch this one on several occasions and NEVER made it all the way through it.
… and if Diana Riggs’ mere presence can’t save a film … it’s really not good
We did complete our Marvel full viewing (as of March 2020, skipping The Incredible Hulk and one of the Thor movies) last night with Spider-Man: Far From Home.
A second viewing just reinforced that this moive ain’t all that good. It’s OK, and there are handful of really really good moments – – and it’s the closest any movie has come to the cheesy flappy Spider-Man storylines of the way past – – but there are also a bunch of scenes that should have been cut – – or redone. It’s broken in a lot of ways. And as far as they go to explain the premise, it still feels forced.
Don’t @ me. It’s not bad, just not up to MCU par.
It’s amazing what we found amusing 20 years ago…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28TyIsCwkQo
Good lord. I played Quake and Doom, but never Elf Bowling.
I definitely played Elf Bowling. There was even an elf bowling movie. I just never got up the nerve to watch it.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460811/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
Speaking of nostalgia and absurdity. . .
Cartoon Network apparently ran this surreal insanity in the middle of their late night infomercials to see who would notice it. . . and people did. If you’ve never seen “Too Many Cooks,” then take this weird journey. It’s important that you stick with it through the entire 11 minutes. Don’t bail out early.
,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrGrOK8oZG8
The backstory:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Too_Many_Cooks_(short)
(I heard about it from Charlie the Beer Guy back in 2014, and I’m sure I shared it here then)
The film might be old but this RPG is not:
http://bit.ly/3cHDkPs
Some cool games to look forward to in 2020:
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2020/03/the-ars-13-our-top-indie-game-picks-from-pax-east-2020/
Talking of a Telly Savalas, today going to rewatch Capricorn One, a great conspiracy thriller from the late 70s.
Rather eclipsed by Star Wars at the time, but a film well worth a watch.
It’s Josh Brolin’s Dad in it as well..
I watched Capricorn One as a teenager and it definitely blew my mind. Should be worth a rewatch.
Oh it was. Still bemused I remembered so much of the plot even though I haven’t seen it in decades.
More than I can say about the Birds of Prey film I saw a few weeks ago…
Loooooved that film!
Glad to see some of you remember it.
It’s c-c-cold this morning
I read Van’s FB post about the boomers vs GenZ on covid-19. Then I saw this:
https://www.mblazoned.com/gen-xers-unite-or-dont-whatever/
:truth:
“In fact, if Frankenstein decided to make a monster assembled entirely from human flaws – he would make a Trump.”
https://thehobbledehoy.com/2019/03/08/british-writer-pens-the-best-description-of-trump-ive-read/amp/?__twitter_impression=true
This makes 2 out of 3 years that my taxes have been a bloodbath, since the orange traitor took office. Sure, maybe it’s a coincidence, but I’ve never been this brutalized in the past.
Fake news.
You should be happy, Your Tributes allowed glorious leader to play golf… & profit off of each round!
Trumpgolfcount.com
130 million tax payer dollars spent playing golf… so far
I’m apparently covering his overdue tax payments as well.
Yup, that sounds like me.
https://www.charlotteagenda.com/169386/7-things-that-extroverted-introverts-like-myself-wish-you-understood/?fbclid=IwAR0z-ZQRis1EGftudW_1G9vnWRFhHnNCu1HYPbFzipoCjNErR6jDy2Jcmr4
It me!
The cat really hates this whole time change thing
Max Von Sydow has died:
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-51803195
He was a classic
Legend. RIP.
I talked to Michael Alago this morning. Fascinating guy!
If you’re curious, he’s the subject of the documentary, “Who the Fuck is That Guy?” (actual name) on Netflix.
BTW, that Gen X article link that Desert Pixie posted up there is damn nigh perfect.
Here it is again:
https://www.mblazoned.com/gen-xers-unite-or-dont-whatever/
So Italy has effectively quarantined the entire country.
Shit is getting real.
Good news, bad news:
https://t.co/iuuIIBM9fK?amp=1
I gave up on it a few eps into season 2.
It’s utter futile and hopelessness was not entertaining. too much like watching the news.
I’m just hoping the family do a ‘murder on the orient express’ to Dr Smith in S3.
It’s one of those shows I can never decide if I like or not.
We’ve watched the first two seasons so will watch the last.
We just recently finished binging the first two seasons. Happy to hear that there will be a concluding season for the story.
Admittedly, with the premise being “Lost…in space” you’ve pretty much got to be regularly thwarted from getting to where you want to go. So, it’s a concept that can’t drag on for 10 seasons.
