The Cheese Stands Alone

We 2/28/18  Book Club Meeting at 6pm. Up 7am; Warm, drizzle and rain all day- 50's. Amazon Prime, 'CON MEN' (750am) Young con travels to Glasgow to meet with another con. He says that Joe has been beaten to death, but he told him of a big stakes game in Glasgow. He's trying to con the con, and loses. Wild naked scene in a room lined with plastic and a sledge hammer. "I don't know enough about killing to kill"; then he shoots him in the head. 10am trying to update Windows Essentials and prepping for the book club. Not updating....why??!! 11am-12pm- Episode #7 of SEVEN SECONDS. Drama of the highest order, and there's still 3hrs. and twenty minutes left. Heading to FitClub and then home for more prep. Re-read THE SENSE OF AN ENDING and left for the meeting by 525pm. I was surprised that although most of the group didn't particularly like the book, they did seem to appreciate what the author was trying to do.  Home by 7pm and a...

Tu 2/27/18 Up 7am; the generic milk of magnesia worked the magic. Mid 40's early and it's supposed to hit the high sixties later- with plenty of sun and wind. Amazon Prime, 'NERVE' (8am) A great Young Adult/ Teen film; by the producers of MTV's, CATFISH. The film is about a phone app based on 'Truth or Dare' that sparks a tender high school romance. It stars the niece of Julia Roberts and the younger brother of James Franco and they're both great. Beautifully shot; the lighting effects were superb! Just gotta do another slice of SEVEN SECONDS.(11am) Moped around and replied to an email from Janny. We'll might up on Friday at five. First  run outside in ages! West/ Fair/ Lynn/ Park/ Green; 34", and I can't lie- it felt great!  145pm on the machines at Planet Fitness. 45" Recumbent Bike (RABBIT RUN). 45" Cross. 45" Recumbent Bike (Judge Judy). 45" Cross. 20" Recumbent Bike. Legs/ Chest/ Stomach...

Mo 2/26/18 Up 715am; When I logged on I got a message from Avast saying my service was ending today. It's "Free", and I'm hoping that it's just a lame attempt to get me to cough up. I ran Malwarebytes and it detected 192 PUPs! and I deleted (not quarantined!) them all.  I wrote up THE TURNER DIARIES that I finished yesterday, and began MEMOIR OF A MURDERER a Korean thriller on Netflix. (840am) A man is suffering from dementia is an ex-serial killer; I guess you could say he 'killed to cleanse the herd'. He hasn't killed since he began taking care of his daughter seventeen years ago, and he accidentally learns that there is another serial killer active in his village, and is after his daughter.  The ending was a bit strange. Who is the woman in the photo in his locket in the final scene? Could it be the mother of the other serial killer? Then, the fourth episode of SEVEN SECONDS.(1145am). Wrote a long Chat Wrap, and I'm trying...

Su 2/25/28 Up 645am; Bright and sunny; to upper 40's later. Watched the Netflix German disc, '13 MINUTES'. About Georg Elser, the man who unsuccessfully tried to kill Hitler in a bomb attack in November of 1939. The authorities refused to believe that he acted alone, but he did. Elser was also not affiliated with any group or political party, he just felt that Hitler was more bloody trouble than he was worth. And, the guy was also a musician and a lady's man. The title refers to the fact that Hitler had left the building thirteen minutes before the bomb exploded.  Then, episode of three of SEVEN SECONDS. Laundry and litter box last night, and now the plan is to finish THE TURNER DIARIES; took about 40", and it's really a thought provoking novel, but it certainly doesn't make the case for Racial Superiority. In fact, just the opposite. Pierce fails to take in the political and social stigma of being in the minority. He feels it's just 't...

Sa 2/24/18 Up 720am; more gray, cold, and drizzle- 30's and misty all day. Flooding all around us, but the lower floor on Westview is still dry. Watched another Kevin Spacey film on Amazon- SWIMMING WITH SHARKS. Spacey makes a great villain, but I thought that the ending was a little confusing. If Guy kills Dawn then why didn't he kill Buddy as well? He could have set it up to make it look like he kills Dawn just after she had shot Buddy. I don't get why Guy is promoted if Buddy was still around. I actually thought that the ending was a kind of dream sequence- Buddy is 'The Ghost of All The Lies of Hollywood'....or something. Then, Philip K. Dick's ELECTRIC DREAMS-'Real Life';(11am). A lesbian detective from the future takes a 'dream journey vacation' and becomes a black mogul who runs a software empire in the past. She decides that 'he' is 'reality', but picks the wrong one. Nice episode to begin the ten part series,...

