The Cheese Stands Alone

 Fr 8/30/24- Haircut 7am (2-LB). 745am (1/2-B). 1020am (1-LB). 125pm (2-LB). 305pm (1-LB). 440pm (1-LB). 535pm (2-LB). 820pm (2-LB).  Up 530am: Mostly sunny & humid with temps to the low 90's, but today marks the end of the hot weather streak and temps only to low 80's beginning tomorrow. [Torrential downpour just after 4pm}. It was supposed to really storm around 9pm, but it missed us. ***I bought a 5 cup brewed coffee maker from Amazon: $20 with free delivery, tomorrow.  My old one is getting old and rusty and it held 12 cups, but I never brewed that much coffee and will see if the 5 cup capacity will be adequate.    Watched 'AFIRE' (Kanopy). Two friends visit a seaside cottage by the Baltic Sea in northern Germany. It is supposed to be a 'work vacation', but one of the guys wants to have fun and the other guy is 'all work and no play'. A young woman is also staying in the house and later her boyfriend (?) and a publisher show up. It's a comple...

 Th 8/29/24 705am (2-LB). 8am (1/2-B). 855am (1/2-B). 1145am (2-LB). 535pm (2-LB).  815pm (2-LB). 9pm (1/2-LB).  Up 540am: Hot & humid with temps just over 90. ***Last night I got up twice with diarrhea (130am; 330am) and I gave Buddy a bit of canned food and later he threw it up on the hallway carpet. Watched 'GOD'S CROOKED LINES' (Netflix). I gave it 'Two Thumbs' the first time around and it was well worth the high marks. It's complex and clever and seems like it was adapted from a deep literary work. A woman secretly arranges to be admitted into a mental institution to investigate the suicide of the son of a wealthy man.  Did she really fake her way into the facility or was she actually institutionalized by her crooked husband so that he could steal her money? The film is so intentionally loaded with clues, conflicting points of view, and lies that you can't be sure of the true chain of events. Everything in the film could be true, but not necessarily...

We 8/28/24- Gummy 50 mg 7am (2-LB: Last of the Sativa). 805am (1-LB: Back to Indica). 1005am (1/2-LB). 1255pm (2-LB). [2pm: 50 mg gummy]. 315pm (1-LB). 535pm (2-LB). 810pm (2-LB).  ***The gray sheets that I ordered a few days ago were delivered last night and placed on the breezeway. Up 530am: Light rain early this morning, then cloudy & muggy with temps to upper 80's.   Watched 'THE CHALK LINE' (Netflix). This is a Spanish film that I gave 'Two Thumbs' when I first saw it and I liked it even more this time. A couple finds a six year old girl in bad health wandering in the middle of the road. No parents or guardians are present and no reason for her to be alone in a rural area in the middle of the night, so they decide to take her in and locate her family. The plotline goes non-linear and you learn that their next door neighbor and his wife are responsible. The suspense never wanes, even when the story turns back on itself. I give it high marks just for the way ...

 Tu 8/27/24- Primary Care Dr. Vargas 7am (2-LB). 755am (1/2-B). 1105am (1/2-B). 110pm (2-LB: Sativa). 250pm (2-LB): Sativa). 440pm (2-LB: Sativa). 535pm (1-LB: Sativa). 815pm (2-LB: Sativa).  Up 530am: Hot & nasty with temps mid to upper 90's. An 'Excessive' Heat Advisory is in effect all day. I'm still able to catch a few hours of 'open window' breeze {till 945am}.  Watched 'KIDNAPPING STELLA' (Netflix). A superior kidnapping tale about two determined kidnappers who take a young woman and hold her for ransom. The first several minutes of the film show them going into a big box store and buying the necessary items; rope, locks, sound baffling materials, power tools, plastic sheeting. The presentation of 'shopping for an abduction' was riveting. 'The hook' is that the girl is an ex-girlfriend of one of the kidnappers. After some 'Perils of Pauline' hijinks and several bizarre interactions with her ex,  she kills both men and dr...

