The Cheese Stands Alone

 Fr 4/30/21 925am. 155pm. 935pm.  Up 745am: Bright, sunny, with temps to about 70. I wrote up 'CITIZEN COHN' by Nicholas Von Hoffman for the blog.  Watched 'BETTER DAYS' (Hoopla- my last pick for this month).  The film deals with the subject of bullying in the pressure cooker environment of contemporary Chinese high schools. I thought that bullying was largely an American problem, yet apparently it's just as bad or worse in China. As the entire country focuses on a two-day national college entrance exam called, 'Gaokao', a female high school student becomes a victim, yet she gains a small-time hood who becomes her protector. In a rather strange turn of events, they become involved in a murder case about the death of a young Chinese girl. I don't really know who killed who, but the fanatical attitude of the school and the students was insane and indelible. I didn't realize how much pressure is put on high schoolers in China and it not only affects the...

 Th 4/29/21 945am. 525pm. 930pm.  Up 745am: Fog and clouds give way to a partly sunny day with temps to 70. I wrote up 'MOBY: THEN IT FELL APART' or the blog. ***The second day that Buddy threw up his breakfast, yet he seems upbeat and relatively normal after he vomited.  Watched 'MY COUSIN VINNY' (Amazon Prime- leaves 5/1). A spoof (farce?) on 'The American South' but some of the dialog was very clever, if a little implausible. Roger Ebert didn't care for it, but I liked it; with Joe Pesci, Ralph Macchio, Marisa Tomei, Mitchell Whitfield, and Fred Gwynne. From the Baltimore Sun: "It's hardly brilliant. But it's easygoing and occasionally quite funny and ultimately satisfying." Marisa Tomei won Best Actress in a Supporting Role in the 1993 Academy Awards and the film got another 4 wins & 6 nominations. Filmed near Monticello and Eatonton, Georgia.   ***I got a phone call from Tracy and she said she was from Helitech and said that they c...

 We 4/28/21 1010am. 915pm.  Up 825am: Clouds and rain through tonight with high temps to 70. ****Left word with Ryan and Adam to get back to me about the drywall work. It's been a week and nothing has been done.  ****Adam called about 1015am and we'll give Ryan till the end of the week, and then we call somebody else.  Watched the last two episodes of 'THEM' (Amazon Prime). I'm slightly confused by reviewers calling it 'Black Trauma Torture Porn' when it's actually about Domestic Terrorism. There will be a Season 2, but it probably will not deal with this particular storyline. I'll be watching.  I watched a few YouTube videos about the series.  135pm: ON THE TREADMILL...5 Miles at 3.4 pace. Watched a JOEY DIAZ podcast and a WHISKEY GINGER with JEFF GARLAND.  Read in the living room and finished "THEN IT FELL APART"- MOBY. His second autobiography and he's only in his early 50's.  550pm: ON THE TREADMILL... 2 Miles at 3.4 pace and wa...

 Tu 4/27/21 1010am. 2pm (a couple tokes). 410pm. 935pm.  Up 815am: Mostly sunny with temps to low 80's. ***Replaced the two burned out bulbs in the overhead bathroom light. Easily done and did not require a background in electrical engineering. Watched 'HOW IT ENDS' (Netflix). Because of a catastrophic and unknown event, the United States is completely blacked out. No internet, radio, TV, or news of any kind and martial law has given way to anarchy. A guy and his future father-in-law travel by car from Chicago to Seattle to save the guy's pregnant girlfriend; with Theo James and Forest Whitaker.  Filmed with the support of the city of Winnipeg, Canada. 210pm: Grocery shopping at Fairhills and put away by 3pm; $78.00.  420pm: Parkview, Country Club, Laurel, Outer Park, Park North to Wash. Pk., Leal and Walnut, panhandle Williams Blvd, up the hill, Parkview, Fairway, and up to 940...JUST OVER 2 HOURS... Mp3... LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM, 91.9 FM.  Read till 715pm, then in...

