The Cheese Stands Alone

 Mo 4/29/24 715am (2-LB). {one 5g THC gummie}. 8am (1-B). 135pm (2-LB). 535pm (2-LB).  820pm (2-LB).  Up 555am: Cloudy with temps to about 70. Another inch of rain fell last night and that's over five inches in the last two days.  ***Problems with Hoopla. I had trouble logging on and when I finally got into the site, I couldn't borrow a film, however Kanopy was open for business. Watched 'THE ROUNDUP: No Way Out' (Kanopy). A Korean cop drama that was fairly humorous and although I had to watch it dubbed in English, it was still well worth a look. A quirky, 'ex-boxer/detective' hunts for missing drugs, mixes it up with Yakuza soldiers in Seoul, and unmasks a crooked narcotics detective. I learned on IMDB that the film is part of the 'action comedy franchise' around 'Ma Suk Do; Played by Ma Seok-do who is also a personal trainer of mixed martial artists. Noticed a 'Bonus Borrow' on Hoopla. I think that this is new and you can borrow these title...

 Su 4/28/24 730am (2-LB). 1015am (1-LB). 1225pm (2-LB). 545pm (2-LB). 810pm (2-LB).  Up 6am: Cloudy with temps to upper 70's and more rain predicted for late tonight. Over the last two days we have gotten just over 3 inches of rain according to the rain gauge.  Weekly Cleaning Watched 'OLDBOY' (Netflix). A man is kidnapped and held for fifteen years. He has no idea who has him or why he has been taken. Reason: When he was in high school he started a rumor that one of the girls in his school was a slut. She committed suicide and her brother is the man who has held him captive all of these years. He 'killed' with his tongue, so now he must pay. A stunning and beautiful film classic. Directed by Park Chan-wook. 40 wins & 27 nominations. "78" Metascore.  Began 'THE OUTREAU CASE: A French Nightmare' (Netflix).  I shut it down 15 minutes into episode #2.  This is 'The McMartin Preschool Case' only it is happened in northern France. It's r...

  Sa 4/27/24 750am (2-LB). 820am (1-B). 1140am (2-LB). 225pm (1-B). 535pm (2-LB). 810pm (2-LB).  Up 650am: Cloudy with temps to mid 70's and a chance for thunderstorms later this afternoon.  Watched 'THE HIGHWAYMEN' (Netflix). Two old lawmen come out of retirement to 'assassinate' Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker. The implied theme seems to be that a lawful apprehension is not possible and these two felons must be shot and killed before they can grab more media attention; with Kevin Costner, Woody Harrelson, Kathy Bates, John Carroll Lynch, and Kim Dickens. "58" Metascore.     From The Guardian: "Hamer and Gault won the day in a hail of submachine fire, but even their hagiography can’t hide that they’re history’s losers." .."Did Robin Hood ever shoot a gas station attendant in the head for four dollars and ten cents"?... "You don't move like you're 85, You move like you're 75". The vintage photos of Bonnie & Clyd...

 Fr 4/26/24- Gummy/ Diet Smoke order 720am (2-LB). 810am (1-B). {1005am- one 'DAY DRIFT': DELTA 9- DELTA 8: 80 MG DELTA 8 THC/ 20 MG DELTA 9 THC}. 1205pm (1-B). 130pm (2-LB). 310pm (1-LB). 535pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB). Up 605am: A rainy day with temps to upper 60's. One or two inches of rain are expected.  The guy next door was working on his plants on the concrete slab at the side of his house when I woke up. He was still at it after 7am and he must be trying to beat the rain.  Watched 'HELL OR HIGH WATER' (Tubi). At first it seems like it's about two low-lifes who rob the cash drawers of  random banks in very rural West Texas. However, their dollars are going towards a worthy cause. The brothers want the money to keep the bank from foreclosing on their land. Oil has been found and the loans must be repaired so that the two young sons will inherit the wealth. I had seen this one before, but completely forgot how powerful it was; with Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Jeff ...