 Mo 8/26/24 650am (2-LB). 750am (1-B). 925am (1-LB). 1215pm (2-LB). 535pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 515am: Blistering hot with temps to mid 90's. Temps in the mid to upper 90's for the next several days and a 'Heat Advisory' is in effect until Tuesday evening.  Watched 'MY BLUE MIND' (Amazon Prime). A very strange metaphorical (?) film about a young teenage girl who turns into a fish, or maybe a clever story of a girl having a nervous breakdown due to new and unfamiliar sexual impulses. There is a triple X rated scene where she is involved in a drunken & stoned budakee session. Set near Zurich, Switzerland. From an AI Search about the film: "Some say the film is a relatable coming-of-age story that explores the intimacy of teenage friendships and the horrors of changing bodies." The class trip to Conny-Land Amusement Park is about 50 miles northeast of Zurich. "63" Metascore and I would have rated it slightly higher if only for the intrig...

 Mo 8/26/24 Put a copy of this here if other doc is lost "Heartland" Changed on Mo 6/13/23 ID- middle handle plus zip (all lower case) PASS- 'Oh, Ya don't'(1st letter cap)'@' (special character) zip "AMERIPRISE" ID- Dick's V novel and the year it all began PASS= FIRST LETTER CAPITALIZED: Middle handle @ 3-phone (Google)

 Su 8/25/24 740am (2-LB: Sativa). 830am (1/2-B: last of the Sativa). 1010am (2-LB: Indica). 120pm (2-LB). 305pm (1-LB). 440pm (1/2-LB). 540pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 615am: A mix of sun & clouds with temps just over 90. A 'Heat Advisory': 11am- 8pm Monday.  Watched 'LOST BULLET' (Netflix). A French 'Cop/ Thriller' about a talented auto mechanic who is pulled from jail and put on a work release program. He's to help the police beef up their fleet of drug interdiction vehicles. Some of the cops are corrupt and running drugs themselves. Mayhem ensues. Basically the film is an opportunity to feature some nifty car chases and magnificent car crashes glommed on to an underdeveloped storyline. There is already a 'LOST BULLET 2' on Netflix. Filmed in Sete, France which is on the coast of southern France about 30 minutes southwest of Montpellier; with Alban Lenoir, Nicolas Duvauchelle, Ramzy Bedia.  "78" Metascore. I guess if you like this kin...

 Sa 8/24/24 705am (2-LB). 820am (1-LB). 1150am (2-LB: S & I). 210pm (2-LB: Sativa). 440pm (1-LB: Sativa). 535pm (2-LB: Sativa). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 530am: Hot & sunny with temps to 90. August is back. Ordered gray, queen size sheets Amazon: $33.  Watched 'BATTLE ROYALE' (Kanopy). I watched the first 45" and I wasn't feeling it. It's dubbed in English with no option to read subtitles and listen to the original Japanese. It's also a silly premise and I can't believe the superior rating of "81" Metascore at IMDB. It's streaming on Hulu and maybe I'll come back to it later...or not. Watched 'THE DELINQUENT SEASON' (Amazon Prime). 'Relationships are Hell'. A young married man gets sexually involved with his wife's best friend. This causes intense emotional heartache and psychic dissonance for everyone and I guess the message is that 'if you play the game, you must feel the pain'; I liked the film and felt it wa...

Fr 8/23/24 705am (2-LB: Sativa). 755am (1/2 B: Sativa). 1005am (2-LB: back to Indica). 1230pm (2-LB). 535pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 530am: Sunny to partly cloudy with temps to mid 80's. The heat wave is on the way. Watched 'MANHUNTER' (Kanopy). I had forgotten how good this film was and it is most definitely a classic of the Crime Thriller genre. Although Hanibal Lecter is in the film, the psychotic killer is "The Tooth Fairy/ Red Dragon" who is only an 'admirer' of Hannibal. The film has the unbelievable finale where a bloodbath occurs and 'In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida' blasts on the soundtrack; with William Petersen, Kim Greist, Joan Allen, Brian Cox (Dr. Lecter), Dennis Farina, Tom Noonan (as Francis Dollarhyde), and Chris Elliott. Directed and screenplay by Michael Mann; novel by Thomas Harris. "75" Metascore and I would have added ten points to that score.  William Petersen's character, Will Graham lived in Captiva, Florida which is an i...

