The Cheese Stands Alone

Sa 6/30/18 Up 645am; Really too hot to open the house, but I did it anyway. By 10am, AC 'ON', and downstairs to finish (Netflix disc) 'OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTY). Jason Bateman and Jennifer Aniston in a fairly predictable, yet outlandish tale of an out-of-control office party in contemporary downtown Chicago.  Couldn't find the disc because I'd left it on the roof of the Accord when I got it out of the box yesterday evening. By 10am it was so hot I watched the end and the 'coming attractions' on the player downstairs. Turned on the AC, and read/ napped on the couch-'WONDER BOYS', and at 3pm biked to FitClub. Dropped the disc in the box near Fairway; Now a bitch to get at! 45" Octane (RID OF ME). 45" Recumbent Bike (RAY DONOVAN). 45" Walk (RAY DONOVAN- 2 complete episodes all afternoon). 45" Cross (finished the interview with Bob Odenkirk, and started one with Jack Black/ Sam Jones). 20" Walk. Home to soak and li...

Fr 6/29/18 Up 515am; cool early, but the molten heat and humidity begins today. Upper nineties and discomfort index to high to measure.  Wrote up 'THE NARROWS', and will watch Netflix disc, 'THE SQUARE'. An art exhibit is scheduled to be featured at a prestigious Swedish modern art museum; 'The Square' delineates an area of trust and caring where one's rights and obligations will be acknowledged'. From this premise, a rather odd, black-comedy satire evolves.  945am- mowing the lawn before the brunt of the heat hits. Mowed the front and back, did a little raking, tried to get a dead 'wishbone' branch out of one of the pines in back (no luck- it'll stay till it falls), and downstairs reading- finished THE NARROWS and began THE WONDER BOYS- BY 11AM.  Did the Coming Attractions  THE SQUARE, finished 'FELONY'- really a cut-above for a police drama, and then biked to Planet Fitness and the Wabash PO. On the machines 245pm...

Th 6/28/18 Up 8am; 80 early, and temps and humidity is building steadily. The next few days are going to be brutal. Anxious about the new blood blister, and why won't the cds copy? Started, 'FELONY' (Amazon Prime) While driving tipsy, an Australian detective knocks a kid off his bicycle and puts him in a coma. He attempts a cover-up. 10am called the dentist about the new blood blister, and I'll see her at 330pm this afternoon. Plan is to hit the 'Y', and leave straight from there. 1130am on the machines at the Y. 45" Walk (music). 45" Recumbent Bike (THE NARROWS). 45" Cross (music). 30" Bike (read). 30" Cross (music). 20" Walk. I listened to the three cds that I got from the library, and the Hoopla of Lucinda Williams. Shower/ and to Westside right at 330pm. I saw the new black guy, and he was as confused as I was.....by Dr. Rachel seems to be sure that it's my not quite consistent 'bite' that...

We 5/27/18- Dick Van Dyke/ Book Club Up 6am; sixties early, to mid 80's and sunny. Watched 'COCAINE ANGEL' (Amazon Prime). Alcoholic/ junkie in Jacksonville, Florida takes us down some fairly predictable paths; not bad, but clearly no new ground broken.  Around 9am and I began prepping for the meeting, and at 1030am I called Dick Van Dyke to find out where I was on the list. He said, "1130am to 130pm", so I hit the streets and did a jog for the first time in ages. Down Westview/ up Fairview/ Inter/ Oak/ Park/ Green- 33". Ankles and knees held up surprisingly well. Repairman called and arrived 1145am. A huge chunk of ice had formed and clogged the return air to the fridge. The freezer does the cooling, and then the cold air is pushed up into the fridge. Because this vent was blogged, no cool air. It took about an hour and wa $110.  A lot to melt ice, but I could have never done it. On the machines at FitClub West 125pm. 45" Octane (DR...

Tu 6/26/18- Dentist Tongue Check; 1030am Heavy rains rolled through about 3am and more strong storms forecast all day. Humid and 70's- 80's. Finished, 'MOTHER!'. I guess it was a kind of visually violent meditation on people asking for more than you can give. All the existential dread of 'ROSEMARY'S BABY' with more amped-up savagery and barbarity. Another episode of, 'BETTER CALL SAUL'.  Temperature Rising in fridge. Called for an appointment tomorrow....Of course, Book Club Day!  Arrived at the dentist 1030am and in the cubicle right away. She looked at the tongue, and all was healed. No worries....I guess. Dropped the disc at Wabash PO, then on to FitClub South, and on the machines 1115am. 45" The Best Octane (2 albums Husker Du on Prime). 45" Recumbent Bike (THE NARROWS/ listened to SAXMEN- David Murray). 45" Cross (the first two episodes of Season # 2, 'DEADWOOD'). 30" Bike (THE NARROWS). 3...