 Th 4/25/24 705am (2-LB).  750am (1-B). 940am (1-LB). 1240pm (2-LB). 540pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 6am: Partly cloudy with temps to lower 60's. Rain is in the forecast for tomorrow.  Watched 'A BIT OF LIGHT' (Hoopla- borrowed yesterday). A strange movie about a recovering alcoholic who is grieving the loss of her kids. She was drunk  and passed out in a park and one of her daughters was almost hit by a car. Her ex-husband got custody and she's devastated by what she has thrown away. She meets a fourteen year old boy and he understands her distress and tries to help her. The character of Neil is so odd and all knowing that for most of the movie you wonder if he is a figment of her imagination or some kind of angelic being. The film kept you wondering about what was really going on and I liked this feeling of uncertainty; with Anna Paquin, Ray Winstone, Luca Hogan, and Pippa Bennett-Warner. The film was directed by Stephen Moyer (Anna Paquin's husband) and based...

We 4/24/24 710am (2-LB). 750am (1-B). 925am (1-B). 1245pm (2-LB). 255pm (1-LB). 540pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 550am: Sunny to partly cloudy and temps to low 60's. Watched 'HUNT' (Hoopla). The film concerns the search for a  'Communist traitor' at the highest level of power within the South Korean Central Intelligence Agency.  A corny and convoluted storyline involving one 'good' boss who battles a 'bad' boss inside the agency, but lots of wildly over the top 7gunplay and crazed car chases make it worth a look..."It's not revolution, it's reform"- the forceful reunification of North and South Korea. At the end of the film I still wasn't sure who was the 'good' boss or if there even was a 'good' one.  Finished 'BABY REINDEER' (Netflix). What a deeply strange piece of cinema. He goes back to his sexual abuser ['Groomer' is used as an adult seducing (?) another adult and not as an adult seducing a c...

 Tu 4/23/24 745am (2-LB). 9am (1-B). 1030am (1-B). 130pm (2-LB). 540pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 640am: Cloudy & light rain with temps to about 60 and clearing by 4pm. Watched 'SWINGERS' (Hoopla). {Borrowed yesterday}. I must have seen this one at least once, but zero recall and it's a fine film. I really liked it. The dramedy is an insightful glimpse at trying to make it socially and professionally in the indifferent world of Tinseltown- aka Los Angeles. But those same feelings of unease and uncertainty are common experiences of youth in any social environment and that insight makes the film so much more powerful; with Vince Vaughn, Jon Favreau (he wrote the screenplay from personal experiences in Hollywood), Ron Livingston, Patrick Van Horn, and Alex Desert. 3 wins & 3 nominations. "71" Metascore. I thought I had an hour to go to  'AMERICAN CONSPIRACY: The Octopus Murders' (Netflix), but I finished it last night.  More 'BABY REINDEER' (Ne...

Mo 4/22/24 740am (2-LB).  845am (1-LB). 115pm (2-LB). 545pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 615am: Partly cloudy & breezy with temps to upper 60's. ***Before 7am I used the grass whip to cut back some of the dandelions near the fireplug out front. They are the hardiest of weeds and the whip does little.  ***745am : Asplundh Tree Service pulled up in front of the old lady's house next door. They hadn't done a thing by 830am, until I noticed that they were in my backyard cutting on my 'tulip tree'.  By 9am they had moved on to one of the old lady's trees. The tulip tree looks fine.  Watched 'WHO YOU THINK I AM' (Kanopy). An interesting look at the 'Catfishing Genre'. A woman in her fifties is dumped by her boyfriend who is 25 years her junior. She gets in an online relationship with a buddy of her ex and assumes the 'virtual identity' of her niece. Later she learns that this man has committed suicide because he couldn't have her. The hook...

 Su 4/21/24- Grinder Arrived  710am (2-LB). 750am (1-B). 940am (1-B). 1240pm (2-LB). 535pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 545am: Bright & sunny with temps to about 60. Weekly Cleaning  Watched 'ANNA' (Netflix). A poor yet brilliant Russian woman is given a chance to become a KGB agent. She agreed to one year of training, then four years 'in the field', followed by her freedom. They lied. There is only one way out of the KGB and that is death. Lots of nifty fight scenes and compelling car chases in Moscow, Belgrade, and Paris. The film is basically 'James Bond' if he was a female high fashion model and the actress that plays 'Anna' is from the modeling world. Directed by Luc Bessen; with Sasha Luss, Helen Mirren, Luke Evans, and Cillian Murphy. "40" Metascore.   Began the first episode of 'UNLOCKED: A Jail Experiment' (Netflix). It's a 'Reality TV' approach to what happens when a prison warden in Arkansas introduces an 'op...

