1,034 thoughts on “When the Pawn Scrolls the Conflict

  1. This is what happens when you reply to a post before getting to the end and figuring out there is a new thread. Posting again here in reply to Van’s informing us of the passing of Michael Nesmith.

    As much as I love the Monkees, I think that the movie Elephant Parts had a bigger influence on my evolving sense of humor. He was truly a unique style in and of himself. Didn’t we watch Elephant Parts at some Meeetup as well?

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi0b8tcCQSE

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6GUpmHFvME&list=PLU_ycxo-Q7PspWqZCya2VD0mQbXMuO-sA

    The Roaming Asshat , December 11, 2021 at 6:09 am

  2. Expanse S6 E1 was consumed last night!

    I’d intended to rewatch the entire series in prep for the finale, but life had other plans. Maybe someday we’ll do the full rewatch.

    • I was just going to share the same article.

      Absolutely heartbreaking news. This is a celebrity death that gets me.

      The first three books in her Vampire series are of the greatest things I’ve ever read. Absolutely brilliant. I cannot recommend them enough.

      And they seriously changed the vampire genre forever.

      • Agree 100%
        I will always hold a special place emotionally for those as they were what got me back into reading for fun. As a kid I read everything I could get a hold of. Then in my late teens/early 20’s there were suddenly just so many other things to do. Then, in late 20’s a friend gave me the 2nd book in that series and said “Read this. No, seriously … read it!”
        I did and started my “adult” love affair with reading.

  3. Well, not that it was ever going to happen anyway, but it looks like Disney’s managed to save me six grand that I won’t be spending on their “Starcruiser Hotel” experience.

    I mean, dear lord, does it look awful.

      • It’s more of a I didn’t want to go out into the cold dilemma, even with a coat and boots. I got over it though and bundled up and walked to our mail box and got the junk mail.
        Normally I wouldn’t have even gone out today but I’m expecting a parcel

  4. So, we’ve been watching Corner Gas. They drink Pilsner. My hubby, ever the slave to product placement, picked up a case of Pil. He of A Castle for Christmas on NetFlix, now he wants to watch that this weekend.
    At what point do I need to stage an intervention?

  5. Dune, although a fantastically well written novel, was not my cup of tea because I just don’t enjoy in-depth investigations into religion or politics. However, I’m definitely excited to see this adaptation. I’m a huge Arthur C. Clarke fan. The only thing that would have been better is if it was Childhood’s End.

    https://geektyrant.com/news/denis-villeneuve-will-direct-film-adaptation-of-arthur-c-clarkes-sci-fi-novel-rendezvous-with-rama

    • It’s not their first try to enter the US. I don’t think they resonate. Just like Dunkin Donuts have tried, and failed, to enter Canada.
      Tim’s doughnuts are ok. I used to love their ice Capps, when I could have caffeine. The rest of their stuff is pretty meh in my opinion. Does that make me a bad Canadian?

    • I think their coffee is pretty damn good, quite a bit like Dunkins.

      I greatly enjoyed having a Timmy’s kiosk in the arena for Coyotes home games, but it only lasted a few seasons.

  6. Another YouTube reaction channel covers “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” a few weeks after Lost in Vegas. I wonder if they track each other.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bmBbKFVRz4

    Roger is the brain, David is the heart, Mason is the muscle, but Rick is the soul, is the glue.

    I never actually sit and watch these things in their entirety, but I dig seeing people love the music I love. I sometimes have it playing in another tab.

    • I was happy to see the people that I recognized in that video. Unfortunately, even upon seeing the list of people that participated in order of appearance, I still don’t know 80% of the people involved.

      Side note: I’ve been to the book store that they are wandering around in at the beginning of the “investigation”. Insanely cool place.

  7. Apparently, in the newest season of The Expanse, there are bonus short videos in the x-Ray section.
    We haven’t started watching yet to test this out but it sounds cool

  8. The second season of The Witcher has started streaming on Netflix. Goodness know when I actually get around to watching it with all the other to stuff I would like to watch.

    Booked ticket to see the new Spider-Man flick this weekend.

  9. Reading recap:

    Started Gideon the Ninth. Halfway through, I paused to read:

    The first Murderbot book. Every bit as great as ditto and Van have been saying.

    Finished Gideon.

    Reread the first Matt Fraction Hawkeye graphic novel, which is a blast. (Only a few elements in common with the show)

    “Attack on Titan” manga. #1 and #2

    “The Sun Also Rises.” It’s fine. I don’t love Hemingway.

    Now reading: “The Spy Who Came in From the Cold” by John LeCarre.

      • I love the whole Murderbot series. It’s one of the most enjoyable things I’ve read in years.

        I also love Gideon and Harrow, but they are “work” especially Harrow.

        AoT is good, once you get past the artwork. I enjoyed it overall, but I think the anime is better in many respects.

          • I wasn’t really enjoying the excess cheese while reading AoT vol 1, but then it ended the way it did, and I went, “Fuck, now I need to see what happens next.”

            Kinda the same for AoT#2.

            I expect to keep going until I run out of the free stuff on Comixology.

            I will get back to the Murderbot books soon. Great stuff.

  10. Crap joke for the day:

    You are driving in a car at a constant speed.
    On your left side is a ‘drop off’ , (The ground is 18-24 inches below the level you are travelling on), and on your right side is a fire engine travelling at the same speed as you …
    In front of you is a galloping horse , which is the same size as your car and you cannot overtake it .
    Behind you is a galloping zebra . Both the horse and zebra are also travelling at the same speed as you .
    What must you do to safely get out of this highly dangerous situation ?




    Get off the merry-go-round, you’re drunk!

  11. The new Spider-man flick was a lot of fun.

    The cinema experience less so, but at least most people kept their masks on.

    The young kid squealing out the names of the two guest stars when they came on screen even made this humbug smile.

  12. Loving the convenience of Stamps.com. Anything that saves me standing in line for the post office is a good thing. However, I’ve just hit a snag: the web form demands local phone numbers for international shipping.

    Paging Bunny and Van: Could you please email or Facebook PM me a phone number I can use for each of your shipping labels? Thank you. You’ll get these care packages eventually, though probably not in time for Christmas. :/

  13. So after watch the first few episodes of Cobra Kai, I stopped watching for months and now I’ve restarted watching and really enjoying S1.

  14. I’m thinking of telling my Boo I’m cancelling Christmas dinner again this year.
    It’s usually just her and her partner over for Christmas. So gathering size is not the problem. The issue is, they go over to his mom’s house for Christmas eve dinner. It’s usually a big affair with several families (his two sisters, their spouses, children, as well as any extended family and friends his mother may invite). Do I really want the two of them over the day after that with unknown exposures?

  15. Just started Umbrella Academy. I have to say that I’ve been frustrated with the concept that you should give a series 3 episodes to decide if you like it or not. It’s created an “industry standard” IMHO in which TV series get to be very slow about grabbing your attention and hooking you on the show. I’m really, really glad to say that Umbrella Academy grabbed me right with the first episode. Fantastic setup, great characters, and action right in the first episode. Well done Umbrella Academy.