 Mo 4/26/21 935am. 240pm. 930pm.  Up 810am: Very windy, sunny and temps to the upper 70's. Watched 'THE MASTER' (Netflix). A deeply troubled alcoholic WWII vet discovers a charismatic 50's cult leader that expounds a philosophy dealing with past lives that seems to explain the big existential questions of his life, but is he too far gone to be saved...'Deaf, Dumb, and Blind Boy'...Dir. by Paul Thomas Anderson. Forget the awards and the acclaim, this is very much an Art Film, and clearly this wouldn't be a popular choice for most people, but I kinda liked it; with Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Jesse Plemons, Rami Malek, and Laura Dern.  Filmed in Oakland, California and Oahu, Hawaii. Obviously, the film throws a little shade on Scientology.  ***245pm: Gel-pen walk... When I was halfway down the road in Wash. Pk. I was stopped by Joe & Janny on the motorcycle. They pulled into the parking lot and talked for a half hour. She said that ...

 Su 4/25/21-First time with the green mower 925am. 1245pm. 955pm.  Up 750am: Sunny with temps to low 60's. Watched 'BETTER LUCK TOMORROW' (Amazon Prime). A very different 'high school/teen film'. It focuses on a clique of very intelligent Asians at a Southern California high school who thumb their noses at authority. They aren't really criminals, but they feel that they are so gifted that it would be a waste to simply play by the rules. If you are clever enough you can get anything you want. In the end they commit a murder, and the central character is glad because he is finally in a situation where his brains and position will have no influence; with young Asian actors and Jerry Mathers (completely unrecognizable) as the biology teacher.  1230pm: PC is 'Off'.   1250pm: Walked to Walgreens PO box to mail back the discs. Across Monroe, Walgreens PO box, Washington, Adams, Lincoln, Wash. Pk., south side of panhandle, Parkview, Fairway, and up to 940. ONE H...

 Sa 4/24/21- Rooftop Tents Party  910am. 330pm. 10pm.  Up 805am: Light rain through this afternoon with temps to just over 60. Clear and sunny by 5pm. Watched Netflix disc 'KAJILLIONAIRE'.  When a family of low-level hustlers accept an outsider into their lives, their daughter begins to question what 'Family Values' actually mean. A difficult, yet wonderful film and directed by Miranda July....'The Breast Crawl'...   "You can't see it because you're not of gentle birth"... 'This is NOT a cheap tie'... 'Old Dolio'- A homeless man 'was led to believe' if they named their baby after him, they would be included in his will. They didn't get anything because the old man spent it all on 'experimental' cancer drugs. 'BUBBLES, INC.'...; with Richard Jenkins, Debra Winger (completely unrecognizable), and Evan Rachel Wood. ***Birthday party for the little girl across the street toward Fairway began at noon. Lots...

 Fr 4/23/21 930am. 1205pm (just a pinch). 235pm (a pinch more). 915pm. Up 810am: Cloudy with temps to the upper 50's. Watched 'MESRINE: KILLER INSTINCT' (Amazon Prime).  The first of two films about the French gangster, bank robber, master of disguise, and international fugitive- Jacques Mesrine. "MESRINE: PUBLIC ENEMY NO. 1" is the second film and I watched the first hour of it on Tubi. 145pm: PC is 'Off' and going for a walk. 240pm... Parkview, Country Club, Laurel, Outer Park, Park, Leland, Walnut, north side of Wash. Pk., up the hill, Parkview, Fairway, and up to 940...2 HOURS... Mp3...ORNETTE COLEMAN, 91.9FM. ***2 Netflix disc's and the red rice cooker arrived. Read 'CITIZEN COHEN' in the living room. 635pm: in the tub with 'CITIZEN COHEN' and listening to the BEAU BRUMMELS, DICKY BETTS BAND.  Watched 'SAME SEX PARENTS' (Netflix Disc).  A French high school girl is having an identity crisis. Mom's lesbian and Dad's ...

 Th 4/22/21 1005am. 110pm- (a pinch). 3pm-(a pinch more). 920pm.  Up 8am: Sunny with temps to the upper 50's. I wrote up 'GIRLS LIKE US' by Sheila Weller for the blog. Watched 'MR. JONES' (Kanopy). Based on a young Welsh journalist named Gareth Jones who was the first person to expose Stalin's plan to end private farming and usher in agricultural collectives. The result of this brutal economic transition was 'The Great Famine' (Holodomor) from 1932 to 1933 that killed millions of Ukrainians. The famine affected the major grain-producing areas of the country, but the majority were ethnic Ukrainians. The Holodomor is recognized as a genocide of the Ukrainian people carried out by the Soviet government; with James Norton and Peter Sarsgaard. Then watched the last hour of 'GRASS IS GREENER' (Netflix). Cannabis Decriminalization: California (1975), Oregon (1973), Colorado (1975), Nebraska (1978), Texas (1973), Louisiana (1973), Ohio (1975), Maine (197...