 Sa 4/20/24 750am (LB).  840am (1-B). 940am (1-B). 1230pm (2-LB). 540pm (2-LB). 810pm (2-LB).  Up 640am: Partly sunny & breezy with temps to mid 50's.  Watched 'CATHERINE CALLED BIRDY' (Amazon Prime) {Features Andrew Scott who played 'Ripley'}.  A young aristocratic girl rebels against 13th century life and tries to make her own way in the world. Clever and lively with an excellent cast; with Bella Ramsey, Billie Piper, Andrew Scott, Lesley Sharp Joe Alwyn, and Sophie Okonedo. Directed by Lena Dunham; 2 wins & 10 nominations. "74" Metascore. Watched 'DANNY GREENE: The Rise and Fall of The Irishman' (Amazon Prime). A profile of an important 70's mobster from Cleveland where he was seen more of a saint than a sinner. He was perceived as the Robin Hood-like character and a loyal friend to the Irish and an unforgiving enemy to the Italians. He used bombs to get his way and in a simple twist of fate, he was killed in a car bombing in 1978.  ...

Fr 4/19/24- Mowed Lawn  8am (2-LB). 840am (1-B). 935am (1-B). 1105am (1-B). 1pm (2-LB). 535pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 640am: Partly cloudy & breezy with temps to upper 50's.  Watched 'BLACK ISLAND' (Netflix). A mysterious high school teacher takes a job at a private school on an island in the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park and begins an affair with one of her students.  Many years before, the student's grandfather had an affair with a local woman and the teacher was his secret 'love child'. The teacher wants revenge for the grandfather's abandonment of her mother and mayhem ensues. Soapy hogwash and very corny, but a nice German island location. Filmed in Amrum which is one of the North Frisian Islands on the German North Sea coast. It's just south of the German border with Denmark. Watched 'HANS ZIMMER: Hollywood Rebel' (Netflix: 52").  Hollywood's premiere composer and I had never heard of the guy.  Born in Germany i...

 *** We 4/17/24 After a visit to Red Bud Lane I went to Penny Lane to get another 'upstairs bong'. The bigger the chamber, the better the bong and the small bong was not sufficient. The following are the abbreviations:  'LB'- Large Bong {'TB'- Tall Bong}  'B'- Bong  'SB'- Short Bong  {'SB'- Small Bong} SB has been retired and is in a box in the closet with the Xmas paper [We 4/17/24]

Th 4/18/24 715am (2-LB). 755am (1-B). 315pm (1-B). 540pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-B).  Up 605am: Cloudy with rain predicted for later this afternoon and temps to mid 70's. {Hard rain about 7pm} Watched 'CRISIS' (Amazon Prime). Drugs are 'Bad', Abstinence is 'Good'.  The film is a mash-up of three stories: A  determined and hard headed undercover agent tries to set up a huge buy with a Canadian drug smuggler,  a scientist finds that the new opioid knock-off is actually a killer, and a woman exacts revenge over the death of her son's overdose.  However, the presentation is one continuous screed about the horrors of 'The Opioid Crisis' and is unbearably melodramatic, preachy, and corny; with Gary Oldman, Greg Kinnear, Martin Donovan and Lily-Rose Depp (Johnny Depp's daughter). "41" Metascore. Finished 'RIPLEY' (Netflix). "A novel cannot be brought to the screen in only two hours since it takes 8 or 10 hours to read the book";...

 We 4/17/24- Brandenburgs: 130pm/ New Bong Ordered Grinder 750am (2-B). 825am (1-SB). 1035am (2-B). 1230pm (1-B). {New Bong} 545pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 640am {I must have been tired}. Partly cloudy & windy with temps to about 70. ***When I took out 'the big blue can' I noticed a large pine branch on the ground out back. I used the saw and put the pieces out front. I also loaded up the can with leaves on the walkway by the side of the house.  Watched 'DEVIL In A BLUE DRESS' (Netflix). Easy Rawlins is paid some decent money to find a particular white woman. Crooked cops, bent politicians, and psychotic friends block his way and mayhem ensues; with Denzel Washington, Tom Sizemore, Jennifer Beals, and Don Cheadle. 3 wins & 13 nominations. "78" Metascore- from a novel by Walter Mosley.  1020am: PC is 'Off' and will hit the treadmill before the visit to Red Oak.  1040am: FIVE MILES AT 4.1 PACE AND ZERO SLANT; TUESDAYS WITH STORIES;  finished NEAL ...