    Side note: I had seen and really liked Robert Sheehan in Misfits. Was quite surprised that I really liked Klaus and went the whole episode without realizing it was Robert Sheehan. That guy’s got some talent.

  16. Worked out a compromise with my Boo. She’s coming over for dinner on New Year’s Day. That way, they have a week to figure out if they’re sick. I know, technically it’s up to ten days to see if you’ve got it but, *shrug*, it’s a compromise.

    • I’d never cast aspersions on anyone who’s doing their best. I’ll reserve judgment for those who are recklessly, carelessly, selfishly endangering everyone around them.

      And FWIW, I’d probably make the same compromise in that situation.

  17. HOLIDAY EATING TIPS
    1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Holiday spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they’re serving rum balls.
    2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly, it’s rare. You can not find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It’s not as if you’re going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It’s a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It’s later than you think. It’s Christmas!
    3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That’s the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.
    4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they’re made with skim milk or whole milk. If it’s skim, pass. Why bother? It’s like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.
    5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Holiday party is to eat other people’s food for free. Lots of it. Hello?
    6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year’s. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you’ll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.
    7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don’t budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They’re like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you’re never going to see them again.
    8. Same for pies. Apple, Pumpkin, Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don’t like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert, Labor Day?
    9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it’s loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.
    10. One final tip: If you don’t feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven’t been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner. Remember this motto to live by:
    “Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate and wine in one hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming ” WOO HOO what a ride!”

  18. Just checked the mail. There was a set of Fifth Element dice but nothing on the card said who it was from. While I want to guess Amy? I didn’t want to presume.

    Thank you, whoever you are.

  19. Just finished consuming the new Matrix: Resurrections film.

    It’s everything the Star Wars sequels should have been. A believable and natural progression from the original trilogy that honors without getting mired in simply retelling the same old story. It also respects the original characters, heroes and villains alike.

    Was it necessary? In light of how Revolutions ended, I would say it absolutely was.

  20. So last night had a play of the The Matrix tech demo on the PS5. The action sequence is ok but the chance to explore the city by walking, flying or just driving is pretty impressive.

  21. Did up the draft for the end of the year newsletter. God I hate writing newsletters. If I wanted to do a blog, I’d do a blog.

  22. My Elder loved the Arcane series and has become infatuated with the soundtrack.

    There are a couple of excellent songs on it. Check it out! She was even introduced to this hip new artist named Sting. Watch that guy, I think he’s going to have quite a career.

  23. Been sick as a dog these past 2 days. It was bad enough that I went to the drive thru test line yesterday (negative).

    Just gotta point out that I’m blessed to have Tiffany as my backup and partner. After working overnight, she let me sleep in today.

    I still feel like shit. Gotta get unfunked for tomorrow.

  24. Google’s Santa tracker and Norad’s show Santa in different places. Google says The Netherlands. Norad says Africa. They really should get their stories straight.

  25. Morning Pan
    Expect a quiet day of gaming. Then, since it’s just the two of us, I’ll roast up a chicken breast as our dinner.

  26. We watched the new,Resident Evil movie tonight. I liked the original series of movies. I also liked this one. This one was actuacloser to the games (1 & 2) in feel

  27. There’s a major character on The Expanse who is a serious drag on the show. Ep 3 of the current season teased killing them off and I was momentarily thrilled. Not as a rooting interest, but as a wish for the show to get back to its past greatness.
    But alas.

    The Expanse is still great, btw. Wow, is there a LOT to wrap up in just 3 last episodes.

  28. It’s -34C (-40 with the wind chill) right now. We’re going to do some grocery shopping in an hour. Do you think it will warm up much between now and then?

    • You know it’s just bloody nice in this age of the sci-fi blockbusters to watch a low key sci-fi film where nobody is shot or blown up.

      Oh and the first scene with it’s homage to a certain biographical story by Douglas Adams is the cherry on top.

  29. Crap joke for today:

    A warning to all of you out and about , be careful about drink driving as we are getting close to new year. The Police are out there checking on people.
    Last night a friend and I were out for a few drinks and a meal. One thing lead to another and we had a few too many beers and then went onto the wine, finishing with coffee and brandy. Not a good idea. Knowing we were over the limit, we decided to leave my car and took a bus home. Sure enough, we passed a police checkpoint, where they were pulling over drivers and performing breathalyser tests. Because we was on the bus they just waved it past. We arrived home safely and without incident, which was a real surprise as weve never driven a bus before and I am not even sure where we got it from. Now it’s parked outside my house and I don’t know what to do with it!

  30. JW: Being the Ricardos on Prime

    I knew going in there were inaccuracies and found out later that Arnaz was booted out of Cuba in the 30s due to a military take over and not Fidel and the communists.

    Still, I enjoyed it.

  31. Finally got out to see Spider-Man. Lots of fun. It’s the only movie of the current phase that I liked a lot. (Shang-Chi had its moments, but… meh.).

    – We were basically the only people in the theater wearing masks. Omicron is going to be a bloodbath.

    After the movie, it was hailing. Hailing! Literally.

  32. I have to admit, I was a bit underwhelmed by Matrix Resurrections. Maybe I was hoping for to much? I loved the meta commentary and tie-ins to the previous movie, but once you strip that out and focus on the story, it was a little weak. Still, I’m glad it was made by LW and not WB, and I really hope to see more of Bugs in the future.

    • Bugs was the most interesting character. I didn’t realize at first that she’s Colleen from Iron Fist!

      I definitely like this movie, but it suffers a bit from the same issues as the new SW movies. Oh, you liked this character in the originals? Check out this new version of them! I need to see it again, but I still rate Matrix 2 as better.

      1 – 2 – 4 – 3

  33. My WiFi network has been slow for days, so spent an hour switching stuff off/on and turns out one of the mesh nodes needed to be rebooted.

    Then discovered wpa3 had been switched off, switching it back on improved WiFi speeds about 10%..what the fuck is that about?

  34. This is pretty damn exciting – due the launch going pretty much perfectly, the Webb telescope is expected to last a good bit longer than the 10 year plan due to not having to burn much of it’s on board fule supply for course corrections:

    https://www.slashgear.com/webbs-telescope-only-just-launched-but-its-already-surpassing-expectations-29704624/

    The early deployment of the solar array was also a bonus. I was a bit shocked when seeing it go open shortly after detaching from the upper rocket stage…as it was not supposed to happen for a couple more minutes. Turns out the deployment was automatic once the telescope reached the correct altitude, which it did a few minutes earlier than estimated.

  35. Book of Boba ep1 – good not great. But I’ll take it and i enjoyed it. I should also stop expecting great every time. That’s on me.

    Unless it’s Matrix 4…. that’s on y’all. Cough.

  36. 1930s footage from Los Angeles get color restorations an is upgraded to 60 fps.

    https://geektyrant.com/news/old-1930s-footage-of-los-angeles-gets-a-cool-colorized-remaster

    1. Odd that this makes the first set of footage look like something shot in the 60s at first glance
    2. I remember when colorizing black and white footage was considered a crime against humanity (although that was for beloved movies rather than random shots like this and we’re doing it for different reasons).
    3. The footage starting at about 0:58 somehow looks like video rather than film.
    4. Even in the 1930s LA was too damn crowded

    • 2. Agreed. Remember how terrible the first colorized movies looked? I imagine it could be done properly now, but I don’t think the change would ever feel right.

