What I watched: Finished watching This is Us (also known as The Most Awkward TV Show In Human History). For broadcast TV—or at least for broadcast TV in the past 20 years—this is exceptionally well written and very well acted. But, holy shit, do they lean into the awkward pauses. I liked the show, but I’m glad it’s over—mostly because the final season lurched into the stupidest story line with the worst character on the show.
What I read: No. I’m not done with that goddamned book yet. Stop asking.
What I listed to: Our latest stop on the best engineered albums of all time brings us to Love Over Gold by Dire Straits. This was Mark Knopfler’s first—but not last—time working with engineer Neil Dorfsman, who at that time was mostly known for his work with Gary “U.S.” Bonds and Bob Marley, but who eventually went on to a storied career with a whole slew of big names.
Recorded over the course of about three months at The Power Station in New York, the album opens up with a 14 minute long opus called Telegraph Road, which Knopfler wrote while on a tour bus which was driving on Telegraph Road in Michigan and reading a book about the history of the area. Clearly, it was not a single, but it’s got some great sonics. Knopfler plays a 1937 National Steel guitar on that track.
Fun fact: one of the songs recorded for this album was scrapped for release and Knopfler decided it would be a better fit for Tina Turner, who recorded it as the title track to her comeback “Private Dancer” album.
Well, assuming the rain is as generally unreliable as it usually is, I should be putting the last of my pepper plants in the ground, which will then put the garden firmly in growth and maintenance territory. I have no other plans for the weekend because I have no life.
I know, however, that the intrepid folks here at Deadsplinter have fascinating—even adventurous—lives. So, tell us all about it. What’s been running across your eyeballs or spinning in your ears lately?
Rewatched Hannibal- tv series. That’s it, that’s all I‘ve got. Hope everyone has a safe and pleasant holiday weekend.
Ooooh that’s a good idea. It’s been long enough that I could revisit that series…but Dr. Bloom is so infuriating that I might put it off for another couple of years.
She’s annoying – but everyone else is soooo good.
I’ve been binging Pitch Meetings on Youtube by the comedian Ryan George. If you haven’t seen them, the idea is an unctuous screenwriter summarizes a movie in a few minutes he’s pitching to a clueless exec, and neither one cares about the idiotic story or characters or anything at all in Cats, Hotel Transylvania, etc.
I took the reservoir from the old toilet I replaced and half buried it, and just bought some mint and oregano to plant in it. I am counting on the porcelain being strong and deep enough to keep them from spreading.
My uncle had a friend in the film business who was actually in the pitch meeting for the movie Twins. He said it boiled down to this:
“See, he’s tall…and he’s short…but they’re twins, see…and that’s funny. That’s comedy.”
i watched love death and robots….season 3
it has some gems in it
parts of it may be too gruesome for ellie tho
sides from that….ive read nothing….and im listening to lorna shore
who are…..heavy
I’m really enjoying your best engineered albums of all time series. Here’s one I like, recorded and mixed by Phil Brown, who’s worked on some pretty good albums.
Robert Palmer also worked with Eric “ET” Thorngren, who’s no slouch in the engineering department either.
Robert Palmer did put out some great sounding shit.
Sneaking Sally through the alley when up pops the wife…classic.
Not a spoiler because I don’t know enough about it to use useful words, but just an FYI
A few of my friends have started the new Obi-Wan series on Disney+ and in the first episode there’s a scene with a shootout or something at a school. None of the kids get hurt, the good guys with space guns keep that from happening, but like it was triggering for the folks with school-age kids to see that this week.
…I gathered there was something similar that led to netflix adding a warning before the first episode of the new stranger things season…but I’m refreshing my memory of season 3 so I e not got that far yet
…kinda missed the last couple of these so I forget what I thought I was aiming to say I watched…a lot seems to have happened the last few weeks…but I know there’s a new season of barry…can’t remember if I mentioned watching severance but hard to say much about that without spoilers…like what I e seen so far of strange new worlds…& have a nagging feeling I’ve missed mentioning something I thought was pretty good…maybe it’ll come to me before next week?
I saw the first episode of Stranger Things, and while it’s not the same thing that happens, a warning was definitely the right thing.
I have been binging the UK’s Big Fat Quiz. Go to youtube and search for Big Fat Quiz Playlist. It’ll be the first result, and you’ll see there are 34 episodes. I’d post a link, but the link just takes you to the first one, not the whole list.
The Big Fat Quiz is what the British do best: Uproariously entertaining quiz shows, no joke too obscene, almost nothing ever bleeped out. They appear every year at Christmas and are about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours long (sadly presented on YouTube without the ads, which are themselves often hilarious; in Britain they take 2 full hours.) The host is Jimmy Carr and there are three teams of a pair of comedians. There are occasional Quiz of the Decades and Anniversary Quizzes. Believe me, it’s some of the funniest stuff. Not British and wouldn’t know half the answers? Me too, but it doesn’t matter, the small, rotating cast of comedians (they often reappear) is worth it. Plus you learn a lot, and are reminded of a lot.
I watched the first four episodes of Under the Banner of Heaven and in spite of having read the book I’m still shocked by how crazy these FLDS people were/are. And how topical it is with nut jobs like Bundys still running around causing their special kind of trouble. Wyatt Russell is really good in this.
I read The Fisherman by John Langan, a horror novel about grief, fishing, and an eldritch monster, loved it.
I am really crankypants that it’s only on Hulu. It’s advertised as “FX presents” yet they don’t air it on FX and I don’t have Hulu.
Oh, that sucks. I assumed it was on FX too.
Binging Stanger Things. Reading all the books. Listening to Spotify’s Friday new releases playlist.
Also watching Lillian, she is so smart. She went to my handbag, opened the side pocket, opened the cellophane bag of dog biscuits, and took one out. Just one, more would have been impolite.
Wow, that is smart, and considerate. 😊
Started watching Miles, of Tomorrowland with my Grandbaby. It’s got a helluva catchy theme song! Much better than, say, Caillou… ugh. Haven’t really watched much else recently. Husband and Other-Husband are both gaming hard in their respective caves, so my streaming options are limited to watching on my phone. Generally, I’d rather listen to an audiobook while I do something else, anyway.
Reading – The Hike by Drew Magary. This is the third book of his that I’ve read… dude has a wild imagination, that’s all I gotta say.
Enthroned by K. M. Shea. Kindle Unlimited novella involving time travel and, oh, yeah, King Arthur was really a girl. I read it because it was there, never said that it was good! Not exactly terrible, but not great, either.
Barbarian’s Seduction by Ruby Dixon, book 20-something of the Ice Planet Barbarians series. These books are so trashy but so good, all at once! I read the first one randomly, because it was a free book and it was 2am, and I was hooked.
Currently reading – Stranger in the Shogun’s City: A Japanese Woman and Her World by Amy Stanley. Non-fiction story of a woman named Tsuneno born in Japan in 1803. Married and divorced 3 times between ages 12 and 35, she finally ran away from her family’s home to Edo to avoid her oldest brother forcing her into a 4th marriage. A lot of fascinating detail about Japan during the time they were mostly closed off from the Western world.
Also reading The Sinister Mystery of the Mesmerizing Girl by Theodora Goss, which is the 3rd book of the Extrordinary Adventures of the Athena Club series. Really good storytelling in these books.
AND also reading Empire: The Novel of Imperial Rome by Steven Saylor. This is book 2… I accidentally skipped from book 1 to book 3, so I’m going back to fill in what I missed! I love Saylor’s writing… his Gordianus the Finder series was brilliant… and the man does his research.