 Th 8/22/24 7am (2-LB). 8am (1/2-B). 950am (1-LB). 1215pm (2-LB). 2pm (1-LB). 440pm (1-LB). 535pm (2-LB: Sativa). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 530am: Bright & sunny with temps to almost 80. Watched 'THE PIRATES OF SOMALIA' (Hoopla). A young Canadian with an avid interest in journalism travels to Somalia to get first hand information about pirates. He hopes to write a book about the Somalian pirates that were hijacking ships in the Gulf of Aden. The film tries to be sympathetic to the rebels, but it isn't even close to being insightful or realistic although it is based on the real life adventures of the Canadian journalist, Jay Bahadur; with Evan Peters, Barkhad Abdi (CAPTAIN PHILLIPS), Al Pacino, and Melanie Griffith (nearly unrecognizable). "54" Metascore and I'm surprised that it was even rated, let alone the relatively high score.   Finished 'DELIVER US FROM EVIL' (Kanopy). A superior documentary about the infamous Irish/ American Catholic priest, Oliver O...

We 8/21/24- Debit Card Replacement/ The Brandenburgs/ Oiled treadmill 725am (2-LB). 755am (1/2-B). 840am (1-B). 1010am (1-LB). 115pm (2-LB). 440pm (2-LB).  535pm (1-LB). 820pm (2-LB).   Up 615am: It looked like it would rain early, but it all moved south of the city.  Then sunny with temps to only the mid 70's, but the heat is back this weekend.  *I noticed Buddy had thrown up in front of the bathroom door sometime last night. This is the first time that he's thrown up anything in more than a week. I hope he doesn't revert after the reduction in the thyroid medicine. Last night's incident might have been connected to a hairball that seemed to be in the vomit.   ***I trimmed some of the top branches on the maple tree in front. Now the tree is not above the level of the roof, it looks OK and the branches made it into the big blue barrel for today's pickup.  Watched 'THE BOONDOCK SAINTS' (Kanopy).  A couple of Irish hoodlums from South Boston (a...

 Tu 8/20/24 7am (2-LB). 755am (1/2-B). 950am (1-LB). 1255pm (2-LB).  235pm (1-LB). 435pm (1-LB). 535pm (1-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 530am: Mostly sunny with temps only to the mid 70's! ***I received notification that my YSA paperwork has been received.  Watched 'FRESH KILLS' (Hoopla). A Mob Movie as seen through the eyes of the females in the boss's family.  'Loyalty' and 'Obedience' are the primary motivators. The women only partially understand what is going on because their role is to nurture and obey. Fear and intimidation tighten the bonds of family to a toxic level. Although your family has your back, they also dictate every aspect of your life; with Emily Bader, Odessa A'zion, Jennifer Esposito (she wrote and directed the movie), and Domenick Lombardozzi (THE WIRE).   Watched 'THE LAST MOMENT OF CLARITY' (Amazon Prime).  After three years of mourning a man spots an actress in a movie that he believes is actually his dead finace. He though...

Mo 8/19/24 725am (2-LB). 8am (1-B). 955am (1-LB). 110pm (2-LB). 535pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 545am: A mix of sun & clouds with temps to upper 70's. Unbelievable temperatures for mid August in central Illinois.  Watched 'CRYPTO BOY' (Netflix). It's a lightweight film of the 'Father/ Son' variety. Dad has run his taco diner for years, but urban developers are forcing him out. His adult son works at the shop and thinks that investing in the new crypto currencies might save the day. They bet everything they have and lose it all, yet they bond and become closer than ever by sprucing up the joint and changing the menu. It strains a bit for 'heartfelt', but somewhat worth a look. Why an Egyptian would immigrate to the Netherlands and open a Mexican restaurant might have made a more interesting story. Set in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Watched 'BLOOD AND BONE' (Netflix). A martial arts street fighter fights his way to the top of the heap and we've...

 Su 8/18/24- Gummy 100 mg/ Mowed Lawn  750am (2-LB). 825am (1/2-B). 925am (1/2-B). 1050am (1-LB). 150pm (1/2-LB). 350pm (2-LB). [355pm- one 50 mg gummy]; 530pm (1-LB). {720pm- one 50 mg gummy: 100 mg Total}.  820pm (1-LB).   Up 615am: Partly cloudy with temps to about 80. Weekly Cleaning & Flowers Watched 'BARNEY'S VERSION' (Amazon Prime). A lurid & comedic profile of a man with a huge 'lust for life' who crashes and burns through three marriages and never abandons his fiercely romantic vision. It's a little melodramatic, but passionate and affecting; with Paul Giamatti, Rosamund Pike, Jake Hoffman, and Dustin Hoffman. From a novel by Jewish Canadian author Mordecai Richler. Nominated for 1 Oscar; 18 wins & 19 nominations. "67" Metascore and I would have rated it a bit higher. 'The Globe and Mail': "A feisty domestic comedy about a curmudgeon with a heart, looking back over his misspent life."  More of 'UNAUTHORIZED LI...