    • I wasn’t blown away by Boba Fett ep 1. But neither do I understand the hate. It was about what I expect so far. Only thing I wasn’t crazy about is trying to make Boba Fett too respectable. He is a bounty hunter and didn’t really seem to have the kind of ethics they seem to want him to have for this series when I’ve seen him in the other movies.

      • Yeah, I don’t get it either. It’s ep 1. I liked it. Yes, it was a bunch of backstory, but I’m hoping it will setup how the rest of the story plays out. Because you have to admit, the current Boba is different from the Boba we saw in the original trilogy.

    • If I had to rank the cool stuff that came out in December I would rank Spidey as first, Matrix as second, and Boba Fett as 3rd. I enjoyed all three, although the acting on the part of Boba Fett could be better, I’m confident the series will improve.

    • Finished watching S2 of The Witcher. I found some of the plot confusing and there were a few times I just enjoyed the spectacle as I lost track of the plot.

      Still, it was enjoyable and hopefully there will be a S3.

  37. My boss wanted to show off his new car, so he took me out to lunch. It’s one thing to say that a Tesla Model S Plaid will do 0 to 100 MPH in 4 secs. It is another to experience it. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a car that can make you lose consciousness through acceleration.

    • I have stuff that only ever existed on cassette. I got a cassette deck with USB to digitize and the very first thing I hooked into it (a bootleg tape that I made of a free Frank Zappa concert in Madrid in 1987) was almost immediately eaten. Fortunately I was able to get some cassette repair stuff and only lost a few seconds of total tape.

      I love the concept of playing my old cassettes on Bluetooth speakers, but let’s not forget that cassette’s have a shelf life and can only be played so many times. I would make cassette copies and only play the copies on a regular basis. Then again, finding blank cassettes is it’s own issue.

  38. So basically this cream I got from the doctor is chemo for the sun damage on my head. So it nukes the fast growing cells and it’s going to leave inflamed oozing skin.

    Sigh.

  39. I came here to post a terrifying story about the aftermath of the 2024 US election, but my clipboard seems to have dropped the link. Probably for the best. I think we all have enough dread in our lives.

  40. I did finish the Deadwood series. And holy crapola, what a downer of an ending. I don’t have high hopes for the movie, but I at least hope there’ll be some accountability and some tying up of loose ends.

    Overall, it was a good journey. The show had amazing dialogue, some great characters, and great little Godfather-esque intrigues. It had its issues too, for sure, but maybe some of those could have been fixed in future seasons.

  41. So on a recommendation, I watched Space Pirate: Captain Harlock – – a CGI Sci-Fi anime movie.

    Deeply silly in many places, but some truly amazing visuals. The space combat scenes are pretty great. And ridiculous.

    Hilariously, the buxom space babe – – 1 of 3 female characters in the whole thing – – just randomly takes a zero-g shower at one point. They don’t even attempt to justify the scene; it has no purpose at all.

  42. Yesterday a friend of mine, while taking down decorations, fell off a ladder and knew he had broken his leg. His wife rushed him to the emergency room where he waited for 6 HOURS before they took an xray and pronounced that it “was a doozy”. Broken 2 places below the knee. He then had to wait 2 HOURS before they could find a bed for him so a Doc could see him. This info came from his wife, to mine, to me so the timeline becomes muddled at this point but eventually, after the Doctor looked at it, they declared he needed “emergency’ surgery.
    He had to wait in their facility for more than 8 hours with something that needed EMERGENCY surgery.

    By the time they declared this, they decided he needed to be moved across town to their other Hospital to get to him quicker. It was the middle of the night and they had to wake the orthopedic team and get them in. At 8:00 this morning he was finally in pre-op where he still waits 3 hours later. His last pain medication was at 4am and has long ago stopped working.

    This is what US emergency medicine has fallen to at this point. They day before both Hospitals had declared they were canceling ALL elective and outpatient surgeries because they were over run.
    This is in a metropolitan area with top notch hospitals. He is a white male with ALL the insurance so if there is ANY advantages to be had, he would supposedly have them. I can’t imagine how bad it must be for those with no insurance.
    I feel like the same people who have fought to keep us from getting socialized medicine (because they said that this is how it would be) are the same people who have fought all of the Covid mitigation efforts. They have given us THEIR worst “socialized medicine” nightmares without giving us any of the Universal access to Healthcare.

    Regardless – I advise hunkering down. Do not put yourself in any position to get hurt if you can do so. There are no such things as “Minor medical emergencies” right now.
    What a nightmare.

    • Terrifying. Our medical system was always slow and dangerously ineffective, but now that there’s a major medical event, it’s become entirely crippled.

      Medical care shouldn’t be “for profit.”

  43. In other news –
    This from POTUS national broadcast a little while ago:
    “Here’s the truth. The former president of the United States of America has created and spread a web of lies about the 2020 election,” President Biden says.

    “Because his bruised ego matters more to him than our democracy or our constitution. He can’t accept he lost.”

    • Tough words are just words, Joe. Let’s see some significant sentences for these traitors. Let’s see trump and the other ringleaders in jail.

          • Yes, you’re right. Maybe JustaJoe has that kind of influence?

            It’s amazing that these people are not only still free, but holding government positions and talking openly about running in 2024.

          • Gratuitously speaking, it felt good to here him say that. I think most bullies are bullies because no one who COULD have stood up to them ever did.

            More practically speaking, that speach was undoubtably written and re-written and closely scrutinized and vetted by lawyers and policy wonks. I am thinking that he wouldn’t have been allowed to call out TFG like that unless THEY know something that we don’t.
            I gotta hope.

  44. I went out to check the mail. The cat was standing behind me when I opened the door to go outside. A blast of cold air hit her face and she gave me a look like i had done the most offensive thing in in the world

    • Similar thing here.
      It was hovering around freezing with a steady rain/sleet coming down but cat was being a pain in the neck wanting go out. So I open the door to let her out and she ran past me like she had pulled something over on me … only to come to a screeching stop just outside the door and turn and scowl at me as if to say “What have you done to the outdoors, evil human!”

  45. BTW – my friend got his surgery. Has stabilizers screwed into place.
    Apparently he made the right initial choice of hospitals. The doc that saw him at 8 hours had seen his case on the list and for some reason, bumped him up the list. Would have been another 2 hours had he not done so.

    Had he started with the Hospital they transported him to for surgery… the wait time in the ER started at 20 hours.

    No update on the Christmas decorations he was taking down.

    • My ex cracked her toe back in 2004-2005 and was at the ER for 12 hours. It’s not like we’ve ever been good at this.

      The main takeaway, I’m glad your friend got some kind of small mercy, and got that surgery done. At this point, it would seem a signal to just keep the Christmas lights up all year.

    • When I moved to the US, this was playing on the radio. I perhaps didn’t take it for the sign it should have been. 😉

      “The government is putting poison in my coffee
      So they can hunt me; mount my head up like a trophy”

    • Amusing at first. . . but then. . . oh god please make it end.

