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Prettier day today, blue sky, passing clouds, mostly clear, in the low 80s. Took a long walk, about an hour or so, around a portion of Greenwood Cemetery. Equivalent of 1.8 miles - still sweated more than I'd like. It's the sweating that keeps me from doing longer walks.
Time was that I could walk 6 to 10 miles without any problems.
Did spot one perfect rose, a rarity this summer due to the overwhelming amount of rains and high humidity. Roses require a slightly drier, milder climate - tropical doesn't quit work for them.
Yes, a pesky house got into the picture, but what can one do?
**
Talked to mother a couple of times today.
Me: So I had an epiphany yesterday. We need to focus on the positive. See the best case scenario and stop preparing for the worst, it never works.
Mother: True, it doesn't. Just makes it more painful.
Me: Exactly.
Mother: And I'm really not that worried about the surgery. But...
Me: That's good.
Mother: I did however decide to write my own obituary. Do you want to hear my obituary? I wrote one today, just finished it in fact.
Me: Okay, you realize this is the exact opposite of what I was talking about right? This is not focusing on the best case scenario.( Read more... )
***
Watched two movies today. The Evil Dead and Reminiscence, neither were very good. Reminiscence was admittedly the better of the two, but it also had more money, and was done in 2020, so...plus Hugh Jackman and Twandi Newton.
* The Evil Dead - I'm not sure I can legitimately state that I watched the film. More like fast-forwarded through all the gruesome bits.
It's scary in its own way. Or mainly because Sam Rami was a devil with a hand-held camera. I honestly think he spent most of the shoot running about terrorizing his actors with his camera.
( Read more... )
I guess I can see why it became a cult classic in the 1980s, but it doesn't really age all that well. Also, by now, the five kids go to a cabin and get picked off one by one by monsters plot has kind of been overdone, to the point that Drew Goddard directed a satire about it entitled "Cabin in the Woods". But in 1981, it was new. I recommend reading Campbell's book over watching the film.
* Reminiscence by Lisa Joy, starring Hugh Jackman and Twandi Newton, is a boilerplate sci-fi noir. Reminded me a little of Blade Runner - except Blade Runner is so much better, so are the others I've seen. I've seen too many sci-fi and regular noir films. I knew what was going to happen before it did and got kind of bored by the plot. And really all there is - is the plot, not a lot of focus on character.
The world-building and set design are fun though as is the set-up. It just needed a better script and direction. Lisa Joy of Westworld fame, does a so-so job of it. And a lot of her direction and script reminded me of why WestWorld didn't quite work. There's a stiffness to the dialogue, and the characters, that also existed in Westworld.
The setup?( Read more... )
At any rate - it's okay, but I wouldn't go out of my way to see it. I saw it on HBO Max - which I have until September 15. Unless I want to subscribe separately from Amazon Prime - which I can always do.
* And I finished watching America's Great Barbecue Show Down on Netflix. One of the better reality cooking competitions. (As an aside I adore cooking demonstrations, always have, and I adore anything showing me how things are mad, even if/especially if I have no interest in doing it myself.) This was a great show. Touching, humorous, with likable contestants, judges, and hosts. Also suspenseful. Loved it. By far one of the better cooking competition shows. However - I would not recommend it to vegetarians or vegans. It would upset you. It shows people barbecuing meat.
It's a carnivore show.
***
Listening to Director Robert Altman's biography - which is interesting, Altman was a bomber pilot in WWII, and his early days directing industry films, educational films, and documentaries in Kansas City and LA. He worked for Culver Films - where he directed things like How to Run a Filling Station, Football, Basketball, Industrial Safety Films, etc. He'd tried to set himself up as a writer in LA, but fell into directing. Also directed plays. And one of his first major films was a docudrama - The Delinquents in the 1950s. We also get snippets of television shows he directed such as Bonanza. Later films such as MASH, Nashville, Short Cuts, Godsford Park, etc. Apparently everyone who worked with him (for the most part) loved him as a director - but he was not a great husband. Cheated on his wife, broken things in drunken rages, and partied a lot. It's a very honest and good depiction of how people are always more than one thing.
***
Attempted to make Plantain Fritters today. They were okay, I guess. The recipe is mashed plantain with cassnova flour (or tapioca flour), mix, make into dough ball, roll out, use cookie cutter or jar to cut out various circles. Heat a 1/2 cup of ghee or your choice of fat over medium to high heat, wait until get brown and somewhat puffy, take out, put on wire to cool. Eat.
I found them to be a bit on the greasy side, and not quite as puffy as shown in the photograph. Also it made far too many. That's the problem with cookbooks - they are geared towards families of five, not single women who are cooking for themselves. ( Read more... )
***
Random photo of the day...
Labor Day 2018
Time was that I could walk 6 to 10 miles without any problems.
Did spot one perfect rose, a rarity this summer due to the overwhelming amount of rains and high humidity. Roses require a slightly drier, milder climate - tropical doesn't quit work for them.
Yes, a pesky house got into the picture, but what can one do?
**
Talked to mother a couple of times today.
Me: So I had an epiphany yesterday. We need to focus on the positive. See the best case scenario and stop preparing for the worst, it never works.
Mother: True, it doesn't. Just makes it more painful.
Me: Exactly.
Mother: And I'm really not that worried about the surgery. But...
Me: That's good.
Mother: I did however decide to write my own obituary. Do you want to hear my obituary? I wrote one today, just finished it in fact.
Me: Okay, you realize this is the exact opposite of what I was talking about right? This is not focusing on the best case scenario.( Read more... )
***
Watched two movies today. The Evil Dead and Reminiscence, neither were very good. Reminiscence was admittedly the better of the two, but it also had more money, and was done in 2020, so...plus Hugh Jackman and Twandi Newton.
* The Evil Dead - I'm not sure I can legitimately state that I watched the film. More like fast-forwarded through all the gruesome bits.
It's scary in its own way. Or mainly because Sam Rami was a devil with a hand-held camera. I honestly think he spent most of the shoot running about terrorizing his actors with his camera.
( Read more... )
I guess I can see why it became a cult classic in the 1980s, but it doesn't really age all that well. Also, by now, the five kids go to a cabin and get picked off one by one by monsters plot has kind of been overdone, to the point that Drew Goddard directed a satire about it entitled "Cabin in the Woods". But in 1981, it was new. I recommend reading Campbell's book over watching the film.
* Reminiscence by Lisa Joy, starring Hugh Jackman and Twandi Newton, is a boilerplate sci-fi noir. Reminded me a little of Blade Runner - except Blade Runner is so much better, so are the others I've seen. I've seen too many sci-fi and regular noir films. I knew what was going to happen before it did and got kind of bored by the plot. And really all there is - is the plot, not a lot of focus on character.
The world-building and set design are fun though as is the set-up. It just needed a better script and direction. Lisa Joy of Westworld fame, does a so-so job of it. And a lot of her direction and script reminded me of why WestWorld didn't quite work. There's a stiffness to the dialogue, and the characters, that also existed in Westworld.
The setup?( Read more... )
At any rate - it's okay, but I wouldn't go out of my way to see it. I saw it on HBO Max - which I have until September 15. Unless I want to subscribe separately from Amazon Prime - which I can always do.
* And I finished watching America's Great Barbecue Show Down on Netflix. One of the better reality cooking competitions. (As an aside I adore cooking demonstrations, always have, and I adore anything showing me how things are mad, even if/especially if I have no interest in doing it myself.) This was a great show. Touching, humorous, with likable contestants, judges, and hosts. Also suspenseful. Loved it. By far one of the better cooking competition shows. However - I would not recommend it to vegetarians or vegans. It would upset you. It shows people barbecuing meat.
It's a carnivore show.
***
Listening to Director Robert Altman's biography - which is interesting, Altman was a bomber pilot in WWII, and his early days directing industry films, educational films, and documentaries in Kansas City and LA. He worked for Culver Films - where he directed things like How to Run a Filling Station, Football, Basketball, Industrial Safety Films, etc. He'd tried to set himself up as a writer in LA, but fell into directing. Also directed plays. And one of his first major films was a docudrama - The Delinquents in the 1950s. We also get snippets of television shows he directed such as Bonanza. Later films such as MASH, Nashville, Short Cuts, Godsford Park, etc. Apparently everyone who worked with him (for the most part) loved him as a director - but he was not a great husband. Cheated on his wife, broken things in drunken rages, and partied a lot. It's a very honest and good depiction of how people are always more than one thing.
***
Attempted to make Plantain Fritters today. They were okay, I guess. The recipe is mashed plantain with cassnova flour (or tapioca flour), mix, make into dough ball, roll out, use cookie cutter or jar to cut out various circles. Heat a 1/2 cup of ghee or your choice of fat over medium to high heat, wait until get brown and somewhat puffy, take out, put on wire to cool. Eat.
I found them to be a bit on the greasy side, and not quite as puffy as shown in the photograph. Also it made far too many. That's the problem with cookbooks - they are geared towards families of five, not single women who are cooking for themselves. ( Read more... )
***
Random photo of the day...
Labor Day 2018