Mo 6/25/18 Over a six pack last night, but the junk has nearly been sorted. I've got to take a crack at the yellow, metal half-shelf, and then all will be pristine. Stunning how little 'stuff' I actually own. I seem to be the polar opposite of a hoarder. Up 730am; well rested, and nice cool temps. High sixties to low eighties with chance for rain late tonight. When I tried to open Internet Explorer for Amazon Prime, the browser seemed to have been hacked. I re-downloaded Explorer, and now it seems to be running smoothly. Watched Amazon Prime, 'TALES OF THE GRIM SLEEPER'. Lonnie Franklin killed women on the streets of South Los Angeles for over twenty-five years and authorities did little to stop him. 'NHI'- a police expression for, 'No Humans Involved'. Since he was killing female addicts and prostitutes, a proper investigation was not necessary since these women were expendable. Then episode #2 of 'GOLIATH'. 2pm to FitClub after ...

Su 6/24/18 Up 615am; Why so early? Reading 'THE PURPLE BOOK', and didn't sleep till 1230am. Sunny and 80's. Watched Amazon Prime film, 'SPECTOR'. Al Pacino/ Helen Mirren (written and directed, David Mamet). The relationship between Phil Spector and his female defense lawyer in preparation for his murder trial. Did he shoot her, or did she blow her brains out in front of him? Another case that hinges on 'splatter evidence'- is there any other kind? Then, finished the last hour of the doc on Lydia Loveless. Punk Country artist, and what a nice fit for Bloodshot Records...almost wrote 'Bloodshit Records'. And Then....the first episode of season #2, 'GOLIATH'. Looks like another fantastic season. Spent some time updating Microsoft Essentials- Got it, but why is this such a hassle, A little after noon mowing the lawn- back and front/ raked/ somewhat trimmed. Then did the weekly cleaning. On the machines at LA Fitness by ...

Sa 6/23/18 Up 7am; Temps only in the low  to mid 70's; calm and overcast. Watched Netflix disc, 'THE BATTLE OF THE SEXES'. Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs engineer a media showdown involving gender, athleticism, and Big Money in Sports. It's eerie how much the actors looked like the real people. Then finished the bio pic of 'Hole' and Patty Schemel-'HIT SO HARD'. A fine rock bio, and it's based on her memoir of the same title.  And then, began' THE REPLACEMENTS- COLOR ME OBSESSED: A FILM ABOUT THE REPLACEMENTS.  120pm- sorting 'basement boxes'. Then, to Wabash PO to mail back the disc and workout at Planet Fitness. Far more mesmerizing than I had thought...folders for all of my vacations over the last twenty years. 3pm on the machines at Planet Fitness. 45" Walk ('LIVE THROUGH THIS'/ began THE WIRE, but had trouble; reloaded the app and lost the downloads). 45" Recumbent Bike (Naked Lunch soundt...

Fr 6/22/18 Up 640am; overcast and light rain predicted for most of the day. We got about an inch yesterday, and temps are much cooler- today they'll peak in the low 70's.  Wrote up 'SMILE' Roddy Doyle for the blog. This one will certainly provoke the book club.  Began, 'THE HEART IS DECEITFUL ABOVE ALL THINGS' (Amazon Prime). A surprising ensemble of famous actors (even Marilyn Manson) create a moral uproar in a pretty grim screenplay about child abuse. The documentary about 'the real' TJ LeRoy makes a better movie. And, the argument about whether it 'really happened' and 'to who' I think is a lame position to take. It's enough that these stories are worth telling- end of discussion.  Then, 'GRANT HART- EVERY EVERYTHING: THE MUSIC, LIFE AND TIMES OF GRANT HART'. Bob Mould was clearly NOT Husker Du's only innovator. I wonder if Greg will ever get to set his story straight! Strange to learn how close Grant...