 Sa 8/17/24 720am (2-LB).  820am (1/2-B). 940am (1/2-LB). 1230pm (2-LB). 545pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 530am: Bright & sunny with temps to about 80. Watered the flowers Wrote up 'DEMON COPPERHEAD' for the blog. ***Yesterday afternoon I noticed a U-Haul trailer in the driveway of the people across the street. It was hooked to their gray station wagon and this morning I watched two middle aged women try to load it. They had a desk that would not fit. It was a comedy of errors as they put it in and then took it out...over and over again. {Late in the day it looked as if a daughter (?) was moving out}  Watched 'SATAN WANTS YOU' (Kanopy). A terrific documentary that traces the Satanic Panic phenomenon that swept the globe during the 80's and 90's.  It all began with a Canadian woman and her psychiatrist. Under analysis she began to recall uncountable memories of forced participation in satanic rites and rituals that had been deleted from her memory. Was there a...

 Fr 8/16/24 655am (2-LB). 750am (1-B). 1015am (1/2-LB). 1225pm (2-LB). 445pm (1/2/LB). 535pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 530am: Mostly sunny with temps to about 90. The rain gauge says Westview got about an inch and a half of rain yesterday and early this morning. ***Just as I started 'THE HUMANS' I noticed that the PC was requesting a 'Restart' and it only took a few minutes.  Watched 'THE HUMANS' (Hoopla). I also borrowed 'THE INVITATION', but after seeing the trailer at IMDB I realized that it was pretty familiar and I should have rewatched it on Tubi to save a Hoopla pick. 'THE HUMANS' is set in a seedy apartment in Manhattan's Chinatown where a 'slightly' extended family celebrates a quarrelsome and impassioned Thanksgiving. The family is plagued with interpersonal problems and it is clear that none of them are as close as they would like to believe. A dinner party is a popular premise and setting for a film and this one holds up a...

 Th 8/15/24 Back to Indica  630am (2-LB). 710am (1-B). 1230pm (2-LB). 215pm (1-LB). 445pm (1/2-B). 540pm (2-LB). 810pm (2-LB).  I awoke at 230am and thought it was time to get up and I even pulled on sweatpants before I realised the correct time. I got up (for real) at 5am and a raging thunderstorm was in progress. Today it will be cloudy with occasional rain and temps to about 80.  *I tried to check the status on the FOID application and couldn't change the password. The State Police should hire a team to create a better website because the one they have is worthless. Most people will try a few times and then never come back. I know I did.  Watched 'MEMORIES OF MURDER' (Tubi) {I heard Sam Morril talking about this film on a podcast}.  In 1986 a hapless police department in rural South Korea tried to solve a series of  murders involving young women. They beat suspects, planted evidence and tried to frame anyone that they could, yet still failed to get ...

 We 8/14/24 705am (2-LB: Sativa).  8am (1/2- B: Sativa). 10am (1-LB: Sativa). 1215pm (2-LB: Sativa). 535pm (2-LB: Sativa). 820pm (2-LB: Sativa).  Up 540am: Partly cloudy with temps just over 80. Watched 'JEANNE DU BARRY' (Kanopy).  Louis the XV of France becomes enamoured with a popular courtesan and attempts to include her in his 'royal life', yet his court sees her as nothing but an opportunistic harlot. This is a light & breezy costume drama that highlights the absurdity and excesses of the French monarchy before The Revolution. As a kind of running gag, the film offers the custom of walking backwards so that you never turn your back to the king and (more importantly) how rumor and innuendo infected nearly every activity at the Palace of Versailles; with Johnny Depp and Maiwenn (she directed the film and portrayed Jeanne du Barry). "48" Metascore and I'd rate it a couple of points higher. The film is based on the life of Jeanne Becu, Comtesse du Bar...