 Tu 4/16/24 655am (2-B). 745am (1-SB). 925am (1-SB). 1230pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 540am: Cloudy and rain predicted for this afternoon and evening with temps to just above 80. Wrote up 'THE ACCIDENT' by Linwood Barclay for the blog.  Watched 'DISAPPEAR COMPLETELY' (Netflix). The film is glacially paced and for the most part, it sets a convincingly dire tone, but the ending was less than satisfying. A Mexican paparazzi photographer is cursed by a powerful Santeria spell and he begins to lose all of his senses (except sight?). In the second part of the film he tries to discover the source of his misfortune. Although the sense of dread and fear is very effective,  there is relatively little payoff. This film was well worth a look, but it could have been so much better.  Watched 'PAMELA' (Amazon Prime). A brother and sister have dinner with their mother. They have learned that although the two siblings share the same father, they do not have the same m...

 Mo 4/15/24- Dax 1pm 740am (2-B). 820am (1-SB). 1015am (2-B). 155pm (1.5B). 545pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 640am: Bright & sunny with temps to low 80's. Paid Visa and sent an email to Janny & Joe about a visit on Wednesday or later in the week. [Wednesday 1pm]. More 'RIPLEY' (Netflix). This is really a fantastic series. I wonder if a series can compete in the Oscars for Best Film? If a series can be eligible then this elegant piece of cinema would be a definite contender. I shut it down 17 minutes into episode #4. Produced by Showtime and now part of Netflix?  10am: PC is 'Off' and I want to get in five miles on the treadmill before the meeting with Dax at 1pm.  1020am: FIVE MILES AT 4.1 PACE AND ZERO SLANT; Finished 'TIGER KING:  The Doc Antle Story' (Netflix); more 'WE MIGHT BE DRUNK' 1240pm: To meet with Dax & home by 140pm. 14% last year and 6.7% over twenty years.  2pm- 315pm [put away]:County Market/ Fairhills $117.00 Reading 'BL...

 Su 4/14/24- One EUPHORIA gummy 740am (2-B). 825am (1-B). [1220pm- One EUPHORIA gummy]. 1230pm (2-B). 240pm (1-B). 535pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 610am: Bright breezy & sunny with temps to mid 80's. Warmest day of this season. Did the 'Weekly Cleaning'. Finished {in a marathon binge} 'CROOKS' (Netflix). It's not an excellent series, but well worth it. Beautiful set locations: Berlin, Vienna, and Marseilles.  1130am: PC is 'Off' and will do the weights and then a walk in the park. Weights: 3 sets/ 15 reps. 1240pm- 225pm  To Washington Park...Fairway,  Greenview,  Parkview,  Wash.Pk southside,  Wiggins,  Outer Park,  Lincoln,  Leland,  Douglas,  Wash.Pk,  southside,  MacArthur,  Wash.Pk northside,  up the hill,  Parkview,  Kenyon,  and down to 940...WHO Playlist; MILES DAVIS Playlist.  Reading 'THE ACCIDENT' 445pm: TWO MILES AT 4.1 PACE AND ZERO SLANT; began a 'WE MIGHT BE DRUNK'. 5...

 Sa 4/13/24 7am (2-B). 755am (1-SB). 915am (1-SB). 1050am (1-SB). 115pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 530am: Bright & sunny with temps to upper 70's.  Watched 'THE HANDMAIDEN' (Amazon Prime). {Directed by Park Chan-wook: 'OLDBOY'}. PART I- A couple of grifters plot to steal a rich woman's money. He will get the woman to fall in love with him and his female partner will become her maid. After the man marries the rich woman he has the rich woman committed to a mental asylum. PART II- In this version the man still comes out on top only he puts his female partner in the nuthouse. He and the rich lady have become a real couple. PART III- The maid and the rich lady are in love and live happily ever after. Won 1 BAFTA Award; 69 wins & 104 nominations. "85" Metascore. Based on the novel 'FINGERSMITH' by Sarah Waters (2002) and the book is set in 19th century London. The film is set during Japanese colonial rule during the 1930's... ...