Fr 2/23/18 Ate too much after eating the meal last night; after the video- upstairs on the couch an unnecessary cheese sandwich and too many peanut butter and crackers. oink! Up 7am; bleak, gray, and cold. Some icy stuff last night, but not enough to make a difference. All kinds of Flood Warnings all over central and southern Illinois. Springfield didn't get hit, but it's only a matter of time. Watched Netflix disc, BABY DRIVER. A really tremendous Heist/ Thriller with Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, 'Flea', and a couple of 'newcomers' who played the 'lead lovers'. The title refers to a song by Simon and Garfunkel from BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATERS, and the opening car chase (it's a killer!) features the song, BELL BOTTOMS by Jon Spencer. The music is most definitely a character in the film. Totally better than expected- I was blown away! And, I spent almost an hour going through the bonus features. Read on the couch THE TURNER DIARIES liste...

Th 2/22/18 Up 730am; icy rain fell last night, yet not cold enough to really make a difference. Cloudy and mid thirties today. Wrote up THE SENSE OF AN ENDING for the blog, then watched a Netflix Korean film called, FORGOTTEN. The film was a wild and convoluted ride, maybe a bit too much frenetically running around, but every second was electric... A twenty year time warp and he really committed the grisly murders, but he was doing it for a noble reason.   A brief noise outside- like a, not that loud, muffled explosion? and the computer went off. Prompt to 'begin Windows normally', and everything OK. The power seems to go off a lot on Westview. Watched the pilot of SNEAKY PETE on Amazon Prime.  115pm to 'Y'. 45" Walk. 3.8/0. 45" Recumbent Bike (THE TURNER DIARIES). 45" Cross. 30" Recumbent Bike. 45" Cross. 10" Steam room.  Drove to Walmart for a cardigan sweater; not one in the whole fucking store! And, long john bo...

We 2/21/18- Buddy's Dental Visit Up 715am; some ice last night, but nothing too bad. Cloudy and to about freezing by late afternoon. A restless night worrying that it would be too icy to get to the vet, but weather was not a factor. I took Buddy to the Brewer Animal Hospital, then got gas and a cup of coffee at the station at Monroe and Clocktower. About twenty minutes after I got home, they called to say that his teeth were not that bad, and they just did a scraping. I went back to get him and he was home by 830am; only cost twenty bucks. Watched Netflix disc, LAND OF MINE. The story of a group of young German prisoners of war who were forced to clear mines on the Danish coast. The sergeant hates them,  then grows to empathize with their plight; very well done.  Then, the last two episodes of BOSCH, season #2. I loved it, but not as good as GOLIATH.  Still icy, cold,and wet...on the machines at Planet Fitness 2pm. 45" Walk. 3.8/0.(HOW THE WEST WAS WO...

Tu 2/20/18 Called at 810am and made an appointment for 1030am today. A metal crown was suggested. 63 degrees and flooding is predicted. Rain all day with falling temps. Freezing rain for late today and high 30's for the high tomorrow.  Started THE PREPPIE CONNECTION; 830am. Watched about half, then a CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM- 'The Survivor'/ gift after 10 yrs of marriage. To Dentist/ Wabash PO/ FitClub South. The dental assistant did install a metal crown and I was there for about an hour. $1.71 to buy the envelope and mail it. Long wait in the line; I'll bet there were almost twenty people in the joint while I was there. 1pm at FitClub South. 45" Jog on Track (BIGGER BANG). Felt good and no ankle pain. However, they've reconfigured the machines on the track area. Now, only two cross trainers and they got rid of the recumbent bikes completely- just two regular bikes. Crammed into the northeast corner of the track. 45" Bike (February select...