      I greatly enjoyed the series – – a lot – – but I also really disliked the unexplained inconsistencies in the big bad. It could have worked just as well – – better – – without that.

    • I adored every single bit of the post creds. Mainly because it pissed so many people off.

      There’s no inconsistencies in the big bad one bit. Worked extremely well.

      I have questions about the watch that were left unanswered. That bothered me.

      All in all probably the most consistent Marvel show outside Loki. More please.

      • 1. Well OK then!
        2. Absolutely some unexplained changes.
        3. I assume we’ll get those answers.
        4. Agreed. This was the most easily enjoyable of the Marvel shows.

  46. From twitter:

    Dr Rochelle Walensky @CDCDirector said on @GMA “the overwhelming number of death [sic] over 75% occurred in people who had at least 4 comorbidities, so really these are people who were unwell to begin with, and yes really encouraging news…”

    I don’t use the c word very often but what a cunt Dr Walensky is for spouting that eugenic crap.

    • I have not specifically fact checked the following post, but have checked some of these details before and it is in line with what I had found. Also, not mentioned below – Obiesity is a comorbidity and a high percentage of Americans don’t even realize that it would show up on THEIR death certificate.
      ++++++
      “If you have diabetes (32M US adults) and get diagnosed with depression (40M US adults), then depression is a comorbidity. Other comorbidities: high blood pressure, arthritis, sleep apnea, cancer, stroke, asthma, autism.

      Also, covid literally causes comorbidities.“

  47. Welp, finished Deadwood. Never thought I’d type these words.

    The movie was. . . good. . . . but way too open-ended with most of the characters. And it also didn’t really alleviate the queasiness from the f***ed-up season 3 finale.

  48. I was a bit late to the party, but finally binged and finished “Only Murders in the Building” on Hulu.

    Sublime is the word I have for it. Definite recommend and looking forward to season 2.

    • KOTOR at only #46 is a crime against humanity.

      The neglect of TIE Fighter altogether is unforgivable….actually, it seems that flight/space combat sims were completely snubbed. Really, not even a Wing Commander? shameful.

      Jack, that list is crap and I award 5 dark side points to House Slytherin on your behalf.

  49. So, I got sidetracked watching other stuff, and TOS was dropped from Netflix. I’m not paying for goddamn Paramount+, and their free trial is only 7 days.

    I’d paused after Journey to Babel in S2.

    Bummer, but it’s 2022. I can find other things to watch.

  50. Repairing a leaking toilet … day 2

    Analysis for you homeowners.
    I seems that when we had a tile floor out in a few years back, the contractor failed to make allowance for the fact that the mounting flange (which was screwed to the sub floor) was now significantly below floor level. The resulting gap meant that the new wax ring gasket was not compressed by the toilet and did not make a seal.

    I hate plumbing.
    Narrator: He really did.

    • I’ve had 2 incidents now that have convinced me not to engage in plumbing. The first was when I tried to replace an outdoor faucet, wrecked the PVC pipe inside the concrete wall, had to make a trip to the store to buy new PVC pipe supplies, create a much larger hole in the concrete and re-build the pipe inside. All while hoping I could get it done before the sun set to avoid having the water shut off to the house all night long.

      The second was trying to fix a leaking tub faucet. Internet made it look super easy and only need to replace a washer, then found out that the type of fixture I have doesn’t work that way at all. Not I had to run to the store (I have a good friend that likes to say that something isn’t a real project unless you have to run to the store and somebody bleeds) to buy an expensive piece of fixture. Then I and 3 separate friends (all of the friends had experience with plumbing) all could not manage to get the old fixture out. Had to call in a friend of a friend professional who came in and literally hacked the old piece out bit by bit by bit because it had stuck in there with sediment. What should have been a washer cost upwards of $150. Next time I’ll just let it leak.

    • My extentsive experience with plumbing consists of replacing all five toilets in my house. There was a class action lawsuit over the tanks cracking and generating extensive water damage. Thankfully, none of mine ever cracked, but they were all included in the models and manufacturing dates covered.

      I’m still amazed that I got reimbursed for all five of them. Replacing the first one took me most of an afternoon while I kept rereading directions and looking at Youtube videos. I think I got the last one swapped in about 30 minutes.

      Otherwise, I leave plumbing to the plumbers…

        • I do wish I had “the guy”.

          In my late 20’s my best friend bought a house (he was single with an engineer’s salary) and when he decided to move across town, he rented the house instead of selling it.
          He always went on about how great the extra income was but he was seldom available for FUN because now he was “the guy” for TWO properties!

  51. Hahahahaha!
    In today’s mail I got Christmas cards from both the Mangan’s and Amy. Don’t you just love the Canadian postal service?

    • Meh.
      I can recall at least two times in my life in which there were research studies done on trying to break the recomended 8 hour sleep into smaller, spread out chunks.

      In all cases it ended in failure. In one of them I can recall that initially the participants discovered they were much more productive. After some days of this though they lost the ability to concentrate and focous.

  52. CW: The Tender Bar

    There’s a scene in the film, set in the 80s, where they go ten pin bowling. So far so normal. However the bowling balls are the tiny (like crown green bowling balls size) and the pins are just vertical columns.

    So was this ever a thing in the USA???

  53. The library comes through once again! I’ve borrowed the complete Star Trek TOS: season 2 on DVD.

    I’d actually left off at The Deadly Years, which is the one where everyone ages rapidly.

    And is one of the worst episodes of the original series. Jeebus.

  54. Above and beyond my general distaste for remakes, I think remaking Hitchcock films is an extra slap in the face. Going to see a Hitchcock film was often more about enjoyment of his directing style than it was about the plot or the actors involved. So to remake a Hitchcock film is more than just bringing an old story to a younger audience. It’s directly saying that the modern director is a better director than Hitchcock. And I would doubt that.

    https://geektyrant.com/news/gal-gadot-set-to-star-in-a-remake-of-alfred-hitchcocks-to-catch-a-thief

  55. Remember before Christmas I was grumping because a friend dropped a trilogy on my to format? I guess I must have made him feel guilty. I received a $50 gift card in the mail from him today.

  56. Morning Pan
    Hubby got a chip in his windshield yesterday. Today we are trading cars so I can take his in to get it repaired. The roads better treat my car nicer.

  57. Well, as much as I worship Favreau and Filoni, we’re really struggling to dig “The Book of Boba Fett” in our little corner of the world.

    Watched the 3rd episode today…still waiting for….something.

    I’m all for the slow burn, but this thing hasn’t even found a spark yet.

  58. You know, looking at the picture I posted with Jack’s birthday greetings on Facebook…makes me realize that was the last gathering.

    What do we think about a Mmmeetup in 2022?

  59. Thanks for the birthday wishes everyone. It was a lovely day.

    We happen to be in San Diego this weekend, staying at a lovely beachfront Vrba house, primarily paid for by my aunt (long story).

    We have been avoiding the unwashed masses, just enjoying the beach.

    We will meet up with a small number of people while here, hopefully including my aunt, but always outdoors with social distancing.

  60. We’ve been playing with friends on Board Game Arena since we can’t do it live. Today we’ll be playing Gaia Project. We have this in physical form and quite enjoy it.