 Fr 4/12/24 745am (2-B). 845am (1.5-B). 135pm (2-B). 535pm (2-B). 820pm (2-B).  Up 615am: Light misty rain early, then a mix of sun & clouds, very windy with temps to mid 60's.  930am- 945am: The guy that mows the lawn across the street showed up with a crew and a leaf vacuum truck.  They removed a big pile of leaves/grass at the edge of the driveway of the old lady next door.  That seemed like such a small job and I wonder what that cost?  Watched 'THE PIANO' (Pluto TV). A mute Irish woman, her young daughter and a grand piano relocate to New Zealand. Her father has married her off to a man in Australia and the only emotional communication that the woman has is her artistry on the piano. She rejects her new husband and has an intense relationship with a local man. He was initially enchanted by her mastery on the keyboard, and later he couldn't live without her. Melodramatic mayhem ensues. This was a beautiful film to watch and the story was unique; Hol...

Th 4/11/24  740am (2-B). 825am (1-SB). 1240pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 630am: Breezy & cloudy, clearing later with temps to mid 60's. Mid 80's predicted for Sunday.  I did a Windows Update and had to do a restart and no discernible difference in performance or anything else.  Watched 'DEATH WHISPERER' (Netflix). Set in Thailand, 1972 and concerns the 'evil possession' of a young teenage girl. It's basically 'THE EXORCIST' in the jungle. At times, it's almost 'camp', but the film is also a quaint portrait of family life in a remote Thai village. Dad rules the roost, the eldest son does his best to usurp the 'old man' and the women folk cook, clean, giggle and scream. Not as bad as it sounds, but close yet still worth a look.  Began 'STRAIGHT INTO A STORM' (Amazon Prime). A biopic about the band, 'DEER TICK', an alt-country/ punk band from Providence, Rhode Island formed around singer/ songwriter, Joh...

 We 4/10/24- Buddy Sick/ Wedgewood Order  705am (2-B). 825am (1-B). 945am (1-B). 1110am (1-SB). 115pm (2-B). 305pm (2-B). 535pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 540am: Cloudy morning with showers this afternoon and temps to mid 60's. Buddy was sick around 430am and he threw up breakfast at 630am. I fed him again at 825am and he doesn't seem quite right.   Wrote up 'IN THE CUT' by Susanna Moore for the blog. Watched 'THE AMERICAN' (Netflix). An American hitman is on a job in a very rural & picturesque hillside village in Italy. He meets a couple of desirable women who seem attracted and at ease with his 'strong & silent' demeanor, yet he seems to be 'losing his professional edge' as a hired killer. His boss and one of the women are out to make him 'the hit'. Slow and deliberately paced and attempts a realistic portrayal of a professional assassin; with George Clooney. "61" Metascore. Filmed near Castel del Monte, Italy which is ap...

 Tu 4/9/24- Brewer 1130am/ 1st Mowing of Season 720am (2-B). 755am (1-SB). 940am (1-B). 325pm (2-B). 535pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 615am: A mix of sun & clouds with temps to about 70. Watched 'INTRUSION' (Netflix). Another film that captures the 'steamy intrigue' of a badly written melodramatic Romance novel. Her husband is an architect and he builds for her a modern mansion in very rural New Mexico. Here she learns of his sinister nature. He's got a teenage girl held hostage in a secret apartment that he has built in the basement. It was so silly that it was halfway good. Filmed near Corrales, New Mexico which is fifteen miles north of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Began 'FACE TO FACE WITH ETA: Conversations with a Terrorist' (Netflix). A one-on-one discussion with a high ranking member of a terrorist organization that began as anti-Francisco Franco and continued to spread violence long after the death of the dictator. The man is probably lying or only telli...