 Tu 8/13/24- Low Water Pressure/ Call to YSA 650am (2-LB: Sativa). 745am (2-B: Sativa). 930am (1-LB). 230pm (2-LB: Sativa). 540pm (2-LB: Sativa). 815pm (2-LB: Sativa).  Up 530am: Cloudy with temps to upper 70's. More cool August weather.  Paid Visa Card Watched 'OUR BRAND IS CRISIS' (Hoopla- borrowed yesterday).  It's a movie about political campaigns that 'go negative' and although the message is clearly aimed at an American audience, the film is set in the Third World country of Bolivia.  The rather strident theme is that when you orchestrate a political race using metaphors for war, you're going to cause an incalculable degree of carnage. The film demonstrates that winning might not be 'everything' and to manufacture a 'crisis' to achieve that goal is extremely dangerous for a country; with Sandra Bullock, Billy Bob Thornton, Anthony Mackie, Joaquim de Almeida, Ann Dowd, and Scoot McNairy. Set in Bolivia yet filmed in Puerto Rico. "53...

Mo 8/12/24 7am (2-LB). 750am (1/2-B). 1010am (1-LB). 1pm (2-LB). 240pm (2-LB). 445pm (1/2-B). 540pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 540am: Cloudy and random sprinkles predicted for this afternoon with temps in the lower 70's. *I sliced some weeds in the front lawn with the grass whip. It made a discernible difference.   Watched 'TERMINATOR 2: Judgement Day' (Netflix). Two terminators are sent to Los Angeles from the future. One is to protect a future rebel leader and prevent nuclear annihilation and the other terminator is sent to stop this plan. The storyline is only to the level of a comic book, but the action is non-stop; with Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong (he wears a PUBLIC ENEMY tee shirt in every scene), Robert Patrick (as the 'bad' terminator), and Joe Morton. Directed by James Cameron. Won 4 Oscars; 39 wins & 33  nominations. "75" Metascore and that's about where I'd rate it.  More of 'HITLER'S CIRCLE OF EVIL...

 Su 8/11/24-Grocery Shopping: $122  730am (2-LB). 8am (1/2-B). 125pm (2-LB). 415pm (1/2-LB). [NEW BATCH- White Truffle Popcorn]. 445pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 6am: A mix of sun & clouds and temps to about 80. More unusually beautiful August weather. Watched 'LOLO AND THE KID' (Netflix). An old man and a young boy live on the streets and con childless couples into 'buying' the boy. Even in the Philippines (and anywhere on the planet) there must be laws against the selling of children.  In the movie, after the transaction is made,  the kid steals whatever he can grab and then leaves the unsuspecting 'parents' and hooks up with the old man back on the street. Not in the least believable, and the sentimentality and corniness is overpowering. It was such a lame & pathetic attempt at 'heartwarming' that I almost liked it..."Partners Forever". Set and shot in Manila, Philippines.  Finished 'BRIGANDS: The Quest For Gold' (Netflix). A ...

 Sa 8/10/24 740am (2-LB). 820am (1/2-B). 10am (1-LB). 1230pm (2-LB). 330pm (1-LB). 440pm (1-LB). 535pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB). Up 630am (Thanks, Buddy!) Partly sunny with temps to the mid 70's. Perfect weather for the first weekend of the Illinois State Fair. {GIN BLOSSOMS played on Thursday night} Watched 'THE WRATH OF GOD' (Netflix). I rated it 'two thumbs up' when I watched it the first time, but I had no recollection and I loved it all over again. A famous author hires a young and beautiful woman to type his novels as he dictates. During a writing session he kisses the woman and she is deeply offended, but he says 'you were sending signals'.  Later, the man's wife learns that the young woman is suing for sexual harassment, and out of shame and disgust she drowns their four year old daughter and then takes an overdose of pills. The central question of the movie is did the author commit multiple murders to get his revenge for the loss of his wife and chi...

Fr 8/9/24 7am (2-LB). 925am (1-LB). 1235pm (2-LB). 540pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 530am: Mostly sunny with temps only to the mid 70's. Cool weather for the next several days. Watched 'TUESDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS' (Hoopla). The film is a realistic portrait of a man trapped in emotional confusion as he opens up to his wife about his affair with another woman. It's a deadly accurate profile because it shows how daily life just goes on. The high drama of telling his wife about the affair is only one element in his complicated, yet ordinary life. Although the breakup marks a monumental change, it is overshadowed by everyday events. His daughter is getting braces (his lover is the orthodontist), it's Christmas time, and through all of this, he must continue normal relations with the people in his life even though his life has forever changed. This is probably the most accurate depiction of the death of a relationship that I've ever seen. It seems absolutely authentic and...