  61. Finally saw Eternals on the weekend. Maybe it was because I listened to the reviews and had low expectations to begin with, but we enjoyed it

  62. I’ve been reading an old book from the late 80s that I got as part of an association with the Canadian space program. It’s called “Soviet Cosmonautics: Questions and Answers”. It’s pretty interesting reading.

  63. JW: Episode 3 of the Station Eleven adaption.

    I’m slightly biased because I just love watching Cameron Mackenzie in anything but this series is really good, if you have HBO Max give it a go.

  64. I’m trying to figure out how I got to this age w/o having previously read any Lois McMaster Bujold.

    I think I’m on book 7 now of the Vorkosigan Saga. Most of the audiobooks are included on Audible w/o having to spend credits.

    Simply fantastic story telling.

  65. It would seem that Joss Whedon consulted with JK Rowling about doubling down and going on the attack when you should just lay low and be quiet.

  66. And if you do happen to have HBO Max… give the television equivalent of a brain hemorrhage that is Peacemaker a go. Jesus Lord does it trip all the right triggers

    • Hmmm. Interesting list. There are a lot of good books on there, I won’t quibble with that. Even Scalzi might argue about considering him as hard SF. Personally, Vernor Vinge should appear in that section. But yeah, as a starting point, that list is good.

  67. Mangan TV recap from the past few weeks:

    We liked Boba Fett eps 2 and 3 (I liked them more than Tiffany). Completely washed away the yuck of the first one. Not surprising. I’m not sure when we’ll get around to ep 4.

    The Expanse finale was a bit disappointing. Unsurprising. Overall, still a great show. I do think the Amazon seasons were inferior to the ScyFy seasons.

    Approaching the end of Ted Lasso s1. Really good show – – it definitely lives up to the hype. Surprisingly.

    ST: TOS: Wolf in the Fold is an extremely silly episode. I remember it being a clever plot twist, but now the whole thing is just cringe. At least the tribbles are up next.

    We’ll try to watch Eternals one of these nights.

  68. On one hand, it’s better to abuse toasters than real human beings. On the other, what possesses these dudes to engage in such behavior?

  69. Thank you all so so much for the sweet love to me and da fam, regarding Beckham. He was a cool cat. Almost 14 years old. Im glad he isnt sick anymore. It was really hard taking him away from the youngest, after she said her goodbyes. She handled it much better than I did.

    Run free and play some soccer, Becks!

  70. We all agree that comic properties should be family friendly so that all can enjoy. Movies – PG-13 at most for full family fun. But Jesus Christ, it seems the only thing that the DCEU can do correctly (besides Shazam) are hard R films/tv that don’t star major characters. If that’s the case keep it that way.

    Do you really wanna taste it?

  71. I often recall A Piece of Your Action being touted as an example of “Star Trek being silly,” but it’s always been one of my favorite episodes. Still holds up.

    This is the one where they go to the alien planet that’s modeled their society around 1920s Chicago mobsters. Totally plausible.

  72. I have now watched 3 episodes of the new Cowboy Beebop.
    As someone who never saw the anime (was it a graphic novel ? ) I review it as being “Ok.” And “entertaining”.
    I will probably watch the rest of it if I remember it next time I sit down to Netflix.

  73. “…we live in a reality where too many people try to turn the world into an elaborate conspiracy-driven hellhole, where everybody is trying to keep the truth from you and the villains are hidden in shadow. And that mentality cuts against something we know to be true, which is mostly that the villains are right out there in the open. Conspiracy theories in the real world have too often become a coping mechanism for those who feel powerless in the face of problems that seem insurmountable. If the truth is hidden in shadow, that’s an easier reality to approach than one where you know the truth but can’t do anything about it.”

    https://www.vox.com/culture/22882797/yellowjackets-finale-succession-mystery-box

    I have not seen Yellowjackets or Succession, but I’m interested in storytelling trends.

    • With no due respect I say, “Pfffft!”

      What is interesting is that the music loving, twenty somethings of the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s (with disposable income to buy music) apparently out number the music buying twenty somethings of today and continue to be a viable market.

    • There are some interesting points in this article. Especially “Never before in history have new tracks attained hit status while generating so little cultural impact” (which is distinctly NOT old music killing new music, but rather new music failing in it’s own right). But, I would need to see more that last year compared to this year data. it’s gone up 4.7% from last year. But a 2 year slice of time is nothing. What are the trends of the last decades and what was it in the 70’s 80’s and 90’s that he’s claiming are stealing the business. Seems like there is always more music available that is more than 18 months old and this could just be the way of things. He makes a lot of cultural arguments, but no mathematical modeling arguments to back these up.

      • Indeed.
        What were the record sales numbers when 60’s, 70’s, 80’s music fans began replacing their Vinyl with CDs?
        I’ll bet there’s a similar trend in place now with that same group replacing their CDs with newer, physical forms of music.

      • Another thing that interests me is the “most music is crap” effect.
        The majority of “new” music has always been crap. As time goes by, the crap gets forgotten and the good stuff rises to the top. So my kids only hear music from those decades that was worth hanging onto or is good enough to still get played on the radio. This could actually give an incorrect bias that “old music was ALL good.”
        Regardless, it’s now a fact that new artists are vying for attention with really good “old music” and frankly if they want to compete they need to be as good or better.

        • In addition to the “most music is crap” effect, the author seems miss much of their own point. Record companies have always had an extremely bad reputation of robbing artists blind. And there have always been a very few artists that actually make any real kind of money in any given year through that old platform. Almost seems to be looking at being any musician in the past through rose tinted glasses when there were always a thousand (likely far far more) struggling to make a living for every “Beatles”.

          David Byrne put out a great book looking at (amongst other things) technological impacts on music and the recording industry. What I would really like to see is an article that looks at what that landscape is actually like now and where it could go. It’s far to easy to self publish music now and artists just don’t need the record company access to recording studios that once bottlenecked the business. However, distribution and getting name recognition has become practically impossible. So what is the solution?

    • Very good counterpoints to the article, guys. My input would be, how long has recorded music been a thing. Every year the catalog grows bigger, and to Joe’s point, the tastemakers curate that collection and present it to a new audience. So to my mind, there are two factors at play. The first would be an ever-increasing number of songs and the second would be the availability of the internet to expose people to those songs. The record industry used to be able to shape those trends by controlling how people got their music. Via Youtube, both of my kids have been exposed to all sorts of music. My son had developed an affinity for Rush and 80’s prog, eschewing new music as not cutting it. My daughter has developed a love of free-form Jazz and likes a newer band “Falling in Reverse.” For me personally, I’ve found a lot of good new music on Youtube. I like the “Pretty Wreckless” and “Chelsea Wolf.” Youtube is sort of the MTV of old but caters to any taste. There’s no unified front of dancing, pretty popstars to sell soft drinks and chips. But new decent new music is getting made, it just takes some digging to find.

    • While the fellow does make some interesting points (I do think the lawyers and courts did some serious damage with that “Blurred Lines” verdict), as you fine people have noted, he misses the mark a lot.

      I do think streaming and Youtube have pretty fundamentally changed the nature of music. Of course, they (and Netflix, et al.) have fundamentally changed the nature of video.