 Mo 4/8/24- Dr. Ellison at 1pm/ SOLAR ECLIPSE/ Tree Trimming 740am (2-B). 855am (1.5-B). 1030am (1.5-B). 3pm (2-B). 535pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 630am: Breezy & sunny with temps to mid 70's. Perfect for a total eclipse of the sun. {2pm: Nada}. Wrote a short 'Chat' and will send it out later this morning. Watched 'LOCKED IN' (Netflix). A woman is immobilized after a mysterious hit and run accident and the film is an explanation as to how this 'lady of the manor' found herself in a crazy & violent love triangle. Her daughter-in-law was having an affair with the family's GP and so was 'the lady of the manor'. I only remember one scene because it's a complex storyline, but who can forget the guy who has one hand stabbed to the windowsill by a meat fork?  He has to use his other hand to punch through a wall and then pull out the fork. Very implausible; with Famke Janssen, Rose Williams, Alex Hassell, Finn Cole, and Anna Friel. The film is...

 Su 4/7/24 745am (2-B). 825am (1-B). 125pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 6am: Drizzle/mist early then cloudy & breezy and temps to mid 60's. {Some brief heavy showers with a bit of hail around noon}.  Did The Weekly Cleaning ***Buddy sick last night on the hallway carpet. Watched 'SCOOP' (Netflix). A very interesting subject, but a tepid presentation. The film is about how the BBC was able to expose Prince Andrew's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein; with Rufus Sewell, Gillian Anderson (THE X-FILES), and Billie Piper. "62" Metascore.  None of the underage girls were even used as background for the interview. Is it possible for a sixteen year old to make a single sexual decision or is it all forbidden except for abstinence?  Finished 'DUMB MONEY' (Netflix). Congress and the SEC did nothing, but I don't know enough about it to understand what they should have done. The only change is that retail traders are now closely watched by the hedge ...

Sa 4/6/24 7am (2-B). 750am (1-B). [235pm-1 new gummy]. 325pm (2-B). 545pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 530am: Bright & sunny with temps to about 60. {Early morning frost} Wrote up 'FRANNY & ZOOEY' by J.D. Salinger for the blog. Watched 'THE LITTLE THINGS' (Netflix). It's a quality 'Police Procedural' with a very crafty & clever serial killer who taunts the police. He targets prostitutes in the seediest sections of downtown Los Angeles, kills the working girls, and then 'poses' them in bizarre tableaus around the city.  A very weird and compelling performance by Jared Leto as the sociopath and well worth a second viewing; with Denzel Washington, Rami Malek (MR. ROBOT), and Jared Leto (THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS). "54" Metascore and I would have rated it somewhat higher.   Finished 'CRIME SCENE BERLIN: Nightlife Killer' (Netflix). Conflicted gay man kills with liquid Ecstasy although he claims he only wanted their credit cards. In ...

 Fr 4/5/24 7am (2-B). 810am (1.5-B). 10am (1.5-B). 1235pm (2-B). 220pm (1-B). 545pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).   Up 540am: Cloudy with temps to about 50 and an unseasonable 'freeze warning' for tonight.  Watched 'THE COLLINI CASE' (Tubi).  A very wealthy German businessman is shot dead in his own home and the murderer surrenders immediately yet refuses to speak to his court appointed defender. The film is about how his 'newbie' lawyer uncovers the defendant's righteous motivation. In 1968 Germany passed a law changing the prosecution of war crimes. 'Murder' would then be treated as 'Manslaughter' and there was a 25 year statute of limitations on 'Manslaughter' so many Nazi war criminals avoided prosecution.  During the war hundreds of thousands of Europeans were murdered in retaliatory measures. For every German killed, they might kill 20 partisans.  Watched 'BOOM BUST BOOM' (Tubi). Milton Friedman was the leader of the 'Chicago ...

 Th 4/4/24 730am (2-B). 840am (1.5-B). 10am (1.5-B). 1225pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 615am: Cloudy & raw with temps to low 40's and 'mist & sprinkles' this afternoon. Watched 'REST IN PEACE' (Netflix). A devoted family man from Argentina is broke and deeply in debt and his lender is threatening.  One morning the man is on his way to repay the loan and a terrorist bomb goes off at a local synagogue. He's mildly injured and manages to escape to Paraguay where he lives in hiding for the next fifteen years. He comes back for his daughter's wedding and mayhem ensues. The film really keeps you guessing and it never makes an 'obvious' plot choice. The tone is 'uncertain' and unfolds like a rich and complex novel. {Apparently it is based on a novel, 'Descansar en Paz' by Martin Baintrub}. Finished 'KALEIDOSCOPE' (Netflix). A classy piece of cinema and the crew boss's daughter (his 'inside man') stole th...