Still, we really enjoy the family dynamic and Molly Parker and Parker Posey are just fantastic. If this weren’t a Sci-Fi show, those two should be top nominations for whatever the awards are for television.
Honestly, it is one of the best made, written, acted shows I have ever had trouble liking.
I know they are lost and that Dr Smith is despicable but I think I needed them to throw me a few more small “wins” along the way.
Good thing Italy has no history of Fascism.
Morning Pan
My Boo is back in her house. She’s coming over later today to take away some of my furniture. I guess John and I should really get to a store since we won’t have any living room furniture after today.
Sounds like you have a lot more room for guitar equipment.
No! No more guitars.
Amps then.
Maybe some wood, cigar boxes and cat gut wire.
Do you have toilet paper, tho?
The expressions on Mads face, what a trooper:
https://youtu.be/411_JJW84VE
An interview with the author of Midnight in Chernobyl:
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/552-why-is-this-happening-with-29325789/episode/the-origins-of-a-disaster-with-58980860/
Saw Pixar’s Onward tonight, great fun,
I had my doubts about this one.
It had a very low key launch in the UK, not Pixar’s best but fun none the less.
Morning Pan
It’s only Wednesday and I’m already so done with this week.
Since it’s all COVID-19, all the time out there:
https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html
I swiped this from Cynthia’s FB feed.
Here’s an ode to the beloved iPod;
https://onezero.medium.com/classic-ipod-hackers-say-theres-no-better-way-to-listen-to-music-da754fa9ad35
My main complaint is the same today as it was in 2006. There’s no way to edit and add on the fly (because short-sighted Apple wanted us all chained to iTunes). If that had been added, plus some streaming, it truly would have been the perfect music delivery method.
Yes, even with all it’s faults, I hung on to my iPod for a very long time.
One things that streaming services can’t seem to handle well though it any form of smart playlists. I had several built in Itunes to do things like kick a song out of the playlist for six months after I had listened to it so I could continue to visit songs I hadn’t heard in a while instead of the same songs over and over.
I feel like my relationship to music has become a lot more transnational with streaming compared to the connection I had with my curated playlists on my Ipod.
Still have mine.
Still use it to listen to podcasts,
Always thought they were overrated and overpriced.
Well, I bought it to listen to music and it is STILL performing that function this many years later so I guess it lived up to its hype.
As for cost, I don’t remember what I paid for it but divide that number by the number of days I have owned it and I guess it has been a pretty good investment.
Mine is a little twitchy these days, but still mostly functional after 10 years of heavy use. Also: it was $125 when I bought it.
I bought my first in 2006 for $300, which I agree is and was too expensive.
CP: Lock And Key — Rush
Well.
Roddy McDowall reads HP Lovecraft:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6MChZzApAM
I really liked Roddy McDowall
Gotta love March
https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/biggest-storm-of-the-season-expected-to-hit-southern-alberta-this-weekend-1.4849156?fbclid=IwAR0WRwL1DbodCuAlWIhBH_G_Rwv_-EAHcYbpFV3eZpq6kKTkeOG8eT4rrXs
Well might stop people spreading Covid-19 by keeping them indoors and the temperature low.
I figure we’ll have more Covid-19 worries after spring break. A large portion of hubby’s school tend to travel home for the holiday.
Just canceled my hotel room in Birmingham , AL
I was going there to watch the NCAA D2 Indoor Track and Field championship. I had really been worried about it but it seems the NCAA has (thankfully) taken that decision out of my hands.
You’d think everything would be cancelled, but:
https://www.sfwa.org/2020/03/11/a-message-from-sfwa-regarding-the-coronavirus-covid-19/
Insurance companies gotta get paid, homey.
The NHL hockey season is now also put on hold.
https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/28891430/sources-nhl-suspending-play-immediately-due-virus
Wow. They canceled the Track Championships this afternoon. I don’t question the move but still feel crushed for those kids, especially the Seniors who have worked hard, some for a decade, to get to the championships and then have the universe give them the finger.
Now they are talking about eliminating the entire outdoor track season for colleges. This is just heartbreaking.
I don’t know if it could have all been prevented, had we had a fully funded CDC and infectious diseases group in place – who back in January when China first reported this, had kicked into high gear. Screening incoming people, getting test kits ready … I don’t know if that could have kept us from shutting the country down.
I guess we will never know.