      It’s quite possible for a show or song to become a big hit with millions of fans…that the other 8 billion people will never hear of. I’m working my way through Babylon 5 again (HBO Max has the stream) and checking out the B5 subreddit…where kids who weren’t born when the show ran originally are discovering it. So, yes, the large quantity of existing content is a factor, particularly since the best of it (and even most of the crap) has survived to be easily accessible with whatever flavor of streaming service you prefer.

      And, honestly, his talk about record stores and music sales? I can’t remember the last time I actually bought an individual item of music. I don’t think that’s a useful gauge of how popular something is anymore.

      He almost gets it when he comments on dealing with Fortune 500 companies wanting to stick to their old ways of doing business….yet the swing and a miss is that he’s pretty much pining for exactly the same thing.

    • A guest counterpoint from Mas Uvas (posted with permission):

      First, I think it should be taken into consideration that “new” is anything released in the last 18 months. The catalogue of “old” is ever increasing, and the catalogue of “new” stays relatively the same, so it’s statistically more likely to be listening to something old than something new. Gioia “doubts these old playlists consist of the songs from the year before last” but doubt isn’t proof or statistical backing.

      He also presents this idea of “cultural impact” as if it’s been long enough to judge. We only think old (I think he means pre-90s) music has such cultural impact because it’s been long enough to know what stuck around in the cultural conscious. Plenty of new music has had incredible impact in internet culture- it just appears that Gioia isn’t in these online spaces. He measures music popularity through sources that are outdated: mostly the Grammys and the radio. The Grammys’ declining viewership has less to do with the music they’re judging and a lot more to do with people gaining consciousness about the issues with their judging process- nobody wants to watch the same 5 white artists win the same awards every year.
      Most radio stations play 80s/90s music because gen z doesn’t listen to the radio, so they have to cater to older audiences. And plenty of people I know who are very into the new music scene don’t like the radio, because “new” music isn’t relegated to Pop music, and they want other genres. Why would you wait through 10 ads and 3 songs you don’t care about just to hear one song you love, when you could just stream exactly what you want to hear at any time? And ease of streaming brings up another possibility: discovering new music is easier than ever.

      The internet makes it possible to listen to just about any song anyone has ever recorded, so most people don’t limit what they listen to. Friends and acquaintances are always asking for new things to listen to, so perhaps there’s less clear favorites or “cultural impact” because people have so many choices (and it’s cheaper than buying new cds every time you want something new). Of course we have favorite artists we go back to, but it’s easy to experiment with new artists and genres all the time. You discover a new song/artist, listen to it for a while, then move on to discover more artists, and by the time you go back to the old discoveries, they’re not catalogued as “new” anymore (remember, that’s from the last 18 months).
      Gioia may doubt the newer “old” music is on anyone’s playlists, but I’ve got plenty to prove him wrong.

  74. Hey guys, I shared the music article that we have been discussing with my youngest. While I distinctly remember what it is like to be that age, they ARE that age! I ask for any thoughts and got a whole bunch of texts message. So I gave my college sophomore the writing challenge of putting it all into a more concise blog post. If you are interested, I will be posting it as a reply to the original article back up the thread a ways.

    • Are bans like this really effective in this age of the Internet and Amazon next day delivery?
      Nothing makes kids seek out a book more then banning it!

    • Clutch those pearls!
      Apparently they’re citing “female nudity” in the book.
      It’s true that the female form represents temptation and evil to a certain dwindling Bible Belt sect, but I’m gonna go ahead and suspect they’re more uncomfortable with the subject matter.

  75. Well. I just got off the phone from an interesting call. I was asked if to be on the jury for the Canadian Science Fiction Hall of Fame.
    I said I’d let them know by this weekend as I’d have to talk to John about it and, unfortunately, he works late tonight so I won’t get a chance.

  76. Everytime I think I’ve found a good alternative to SONOS it turns out to have the same “you will forever be beholden to us” business model.
    Meh

    • All the expensive systems want to tie you into their sound systems, Sonos is just the worst of a bunch.

      Saying that, I do like the Sonos Arc I bought to accompany the tv.

        • They backed off on the destroying equipment, they also allow you to use older equipment with the S1 app they just won’t worker with newer speakers.

          If you are happy with your current system
          jj just keep using it.

          • I find the S1 app crashes constantly now. It won’t run in the background. If you open it, then try to go to any other tab and come back to it, it’s frozen up and has to be restarted.

            I was helping someone else out and trying to find them something that did what SONOS does without being SONOS but I am coming up empty.

  77. The thing about TOS episodes – – pretty much every single one of them – –

    I think they could benefit from modern remakes with better effects, updated storytelling, and better acting.

    That or the MST3K treatment.

  78. So spent some of my Sunday morning play an old arcade conversion of Targ, the arcade was so basic the conversion is almost identical.

    • Years ago I heard an NPR program that talked about this. Bottom line is that “Fines” psychologically made the worst offenders feel they had been given approval to behave badly in exchange for a fee.

      A better solution is to TOW and impound these offenders. The inconvenience of having to spend a day to retrieve their vehicle it’s a far greater penalty and much more of a deterrent.

  79. I need to come up with something pithy to say about Valentine’s Day for the newsletter. It’s hard to do that about something you don’t actually believe in.

  80. Washrooms cleaned. Kitty litter changed. Garbage and recycling gathered for pickup tomorrow. I think that’s about enough housework for now

  81. 2022 Rock N Roll Hall of Fame nominees are out. I’ll definitely be casting my vote for Devo. I want to give all the props in the world to Dolly Parton as a musician and I feel like she 1000% belongs in a country music hall of fame. But I just don’t see her as Rock N Roll.

    https://www.rockhall.com/2022-nominees

    • The RnR HOF is kind of a joke, and this is one of the reasons why. . .

      Yes, Dolly deserves to be in the Country Hall of Fame and the Pop Culture Hall of Fame (if such a thing exists), but she has never been Rock n’ Roll.

      I hate to ever gatekeep and build fences, but this particular award should stick to Rock n’ Roll acts.

      • Yeah, this one raised my eyebrows. And I’m not going to gatekeep either: I’d just like to know in more detail why she was nominated.

        It does raise some interesting questions. For instance, just who qualifies as Rock? Does it take a certain number of hit songs? How does song writing come into play? Plus, Rock, Country, and Jazz all share the same core roots. They’ve evolved in different and sometimes entwining ways, but are still considered very different genres.

  82. Sad day here.
    Our Australian Shepard, Annie, passed away suddenly last night. She was 14 and had been in decline for the last few
    months (Mobility, appetite, hearing, cognition) so while we knew it was on the horizon, it was still rather sudden. At least we were all together when it happened.
    We were her herd. She was our family.
    Always tough.

  83. In the chair to lose 1/4 of my wisdom. Questions come to mind.

    Why am I doing this so late in life? Why did I let my dentist convince me this was necessary at all, at this point? Why have I been here for an hour and still not seen the actual dentist? How much misery is in store for tonight?

    • It seems I’ll have a few days of antibiotics, so no booze.

      I know the worst is yet to come, but the actual experience in the chair was faster and less horrific than I expected.