Mo 2/19/18 No Mail- Presidents  Day Up 7am; very warm with temps to the high 60's later, and it was fifty at seven. Strong rainstorms for the next two days and 40 mph wind gusts. Re-cap the crown sometime today... Watched an Italian mob movie on Netflix called, BLACK SOULS. It was filmed in the ancient mafia locations of south central Italy- 'the toe of the boot'. Then, a 25 minute episode in an animated series for Netflix called, BIG MOUTH. It features young teens and in this episode a girl gets her first period on a class trip to the Statue of Liberty. Fred Armisen was involved in this project- his type of thing. Wrote the Chat Wrap and it's noon and I'm going to get my medical expenses sorted so that they can be mailed tomorrow. Finished just after 2pm- called back to make sure that the 'biggie'- $488 for the dental work could be charged to Your Spending Account; it can! Over six hundred bucks should be hot-wired into the account soon. ...

Su 2/18/18 Watched the last half of STRONG ISLAND. A very emotional look at a possible failure of the justice system. The grand jury decided that the shooter acted reasonably and out of fear for his life. Had the case gone to trial, it's possible that the same decision could have been reached- or not.... Food for thought. How many cases that are dismissed by grand juries should have actually gone to trial? Up 8am; thirties already and temps to high forties with plenty of sun. A new series from Netflix, EVERYTHING SUCKS!. And, finally, two episodes of BOSCH. The shooting locations are almost as good as GOLIATH- LA with the look of the new century. 1230pm- the weekly cleaning, and paid the cards, then off to FitClub; the plan is to run outside first...maybe. No run, but on the machines after the weekly clean-up by 130pm. 45" Octane (Lou Reed's, BERLIN, live at The Warehouse). 45" Recumbent Bike. 45" Cross. 45" Recumbent Bike. 30" Old Style Cross. ...

Sa 2/17/18 The new cap came off at 925pm last night, and so far, no pain or discomfort. I will call after 9am this morning- not sure if it's a real 'dental emergency', but I'll get her to decide. Up 7am; more gray and chilly. Temps in the 30's and 40's, and a wintry mix for mid morning and this afternoon. Netflix disc, HECTOR AND THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS; fairly bland, yet likable; sweet as eating cookie dough.  Called the dentist 'emergency' number, and got nada. What if it were a real (painful) emergency? Then the first three episode of Season 2, BOSCH. No call back from the dentist, and I'm a little pissed.  130pm ironing some shirts (3), then off to Wabash PO to mail the disc before the 3pm deadline, and then hit Planet Fitness.  2pm on the machines. 45" Walk. 3.8/0. 45" Recumbent Bike (THE DOGS OF BABEL). 45" Cross. 30" Bike. 30" Cross. Home to soak, listen to LET'S ACTIVE, and read mor...

Fr 2/16/18 Hit it hard... too hard, last night. Awoke in the chair around midnight and immediately made a toasted cheese sandwich- 'stuffed and stunned'. Up 7am; gray and cold; 30's all day. Watching the rest of SERPICO on Amazon Prime. An unbelievable film- Pacino at his best, and NYC is an integral character in the movie! Can't believe that the real Serpico is still around; born 1936. 11am; THE NAKED TRUTH- 'Dirty Little Secrets'. International money laundering is revealed. Surprised to learn that 13 states in the US have laws just as lax as countries infamously known as tax havens. 1220pm to FitClub. 45" Octane (REM). 45" Recumbent Bike. 45" Cross. 45" Bike. 30" Old Style Cross. Whirlpool. Home to listen to Chet Baker and read THE DOGS OF BABEL. (45"). Amazon Prime- I'M NOW- THE STORY OF MUDHONEY. Almost all, then something on Amazon about Tatooos and Harleys, then more Curb....

Th 2/15/18     Dental Crown Day; 1030am Up 710am; Foggy with rain later. 52 now and temps to the lower 60's, but dreary. The final half of Netflix disc, POST TENEBRAS LUX- I cannot remember a film where I knew less about what it was about. Leaving for Westside Dental at 1020am. I was there for almost the full two hours. It wasn't so much painful, as very uncomfortable. And, the worst part was dreading that a nerve would be hit- she never did. 1230pm dropped the disc at the Wabash PO and hit Planet Fitness. 45" Walk. 3.8/0. 45" Recumbent Bike (I downloaded, THE DOGS OF BABEL from the library this morning. One of the women in the book club was talking about it, and I'm loving it!). 45" Cross. 30" Bike. 30" Cross. Out to Walmart to pick up the Tamsulosin prescription ($15), and did the grocery shopping ($67). In the tub listening to Jack Dejohnette and reading BABEL (45"). Will begin SERPICO (Amazon Prime). Only about a ...

