Howdy! I’m filling in for Elliecoo this week, so I’m afraid there won’t be any cheesy 50s monster movies featured. But feel free to talk about them if you want to Count Floyd up this joint.
What I watched: The Penguin, with Colin Farrell under about a cubic foot of makeup and prosthetics. It’s pretty good so far. It’s more of a mob show than a superhero show, with the Penguin striving to make his way to the top of Gotham City’s underworld. It’s a followup to The Batman, which I gave up on. I found that movie just too ponderous and brooding, but Farrell does a good job in the TV show making the Penguin a down to earth character who can’t afford to gaze into his navel for too long, unlike most of the modern DC world of characters.
What I read: The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday Design by Roman Mars and Kurt Kohlstedt. It’s an offshoot of the podcast 99% Invisible which digs into the process and execution of designs for all kinds of things, from garbage disposals to The Howdy Doody Show to cassette tapes.
The 99% Invisible City focuses on all of those common things you just barely think about in cities, from the utility codes which get spray painted on streets and sidewalks with cryptic codes for municipal employees, to pipes spouting steam, to revolving doors. There are hundreds of short profiles which explain something interesting about the purpose and origin of the fabric of city life.
Looking at their website I see they’re running a series of podcasts on Robert Caro’s The Power Broker. I think I may have to check that out.
What I listened to: Who’s Next. I have a radio/CD player in the kitchen for when I cook, and the usual FM stations were a mess of boring music. I hadn’t listened to a CD in a while and I didn’t want to mess with the Bluetooth hookup, so I took a gamble and just hit the play button. That’s what I had left in there months ago, and it did the trick. The songs are tight, the music rocks, there’s nothing slack about it, and it’s just the thing for cooking up chicken and rice.
So what about you, Deadsplinterinos? What are you watching, listening to, or reading? For that matter, have you gotten out to see any art or theater? Made your own art? As always, have a cup of coffee and share with the rest of us.
Watched 1 1/2 episodes of the Tragically Hip Documentary Series.
I didn’t know they had a cranky Vietnam draft dodger as a member/sax player who they had to ease out.
To understand a bit of Canada, I do recommend the series.
I got asked to go with my friends to their final 2016 concert, but I had zero money as I just fought my way out of the Cokehead Narcissist/management gang bang that made my life hell. This turned out to be a good thing as I missed out on some college friend drama/bad blood as my good friend who lives in SoCal got screwed out of a ticket by an aquaintance (sadly this isn’t an uncommon thing with this particular person) and they haven’t spoken since (can’t say I blame my SoCal friend.)
i watched chef
it was a solid popcorn fluff movie….you know…easy to watch…and all feel goody
also food porn
also i may have a thing for John Leguizamo
i just want to like him…something about his smile and demeanor in almost everything ive seent him in
I’ve been watching “Nobody Wants This” because Kristin Bell, who I would watch in literally anything. I really enjoy it — it’s about a Jewish rabbi (Adam Brody) who falls in love with a gentile. It’s not a new concept — but here it seems fresh and the leads are great. Actually, the whole cast is great. The biggest criticism I’ve heard is that nobody could be that ignorant about Judaism these days, which is nonsense. I assure you, I’d only ever even met a handful of Jews before I moved to South Florida in the 90s as an adult. I learned everything I know about Judaism (which is limited) at that point.
“Bad Monkey” continues to delight. I’m considering reading the book now. I have not given Carl Hiassen his due as an author.
I’m getting streaming spoiled though. Having to wait a week between episodes is bullshit.
I read a Carl Hiassen novel once and remember liking it at the time, although I can’t remember anything about it now.
I woke up to a crime scene under one of our bird feeders. Looks like it was one of the pigeons that hang out on the power lines across the street so not one of my bird feeder regulars. Sure haven’t seen much action at the feeders today though…
That’s an intense photo. I’ve seen hawks do that a couple of times inmy backyard but they fly up into a tree right away, probably to make it harder to steal their dinner.