Th 6/21/18 Up 6am; cooler, yet very cloudy and muggy; showers and storms for later this morning and afternoon. Wrote up 'BACK SPIN'- Harlan Coben for the blog. Netflix disc, 'PRINCE OF BROADWAY' and Bonus Features. Sean Baker's films are all excellent; THE FLORIDA PROJECT/ TANGERINE/ STARLET. 11am; two episodes of 'FALLING FOR ANGELS'; Gay relationships in various LA neighborhoods. #1- Boyle Heights/ Chicano; #2- Koreatown. 20" each; well written. Huge downpour 1130am. Looks like that's about it for the rain, but a slight chance around 4pm, and better chance tomorrow. About 1230pm I swepped the basement area and started painting. Finished up about 330pm, and this included slapping some paint on the door to the garage off the breezeway. "Half-assed is far better than no-ass". In the Accord to the Wabash PO to mail the disc and Planet Fitness. Heavy downpours several times during the workout, and a fierce storm hit the area aro...

We 6/20/18 Up 7am; not quite as warm and a few more clouds; rain forecast for later this afternoon, and more rain tomorrow and the next couple of days; upper 80's.  Watched 'BROOKLYN'S FINEST' (Amazon Prime). Slightly over two hours- Police Procedural about three officers; one undercover in a major drug ring (Don Cheadle), one on a narcotics squad stealing drug money to buy a new house for his family (Ethan Hawkes), and one just trying to hang on with seven days till retirement (Richard Gere). Well done.  1115am, downstairs to watch, 'SICK BIRDS DIE EASY' (Amazon Prime) A group of slackers head to Gabon to take part in the Pygmy/ Bwiti ritual of Iboga. This drug supposedly allows addicts to quit, yet the 'psychic explorers' travel with acid, beer, whiskey, and weed. Nothing much is revealed, but the ride is more important than the destination...I guess. Not for the faint of heart. 130pm bike to LA Fitness. According to the best of source...

Tu 6/19/18 Up 7am; I thought that it was supposed to rain early today, but it's coming late this afternoon (I hope). Rain figures prominantly over the next several days; 90's.  Watching Netflix disc, 'KILLER JOE'. I picked this up after the interview with Sam Jones and Michael Shannon. Shannon played the lead in the play, and Emile Hirsh in the film; film also stars- Matthew McConaughey, Juno Temple, Thomas Haden Church, and Gina Gershon. Both the film and screenplay were written by Tracey Letts, and the film is directed by William Friedkin; 'The French Connection'/ 'The Exorcist'/ 'Bug'.  Loved it, and I wonder the reason why Shannon couldn't play the lead in the film?  Wrote the chat wrap and downstairs to finish the Bonus Features to KILLER JOE. 11AM; Behind The Scenes on the film and then watched the last hour and a half of the Oasis bio- 'SUPERSONIC'. 2pm- to Wabash PO, and then on to FitClub South. No rain or re...

Mo 6/18/18 Up 715am; the molten heat and humidity continues. Discomfort Index off the charts, yet rain predicted for Tuesday evening and Wednesday. Watched 'DOWN HERE' (Amazon Prime). Almost unwatchable because the sound was recorded so low that most of the dialog couldn't be heard. On the other hand, it was a fairly well-written police story about a serial killer preying on very young prostitutes on the east-side of Vancouver, British Columbia, CA. While hot on the chase, an alcoholic cop wrestles with a booze addiction and forms a relationship ship with an Indian grandmother and her grandson- and manages to force the killer to commits suicide. That last part was just a tad too hard to accept. Another 'I'M DYING UP HERE' (Xfinity). Wow! ending credits roll to Alan Price's, 'LUCKY MAN'. Upper 80's in the living room, so downstairs at noon. Reading, then LA Fitness later. Call Elsie's House! Read and called after 1pm. Got a different ...

Su 6/17/18 Too Much Monkey Business last night. Out of bed 720am, and it's already too hot, too humid... too everything. Temp 80 but 'real feel' is 90.  A chance of rain in the forecast Tuesday through Saturday, and no more 90's. Wrote up 'A LONG WAY DOWN'- Nick Hornby, and listened to EDM while writing. EDM is the essence of Soulless Music. It's designed to shake your butt, but leave your mind completely untouched. I can now see why the Kardashians love this stuff, and why it's played at all the clubs and parties that they attend.  I began the Netflix disc, 'LOCKED-IN SYNDROME'. I couldn't take it and decided to move on down the line. A French documentary about Jean-Dominique Bauby, a French magazine editor who suffered a massive stroke at forty-three that left him paralyzed and speechless. He was only able to communicate by twitching his left eye lid.  Watched Netflix, 'AMERICAN HEIST'. A fairly decent bank robbery...