We 2/14/18 Up 745am; Immediately began dreading tomorrow's session in the dentist chair. 42 degrees and all of the ice melted overnight- but it ain't draining, very soggy and to maybe fifty, but damp, overcast, and chilly. Watched HORNET'S NEST (Amazon Prime) A documentary about two photojournalists, father and son, who were embedded and on patrol with US combat soldiers in Afghanistan. The second part of the film is about the father's experience of being in a Taliban village and pinned down for ten days under heavy fire from the enemy- several young Americans were killed. This is the longest war in American history, and still no end in sight.  1115am; NILE RODGERS- THE HITMAKER (Amazon Prime) Not only is he an amazing musical talent, but he also comes across as a really good guy.  1pm to Dollar Store for new kitchen rug, Ace for new furnace filter, and on to FitClub South. A brown rug/ some instant coffee/ and some combs. Stock looking depleted- a...

Tu 2/13/18 Up 6am; teens early, but will crack 40 later; partly sunny. Netflix disc, THE AMERICAN (645am). Set in a couple of small Italian villages far east of Rome; Hit-man as Samurai warrior. Mr. Butterfly can't trust anyone no matter how beautiful- but the pay it good.  MY NEXT GUEST NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION WITH DAVID LETTERMAN- George Clooney. (53"). 920am. Real good; like two friends having a conversation. His parents live in Augusta, KY; a town of 1,100 forty-five miles southeast of Cincinnati (the dead-center, absolute middle of nowhere!). The first episode of a Romanian detective series called COMRADE DETECTIVE. Fully restored, 80's Pro-Communist, Anti-American propaganda- unintentionally hilarious.  1130am- the rest of, DRUNK STONED BRILLIANT AND DEAD. I watched this to the end last night, I wonder why it showed 15" remaining? And, finally.....one more CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM; 1).Do you crap standing Up?/ predict rain so that you...

Mo 2/12/18 Up 645am; single digits to just below freezing with lots of sun. (Westview is a wicked sheet of ice and it still that way on Tuesday morning) Watched CASINO JACK (AMAZON PRIME) Starring Kevin Spacey as Jack Abramoff. The story of a lobbyist who was either corrupt, or just doing his job- or both. Also, it's impossible to watch the film without thinking about Spacey's sexual improprieties in real life. Can you still appreciate his work after learning about his personal life? Cap Lock Key no longer works. New keyboard in the future? The Chat Wrap, and then began a new series on Netflix called, "Gentlemen and Gangsters" (11am). Not really interesting enough to finish it. The Donna Winger murder happened just down the street in the 2300 block of Westview. https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/alt.true-crime/zLG5b_KKtuk ****I finally 'broke' down (no pun intended) and checked the Ameriprise account, and here's what I wrote- "Aft...

Su 2/11/18 Up 715am; last night we got less than an inch, but so cold that it stuck to everything- especially the streets. I hope the driveway has not become a toboggan run. Cloudy and in the teens, only to mid twenties later. Just a random pick, but I went with a Netflix documentary called, FREEWAY: CRACK IN THE SYSTEM. An eyeopening film about the LA drug kingpin, 'Freeway' Rick Ross, and the collusion of the CIA to fund the Contras, and to facilitate America's drug epidemic while simultaneous running the War On Drugs. Reminds you that Trump might not be the worst president we've ever had. First episode of ROME (Amazon Prime). Definitely a John Milius project. Then, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM; car-wash mentally challenged/ knocking on doors to use the bathroom/ only a Muslim woman lets him in and he takes her to date his blind friend, 'She will level the playing field- nobody has seen her face'. 115pm to FitClub. 45" Octane. 45" Recumbent Bike....