      • I have a procedure coming up that requires me to be of any and all acid reflux medications (can’t even take tums) for 7 days. Alcohol is a double acid reflux whammy as it produces more acid and loosens the esophagus to let more acid up. So I’m right there with you on the no booze train for a bit.

        Sidenote: after being on prilosec twice a day for 20+ years, a week without anything is a living hell. Just saying.

    • Watching the Olympic opening Ceremonies.
      I know there is a lot of baggage that comes with them anymore but both the Winter and Summer games have always been a big thing in my family.
      And yeh, a lot of it gets me choked up because I’m an old softie.
      So Like when I suspend my disbelief in order to enjoy a movie, I’ll willingly Let the producers manipulate me, no one is worse for it. 🙂

    • Insane! I only wish I had known at the time (although I was dirt poor back then and never would have been able to afford one).

  84. TOS S2 is in the books.

    Van, did you say you liked Assignment: Earth? It was the S2 finale. Weird to see a young Terri Garr. Weirder to see Star Trek trying to do James Bond.

  85. Hubby won’t let me come to his school and give some of his teacher’s heck. I want to tell them what I think about the fact they think giving me a video game for Valentine’s isn’t enough. I told him they are bullying him by trying to make him give in to their way of thinking instead of accepting we are happy with how we do things. I’d much rather have a video game than flowers that will die in a week and chocolates I can’t eat.
    He laughs. I’m angry.
    We have a very strange life.

  86. I have nothing to say, except, “Blecchhh.” I have a terrible taste in my mouth.

    Stupid human teeth. Sharks don’t have to deal with this crap! Whales don’t have to deal with this crap!

  87. Scheduled to talk to Carmine Appice(!!!!!!) tonight through the Metal Hall of Fame on Facebook – – but not as an interview. We’re talking about my Led Zeppelin article(!!!!). We’ll also have Gretchen Menn on – – who is a rising guitar superstar.

    I’m not sure if Rich is joining as my cohost. (Between you and me – – and I’ve discussed this with him – – he might be podfading a bit)

    • “John DiMaggio, the voice of the foul-mouthed and boozing robot Bender doesn’t seem to be attached at the moment, but it’s very hard to imagine a revival without him on board. If, by some twist of cruel fate, DiMaggio can’t join in on the fun, many fans will demand that Hulu kiss their shiny metal…well, you know how the catchphrase goes. According to The Hollywood Reporter, however, the actor is currently in the midst of “finalizing a deal to return.”

  88. I finally watched a “Book of Boba Fett” episode early enough where Van and the Internet haven’t totally spoiled it for me. 😀

    I had to say up to 2am to do it though. 😀

  89. In other meh news – – I watched S22 Ep1 of Locke and Key. . . and. . . . it seems to have lost all of the magic of S1 and from the books.

    I will probably ditch. We’ll see.

    • I actually gave up on it twice. The 2nd time seems to have stuck.
      I just couldn’t stomach the occasional, absolutely stupid things they would have the characters do to advance the plot.
      In my book, you can’t have the characters seem to be worthy adversaries for the big bad and then suddenly have them act like the bad guys from “Home Alone”

      Lazy writing.

      • I only gave up on it once part way through the first season. Budget TV making at it’s worst. They couldn’t really afford to do what was actually done in the comic so they padded it out with an insane amount of high school and family drama.

    • I think the best option is to buy a 5.1 or 7.1 receiver/amplifier and slowly upgrade your speakers over several years. A good subwoofer makes a big difference.

  90. So that’s series 4 of Disenchantment watched.

    It gets a lot of hate but I do rather love it and one of those series I just have to binge watch.

      • What I didn’t know until I listened to a podcast about this film is that they couldn’t film in the Deep South so had to film further north in similar named town. Everybody acts as if the weather is hot and humid when in reality it was bloody freezing. There’s one scene when Virgil visits the diner (seen at the start of the film) and you can see the condensation from their breaths.

  91. Hey, it’s “haha, stupid sportsball” day in the US!

    Or “let people enjoy things,” depending on your perspective.

    I haven’t cared about the game in years, and TBH, IDGAF about the ads – – but I am down for this year’s Halftime Show.

    • Couldn’t help but think the theme for halftime was “Welcome to the rappers Old Folks home.”

      However, mega props to emenim for standing up to the NFL. I will give him respect for that.

  92. Let me know when it’s OK to talk about the season finale of Boba Fett. It really solidified for me what I liked and didn’t like about the series and looking forward to discussing.

  93. After the young un went to bed, Tiffany and I hit a local watering hole for a drink. Literally had the place to ourselves, along with the bartender. Felt almost normal for about an hour. #weird

    Happy VD, everyone.*

    *If you celebrate

  94. I’m seeing some “cash grab” hate for the Rings of Power show. . .
    And I can’t really disagree.

    I mean, I guess it’s OK to take a beloved old property and create your own massive-budget fan fiction. . .

    • Is it really “fan fiction”? The Tolkien estate is pretty protective of their property and tend to fight anything that they don’t approve of.

        • Yeah, that an diversity inclusion.

          We’ll see if Amazon does a better job with the source material than Jackson did with “The Hobbit”. But I’m willing to give it an honest chance. If this is really about the creation of the rings, then I’m pretty excited about the series.

          • I think the curmudgeons in the Tolkien family have all died off (mainly JRR and Christopher). I get the impression this is 100% new interpretations of the Middle-Earth histories with little or no connection to the original texts – – much like the extraneous nonsense Peter Jackson threw into The Hobbit.

            I’m aware that there will be idiots braying about brown-skinned elves, but I haven’t seen that. I have actually only seen praise for Galadriel’s practical (non-sexy) armor and the people of color.

          • > I get the impression this is 100% new interpretations of the Middle-Earth histories with little or no connection to the original texts
            I haven’t heard that. You might be right, but I’m not so sure.

            > I’m aware that there will be idiots braying about brown-skinned elves, but I haven’t seen that.
            I have.

    • Whether to call it a cash grab is a bit of a fine line. I think of it more in terms of the current trend to “play in someone else’s playground”. They take a property like LOTR or Watchmen or any of the Walking Dead spinoff series and find a safe haven where the source material didn’t originally go. That way they can get all of the benefits of using the property name (the cash grab aspect) without needing to worry as much about fans saying that they got this or that detail wrong.

      I too also as well am are ready to give it a fair shot.

      • Yeah, that’s pretty much my feeling too.

        Also, when I tend to associate “cash grab” with a lazy effort that will make money because fans will buy/support the product regardless. Amazon is sinking a shit ton of money into this show. That doesn’t feel lazy to me. That doesn’t mean they won’t play fast and loose with the material. I’m not a Tolkien scholar, but I’ve read a lot of it multiple times.

  95. Ok. I’ve waited enough. Here is my take on the Book of Boba Fett. I likes some aspects and didn’t like others. Definite spoilers.

    *
    *
    *
    *
    *
    *
    *
    *
    *
    *
    *
    *
    *
    *
    *
    *
    *
    Here is what I liked:
    1. They did not shy away from death. Many shows that have children as part of their target audience like to have all of the violence against droids or some other safe haven.
    2. Incorporating The Mandalorian Season 1.5 to bridge the next gap. I think these stories go together and shouldn’t be contained only in one or the other series.
    However see also, what I didn’t like to this same point.
    3. Black Krrsantan is an awesome character. I don’t follow any of the animated shows so I’m sure I should already know who he is. But I really liked him.