 We 4/21/21-Ryan from CREASEY: 2pm.  915am. 355pm. 950pm. 1030pm.  Up 730am: Partly cloudy, but chilly with temps barely to 50. ***Dr. Kirk left word that Buddy's thyroid is now normal! And I leave the dose where it is, twice a day. Watched 'CONCRETE COWBOY' (Netflix).  A reasonable 'Coming of Age Tale', but a little heavy on the Protestant Ethic: "Work will set you free", but little is made of how the community can overcome a system that is designed to work against them and hold them back. Set in North Philadelphia and loosely based on 'Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club'.  20% or more of American cowboys were Hispanic or Afro-American. 'Cowboy' comes from the term for black cowboys. They were called 'cattle boys'..."Hey, boy!...Hey, boy!... get over here and get that cow". 1150am: finished the film on the treadmill...ON THE TREADMILL...5 Miles and after the film I watched BERT KREISCHER and TOM SEGURO~ 'Bad Friends...

 Tu 4/20/21- Happy 420, 2021!Buddy To Vet: 220pm. 1025am. 405pm. 935pm.  Up 8am: Wintry Mix with temps in the upper 30's and just a trace of snow. Watched 'TAKERS' (Netflix). A star-studded, well-written Heist Flick; with Chris Brown, Hayden Christensen, Matt Dillon, Michael Ealy, and Idris Elba..."Come sip from the cup of destruction"- Genghis Khan. Noon: 'PC' is Off and will finish the film on the treadmill and prepare for the visit to the vet. ON THE TREADMILL...5 miles at 3.4 pace. Finished the film and watched episode #1 of 'ROTTEN' ~ Food Allergies.  I arrived at the vet at 215pm and I was home by 250pm. The doctor will call with the results later: $108. Brewer did not call back on Tuesday. ***I ordered a red, twenty dollar rice cooker from Amazon. The old one still works, but the 'On/Off' switch seems to be going bad.  Watched 'EMBERS' (Amazon Prime). Tales of a few survivors of an unknown virus or environmental mishap that c...

 Mo 4/19/21 9am. 1220pm. 945pm.  Up 730am: Partly sunny with temps to mid 60's, but temps dropping sharply by late afternoon. A 'wintry mix' is forecast for late tonight and tomorrow. Borrowed 'BEIRUT' and 'SHADOW IN THE CLOUD' from Hoopla. Watched 'BEIRUT' (Hoopla). An exceptionally well written Spy/Hostage Negotiation/Thriller set in war-torn Beirut, Lebanon of the early 80's. The film documents the political power struggle to arrive at an exchange of one high-ranking embassy person for one international terrorist, but there is more to the negotiations than meets the eye; with Jon Hamm, Rosamund Pike, Shea Whigham, and Dean Norris (he's wearing a wig and I had to consult IMDB because I knew I should recognize him, but I couldn't place him. His mom probably had the same problem).   ***935am: Internet went out for a few minutes during the film. It freaked me out!   12pm: PC is 'Off' and I plan to spend the afternoon at Planet Fitn...

 Su 4/18/21- Lawn Mower Assembled 935am. 555pm. 940pm.  Up 740am: Mostly sunny with temps to mid 60's. At 920am. I sent a text to the lawn care guy that I would be in all day and whenever he can make it would be great...He never called or texted me.  Added new music to the Mp3 player: *LOW COUNTRY BLUES- Gregg Allman *SUCKING THE 70'S- Various Artists *John Mellencamp Disc I *ELI AND THE 13TH CONFESSIONS- Laura Nyro Watched '2 NIGHTS TILL MORNING' (Hoopla- borrowed yesterday). The untimely eruption of a volcano in Iceland causes a massive ash cloud and shuts down air travel over northern Europe. Two strangers, a female architect and famous DJ, are stuck in their hotel and become more than friends. Filmed in Vilnius, Lithuania; with Marie-Josee Croze and Mikko Nousianinen. 1230pm: I spotted a guy mowing the 'two girls house' and asked him if he would be interested in putting the wheels and handle on the mower. He said that he would contact his brother who is a la...