Sa 2/10/18 Up 640am; Just a light dusting of snow last night; 20" and snow still in the forecast for tonight, but only about an inch. Netflix disc, PARIS CAN WAIT (745am). Very well-done romantic film- the countryside, food, and history of France are very much characters in the film. The director is the wife of Francis Ford Coppola, Eleanor Coppola: Strangely uplifting.  Trouble downloading I DREAMED I WAS A VERY CLEAN TRAMP from the library. Then, I reinstalled the app, logged in, and OKEY-DOKEY- I got it! Watched a 23" short on Netflix called, THE TRADER. Traveling salesman barters used merchandise for potatoes in the poverty stricken areas of Tbilisi, Russia. Very Good! Then the first episode of ABSENTIA (Amazon Prime) 1130am. Female FBI agent has been held captive by a serial killer for six years, but maybe not; readjustment problems.  To County Market pharmacy- $15 for the pills, she said I had another refill, but I don't think so, and then P...

Fr 2/9/18 Restless night- worried about the stock market. Pointless/ it's gonna be what it's gonna be. I'll bet Dax's office is really hopping.  Up 545am; High 30's and cloudy early- to lower 40's with snow in the forecast for late tonight and tomorrow.  WEST END (Amazon Prime) 650am. West End is the New Jersey town northwest of Asbury Park. Not a bad contemporary Jersey Gangster tale- Victor Trevi comes back to his Jersey mafia family after his father is gunned down. The son is really with the FBI. Eric Roberts in a small, yet crucial role. 915am; finished MAN OF THE WORLD- Peter Green. Than another THE WIRE. Wrote a note to Janny, and leaving for FitClub South sometime after noon. Stock Market In Free-fall Again....Tired of this shit! 1pm at FitClub South. 45" The Good Octane. 45" Walk. 3.8/0. 45" Cross. 45" Recumbent Bike (GO NOW- Richard Hell, began today). 30" Cross TV area. Stocks ended at 24,190 and up...

This is the first entry after the last clean-up Th 2/8/18 Reading about OTHER VOICES, OTHER ROOMS, and the life of Truman Capote on the phone, and out of bed at 530am. Teens early, to mid- upper 30's; partly sunny. Netflix disc, THE GERMAN DOCTOR (615am). Josef Mengele (Nazi 'Angel of Death') stays with a family in Bariloche, Argentina, 1960. Looks just like the Alps. Made a copy of 'The Cheese Stands Alone'; Fr 12/15/17 thru We 2/7/18, and sent it to Dropbox. Netflix stream, ON BODY AND SOUL (1030am). Another very strange love story. An old manager of a Hungarian slaughterhouse and a young blonde quality control clerk share the same dream. She's a doe and he's a buck in a romantic winterscape, but love in real life their affair is a bit more difficult. Reading to finish the novel, OTHER VOICES, OTHER ROOMS; 1245pm. Dow Crashes Again- YIKES!!!!!! 23,860.46   Dow (down!) 1,032.89 (4.15%) 130pm to Wabash PO to drop THE GERMAN DOCTOR and wor...

We 2/7/18 Up 720am; Teens and highs to the mid twenties later, mostly sunny. Uploaded a Bela Fleck album, THE HIDDEN LAND to Google Play. I wish I understood why this process does not work the same at all times. KING OF HERRINGS (Amazon Prime) 840am. Shoestring budget, black'n white art film about four losers who hang at a diner in a seedy section of New Orleans. One friend won't pay off his debt, so the other guy tries to take his wife. It doesn't work because none of these guys have ever followed through on anything, but the bitter hopelessness of their lives make it worth a look.  PK Dick's ELECTRIC DREAMS- 'Crazy Diamond' Steve Buscemi in a dystopian Dover England with humanoids. He wants to escape on a boat with his wife, but gets caught up with a 'Jill'; Murky and confused. CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM-'Ben Stiller's birthday party'; kabob skewers/ statute of limitations on birthday parties/ blind guy's model girlfriend. ...