 Th 8/8/24- Passport Request Denied 7am (2-LB). 805am (1/2-B).  925am (1/2-B). 1235pm (2-LB). 440pm (1-LB). 535pm (1-LB).  Up 520am: A mix of sun & clouds with temps to about 80. Watched 'THE WAVE' (Kanopy). {When I dropped out of Kanopy in July I lost all of my 'faves'} A German high school teacher wanted 'Anarchy', but got stuck teaching 'Autocracy'. The kids become his willing followers and things get way out of hand. The film's message is that democratic societies are dangerously threatened by the ease with which a dictator could assume absolute political power, the kids seem to adapt to the 'movement' a little too quickly to be believed. Still a powerful film, and well worth a look. 9 wins & 8 nominations. Watched 'THE THIN BLUE LINE' (Netflix) {music by Philip Glass}. I know I must have seen this before, but it's been years (decades) and I had forgotten why it's regarded as a classic documentary. A man runs out o...

 We 8/7/24- Brewer: 1050am/ FOID Card 655am (2-LB). 8am (1/2-B). 1215pm (2-LB). 440pm (1/2-LB). 530pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 515am: Cloudy with temps only to upper 70's. Watched 'WONDERLAND' (Netflix). A very well crafted SciFi film about a time in the near future when you will be able to buy a subscription service that will allow you to video chat with dead loved ones via aritficial intelligence.  A whole new application of 'a living will'.  This is an exciting idea that probably will be very possible with new developments with AI technology. Although the film was full of Korean movie stars, the film didn't win any awards and no Metascore was given. I'd give it an "80" Metascore.  It was intriguing, although somewhat confusing and I watched a 16" YouTube video about the film and it helped fill in some of the blanks. I also subscribed to this woman's channel because she specializes in reviews of foreign films. Then watched a six minute ...

 Tu 8/6/24 710am (2-LB). 815am (1-B). 930am (1-LB). 1145am (2-LB). 545pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 545am: Partly sunny with temps to mid 80's. Tomorrow and later in the week, high temps only in the upper 70's. Watered flowers  Watched 'A PART OF YOU' (Netflix). An intense teen drama about a Swedish highschool girl who is emotionally destroyed & confused after the death of her sister in a traffic accident. Later she learns that it was probably suicide and this leds to a different understanding of her relationship to friends and family. Song by 'AVICII' who was a Swedish DJ who committed suicide at 28-  "Wake me up when it's all over. Wake me up when I'm wiser and older, all this time I was finding myself and I didn't know I was lost"...A pretty good melodramatic coming of age tale.  Watched 'STOLEN VACATION' (Netflix).  I shut it down with 30 minutes remaining and I'll finish later this afternoon at Planet Fitness or tonight....

 Mo 8/5/24 715am (2-LB). 8am (1-B). 845am (1-B).  955am (2-LB). 1245pm (2-LB). 535pm (2-LB). 820pm (2-LB).  Up 545am: Hot  & nasty with lots of humidity and temps to low 90's. ***A huge sell off in the markets continues.  A low job report in July and fear of a recession spurs it on. Watered the flowers  Watched 'THE PLAGUES OF BRESLAU' (Netflix). I had given this film a 'thumbs up' and this time I upped it to '2- thumbs'. A classic in the 'Lady Boss Man' genre.  A no nonsense Polish lady detective is trying to apprehend a serial killer who is performing 'A Cleanse'. Several evil doers will be publicly executed to show that the authorities are doing their job. A few centuries ago, a local tyrant had the same idea and it seemed to work.   1) Wrapped in hide & shrunk in the sun. 2) A horse pulled apart a man.  3) Burned at the stake at the opera.  Fun Fact: "When you scream you inhale fire & gasoline mix and your lungs are ...

 Su 8/4/24 710am (2-LB). 755am (1-B). 1005am (2-LB). 535pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 530am: Partly cloudy and humid with temps just over 90. Weekly Cleaning & Waters Flowers Watched 'BORDERLESS FOG' (Netflix). It's a confusing Police Procedural/ Art Film about a series of murders in Borneo. Bodies are decapitated and then placed with a different torso and it might be a serial killer, a Communist among the Dayaks, or a ghost. And, for some reason the film ends with a young boy, with his back to the camera, cleaning a boot in a running stream. Why? Nice locations, but I had very little idea as to what was going on. Filmed in Kalimantan and Borneo, Indonesia, and Sarawak, Malaysia.  I watched a ten minutes YouTube video about the film and it cleared up some of the confusion.  ***The young boy mowed the old lady's lawn next door. He did a poor job. Why do these nitwits think that the grass should be cut down to the nub? idiots.   I think I'll mix things up a lit...