Ooooh:
https://kotaku.com/westwood-s-classic-1997-point-and-click-blade-runner-ga-1842290678
Another disturbing observation.
There is no evidence that the federal government is in control of the situation. All of these closings and season ending decisions AREN’T being made because a task force called together the NCAA in the NHL in the NBA and said, hey for the safety of America can you please shut these down. There’s been absolutely no guidance like that from our federal government. All these individual agencies finally stepped up on their own and said somebody’s got to do something. There is no one flying the plane.
Yeah, we haven’t had any adults in charge since 2016. I don’t think even a competent administration could have prevented the need to shut down major events, but a competent administration would not have gutted the CDC, and we’d have a proper national medical response in place.
I do hope that even ONE of his apologists realizes now just how dangerous it is to have a govt whose only person is to shovel money at billionaires.
Autocorrect changed “purpose” to “person.” Which makes no damn sense.
I just need a minute to breathe.
While I’m gone, know that Betty White is fine.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/stephenlaconte/betty-white-coronavirus-fine-twitter
BRB
Rage Against Covid-19:
https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/music/rage-against-the-machine-postponed-glendale-gila-river-arena-11456598
Ok
It’s cold and snowy out there
Don’t forget to walk under a ladder, break a mirror, and hug a black cat today.
I plan to do one of those on this Friday the thirteenth;)
I walked around a step stool, broke a water valve under my sink and hugged a dog.
I can’t even do Friday the 13th right.
Coffee pot shattered.
So the U.K. government’s plan is for 40 million people to get infected with Covid-19 to build up
Herd immunity and everybody who dies in this process an acceptable loss.
So yeah, UK now a dystopia with Wifi.
No surprise, but disappointing, that some will believe that is a good approach. I think it is ridiculously naive, but not a surprise.
The extremely cynical side of me has considered the possibility that the same groups that wish to suppress minority voters would want a slow response to the virus, for obvious reasons.
Over 20 years ago, I read “The Coming Plague” by Laurie Garrett. It was very eye-opening. And despite the flaws of the book, it laid bare how unprepared the world would be for a massive outbreak of a new disease. Sad to see that it has come true, but no one listens to Cassandra anyway.
As I’ve said elsewhere to those downplaying the 3% rate:
Would you drive down a street where you had a 3% chance of being in an accident?
Also – that is 3% Based on all those who get infected receiving medical care.
If the infection peaks during a 2 or 3 week period, the hospitals simply would not Have the beds, equipment or personnel to handle the load.
Untreated, the death rate for the worse cases will skyrocket!
CP: Bigmouth — Underworld
Back in 2004-ish, I was a panelist for a “How will the world end?” discussion. Other authors cited random meteors, nuclear war, overpopulation, etc. I’d said it would be a pandemic.
This isn’t that. If we’re smart, we’ll treat it as a dress rehearsal. (Spoiler: were not smart)
This is a bad, bad, scary bug, which needs to be taken seriously, but our incompetent and Ill-prepared governments have exacerbated the problem. Opportunist disinformation from “news” outlets – scaremongering or the dismissive opposite- have also hurt.
I agree with everything you’ve said.
CEO of Whole Foods..words fail:
https://t.co/Aw2gUqEpCD?amp=1
“medical emergencies and death” are mandatory coverage here. There are times when I’m glad I live in a “socialist” country.
Even experts can be fooled..for a while:
https://t.co/WpjwiYFFyE?amp=1
Watched this tonight:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Love_(2019_film)
A plan to frame a drug addicted prostitute goes terribly wrong when a young boxer intervenes to help her.
Really enjoyed it.
One of the actors in the film (Becky is her stage name) suffered a setback in her career when it was discovered she was having an affair with a married man. Can you imagine that happening these days in the US or UK?
Well it appears the UK government has decided than banning mass gatherings would be a jolly good idea after all.
https://t.co/zgcyHlO429?amp=1
So… completely unrelated to COVID-19, I took the Methacholine Challenge Test today for lungs, and if it were possible to get an F, I would have. The guy said he’d never seen numbers that bad.
I’m not sure yet what this means. I’m told that while it isn’t good, it’s not the worst thing that came to my mind. I’ll learn more soon. I kinda think I’ve been just dealing with this shit for years, not knowing.
And what timing!
I usually don’t share this kind of thing publicly, but it’s been that kinda week.
So does this mean you have asthma?
Most likely. I won’t know for awhile yet. It would explain some things.
Well fingers crossed you get it under control.
Your failure to ONCE AGAIN make the Summer Olympic Games?
