What I Watched: I hate to throw any spoilers into this, as many DeadSplinterites watch this series. I have always found brains more attractive than brawn, but Reacher has both (although I think that he has pushed it too far, with the bicep and neck size). The Lee Child books are well worth reading, IMO, although these days I prefer reading book versions of comfort food.
As per NPR, Reacher is smart, strong and out of the military, traveling the country with no home base or fixed job. He’s a typical wandering hero — in the books and Prime Video’s Reacher series, which has a second season dropping Friday — using the skills he developed as an investigator in the U.S. Army’s military police to help others.
Reacher is both Dad TV and the embodiment of the fantasy of living life completely on your own terms. Reacher is a hero perceptive enough to spot a car tailing him for days, burly enough to set off that same car’s airbags by stomping on its front bumper and fierce enough to pull the driver out of the car and beat him down in seconds … before discovering that might not have been the best move.
Trailer for season two, part one
What I Read: A Matter of Secrets and Spies (The Case Files of Henri Davenforth Book 10) by Honor Raconteur and Cait Wade. This series started with the excellent Magic and the Shinigami Detective. Not a series to dive into midway. Here is the blurb for book one:
The woman is famous for killing the most destructive rogue witch of the century, and no one is quite certain where she’s from. Every officer in the precinct is either in awe of her or a little frightened by her. Henri is just baffled. What is he supposed to do with a partner?
Hopefully killing one witch makes Jamie Edwards enough of an expert on magic to be helpful, as the thieves aren’t content to just break into one building. They in fact seem to have an agenda, as with each theft, they take magical objects. It’s all mounting to a dangerously powerful magical construct capable of toppling the wards on any building.
What I Listened To: Beeef – Nice Clean Shirt; Eli Smart – Fiesta 99.9FM; The Silver Lines – Hotel Room; and Nightshifts – Rover.
Thank you for playing Brain Drain! How are you, dearest ones? Darling DeadSplinterites, what’s going on? Please do share with us!
Watched: Amsterdam. Another film that I thought would be better than it actually was. Especially because it is (very) loosely based on the corporate plot to overthrow the government back in the 1930’s because FDR was fucking with their money and we all know that’s an unforgivable sin in this country.
Listened: Finally picked up Kevin Gilbert’s second album, Shaming of the True, a rock opera that was never released until many years after his death. There’s only one track on YouTube that’s from the album. There are several other live performances, but they are tribute covers by Gilbert’s friends.
…I had the opposite reaction in that amsterdam was more fun to watch than I expected
…not that it indicates much besides a brief burst of excitement at the prospect I had more pessimistic expectations…which seems almost like some sort of achievement
…sometimes I think there’s a degree of serendipity required to catch some films in the frame of mind required to enjoy them & it did seem to be one of those?
I’ve not heard of Kevin Gilbert; I like what you posted.
He was a genius who died way too young. He was the keyboard player and primary songwriter for Cheryl Crow’s first album. Then she publicly took all the credit and he broke it off.
Reacher sounds like the Biggest Hobo.
I didn’t mind the movies despite the fact that Tom Cruise is as tall as I am.
… thus far I’d say the show is mostly an improvement over the film’s with teeny tommy…although some of the line deliveries from the big lad are…not all they could be, to abuse a military maxim?
Muhahaha “not all they could be” guffaw!
Oh no. No no no no. That littlest hobo dog is the best. But big hounds like that tend to be. Actually all canines are the best creatures, but the big hounds are their own special specialness.
I’m watching Fargo Season 5, listening to Anohni and reading The Gothic Tales of Sheridan Le Fanu.
Weather is bad here.
I think this season of Fargo is just jaw dropping. The quality of the acting is amazing, including Jon Hamm who is mentioned in today’s DOT.
Dave Foley of all people does a great job. Juno Temple is nothing like Keeley from Ted Lasso and she’s dynamite. Joe Keery from Stranger Things is great, Jennifer Jason Leigh is too.
The plotting and pacing is really, really good. I’d only hesitate to recommend it because the subject matter deals with a very traumatic issue and it doesn’t blink.
Boy oh boy, I should really watch it. I’m always late on popular shows (as mentioned previously I watched the pandemic show with my Scottish boyfriend last year, and started Justified this fall).
Anohni and the Johnsons? What a smooooth sound.
Yeah, that’s my jam currently.
I watched a couple of episodes of The Brothers Sun last night (Netflix). It had me cackling loudly! It’s full of action, jokes, and centers Taiwanese/Chinese American Asianess. I love all the little details especially the minor focus on food. So many recognizable faces in the cast (even if they are short lived) and Michelle Yeoh as the matriarch.
I read John Scalzi’s Agent to the Stars. It was one of his weaker novels (also one of his older ones so he gets better). It’s about an alien race who makes first contact with a talent agent and request his help in managing their global first contact. His writing is a bit sexist without offsetting it by being self aware.
I’m currently reading Stealing Thunder by Alina Boyden.
Her fantasy novel is set in a fictional ancient Pakistan/India. The main character is a runaway “prince” who is a trans girl/woman. She flees the palace and builds a new life as a sex worker. One day she performs for a prince of a different kingdom and they slowly fall in love. There are heists, mythical flying creatures, and a juxtaposition of court life vs courtesan life.