 Sa 4/17/21 945am. 615pm. 1010pm.  Up 8am: Partly cloudy with temps to low 60's. Culled through the films offered at Hoopla. Watched 'RENDITION' (Hoopla). A bland, yet star-studded cast in a film about an Egyptian-American engineer who is suspected of terrorist activity and is 'disappeared' to a secret facility where he is interrogated and tortured; with Reese Witherspoon, Jake Gyllenhaal, Meryl Streeep, Omar Metwally, Alan Arkin, Peter Sarsgaard, and J.K. Simmons..."Beat your woman every morning. If you don't know why, she does". The interrogators use this bit of wisdom to rationalize torture and the implication is that if you don't have the stomach for it you should ask for reassignment. Voted the Worst Anti-War Film of 2007. Watched 'THE REAL L WORD' (Pluto).  I watched for quite a while before I realized that the 'L' word was 'Lesbian'. Young, rich, entitled, and living large in LA. Then I watched part of an MSNBC progra...

 Fr 4/16/21 920pm. 335pm.  945pm.  Up 745am: Partly sunny with temps to about 60. Wrote up 'BLACK SUNDAY' by Thomas Harris for the blog. ***The house up the street that used Acculevel is having their roof replaced today. I wonder if that's next for 940?   Watched 'SKY HIGH' (Netflix). A young man from the slums of Madrid works as a garage mechanic by day, but at night he operates with a crew of high-end thieves and his ambitions are 'sky high'. Later in the story he marries the big boss's daughter more or less as a career move, yet he keeps his mistress and his wife doesn't mind. Spanish superstar, Luis Tosar has a minor role. Shot in Madrid, Ibiza, and Valencia, Spain. 1230pm: ON THE TREADMILL...5 MILES at 3.4 pace and finished a SARAH SILVERMAN podcast and began a WHITNEY CUMMINGS podcast with DAVID SPADE. 220pm: To County Market/Fairhills: $61 at Country Market and $7 at Dollar General (razors, incense, 2 placemats). 345pm: Watched 'THE SIGNAL...

 Th 4/15/21 945am.  235pm. 935pm.   Up 8am: Another sunny and breezy day with temps in the upper 50's. Adam texted (842am today) Ryan's number at Creasey Construction and I left word for Ryan to call me and I recalled Taskmaster and he should call me back as well. Adam then texted that he wants to know the situation and if these guys can't do it, he will find someone else. Watched 'EXISTENZ' (Kanopy). A virtual reality game designer and her PR person play the latest game to try and determine if her game universe has been compromised. But, it's all a game within a game, within a game. A great film with unusual sexual overtones that are lurid, distinctly alien, unconventional and decidedly repellent. While in the game some of the most mundane objects are moist, dripping, pliable, and fleshy and their 'clinical trial' is almost a send-up of what is generally regarded as a scientific enquiry. The film has moments of absolute hilarity within the gross and coa...

 We 4/14/21- Late night connectivity problems 945 am. 1015 pm. Up 820 am: Mostly sunny and breezy with temps to upper 50's. ***Downstairs PC ran all night and I restarted at 9 am. There is an update on the upstairs PC that I'll do later. Downstairs seems to be OK after a restart. I am astounded that I am the only one in the entire world that has this much trouble with 'Windows Updates'. Both PC's are Up To Date...after much wailing and gnashing of teeth.  Called Adam and the guy from Creasey will call sometime today. I have given Chris the boot. Watched 'MUD' (Netflix). I had forgotten how good this film was. It's kind of a study of the bygone conventions of the antebellum South and especially 'Southern Manhood'..."A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do"..."Women- can't live with' em, can't live without' em". Two young teenage boys (Tom and Huck?) meet a complex stranger (Nigger Jim?) who is hiding out ...