 We 4/3/24 730am (2-B). 815am (1-SB). 955am (1.5-B). 1255pm (2-B). 540pm (2-B). 810pm (2-B).  ***Bose speaker bar started at 'power up'*** Up 6am: Gusty winds & wintry mix (mist?) all day with temps to about 40. Watched 'THE WAGES OF FEAR' (Netflix). Same plot as the early fifties version, only this one is set (shot) in Morocco. An oil well is burning out of control and in need of high powered explosives  to seal the flaming geyser. They have 24 hours before the pressure becomes so great that the well will detonate and destroy the adjacent village. An armed convoy with two trucks loaded with the necessary nitro drives through a hostile desert to save the day.  It's got some interesting scenes involving gunplay with roving bands of enemy evil doers and the necessary nifty explosions and white knuckle driving techniques. {Subtitled: French}  Finished 'MCGREGOR FOREVER' (Netflix). The series is a flat-out valentine to McGregor, but I guess it ain't boas...

Tu 4/2/24 730am (2-B). 815am (1-SB). 1010am (1-SB). 1240pm (2-B). 220pm (1-B). 545pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 6am: Temps to about 60 early, then overcast and the threat of rain all day with gusty winds and temps falling. A 'wintry mix' is expected for tonight.  ***I had to manually turn on the Bose speaker bar. It works fine until it doesn't *** Watched 'THE GROUND BENEATH MY FEET' (Kanopy). A high-powered female Austrian executive is the 'point person' for a company that orchestrates hostile takeovers- who is to be fired and who stays. When her sister is institutionalized, even her competence in the corporate world begins to crumble. Madness runs in the family and she suspects that she too might be slipping into paranoid schizophrenia. An unusual story and absolutely compelling. 4 wins & 20 nominations. "83" Metascore.   Finished 'MIRANDA'S VICTIM' (Kanopy). As the end credits rolled: "Currently, for every 1,000 sexual assaults...

Mo 4/1/24 7am (2-B). 755am (1-SB). 10am (1.5-B). 1250pm (1.5-B). 540pm (2-B). 810pm (2-B).  Up 530am: Cloudy with storms predicted for this afternoon and evening with temps to low 70's.  Wrote some notes for the blog on 'BUTTERFIELD 8' by John O'Hara. Remember to check out 'LIE DOWN IN DARKNESS' by William Styron. It's available as an E-book from the library.  Watched 'LOVE LIFE' (Kanopy). A couple's young son drowns in the tub while the parents' celebrate the husband's father's 65th surprise birthday party. The boy was from the wife's previous marriage. Her first husband returns {out of the blue} and emotional mayhem ensues because he is a deaf Korean living on a visa in Japan and does not understand Japanese. This film was like nothing else. The cinematography was excellent and the story was complex and emotionally compelling. Filmed in Tokyo, Japan.  Began 'MIRANDA'S VICTIM' (Kanopy). The Miranda Case: Maricopa Coun...

 Su 3/31/24- Bose Speaker Stopped Working 8am (2-B).  845am (1-SB). 120pm (2-B). 545pm (2-B). 815pm (2-B).  Up 6am: {Buddy had thrown up again by the bedroom door. Is this the new normal?}  Cloudy with a chance of thunderstorms late this afternoon and temps to mid 60's. Did the Weekly Cleaning ****When I turned on the living room PC the Bose Speaker Bar didn't work. I did all that I know {'Restart'}, but still nothing. Why? Working fine yesterday, and then nothing today. I changed the batteries in the wand, but still nada. ****At 8am I came back upstairs from a few hits and noticed that Windows Help said that the Bose speaker wasn't plugged in. I tapped the breaker bar and plugs and I lost everything! Something must have been very loose. I tightened the plugs and finally I got everything back. The WiFi router even went from a 'red' idiot light to 'green' and I've {Thankfully!!!} got the Bose Speaker Bar back! Watched 'THE STARLING GIRL' (...