 Sa 8/3/24 740am (2-LB). 845am (1-L). 1225pm (2-LB). 155pm (1-LB). 540pm (2-LB). 810pm (2-LB).  Up 545am: Bright & sunny with temps to 90. Watered the flowers Watched 'THE EQUALIZER' (Netflix). Another film about a 'super agent' who is called out of retirement to save the day. The hero works at a big box store {much of the film is set in a Home Depot or Lowe's. In the film it's called 'Home Mart'} and befriends a prostitute who's owned by the Russian mafia. She wants the impossible- To Be Free, and the hero brutally kills dozens and takes down a criminal empire to make her dream come true. If you like that kind of thing, it's all there; with Denzel Washington, Chloe Grace Moretz, and Melissa Leo. 1 win & 9 nominations. "57" Metascore.    Finished 'DIRTY POP: The Boy Band Scam' (Netflix) {30" remained}.  Lou Pearlman's fraudulent investment operation ran for more than thirty years and is the longest running Ponzi...

 Fr 8/2/24-Gummy 7am (2-LB). 755am (1-B). 1015am (2-LB). 115pm (1-LB) & 50 mg DAY DRIFT gummy. 245pm (2-LB). 535pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 545am: A mix of sun & clouds and a light breeze with temps to low 80's. I've got the windows open and it feels great.  Watched 'THE MAN FROM NOWHERE' (Tubi). A Korean 'super assassin' has dropped out of the game to become a pawnbroker after his wife was killed in a car accident (a hit?). He befriends an eight year old neighbor girl who is being raised by a junkie mother. Things get out of control and he saves the young girl from a gang of organ harvesters. Lots of chop-socky and fast & furious knife action. A Korean 'Gun Fu' film (2010)- 19 wins & 17 nominations. Semi-corny yet bitter sweet.  ***I successfully logged on to Kanopy! PASS: 'Oh, ya don't...zip' Began 'TOKYO SWINDLERS' (Netflix). I shut it down 8 minutes into episode #2. A highly adept and specialized gang of white col...

 Th 8/1/24- The Brandenburgs at 430pm  805m (2-LB).  1005am (2-LB). 1255pm (1-LB). 4pm (1/2-B).. 1035pm (1-LB).  Up 715am (I must have been exhausted) Cloudy and very humid and possible storms could occur this afternoon with temps to almost 90. I want to get on the treadmill before today's film.  805am: FIVE MILES AT 4.1 PACE AND ZERO; watch an episode of 'HOMICIDE: Los Angeles'- A woman is bruattly raped and murdered on a beach in Los Angeles. Thirty four years later her killer is captured with DNA evidence. These 'True Crimes' are not nearly as good as the ones that are being produced in Europe.  Watched 'SAS: The Rise of The Black Swan' (Netflix). A terrorist organization hijacks a train connecting England and France beneath the English Channel. They commit the crime to show that the English government employed them to decimate a village in Russia to facilitate a gas pipeline owned by the British; with Sam Heughan, Ruby Rose, Andy Serkis, and Tom Hopper....

 We 7/31/24- Dentist 1pm 655am (2-LB). 850am (2-LB). 945am (1-B). 315pm (2-LB).  540pm (1-LB). 535pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 6am: Rain off & on during the early hours, then bad storms around noon with temps almost to 90. Sticky & hot. {At times the radar weather map had patches over the city that were blood red. But, nearly all of the bad weather passed us by. Hardly any rain fell.}  I wanted to get in FIVE MILES and then relax before the dental checkup at 1pm.  7am: FIVE MILES AT 4.1 PACE AND ZERO SLANT; the latest 'TUESDAYS WITH STORIES'; more of THEO VON with the mall cop.  Watched 'A WALK IN THE WOODS' (Netflix- leaving soon). Two old men try to hike the Appalachian Trail and although they do not last the whole trail, they learn to rekindle the freindship that they had lost...or some such nonsense. There were some nice shots of the real Appalachian Trail; with Nick Nolte, Robert Redford, Emma Thompson, and Nick Offerman. "51" Metascore and tha...