Tu 2/6/18 Up 645am; Strange dreams followed by severe leg cramps. the cold is now to the manageable stage- just taking antihistamines. Teens early and to the mid 20's later; cloudy- looks like it could snow a foot, but only an inch predicted for overnight. Netflix disc, POP SKULL. I thought the dentist appointment was for tomorrow, but it's today at 1020am. I'll be there. Film ended 925am; rushed to make the appointment at 1020am.  Got to the dentist in plenty of time and waited about ten minutes. They had a very nice, small electric heater in the waiting area. I need two crowns and the damage on my end is about $1,200. And, there was some discoloration on my tongue when they did the cancer screen. They just want to keep an eye on it. The dentist liked my tattoo and she might give Black Moon a call. I left the office around 1130am and drove to the Wabash PO to drop off the disc, and took a piss at Planet Fitness. Then, to LA Fitness for the workout; and...

Mo 2/5/18 Up 645am; Gray and frigid; temps near single digits and high teens all day and snow is in the forecast for tonight. Just an inch or snow, but when it's this cold it will be icy and dicey.  Still lame with the cold and this morning I awoke with back pains. I have just started using the back machine at Planet Fitness and I hope that this is the reason for the discomfort.  Since I started Truman Capote's first novel, OTHER VOICES, OTHER ROOMS yesterday, it seemed only 'right' that I stream CAPOTE this morning. Seymour Philip Hoffman's performance was sensational, and although I'd seen this before, it was most definitely worth a second viewing.  Heated up the Accord and on the road to the 11am appointment at the Orthotics Joint on Iles by 1040am. Had to wait a bit in the drafty office, and it didn't take long for the guy to fit the shoe insert. But, the secretary had left for a break and the therapist had no idea who to operate their c...

Su 2/4/18 Up 615am; 35 and that's the high for today; to single digits; cloudy. Watched WONDERSTRUCK. Julianne Moore/ Tom Noonan. Intricate tale of boy trying to find his father; mix of 1927 and 1977 and deaf people. It really shouldn't work, but it's magic; dir. Todd Haynes.  10am- RED DAWN (1984) Pure American propaganda, but that's what makes it so good....."Avenge Me"!!!!! says Harry Dean Stanton.  1230pm reading, and it's so cold and gray, I don't even think that I'll open the door all day. And that's one for the record books....didn't open the door all day. It started snowing about 130pm and we got a trace, but because it was so cold, it all stuck; 1/8".  I finished SPLIT SECOND, and it was so corny it should have come with a shaker of salt and a pat of butter. A character near the end exclaims, "We've just solved an intricate and complex mystery"! Yeah, you did, but I fucking paid for the privi...

Sa 2/3/18 Up 5am; reading SPLIT SECOND. A second rate effort, but still worth reading. Perfect for a 'sick day'.  Cloudy, breezy, high twenties to low forties. Snow expected on Tuesday. Watched Amazon Prime, 'LOVE & FRIENDSHIP'; very droll tale of life among the British upper-class in the late 18th century; Kate Beckinsale/ Chloë Sevigny. Extremely well-written- From an epistolary novel by Jane Austen.  8am- reading SPLIT SECOND. Around 10am I watched the Netflix disc, BRIGSBY BEAR. A weird tale of a young man who was abducted and kept by a couple in an isolated underground apartment for over 25 years. When he is released, he tries to recreate the cartoon show that he watched in captivity. Napoleon Dynamite only sweeter!  145pm on the machines at Planet Fitness. 30" Walk. 3.8/0. 30" Recumbent Bike (SPLIT SECOND). 30" Bike. Home to read for an hour or so, shower, and will watch Amazon Prime documentary on John Milius. NOTE TO SELF: B...

Fr 2/2/18 Cold is sunk in pretty heavy. NO! to all birthday parties and social gatherings for this weekend. Clear and below zero wind chills, temps to the low 20's, but the wind will make it feel far, far colder. Located a couple more PUP's, but they're now in quarantine.  Amazon Prime- 'REMEMBER'. Crazy premise, but they pull it off. 1120am to urgent care, Koke Mill. I had a 'nose swab' to determine if I really did have the flu, and they gave me a prescription for Tamiflu that they wanted me to get at Fairhills. However, I decided to just wait until it's confirmed early tomorrow afternoon whether I do have the flu. If you are not infected, Tamiflu will do no good, so I won't get it until I know that I need it. I hit the Dollar Store at Fairhills and bought a bunch of cold remedies- over the counter. Home to read and nap all day in the living room. Decided on a David Baldacci novel, SPLIT SECOND. Showered at 6pm, and no beer ...