 Tu 4/13/21 930 am. 530 pm. 930 pm.  Up 810 am: Mostly sunny with temps to low 60's. 'Patch Tuesday' doesn't seem to be an issue. I did a check for Updates on the living room PC and I am up to date. Waiting for 'Above All Lawn Care' and I hope they have tools to put together the new mower. Whatever it takes- "$". Watched Netflix disc 'THE LAST VERMEER'. The film is somewhat based on the forger, Han van Meegeren.  Just after the end of WWII a Dutch plutocrat and painter is on trial for collaboration with the Nazis. His defense was that all of the Vermeer masterpieces that he sold were actually fakes that he painted and doctored to look centuries old. He sold them to the Nazis to cheat them. I guess the ending could mean that the artist was a Nazi sympathizer all along, but this seems to be a bit of fiction. The paintings in the movie looked extremely badly done and didn't even look good enough to be considered forgeries; with Guy Pearce and ...

 Mo 4/12/21- 'The Day The Mower Died' 1115 am. 1005 pm.  Up 815 am: Sunny, breezy with temps to mid 60's. Messed around with calling Capitol Home Improvement...He said he'd call back and it's been over an hour. Called Adam and he will have Creasey get in touch. I wrote 'The Weekly Wrap' and sent it off. First time that I've mentioned getting rid of the cassettes. 1130 am: Watched 'NIGHT IN PARADISE' (Netflix). A violent, slick, bloody, and entertaining South Korean gangster picture.  A South Korean gangster's step-sister and niece are senselessly murdered and when he gets his revenge, the mob bosses sell him out. He flees to Jeju Island and befriends a young woman who is terminally ill. The film is shot on Jeju Island and the island is famous for their female divers who gather abalone and other seafood from the sea without scuba gear.   240 pm: Will do some raking of tulip petals and then mow the lawn for the first time this season. God, I ho...

 Su 4/11/21 945 am. 415 pm. 1025 pm.  Up 8 am: Showers and overcast most of the day with temps to the upper 50's. Bright and clear by 330 pm. Watched 'THE SIGNAL' (Netflix). Three computer geeks go after a 'bad hacker' and connect with an alien entity at a secret installation near Area 51. Beautiful locations and some scenes were shot at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge near Taos, New Mexico. I had seen this one before and some of it I remembered in detail, but the 'big twist' at the end completely escaped me; with Patrick Davidson, Brenton Thwaites, Olivia Cooke, Lin Shaye, and Laurence Fishbourne. 'Extraterrestrial Biological Entity'- E.B.E I ordered three books by Jonathan Lethem from Amazon and they were all free due to Bonus Points. I wonder how long before they run out or somebody wakes up; The Wall of the Sky, The Feral Detective, Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse. 140 pm: ON THE TREADMILL...Finished JIM BREUER on J. R. E and began TOM SEGURA o...

 Sa 4/10/21 945 am. 325 pm. 1005 pm.   Up 8am: Rain today and tonight with high temps only to about 60. I wrote up 'AMNESIA MOON' by Jonathan Lethem for the blog. My least favorite novel in a long while, but I can't give up on Lethem.  ***Adam from Helitech and his wife dropped the contract in the mailbox; 11 am.    Watched 'COP' (Amazon Prime). A brilliant, yet deeply disturbed LA detective is convinced that a serial killer is on the loose. The case revolves around the owner of a feminist bookstore who was abused in high school several years previously. The rogue cop gets his man and blows him away because he has the power. This movie might actually work to bolster a 'Defund The Police' campaign; James Woods, Lesley Ann Warren, and Chares Durning. From a novel, 'BLOOD ON THE MOON' by James Elroy. "Expectations are a woman's worst enemy. From birth she is fed romantic fantasies that leave her defenseless in a dangerous world." 1245 pm: ...

 Fr 4/9/21 1010 am. 225 pm. 915 pm.  Up 8 am: Partly sunny, breezy with temps to lower 70's. Rain begins late this evening and continues through Saturday. ***I sent texts to Adam of Helitech and Chris of Capitol City Home Improvement. I want the quote from Creasey and Chris's bid on the drywall work. Also, I reminded Adam that I would like a paper copy of his contract. 11 am: Adam texted that he had a message from Creasey and he'll drop off the contract later today and he will get back to me. Watched 'Croupier' (Netflix).  A would-be writer takes a job as a croupier to make money while he finishes his first novel, but he begins to suspect that the casino life will be his downfall.  His addiction is not gambling, but watching people lose. The film is smart and clever- truly an overlooked gem!  Shot on a soundstage in Monheim, Germany, the UK, and the Republic of South Africa..."I want to fuck the whole world over. That's my mission"... "Hang on tig...