I joke because honestly, there are things around me that I have put my life into that are crumbling (and so far I don’t even know anyone with Covid) and if I don’t try to laugh I’m going to cry.
Good news that you’ve been diagnosed because now you can start to address it.
…but man, please stay vigilant with the social distancing and diligent with the hand washing and sanitizing.
I might still qualify for the bowling team.
🙁
Crap joke for the day:
My wife and I went to the auction in Paris Kentucky the other week and one of the first exhibits we stopped at was the breeding bulls. We went up to the first pen and there was a sign attached that said,
‘THIS BULL MATED 50 TIMES LAST YEAR’
My wife playfully nudged me in the ribs ……smiled and said, ‘He mated 50 times last year, that’s almost once a week.’
We walked to the second pen which had a sign attached that said,
”THIS BULL MATED 150 TIMES LAST YEAR’
My wife gave me a healthy jab and said, ‘WOW~~That’s more than twice a week ! ………..You could learn a lot from him.’
We walked to the third pen and it had a sign attached that said, in capital letters,
‘THIS BULL MATED 365 TIMES LAST YEAR
‘My wife was so excited that her elbow nearly broke my ribs, and said,
‘That’s once a day ..You could REALLY learn something from this one.’
I looked at her and said,
‘Go over and ask him if every time was with the same old cow.’
My condition has been upgraded from critical to stable and I should eventually make a full recovery.
moo
Udderly ridiculous.
I’m relieved it didn’t end with some kind of horny pun.
Interesting:
https://t.co/OFa63ID6v1?amp=1
Sweet Jesus, this “pitch meeting” for Spectre is so spot on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTnqwa2tiV0
WTF:
https://t.co/2VLtExv3kf?amp=1
Don’t be patient 31:
https://graphics.reuters.com/CHINA-HEALTH-SOUTHKOREA-CLUSTERS/0100B5G33SB/index.html
Happy Ides of March! Watch your back.
https://www.departures.com/art-culture/museums-with-virtual-tours
This would be cool even without all the quarantine.
It’s official, schools are closed in Alberta.
Staff are still expected to go in, at least for this week before spring break. If for no other reason then to tell parents that bring their kids to go home.
Not really surprised. In a school of 500 kids, hubby had 199 absences on Friday. Not because kids were sick, but because parents were afraid to send their kids to school in case they caught something.
Is this a silver lining for the Bunny household?
I’m not sure. I guess we’re less likely to get anything? Of the two of us, it would affect me more than John as I have “pre-existing conditions”. Since I work from home anyway, it doesn’t really affect me.
There was only one week 7ntil spring break but the Alta government fully expect schools to be closed until September
Spring break is in a week so the school system has some time to figure out what to do in the mean time.
Regardless, school staff re expected to work I. Some capacity in this week
Meh.
Within minutes of the announcement hubby’s email blew up with staff wanting to know what’s next. To me he was “Good God people, take a breath. We all heard the news at the same time. Give central office a moment to compose something official.”
Within half an hour central sent out something official with what was expected of the staff in this last week before spring break. Hubby was still getting emails all the way until we went to bed.
It will be interesting to see what parents do. Daycares are all closed too and, shortly after the announcement, City of Calgary declared an emergency and closed all public places. This includes pools, libraries, and such. Kids, and their parents are going to go crazy.
In a note of goodness…. I opened a box in the closet and found my old Kenner C-3P0 from 1978 – – the sole survivor of my childhood action figures.
The littlest one was absolutely transfixed with him.
I can’t imagine he’ll remain fully intact, but that’s fine. It brought immeasurable joy to my heart to share that ancient action figure with her, and to see her so fascinated with him.
John still has some Star Wars figures, as well as a couple of ST Next Gen stuff. The kids were never allowed to touch them, even though they were well played with by him and not new in the box.
Treasure!
I still have (in the original if somewhat roughed up box) my GI Joe, Mercury Space Capsule.
Like this one-
https://s.yimg.com/lo/api/res/1.2/juz0qry4t0RlupcS38F1RQ–~B/YXBwaWQ9eWlzZWFyY2g7Zmk9Zml0O2dlPTAwNjYwMDtncz0wMEEzMDA7aD00MDA7dz00NzM-/http://i.ebayimg.com/images/i/221130661431-0-1/s-l1000.jpg.cf.jpg
It still brings me joy to look at it.
That does spark joy!
Morning Pan
We watched Frozen 2 last night. In a one-off statement, Olaf said turtles can breath out their butts. I decided to look it up and found it was true. My mind was blown just a little bit.