    Here is what I didn’t like:
    1. The complete and utter (most likely deliberate because kids will watch this) misinterpretation of what a CRIME syndicate is and does. They want Boba Fett to be a hero figure and that is never what he was set up to be. He can’t be the benevolent leader of the community and the slimy leader of it’s illegal activities at the same time. Just doesn’t work.
    2. I thought, when the series started, that he had an actual organization under him and we were only seeing the main characters. As the battles in the last episode made pretty clear, his ENTIRE organization consisted of him, his second in command, and a droid. He then added 2 henchmen, a Wookie, a second Mandalorian, and some kids on speeder bikes. Even when the cavalry comes from the town, it’s only like 15 people. This is not the size of a crime syndicate. This is a war between book clubs.
    2. The kids on the speeder bikes. Whoever designed those costumes and props did not seem to be at all related to the people who designed the rest of the show and/or the rest of the Star Wars universe. They seem like a deliberate attempt to get teens to think the characters are cool than to be actual characters.
    3. The need to bring in the cavalry from Freetown. They live in a giant city full of people with guns and Boba Fett says he has plenty of credits. They should have been able to hire a small army from right there in town.

    Looking forward to other perspectives.

    • FWIW: I agree with pretty much all of your points, although some of those didn’t really bother me (e.g.: you’re not wrong about the crime syndicate logistics, but that didn’t bother me).
      I was familiar with Krrsantan from the (excellent) Kieron Gillen Darth Vader comics series.

      My own 2 cents (SPOILERS TO FOLLOW):

      If you’d told me all of things that happened in the final episode, I’d have thought it was the greatest hour ever aired on TV. Instead, the last episode was awkwardly edited and directed (I guess?), and ended up being one of the weaker of the season.

      The Tusken storyline wasn’t fully satisfactorily paid off.

      I think this could have benefited from another episode or two to really establish the characters and situation more (and to wrap up that Tusken storyline). The Syndicate wasn’t all that scary, and we never reeeeallly saw them flex their power. I don’t think there was any time for that.

      Overall though, I enjoyed the series.

      Part of me wants a series dedicated to Luke’s adventures during this time, while he’s building the Jedi school and fighting the Empire at the height of his powers. Part of me wants to keep that in small, special doses.

    • I generally agree with a lot of your pluses and minuses.

      It definitely felt…rushed I suppose trying to cram all this story into 7 episodes. The last one in particular was especially unsatisfying.

      Of course, one of the wildest things this show did was have a large vocal aspect of Star Wars fandom bagging on one director and singing the praises of another. But this time around, the bagging was on a guy (Robert Rodriguez) and the praises were for a woman (Bryce Dallas Howard)…and I’m pretty much on board that train. I though Filoni did OK on his direction, but I think he’s better served in the animation world.

      While it probably would have been a hard sell, I think it would have been a better story to focus more on his time with the Tuskens and end the season with his take over of Jabba’s palace. The whole spice trader business added too much – he could have stayed plenty busy dealing with the other crime families.

      Overall, some decent points, but aside from the fan servicey stuff along the way, I wasn’t overwhelmed.

      • I thought he was a lot more realistic and natural in BF – – though his scenes in Mandalorian were better.

        As I said, I’d love to see a show done well with this character in this time period, but I don’t trust them to not fuxk it up.

    • Tangential –
      I heard/read (can’t remember) an article about self healers. Apparently given a billion people, random mutation sometimes produces variants that can actually cure themselves. It’s insanely rare but happens. The first recorded case of someone getting cured of AIDS was apparently one of these.
      He has of course been studied to try and figure out WTF.
      The dark side of this… there seems to be at least one of these in the ALS world and an entire marketing effort has sprung up to sell to despirate people, his elixirs and seminars.
      In itself, these things aren’t “harming” them … but it is not curing them and is funneling a lot of family funds and donation dollars to one guys pockets. ☹️

    • I still maintain that the first of the new ones was excellent. And the second one was almost excellent (but not. It sucks). And the third was entertaining and forgettable.

      I’m down for more.

      Oh yeah – – Having watched the first 2 seasons of ST: Disco, it also hurts that their Spock is far superior to Zachary Quinto.

  96. Ok, I admit. Treasure of Nadia is the first adult game steam recommended to me that I almost considered. Not because of its adult content but because it looks like it might actually have an interesting story line.

  97. Unrelated but somewhat parallel to my vaguepan griping above:

    I know of a woman who lives in an apartment here in town. A “mentally unbalanced” neighbor fired off his gun, shot a hole through the wall into her home.

    So she, her, husband, and their daughters now have to move.

    How has this become normalized in our culture? Why do they have to move? Why isn’t the “oops, I almost shot you” guy being evicted or moved?

  98. Today my Steam discovery queue recommends the upcoming game College Bound: Arctic Adventure.
    Seriously, finding out what Steam recommends each day has become a game unto itself.

    It also recommended Attack of the Giant Crab. If it’s anything like Maneater (about sharks, get your mind out of the gutter), it could be fun

  99. A coworker of my wife got Covid back at the end of December. She was surprised to find out that he wasn’t vaccinated because he was a SUPER smart, science guy who had never been political or mentioned anything anti-vaccine. She’s not sure if he was too busy or absent minded or what.
    Anyway, they put him on a ventilator January 1st and this morning he finally died.
    Another totally useless and almost assuredly preventable death.

    • Aside from his own personal tragedy, he indirectly caused suffering in countless others around him. And likely innocent strangers who came in contact with him.

  100. Just sent a query for what would be the highest-profile interview of my life. The odds are slim to none, but are now better than zero.

    Wait and see.

    • I miss my waterbed.
      When we sold our house, moved into a rental and then finally moved into our current house it just never got set back up.

    • “Before settling on the waterbed, he had tried filling a chair with 300 pounds of cornstarch gel, which quickly rotted. ”

      Man if that cornstarch gel chair had only worked. I would have to imagine that would be really cool to sit in.

  101. Lo Pan’s Unofficial Official ranking of canon MCU/DCEU shows I’ve seen so far. (Not counting the ABC and Netflix Marvel shows cause I haven’t a clue where they stand in the grand scheme)

    1. Peacemaker
    2a. WandaVision
    2b. Loki
    3. Hawkeye
    4. WinterFalconSoldier

  102. I allowed myself to chill and watch Nightmare Alley last night. And I kinda wish I’d spent that time better.

    It’s well-acted and lovely to look at, but way too long and mostly pointless. This could have been a great Twilight Zone episode.

    I want my old Guillermo Del Toro back.

  103. There is a gorgeous, utterly unique Marvel film deeply buried somewhere in the WTF slog that is Eternals. I can’t imagine that a director of Chloe Zhao’s talent fucked a film up this hard. This HAS to be an issue of a unique filmmakers vision being fucked by a studio that doesn’t understand said vision and interferes with the outcome. Right? Cause… this was garbage. As with such a diverse and talented cast it shouldn’t have been. I’d love to read the untouched script.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *