The Cheese Stands Alone

 Mo 9/29/25 8am (1-LB: Citrus Mac). 845am (1/2-B: Diablo's Hearse). 1030am (1/2-B: Diablo's Hearse). 120pm (1-LB:  Citrus Mac). 435pm (1/2-LB: Diablo's Hearse). 530pm (1-LB:  Citrus Mac). 820pm (1-LB: Diablo's Hearse).  Up 7am: Bright & sunny with temps to about 90.  Watched 'THE CONVERT' (Kanopy). In 1830 a British lay preacher arrived in New Zealand to minister to the members in a small settlement of white settlers. Friction between the Whites and the Maori escalate and the preacher sides with the local folks. A thin plot, yet beautiful settings, sets, costumes, and the truly exceptional depiction of Maori warfare; with Guy Pearce. Two wins & 5 nominations. "66" Metascore and I would boost that to "76".  Watched 'AT THE DRIVE-IN' (Hoopla- Bonus Borrow). The story of 'The Mahoning Drive-in Theater' in Lehighton, PA. which is in a very rural area in the northeastern part of the state. Instead of going digital, these gu...

 Su 9/28/25- Gummy 815am (1-LB: Diablo's Hearse). 905am (1/2-B: Citrus Mac). 1030am (4 hits-B: Diablo's Hearse). 1245pm (2-LB:  DIABLO'S HEARSE)... 220pm{I took 1/3 'VIIA' 100 mg: 33 mg total}... 305pm (1/2-B: Citrus Mac). 435pm (1/2-LB: Citrus Mac). 535pm (1/2-B: Diablo's Hearse). 820pm (1-LB: Citrus Mac).  Up 7am: Sunny with temps almost to 90, but low humidity makes it tolerable.  Weekly Cleaning Watched 'BLEEDING TIGER: Conflict Begins' (Netflix). Hokey gangland violence from Malaysia and the only notable aspect is that no guns were involved. Only the occasional machete, lead pipe, and dagger are employed and a plotline barely exists. The 'Making Of' reel that was shown with the final credits was the best thing about the entire project.   Watched '10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU' (Netflix). A high school teen comedy that is not even the slightest bit believable, but some of the dialogue was funny. The film is almost top heavy with 'tee...

 Sa 9/27/25 740am (1-LB: a mix of Citrus & Lemon). 815am (1/2-B: Lemon). 1040am (1-LB: Diablo's Hearse). 1pm(1-LB: Citrus Mac). 535pm (1-LB: Diablo's Hearse). 815pm (1-LB: Citrus Mac).  Up 630am: Mostly sunny with temps to mid 80's and low humidity. Watched 'THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS' (Kanopy). It's a look at the political situation in the Casbah of Algiers immediately preceding Algeria's independence in 1962. The structure of the revolutionary cells were such that you only knew the person who initiated you and one other guy. While being interrogated & tortured you couldn't divulge any 'leaders' because you didn't know any. Released in 1966 and filmed in black & white, it almost felt like a documentary. Nominated for 3 Oscars; 9 wins & 8 nominations. "96" Metascore and I would put it at "89". ***1030am: I cracked the seal on a (3.5 g) bag of 'DIABLO'S HEARSE'- {High THC/ Sativa from 'Simply Herb...

Fr 9/26/25- Mailed 'Your Spending Account' 705am (1-LB: Citrus Mac). 740am 1/2-B: Lemon). 940am (1/2-B: Lemon). 120pm (1-LB: Citrus Mac).  230pm [I took 1/3 'DIET SMOKE]. 355pm (1/2-B:Lemon). 535pm (1-LB: Citrus Mac). 820pm (1-LB: Lemon).  Up 615am: Plenty of sunshine and temps to about 80. Watched '12 STRONG' (Netflix).  In October of 2001 a dozen American Special Forces soldiers landed behind enemy lines in Afghanistan, saved The Northern Alliance, and handed the Taliban their worst defeat. What sets the film apart is that much of their campaign took place on horseback and it contains some amazing combat scenes where men on horses fight tanks and missiles. The Afghans controlled the ground and the US controlled the sky; with Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon, Michael Pena. "54" Metascore and I would go to "74".   Finished 'WAYWARD' (Netflix). The trans couple have the baby, but did the 'cop' leave with the kid, or was that just h...

Th 9/25/25- Dentist/ Brandenburgs 9am (1-LB: Citrus Mac). 1105am (1-LB: Lemon). 155pm (1/2-B: Citrus Mac). 425pm (1-LB: Lemon). 820pm (1-LB: Lemon).  Up 815am{not planned}. Mostly sunny with temps to mid 70's. 905am: FIVE MILES AT 4.0 PACE AND ZERO SLANT; watched the first two episodes of 'KILLER IN PLAIN SIGHT' (Amazon Prime). 1) Wealthy realtor is killed in a car bombing engineered by his ex-wife. 2) Neighborhood teen kills a local girl with a hunting knife; began RICK BEATO with JOHN FOGERTY.  ***ATT truck arrived next door around 8am and I think he removed the hanging wire from the pole to his house.  Maybe there was a pre-existing underground line? For a while there was a black cat (just like Buddy) sitting in my backyard adjacent to 'headless Mary'.  Entered 'MY SECRET HISTORY' by PAUL THEROUX into the blog.  Began 'WAYWARD' (Netflix). It's about kidnapping & reengineering teens' minds...Very creepy; with TONI COLETTE and I'll b...

We 9/24/25- Gummy 830am (1-LB: Lemon). 905am (1-B: Citrus Mac). 1045am (1/2-B: Citrus Mac). 1235pm (1-LB: Citrus Mac). 1240pm [I took 1/3 'DIET SMOKE' 125 mg: 32 mg total]. 535pm (1-LB: Citrus Mac). 815pm (1-LB: Lemon).  Up 730am: {Doze/ listening to NPR from 5am}. Cloudy with temps only to mid 70's.  Watched 'NELMA KODAMA: The Queen of Dirty Money' (Netflix). Nelma was a 'dollar seller'. The inflation rate was so high in Brazil that people would trade their 'Brazilian real' for other more stable currencies. She facilitated these transactions and this was illegal in Brazil, but I don't even know if what she was doing was against American law. According to the documentary money laundering accounts for just under 10% of the global economy.   Watched the first episode of 'MURDER 360' (Amazon Prime). This is a series from Paramount Plus and the remainder of the series is not free. Alyssa Bustamante strangles and stabs an eight year old neighb...

 Tu 9/23/25 720am (1-LB: Lemon). 810am (3 hits-B: Lemon). 1010am (1-B: Lemon). 1155am (1-LB: Citrus Mac). 135pm (1/2-LB: Citrus Mac). 435pm (1-LB: Citrus Mac). 535pm (1-LB: Citrus Mac). 810pm (1-LB: Citrus Mac).  Up 6am: Cloudy with a chance of rain this afternoon and temps to lower 80's. A bigger chance for rain tonight. [Light rain began 430pm & continued through the evening] Watched 'ROAD HOUSE' (Amazon Prime). An outrageously implausible 'male fantasy' film set in a dream world honky tonk in the Florida Keys... "A hero hits town, annihilates the bad guys, and 'Greyhounds' into the sunset". The premise was ridiculous, but there were some clever lines and the overall tone was semi-serious; Jake Gyllenhaal, Daniela Melchoir, Conor McGregor, Billy Magnussen, Jessica Williams, Joaquim de Almeida, Post Malone. "57" Metascore and I would easily boost it to "81".   Watched 'STALIN'S EXECUTIONERS: The Katyn Massacre' ...

 Mo 9/22/25- Gummy: 33 mg 705am (1-LB: Citrus Mac). 755am (1-B: Lemon).  955am (1/2- B: lemon). 1245pm [I took 1/3 'VIIA' 100 mg: 33 mg total). 1255pm (1-LB: Citrus Mac).  435pm (1-LB: Lemon). 535pm (1-LB: Lemon). 815pm (1-LB: Citrus Mac).  Up 605am: 30%chance of a stray shower this morning, then cloudy with temps just below 80. {No rain all day} Watched 'TOMMASO' (Hoopla). An older American 'writer/ director/ actor', his much younger wife and their three year old daughter live in an upper-middle class apartment in contemporary Rome, Italia. Although a successful artist, he's a recovering addict and his insecurities are becoming a problem for the family. He believes that his young wife won't listen to him and benefit from his wealth of experience. A lot of the lurid aspects of the film are probably just the man's frightened imaginings. Professionally and socially it seemed like he was leading the perfect life, but he was clearly out of sync in his pe...

Su 9/21/25 835am (1-LB: Citrus Mac). 935asm (1/2-LB: Citrus Mac). 1220pm (1/2-B: Citrus Mac). 205pm (1/2-B: Citrus Mac). 355pm (1-LB: Lemon). 535pm (1-LB: Citrus Mac). 830pm (1/2-LB: Lemon).  Up 7am: Cloudy with a 70% chance of rain and temps to low 80's. Slightly less than a half inch of rain fell yesterday as measured by the rain gauge.  Weekly Cleaning & the 'LB' as well. Watched 'THE ASSESSMENT' (Hoopla). In the not too distant future natural resources are meager, so a married couple must be 'assessed' by a representative of the government to see if they are qualified to have children. The Reveal: No one has passed in six years and the aim of the assessor is to 'prove' that a couple is NOT qualified to reproduce; with Alicia Vikander ('A ROYAL AFFAIR'), Elizabeth Olsen, Himesh Patel, Minnie Driver. "62" Metascore and I would go to "79". From 'IndieWire': "A compelling genre thriller that manages to bui...

 Sa 9/20/25- Gummy 710am (1-LB: Lemon). 8am (1/2-B: Lemon). 1020am (1-B: Lemon). 1220pm (1-LB: Citrus Mac). 1225pm [I took 1/3 of 'VIIA' 100 mg: 33 mg total]. 230pm (1/2-B: Citrus Mac). 435pm (1-LB: Citrus Mac).  535pm (1-LB: Citrus Mac). 815pm (1-LB: Citrus Mac).  Up 610am: Partly cloudy with temps to low 90's. [2pm: a moderate rainstorm; nice & more rain just before sundown] Watched 'WHO BY FIRE' (Kanopy). A very slow and methodical French Canadian film about a group of 'friends' who spend a weekend together at a remote cabin in the picturesque Le Haut-Maurice region of the country (180 miles north of Montreal). The party consists of a director, his screenwriter, a French film star and various family members. They hike, go canoeing, but mostly, they act surly and throw temper tantrums. It's over two and a half hours and far too long for such a minimal payoff. "72" Metascore and that's about where I'd put it.  Watched 'TERRORIS...

 Fr 9/19/25- Gummy 720am (1-LB: Citrus Mac). 810am (1/2-B: Lemon). 930am (1/2-B: Citrus Mac). 1145am (1-LB: Citrus Mac). 1145am [I took 1/3 'VIIA' 100 mg: 33 mg]. 145pm (4 hits-B: Lemon). 435pm (1-LB: Citrus Mac). 535pm (1-LB: Citrus Mac). 810pm (1-LB: Lemon).  Up 630am: Much cooler & cloudy with temps to mid 80's. It seemed to have 'mist/ rained' a little bit last night, and a chance for more rain late this afternoon {Never happened}.  Watched 'WHEN ANGELS SLEEP' (Netflix). The first time I saw this I gave it 'One Thumb Up' and I didn't remember a single scene. This time, I give it 'Two Thumbs Up'. File this one under- 'Well Crafted Amoral Tale'.  Late at night while returning home from a business trip a Spanish business executive runs over a young woman. Her girlfriend, who was hitchhiking with her, tries to escape from the man because she thinks he'll kill her too. She is correct. In the end, the guy gets away with both...

 Th 9/18/25- Groceries 7am (1/2-LB: Lemon). 845am (1-LB: Citrus Mac). 920am (3 hits-B: Citrus Mac). 1115am (3 hits-B: Citrus Mac).  1pm (1-LB: Lemon). 250pm (3 hits-B: Lemon). 440pm (1-LB: Lemon). 535pm (1-LB: Citrus Mac). 810pm (1-LB: Citrus Mac).  Up 630am: Bright & sunny with temps to low 90's the low humidity makes it bearable. A cool front moves in for the weekend.  715am- 8am: County Market/ Fairhills: $141.00 Watched 'STRONGER THAN BLOOD' (Amazon Prime). On the mean streets of Bavaria a couple of teenage criminals have lofty aspirations. Although the system is clearly stacked against them, one successful lucrative & illegal deal could set them free. A trite plot, but their dreams are worth noting. One guy wants to open an auto repair shop ('Tuning?': 'Tune-Up') and the other guy aspires to be a high school physics instructor. Gritty to the extreme and only somewhat believable, yet it had 'heart'. Filmed in Wurzburg, Germany which is ea...

 We 9/17/25- Gummy 755am (1-LB: Citrus Mac). 840am (1/2-B: Lemon). 1015am (3 hits-B: Lemon). 1215pm (1-LB: Citrus Mac). 1220pm [I took 1/3 'VIIA' 100 mg: 33 mg total]. 205pm (1/2-B: Citrus Mac). 440pm (1-LB: Citrus Mac). 535pm (1-LB: Lemon).  820pm (1-LB: Lemon).  Up 7am: {Rested}. More hot & sunny weather with temps to just above 90. Watched 'A WOLF AT THE DOOR' (Amazon Prime).  It's a truly powerful film that begins as a kidnapping, yet soon evolves into something very different. On a typical weekday a young girl is pulled out of school, yet mom and dad don't know the woman who arrived at the school for their daughter. Soon the police are involved and later the film shifts into a detailed study of the torrid affair between the young girl's father and his lover. It's a very well written character study about people entangled in a very passionate love triangle. She got rejected and she got revenge.  Filmed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. "67" Me...

 Tu 9/16/25 720am (1-LB: Lemon). 750am (3 hits-B: Citrus Mac). 950am (3 hits-B: Citrus Mac). 1220pm (1-LB: Lemon). 535pm (1-LB: Citrus Mac). 815pm (1-LB: Citrus Mac).  Up 620am: Plenty of sunshine with temps to about 92. The next chance for rain isn't until early next week.  Watched 'SUITE FRANCAISE' (Amazon Prime). It's a look at what it was like to live in a rural area of France shortly after the German occupation in 1941. The village has been invaded by a hostile force, yet unresolved grievances between the tenants and owners date back generations. Interesting Premise: A German officer must read dozens of letters from townspeople who betray their neighbors to settle ancient scores. Is there a difference between 'collaboration' and 'just trying to get along'?  It seems that the film is based on an unfinished novel that was written by a Jewish woman who died at Auschwitz; with Michelle Williams, Kristin Scott Thomas, Margot Robbie, Sam Riley, Tom Schill...

 Mo 9/15/25 725am (1-LB: Lemon). 805pm (1/2-B: Citrus Mac). 955am (1/2-B: Citrus Mac). 115pm (1-LB:  Lemon). 435pm (1/2-LB: Citrus Mac). 535pm (1-LB: Lemon). 815pm (1-LB: Citrus Mac).  Up 6am: More heat & sun with temps to just above 90.  I watered the front lawn for ten minutes. Watched 'TREASURE' (Hoopla).  The odd premise is that a man in his sixties and his adult daughter take a trip to Lodz, Poland and visit the Auschwitz- Birkenau death camp. Some of the film was shot at Auschwitz and you can see the massive scale of the operation. 'Hogan's Heroes' it aint. The interplay with the cranky and overweight daughter and her oafish father (a death camp survivor) was only somewhat effective; with Lena Dunham, Stephen Fry. "44" Metascore and I would only go to "74". The film is based on an Australian novel called 'TOO MANY MEN' by Lily Brett. The book sounds more interesting than the film because they visit the death camp with the ghost ...

 Su 9/14/25 745am (1-LB: Lemon). 830am (1/2-B: Citrus Mac). 1010am (1/2-B: Citrus Mac). 1pm [I took 1/3 of 100 mg 'VIIA': 33 mg total]. 105pm (1-LB: Lemon). 245pm (1/2-B: Citrus Mac). 440pm (1-LB: Citrus Mac). 535pm (1-LB: Lemon). 820pm (1-LB: a mix of Lemon & Citrus).  Up 615am: Hot & nasty with temps to mid 90's. This should be the hottest day of summer's last blast and the 'feels like' was into triple digits.  Weekly Cleaning Watched 'ALONE WITH HER DREAMS' (Amazon Prime). Set in Sicily during the sixties it's about a family that relocates to France to look for work. They don't have enough money to bring their preteen daughter and she must stay behind with her grandmother. The old woman is unpopular in the village and this is an ongoing mystery for the granddaughter. It's because many years before the old lady was raped by her sister's husband. Before the young girl reunites with her family, this same man rapes her. The actress...

 Sa 9/13/25 720am (1-LB: Lemon). 805am (1-B: Citrus Mac). 955am (2 hits-B). 1225pm (1-LB: Lemon). 210pm (3 hits- B: Lemon). 435pm (1-LB: Lemon). 530pm (1-LB: Citrus Mac). 820pm (1-LB: Lemon).  Up 6am: Hot & nasty with temps to mid 90's... "Lawn Care's Hail Mary Pass" I sprayed the front lawn for ten minutes.  Paid cards and paid the 4460 card. I had to use this card to pay for groceries a couple of weeks ago. Watched 'ONE NIGHT WITH ADELA' (Kanopy). I expected a film about gang warfare and harrowing car chases, but nothing like that. It's about a female garbage collector working the nightshift in a desolate section of Madrid, Spain. She kills a man after he assaulted and robbed her, engages the services of a handsome black sex worker, and has sex in front of her bound and gagged step parents. The movie is glacially paced, but compelling and she's on the phone to a female talk show host on the line during much of the action. The theme is that she...

 Fr 9/12/25- Gummy: 25 mg 730am (1-LB: Lemon). 810am (1-B: Citrus Mac). 10am (1/2-B: Lemon). 1245pm (2-LB:  Citrus Mac). 1250pm [I took 1/4 of 'VIIA' 100 mg: 25" total]. 435pm (1-LB: Citrus Mac). 535pm (1-LB;:Citrus Mac). 820pm (1-LB: Citrus Mac).  {Today, 25 mg was a perfect dose CORRECTION: It was 1/3 or 100 mg: 33 mg total; provided just the right 'edge' on reality} Up 620am: Hot & sunny with temps just over 90. I spent 10 minutes watering the front lawn. I only want to prevent it from dying,  but I wonder if it will make a difference?  I got a 'restart' prompt and it was a little dicey and finally went through. I open the MSN prompts and maybe this helps? "People say I'm gonna hit bottom just cause I'm living on the rocks."- MIDLAND Watched 'MALEDICTIONS' (Netflix- 3 part series). The daughter of an Argentinian politician is kidnapped by one of the staff. Later we learn this man is the biological father. The governor and hi...

Th 9/11/25 735am (1-LB: Lemon). 820am (1/2-B: Citrus Mac). 950am (2 hits-B: Citrus Mac). 1230pm (1-LB: Citrus Mac). 540pm (1-LB: Citrus Mac). 810pm (1-LB: Lemon).  Up 630am: Bright & sunny with temps to about 90. The heat wave begins and still no rain in sight. Watched 'THE GUIDE TO THE PERFECT FAMILY' (Netflix). A French Canadian film about a family in crisis. THEME: 'Over-Parenting'- Parents with high expectations for their children sometimes do more harm than good. In this case, dad only wants the best for his seventeen year old daughter, but it's more like 'her life is his'. The daughter overdoses, almost dies, and this brings the family (at least the relationship between father and daughter) back together. The film lays it on a little thick, but it was (more or less) an enjoyable experience. Filmed in Quebec, Canada.   More 'THE HUNTING WIVES' (Netflix). I finished episode #5 and the plot just keeps getting thicker. We still have no idea who...