I didn’t see all of it, but we did find the hidden post-credits scene.
Went and did our normal Sunday grocery shopping yesterday.
I can see the store being out of hand sanitizers and wipe (which I didn’t need)
Bathroom tissue is still a head scratcher to me (also didn’t need)
But why was the store completely out of chicken and mushrooms? In either bulk or prepackaged, there wasn’t a mushroom anywhere in the store.
How am I suppose to make stroganoff tonight?
Went and did our normal Sunday grocery shopping yesterday.
I can see the store being out of hand sanitizers and wipe (which I didn’t need)
Bathroom tissue is still a head scratcher to me (also didn’t need)
But why was the store completely out of chicken and mushrooms? In either bulk or prepackaged, there wasn’t a mushroom anywhere in the store.
How am I suppose to make stroganoff tonight?
Welcome to the double post club.
Without mushrooms I guess?
How the heck does this happen? I certainly didn’t type it twice
Marbula One:
https://youtu.be/kBWTFr3bNXQ
Wait! I think hubby needs to listen to some Alice Cooper today. 😉
So just finished watching the season finale of Altered Carbon and the whole season was great.
Fingers crossed we get a S3
I’m a sucker for AIs that get an ending that Poe got in in S2 of AC.
Dude!
I just said I liked the ending..FFS!
I didn’t know there was a final episode of the season!
(actually, you make it seem as though the Poe AI came to an end)
BTW, I severed my FB connections with 2 different people yesterday, who were apparently(?) relaying QAnon(?) conspiracy bullshit. I won’t repeat the full insanity – – just that there was something about Tom Hanks being a pedophile and about trump’s heroism.
It would seem that the whacks are going to kick into overdrive, during this crisis.
I thought that was the whole point of a crisis, wacks kicking into overdrive.
CP: Curtains — Dead When I Found Her
I just read yet another statement from yet another government official whose former department could have greatly combated the spread and casualties of COVID-19. . . had their department not been dissolved by the great orange dipshit.
Was gonna post it here, but I won’t.
It is abundantly clear by now. . . ok, isn’t. . . but should be. . . abundantly clear to everyone that trump and all of his lickspittles are unfit to make PB&J sandwiches properly, let alone run anything with real responsibilities. You guys can post whatever anti- or pro- trump articles you like, re: COVID-19, but I’m going to lay off that stuff for awhile, because it’s more frustrating than useful. I’ll try to only post articles with useful info, or the Deadpan usual: fun, quirky, smart, intriguing, helpful, need-to-know, etc. DPITMFW
Friend tonight had an attack of the sneeze on the train on the way home. Several
People moved down the train to get away from him.
A PSA from Max Brooks:
https://youtu.be/F0FwCvcW7bA
VAN!
Update please…
STAT
It is 0630 London Time now
Feeling much better, no fever.
Excellent news.
Why did hubby work later yesterday, with no kids, than on a regular day when there are kids at school?
On an up note, hubby doesn’t have a council meeting tonight so will be home for supper.
Funny typed reactions to a first-time viewing of Splash:
https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/58-thoughts-we-had-while-watching-splash
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/16/media/universal-movies-streaming-coroanvirus/index.html
In case you hadn’t heard. You can avoid the theater and watch new Universal movies at home.
New Psychedelic Furs?!?
CP: Don’t Believe — Psychedelic Furs
I picked up Outer Worlds on the weekend. Now I’m getting nothing done.
Time to play among the planets.
This technology is amazing:
https://www.theweek.co.uk/68187/first-touchable-hologram-created-in-japan
CP: Trippin’ On A Hole In A Paper Heart — Stone Temple Pilots
State of emergency, huzzah!
All the cinemas have closed..WTF!
Understandable but still WTF
Since I’ve already dropped the personal info. . . . My in-person follow-up with my pulmonary doc was cancelled (understandable); I was told I’d get a call today. Radio silence all day. At 3pm, I finally called, got vague “yeah, take some more tests next month, see ya!” answers for one of the doc’s MAs. . . So when I said, “Hold on a second,” the doc added, “Oh yeah, you had viral pneumonia. bye!”
So I had to insist that the doc call me back herself. They reluctantly agreed, though possibly just to get me off the phone. I hope I get better answers when/if the actual doctor calls.
Oh Jack. *hugs*
Covid-19?
They’re getting inundated with people who are sure they have IT. My personal experience doesn’t match what we know of C-19, but time will tell.