Sa 6/16/18 Up 645am; already pretty hot, and the molten stuff is on the way!; relentlessly upper 90's. Watched Netflix disc, 'STARLET'. A fantastically well-done Independent about a friendship between a young girl in her twenties and an old woman in her 80's. And, you don't find out until the middle of the film that the young woman is just beginning her career in the porn industry. She is played by the great granddaughter of Ernest Hemingway, and the old woman is played by an ex-astrologist who had never acted before. Lots of bonus features and all were worth a look. Went downstairs because of the heat and and spent a fruitless and pointless block of time trying to transfer the music on the downstairs PC to the external hard drive. Where the fuck is the music on the computer? This used to be so fucking easy...not no more! Watched the first 45" of a documentary on the band, OASIS called 'OASIS- SUPERSONIC'. "Liam's got a lot of buttons, a...

Fr 6/15/18 Up 6am; sunny, low 70's early, but temps to hit mid 90's later. Severe Heat Warning begins this afternoon and extends through the weekend.  Watched low-budget film on Amazon Prime, 'GIRL LOST'. How mom (and dire circumstances) initiate 15-year old Shara into the sex trade; winner of numerous Independent film awards, and well worth a look.  Questionable Fact, yet possibly true: "The average age of girls who begin working in the sex industry is 12-14 years old". Then, 'BOMBSHELL: THE HEDY LAMARR STORY (Netflix). The point of the film was to grant Hedy the recognition for her idea that she and a musical  composer  came up with during WWII- Randomly changing the frequency signal from a radio base to a live torpedo to avoid jamming by the enemy. She had the patent with the US Navy, but never received a nickel. This idea is worth 30 Billion in today's market.  Around noon, downstairs to read; 'A LONG WAY DOWN'/'The...

Th 6/14/18 Up 715am;  low 70's- upper 80's. Another sunny, tolerably hot day, but the real torrid temps begin tomorrow and through the weekend. Got a light shower while I was at Planet Fitness, and it might rain late tonight.  Re-watched all but the first fifteen minutes of, ' BLADE RUNNER 2049'. I don't know if it stays true to the PK Dick story-line, but the film is a wonderful saga and visually exciting. The search for a child born of a human and a replicant, and Agent 'K' (Joe) is that child- not quite, it's his twin sister? Excellent fodder for the new installment in the series; Ryan Gosling/ Harrison Ford/ Robin Wright. During the film grappling with Error Code 0X8000404 (Microsoft Essentials won't update). No Luck. The next, 'I"M DYING UP HERE'; I love this series! 230pm; Biked to Wabash PO to mail disc and Menards rebate for the saw/ Planet Fitness. 45" Walk. 3.6/0 (HOMELAND). 45" Recumbent Bike...

We 6/13/18 Up 6am; Buddy woke me up at 2am screaming and hissing at a cat that had come up to the dining room window. Luckily it was closed because he might have leaped through the screen to get at his prey. Buddy's mild mannered demeanor is clearly just a facade. 70's early to upper 80's later with lots of clouds and humidity, but no rain for at least a week. Watching a Netflix movie with Jay Duplass/ Edie Falco, 'OUTSIDE IN'. Shot in Granite Falls, Washington and concerns a young man released on parole after twenty years. He was involved in a liquor store holdup where a person was shot and killed- the negative impact of Mandatory Sentencing. He falls in love with the woman who lobbied for his release; well-nuanced, and thoughtful. Watched the last half of 'ALL OR NOTHING- THE STORY OF AUGUST CHRISTOPHER'. I noticed on their website that they play weddings. They'd make a perfect band for a crazy wedding party. Hard to believe that they're no...

Tu 6/12/18- Dental Check Up; blood blister Unbelievable downpour between 2-240am this morning. I awoke and finished 'THE SILENT GIRLS'. No water downstairs when I went down with Buddy's food dish. Humid, chance of rain late this afternoon, to upper 80's. Finished Netflix disc, 'HOCKNEY'. The comparison to Warhol is obvious, but Andy was much more of a 'personality', whereas David was a 'philosopher'.  Began 'ALL OR NOTHING' (Amazon Prime) A biopic of, 'AUGUST CHRISTOPHER', the hardest working band that not many know about. 935am; shut it down to prepare for the visit to the dentist.  The teeth cleaning visit went great, until she noticed a fairly large blood blister on the bottom of my tongue, and , No...I don't remember when this happened. My dentist came in to check it out and said it's probably a 'varicose vein'....who knew? I have an appointment in two weeks to see if it has subsided.  On the machi...