…I started the brothers sun, too…& it certainly seems to have identified its lane & have some fun sticking to it?
I keep wanting to like Scalzi…but just can’t get his rhythm. I read a Very Scalzi Christmas over the holidays. It is a short story collection that left me underwhelmed. Suggestions for one of books that I may like?
Starter Villain was my favorite of the three that I’ve read (Kaiju Preservation Society was #2). If you’re not into his humor or pacing, then I say don’t bother. There are so many other authors and books out there. Life’s too short.
I also like brain and a bit of brawn. Reacher is too much of a beefcake for me but I persevere and enjoy the show 😉
#TeamBrainsAreHot!
What I read;
Rocket set to release remains of 330 people, including George Washington, JFK and ‘Star Trek’ cast into space: ‘Permanent memorial’
This is so bizarre to me. But if my wishes are fulfilled I’m going to be cremated, and I suppose my ashes could be shot up to orbit Mars or something. But why? I guess I’ll find out.
What I watched:
“Hawaii 5-0”, of course. In our latest episode, a criminal mastermind has managed to break out of the Oahu State Penitentiary. He’s even rigged up a version of a cellphone. He’s a man of a thousand disguises, and in one particularly fascinating interlude, which lasts for about a minute, he dons a wig and a thigh-length muu-muu, and impersonates an elderly woman, and taunts a cop doing surveillance at the high-rise he’s holed up in.
In another scene Chin Ho has been summoned to that high-rise, and we’re in the back seat looking over Chin Ho’s shoulder as he drives along the highways and byways of Oahu.
In that high rise the criminal mastermind impersonates a member of the staff. He’s in the lobby and he traps this fellow criminal and his two henchmen, who are twins!, in an elevator car. He has rigged up an ultrasonic device (!) that tortures and possibly could have killed them if they didn’t hand over their briefcase with its $4 million. That is worth approximately $32 million today because our bouts of hyperinflation hadn’t yet taken hold.
I’m telling you. My rediscovery of the original “Hawaii 5-0” is one of the best gifts I could have given myself.
It’s impressive that they filmed on location, because you could see an exec deciding to economize and use Southern California as a stand in. They had no problem shooting Hogan’s Heroes there, and you could sometimes see palm trees in the exterior shots.
We are all made of stars . . . They are going home in outer space:
Help! I have been kidnapped by my wife & daughter. I’m being held hostage in nesting hell. I’ve been to Fred Meyers, Home Depot, & the Dollar Store. I’ve been forced to move countless bags & boxes of junk & assemble IKEA crap. It is only noon & at least 3 hours til game prefunk! At least I had a morning chuckle
https://www.rawstory.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-book-2666886556/
…if it’s any consolation I have just this last week had occasion to note (with a certain gallows humor) that while it might not be exactly a saving grace…generally when ikea says “follow the instructions & it ought to take about 20mins”…you actually can have the thing assembled in 20mins…or less sometimes
…I am saddened to report that the level of detail with regard to either labelling of parts or identifying features of said parts & their precise orientation in the instructions for at least one non-ikea flat-pack brand lost me…probably hours, plural for a single wardrobe
…& even then I had to swap sides with the runners for the drawer because…well…I should have gone with my gut & not made those match the only way they fit the picture
…keep the faith…eventually someone will pour you a drink…& I got a really good curry out of it…with venison…though alas not a recipe for it…so…hmm…might have lost the thread…occupational hazard, I’m sure you’ll agree?
ive been watching reacher but other than that really have nothing to add
first week back at work and its been brutal…..not coz its particularly busy or anything….but after a few weeks away from it….the stupidity of the place really hit me…
actually took friday off….was either that or quit my job….
learnt on thursday its possible for me to get so pissed off at shit i get a nosebleed tho……..thats a new one
welp…..see what next week brings i guess
…that jun tzu lad that raps & came up in belfast with a “known” dad had a story in a clip I saw of him one time about getting so furious about some diss that he rang up a mate & told them not to go anywhere because he was coming round to lay down a track so they could post a response…& he stomps round the way, which is a mile or two…& when he gets there he lights into the lines he’s been thinking of on the way over…bangs them out & demands they get uploaded PDQ
…& at that point realizes that somewhere along the way his nose had started bleeding
…I always figured the phrase “looks like he’s going to burst a blood vessel” was about the vein throbbing in a forehead or a temple or something more akin to having an aneurysm…but actually nosebleeds kind of make sense to me as a better biological version of a fuse?
lol…yeah…some really fragile little veins in the nose….
but also probably means my blood pressure is not where it should be
also…in unrelated news…..my daughters in to d&d nowadays….and i just gifted her baldurs gate on steam
pretty sure this decision is going to bite me in the ass…..as im pretty sure my puter is the only one beefy enough to run the fucking game here (what can i say…..10 years ago when i got the fucker…i got a little carried away…and ive upgraded the gpu since)
does look really good tho
I thought Reacher started strong but has weakened a fair amount over the last few episodes. We’ve watched all 6 episodes thus far and will watch the last 2, but not with the interest and enthusiasm of the first season.