WTF!
Watch the first episode of S3 of Westworld.
Dolores kicks ass.
Team Dolores!
Has the world ended?
That’s too bad, I really didn’t want to work today.
The future says no.
I am safely secured in my house with at least weeks worth of supplies, tons of entertainment and house projects to do and with a thorough knowledge of all of my local health assets. If I don’t already have IT I should easily be able to avoid IT for at least week.
Except my family had decided we are going to drive 6 hrs to the beach. Where resources are scarce (and their source unknown) and we will be around people who have traveled from all parts of the country (world). A giant Petri dish. We can’t possibly take even a weeks worth of provisions which mean trips to stores and I KNOW the youngsters won’t stay off the beach where they will mingle with unknown vectors and if the pick something up, will come back to where I am sequestered and give it to me.
They are young and invincible and I am just the spoil sport for saying anything negative about their plan.
Frankly, I am very hurt. They’re focused on their good time and seem to care less that I feel I am gambling with my life. No mater how much I show them that EVERYTHING says to stay home for at least another 7-14 days, they don’t care. 🙁
Sorry, J0e. That does seem ill-advised. 🙁 I hope you can find a semi-isolated beach.
I appreciate having some place to whine about my “1st world meets (formerly) 3rd world problem”.
Adulting is hard.
Spotted on the internets, in response to the airlines requesting a 50 billion bailout:
“If I were a giant airline going bankrupt, I would just stop getting a latte at Starbucks every day.”
Am I missing something? I don’t see the connection
It’s advice given to low paid workers (usually by right wingers) that they should stop buying coffee from shops like Starbucks.
Often followed by … “You say your hurting financially but I also see you have a smart phone.”
Some advice in these trying times:
https://io9.gizmodo.com/12-board-games-and-tabletop-rpgs-you-can-play-alone-whi-1842246187
A number of games we own have single player modes. We never use them, but they exist.
The Stephen King image at the top is a bit misleading:
https://bookandfilmglobe.com/fiction/horror-writers-unite-to-keep-fans-happy-during-pandemic/
I’m unfamiliar with the authors listed, but still very cool of them to share their stuff.
Speaking of gaming, I was gathering all of my board games to take with me on my decent into madness … and it occurred to me that sitting face to face around a table, handling the same game pieces, tokens, die might not be the best idea in these trying times.
Games we can play at a distance?
Simone says.
SpaceTeam for the phones is hecka fun. Everyone does need to be within shouting distance, though, and on the same Wi-Fi.
I mean, the point of boards games is togetherness…
Watching this rather good scifi/horror film from 1972:
https://archive.org/details/HorrorExpress_201303
Was actually watching it on Amazon Prime but the copy they have is pretty crappy, the one at the internet archive is of much better quality.
Weird Al weighs in to help clarify the situation.
https://youtu.be/c8fYSW53WsM
cute
😀
Should we all be hoarding Crazy Glue?
The digital edition of Judge Dredd Case files #5 goes free for a while:
https://shop.2000ad.com/catalogue/GRN281
Includes The Apocalypse War story.
Cool! Is Judge Death in there too?
I can’t imagine classic Judge Dredd has aged well, but it would still be a blast to revisit.
Yup, one story. Also the introduction of Orlok, East Meg Spy.
For smiles press play:
https://youtu.be/7Nn7NZI_LN4
Those are well trained cats.
Ugh. The husband is working longer hours now than when the kids were in school.
It looks like another 12 hour day for him.
Another Apollo astronaut has died:
https://go.nasa.gov/2Uv4xwT
I don’t know if any of you use WhatsApp or Zoom for conference calls, but maybe have a group chat sometime to have a chat and see how everybody is doing.
Just a thought.
Hubby uses Zoom at work. I don’t use either but can install one and be up for it if others want.
I like it! I’ve used WhatsApp in the past, and have currently been using good old Discord to chat with the Am I Evil? team, since we’re all international.
That’s it! I’m taking today and tomorrow off.
I have planets to explore.
CP: Outer Worlds
(this is not as bad on my part as it seems as my boss now has an eight year old stuck at home so work has slowed down significantly)
CP: The Pearl — Fleming & John
“Oh, we had you confused with another patient with a similar name. It’s asthma, not pneumonia.”
– –
—
Congratulations?
Apparently the largest number of Covid-19 cases in Calgary are in the area my Boo lives.
coincidence?
BTW, I created a new page. I know it’s been awhile. Let’s all shift away from here to there.