 Th 4/8/21 945 am. 305 pm. 930 pm,  Up 745 am: Partly cloudy with temps only to the upper 50's. Wrote up 'HANNIBAL' by Thomas Harris for the blog and cancelled the Woods appointment on 4/12. Watched 'THE RESISTANCE BANKER' (Netflix). "In this country only the sun rises for free". The film is about a clique of bankers who developed a 'shadow' banking system in Belgium during WWII. This financial resistance movement funded people who couldn't exist under the Nazi system- such as runaway Jews, forced laborers, Allied sympathizers, anti-Nazi journalists, striking labor union members, and many other segments of the Dutch society. Moving Scene: A Dutch passenger train slowly passes a train loaded with Jews in boxcars. They're on parallel tracks, but headed in the opposite direction. 1 pm: ON THE TREADMILL...5 Miles and finished PARIS HILTON on Whitney Cummings and more of NATE BARGATZE on Skeptic TANK.  315 pm: Watched 'BAD LIEUTENANT' (A...

 We 4/7/21- Helitech: 3-5 pm. DONE DEAL 920 am. 930 pm.   Up 745 am: Partly cloudy with rain beginning later this afternoon- temps to upper 70's. Watched 'DEADLY ILLUSIONS' (Netflix). "B-Movie' with a Grindhouse premise: The seductive and immoral nanny with a dissociative identity disorder . A silly ending and nearly the whole film was wildly implausible. Shot in Albuquerque, New Mexico; with Greer Grammer (Kelsey Grammer's daughter), Kristin Davis (SEX AND THE CITY), and Dermot Mulroney. 1215 pm: ON THE TREADMILL...5 Miles at 3.4 pace and watched a 'COLD CASE FILES' ~ Window peeper becomes a rapist and stabs a woman over a hundred times. And then I watched more of SKEPTIC TANK.  2 pm: Reading 'AMNESIA MOON' and it would be nice if HELITECH showed up early.  245 pm: I got a call from Chris of Capital City Home Improvement and he said that he could come over and check out the room in a half hour.  He did measurements and gave me a bid of just ove...

 Tu 4/6/21- Dax: 1 pm./ Country Market: $89. 915 am. 435 pm. 915 pm.  Up 730 am: Partly sunny, breezy with temps to 80. ***Buddy threw up about an hour after he ate. I wanted to pick up another gel-pen this afternoon after the meeting with Dax and I hope Buddy can hold it together- (9 pm) He never threw up again and he seems upbeat and engaged. I watched a fifteen minute video called 'CONTROL' by Alison Becker (PARKS AND RECREATION) who was one of Doug Benson's guests. A woman meticulously prepares her suicide. Not bad. Watched 'THE DUCHESS' (Amazon Prime).  Strikingly beautiful biopic of The Duchess of Devonshire, Georgiana Spencer~ late 18th century; with Keira Knightley, Ralph Fiennes, and Charlotte Rampling. 1140 am: PC is 'Off' and will continue the film on the treadmill to get in some mileage before the meeting... 3 MILES at 3.5 pace. Joni Mitchell interview on YouTube.  Meeting with Dax: 63% return in 2020. Only 8% is what we were shooting for. I have...

 Mo 4/5/21- ABOVE ALL LAWN CARE: 1015 am. 1125 am. 250 pm. 855 pm.  Up 715 am: Mostly sunny with temps almost to 80. For some reason the clock on the PC slipped out of Daylight Saving Time. I synced the time and it's working fine. Just after 9 am. the people across the street had their lawn mowed by a different outfit and his truck was parked in front of my house. I thought my guy would show up and think that I sold him out to the lowest bidder, but he left just before my guys arrived. I told them that I give them $120 instead of $100 if they could get the branch out of the tree, but it looks like they can't do it. I even dragged out the ladder, but still a no-go. The owner arrived and said that he would come back later in the week and get rid of the branch. I gave him a check for $120 and hope to see him again. I wrote up 'MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN' by Jonathan Lethem for the blog and then I wrote the Chat Wrap and sent it off. I scheduled my Wellness Exam for next year on T...