Mo 6/11/18 Up 6am; Scattered showers began late yesterday afternoon, but heavy thunderstorms late night and early morning; almost 2", flash flood warnings (got one on the phone about 2am- A Freak-Out!). Cloudy all day with lots of humidity and chance of more rain- to upper 80's. 'PEACOCK' (Amazon Prime) A most unusual film that Cillian Murphy does mostly in drag. Set in early sixties Peacock, Nebraska where a young man suffers from split identities. He is both his dead mother and her son, and a train derailment radically upsets his well ordered and rigid existence. When townspeople rescue him/her after the derailment, he's in drag and they assume that 'he' is his wife. And, Ellen Page as a struggling waif who is the mother of little boy; very strange, but compelling film. Some kind of virus detected when I tried to read a review of 'Peacock'. Scary....I'm pretty sure that it's just a scam, but it certainly was convincing in that...

Su 6/10/18 Up 7am; Gray, damp, still cool; Temperature's rising and to hit mid to upper 80's with matching humidity. Heavy rain late afternoon and through the night; close to 2" fell. Perfect timing on the lawn! Watched 'ANGEL HEART'(Amazon Prime) Robert DeNiro plays, 'Louis Cyphre', and Micky Rourke as 50's crooner, Johnny Favorite chase through Harlem and New Orleans in a voodoo romp that ends in a one-way elevator ride to Hell. 11am- "The Plan"- Sunday Clean Up; groceries/ reading/ workout to follow. Actually I read/ napped 'The Silent Girls', and began the Weekly Cleaning at 1215pm. It only took about a half hour, and then I tackled the lawn. Started with the front because a 'front' was moving in, but I got the back and front done before any rain.  On the machines at FitClub about 2pm. Took the car because I needed groceries. 45" Octane (GET HAPPY; flipped out that this I can get with Prime!). 45...

Sa 6/9/18- Library Book Sale; 9-4am. Up 6am; muggy and rain in and out of the forecast for the next few days; heavy rains while working out at FitClub South, and although temps approaching 90, but by evening back to 70's.. Watched 'BARRACUDA' (Amazon Prime)  A strange young woman tries to 'ingratiate' herself into the life of a half-sister that she has never met. Their father was a famous country/ western singer; set in Austin, TX. Very well-done! Then 'THE STAIRCASE', a new series on Netflix. Did wealthy writer brutally beat his wife, or did she fall down the stairs? I'm hooked. Rain showers moving in and out of the area. Heading to the library book sale around 11am.  I spent twelve bucks and got two bags of books; couldn't be happier. Parked on Edwards across from where I ran the mail machines in the 80's.  FitClub South about 1pm. 45" 'The Best Cross' (Adrian Belew). 45" Recumbent Bike (began 'The S...

Fr 6/8/18 Up 715am; hot and hazy already, and a chance for storms later this afternoon or tonight. Might try to mow the lawn if it really looks like we'll get the rain. Wrote up A CERTAIN JUSTICE for the blog. Watched Netflix disc, 'AMERICAN MADE'. Tom Cruise plays the 'good ol' boy' who became a drug and gun smuggler for the 'U. S. of A.' during the Contra Scandal; entertainingly flashy, worth a look. 11am- reading 'M31'. Bike to drop the disc and maybe get some white Tee's; workout LA Fitness? Mow the lawn?  115pm on the bike to Wabash PO to drop the disc, and on the way out I stopped at the Dollar Store up the hill, but no tee's. On to Walmart and got six white tee's in a bag for twelve bucks; Mighty fine. Took the bike path south through the '7 Pines' apartments, and west on Westchester Blvd. Back Lindbergh Blvd to bike path and Drawbridge Rd.  At LA Fitness just after 2pm, but spoke with the retir...

Th 6/7/18 Up 530am; hazy, humid, 70's- temps to low 90's with a slim chance of rain.  Watched Netflix disc, 'THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI. Well done black comedy; a woman buys advertising space on three billboards asking why the police haven't found the killer of her daughter. She was raped, murdered, and burned....'Sometimes, years later, in a bar or a jail cell, someone might confess to what happened...just stupid'. A great 30" short called, 'SIX SHOOTER' was included on the disc by the director of the film. A young, irreverent man hassles some people on a train ride. He's just killed his mother, and later is killed in a hail of bullets. Another black comedy. A couple of days ago I tried to watch 'I'M DYING UP HERE' on Xfinity, and it looked like it was now unavailable, but it's back! One more episode this morning...  11am; water the front flowers/ reading. Haircut? Then Planet Fitness.   I d...