 Su 4/4/21- Easter 845 am. 140 pm. 920 pm. Up 730 am: Partly sunny with temps to the mid 70's. Watched 'DERAILED' (Hoopla). A man meets an intriguing woman on his commuter train and they become friends and one night they visit a motel. Just after they enter the room, they're robbed, beaten, and she gets raped, but it's only the opening chapter in an elaborate con. However, in the end, the man is able to even the score and then some. I suspected that it was a scam from the beginning, but the film was much more clever than the usual 'revenge porn';  with Clive Owen, Jennifer Aniston, and Vincent Cassel. Then watched 'PINK FLOYD- Meddle: Classic Album Under Review' (Amazon Prime). I had never heard of this album which was released in 1971, right after 'Atom Heart Mother'. The film is more than just an explanation of the album, but an insightful discussion of the band just before they developed their signature sound that came to fruition on '...

 Sa 4/3/21 845 am. 145 pm. 855 pm. Up 720 am: Bright, breezy, and sunny with temps to the upper 60's. Watched Netflix disc 'PRISONERS'. Two young girls go missing and are believed kidnapped on Thanksgiving and their neighborhood looks eerily similar to The Oaks. Filmed in Conyers, Georgia, but the film is set in fictional Conyers, Pennsylvania. The rationale of Melissa Leo's 'evil' character:  "Making children disappear is the war we wage against god. It makes people lose their faith and turn into demons like you"...with Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Maria Bello, Terrence Howard, Melissa Leo, and Paul Dano. The first English language film by Quebecois director Denis Villeneuve (ENEMY- also with Jake Gyllenhaal).  It reminded me of  'AMERICAN WOMAN' with Sienna Miller. Both are excellent films about missing children and I couldn't say which one that I liked better.  Then I watched 'LONG SHOT' (Netflix- 40" document...

 Fr 4/2/21- Beltone: 1 pm. and The Lawn Guy at 5 pm.  855 am. 910 pm.  Up 740 am: Bright and sunny with temps to low 50's. Watched 'LAWLESS' (Netflix). Three brothers in Franklin County, Virginia run whiskey and make enemies during the Prohibition Era. The Hollywood Reporter: "If Lawless doesn't achieve the mythic dimensions of the truly great outlaw and gangster movies, it is a highly entertaining tale set in a vivid milieu, told with style and populated by a terrific ensemble." I liked it probably because I liked Tom Hardy's character; with Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, Jason Clarke, Guy Pearce, Jessica Chastain, , and Gary Oldham. Nick Cave; writer. 1040 am: PC is 'Off' and will finish the film on the treadmill so that I can get in the miles before the Beltone appointment.      ON THE TREADMILL... 5 Miles and finished the film and more of JIM BREUR on The Joe Rogan Experience. 1235 pm: To Belton. My hearing is better than I thought. Some loss in the ...

 Th 4/1/21 905 am. 140 pm. 920 pm.  Up 715am: Sunny, breezy, and cooler with temps only to the mid 40's. In the upper 70's by early next week. Watched 'EAGLE EYE' (Amazon Prime). A massive supercomputer system shuts down the national defense and assumes command because it believes that America is under attack from within. The premise was great, but maybe a little too cartoonish and overwrought like a badly written graphic novel; with Shia LaBeouf, Michelle Monaghan, Rosario Dawson, Anthony Mackie, and Billy Bob Thornton. "Sometimes the very measures we put into place to safeguard our liberty become threats to liberty itself". 12 PM: PC is 'Off' and will read for a bit and then a walk outside.  ***Lawn guy texted and he'll meet me at 5 pm.  145 pm: Parkview, Northside of Wash. Pk., Holmes, Outer Park, Wiggins, Wash. Pk. and up the hill, Parkview, Fairway, and up to 940...TWO HOURS... Mp3... TOM VERLAINE ~'Cover, YO LA TENGO.  Reading in the livi...