![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Y2/D293- Holiday
Jan. 3rd, 2022 09:27 pmWe had today off for New Year's, go back into the office tomorrow, then out remote, then in again, then out again, and so on until January 15. Stupid workplace. Also, if I had COVID, I could work remotely full time until I get better. But I don't have it - I tested negative.
Going to wing it tomorrow - hopefully I won't cough on the trains, platforms or in the office. Didn't cough in the pharmacy today.
Almost finished with Yellowjackets, the psychological thriller airing on Showtime. I'm watching a free month's subscription on Showtime via Apple TV. It's up February 3.
I've seen the first seven episodes. Only eight have aired. The last two air within the next two weeks. Season 1 has 10 episodes apparently. It's kind of overrated. Twitter and the Millenial critics like it better than I do, but I've admittedly seen and read more stuff than they may have. They think it is the next Lost. It reminds me more of Lord of the Flies meets Alive by way of the Blair Witch Project, with a similar narrative structure to Lost. Lost was nicer, not as gruesome, and the people more likable. This one is more gruesome, a touch darker, and the characters less likable.
Also the writing isn't nearly as sharp. Nor is the acting. And God, Juliette Lewis has not aged well, she looks ragged.
Like the Lost Daughter, not a lot happens in some of these episodes, and the narrative is rather drawn out - it could be a lot tighter. There's a touch too much navel gazing among the middle-aged female characters - making the section in 2021 drag. The bit in the wilderness moves at a faster clip, which is in 1996. Although there are little problems that requires suspension of disbelief. Where are they - it appears to be Maine or Canada. There's a huge lake and it seems odd no one has found them yet.
Characters disappear from the screen for a bit...yet they are all together in the same spot. And its not clear how many got rescued. For a while I wondered what happened to the kid brother of one of the male characters. There are three male characters in the wilderness with the girls, a kid, a teen who is their age, and their crippled coach. Also it meanders over things that I don't care about - such as various romantic relationships that go nowhere. Like I said, the writing could be tighter.
I'm sticking with it because I'm curious about what happened to the other girls, and who survived. But if they don't answer any of that in the first season, I may give up. It's getting a second season - but the writers haven't figured it out yet. Also the plotting feels a touch weak. Lost, it ain't, or for that matter Lord of the Flies or Alive ( Alive was a true story about the Uruguayan Rugby team (who were alumni of Stella Maris College), and their friends and family who were involved in the airplane crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571. They survived by resorting to cannibalism.
( summary of what happened in Alive )
Alive wasn't that bad. In this one, the survivors after being lost for about 19 months, go batshit crazy. The pilot opens with a scene from the wilderness where eight people dressed in pelts (faces not visible) hunt and trap a girl, kill her, and eat her. Outside of one of the people - whose face is revealed in about the sixth episode, we have no idea who they are or who the girl they've trapped and killed is.
The rest of the series is kind of a puzzle to see how they got there, what happened afterwards, how they survived, who survived, and who did it.
I'm hoping some of those questions get answered in the last three episodes. They've not really been answered to date. It's kind of gruesome but no more so than other things I've seen. And tamer than the 100, seriously the 100 makes this seem rather tame and G-rated by comparison.
***
I get to go back into the office tomorrow. I'm nervous. Not about COVID, more about coughing on the train or at work. I've a lot to do. More than I care to think about. I kind of put my work on hold for two weeks. Enough time to miss it, and to get tired of being lazy.
It's cold here. In the 20s. Which means I'm not hot inside, outside of the hot flashes (which I've got to do something about).
My father keeps bugging my mother about going somewhere. The other day he had an imaginary telephone conversation with a travel agent, complete with imaginary phone. Today - she went over photos with him, which her sister suggested. I suggested she bring the audio book that I gave them last Christmas and play that on a portable CD player, and only play it when she visits - give them something to do together.
***
Having technical difficulties tonight - my computer was freezing on me. Seems to be working fine now - after I rebooted it. Am considering buying myself a Microsoft Surface - mainly because it will interface better with my workplace. Not sure I want another Apple at the moment. My co-workers swear by the PCs.
***
The New Times Book Review - to celebrate it's 125th Anniversary (seriously, its been around that long?) - determined the best book in 125 years.
Best Book in 125 Years along with nominees, and other's voted on
" In October, as we marked the Book Review’s 125th anniversary, we invited readers to nominate the best book published during that time. This was a nod to our history: In its first few decades, the Book Review often asked readers to anoint the best books, the best short stories, the best poems. We wanted this project, like those early ones, to reflect readers’ tastes and preferences.
Responses began pouring in from all 50 states and 67 countries. In November, we presented a list of the 25 most-nominated books (one per author) for a vote. After tallying more than 200,000 ballots, the winner, by a narrow margin, is …"
The Winner
( The Winner )
( The Runner's Up )
( The Nominations )
After reading the above, I think "BEST" is a misnomer, it should be "FAVORITE". This begs the question - why do we use the word best when in reality what we mean to say is our "favorite" or "most appreciated or loved"? Why remove the subjective context? The word "Best" is a lie, and worse is aggressive and competitive. It puts objects that have little in common outside of being words on a printed page, in competition with one another. The human need to win to earn a prize or compete, seems counterproductive in some settings.
Anyhow, my favorite...I don't really have one. It would be like choosing a favorite child or cat or parent or loved one. I love them differently and I find it impossible to choose just one or ten or a 100.
What can I say? I'm a culture junkie and book addict.
***
Random photo of the night...
Going to wing it tomorrow - hopefully I won't cough on the trains, platforms or in the office. Didn't cough in the pharmacy today.
Almost finished with Yellowjackets, the psychological thriller airing on Showtime. I'm watching a free month's subscription on Showtime via Apple TV. It's up February 3.
I've seen the first seven episodes. Only eight have aired. The last two air within the next two weeks. Season 1 has 10 episodes apparently. It's kind of overrated. Twitter and the Millenial critics like it better than I do, but I've admittedly seen and read more stuff than they may have. They think it is the next Lost. It reminds me more of Lord of the Flies meets Alive by way of the Blair Witch Project, with a similar narrative structure to Lost. Lost was nicer, not as gruesome, and the people more likable. This one is more gruesome, a touch darker, and the characters less likable.
Also the writing isn't nearly as sharp. Nor is the acting. And God, Juliette Lewis has not aged well, she looks ragged.
Like the Lost Daughter, not a lot happens in some of these episodes, and the narrative is rather drawn out - it could be a lot tighter. There's a touch too much navel gazing among the middle-aged female characters - making the section in 2021 drag. The bit in the wilderness moves at a faster clip, which is in 1996. Although there are little problems that requires suspension of disbelief. Where are they - it appears to be Maine or Canada. There's a huge lake and it seems odd no one has found them yet.
Characters disappear from the screen for a bit...yet they are all together in the same spot. And its not clear how many got rescued. For a while I wondered what happened to the kid brother of one of the male characters. There are three male characters in the wilderness with the girls, a kid, a teen who is their age, and their crippled coach. Also it meanders over things that I don't care about - such as various romantic relationships that go nowhere. Like I said, the writing could be tighter.
I'm sticking with it because I'm curious about what happened to the other girls, and who survived. But if they don't answer any of that in the first season, I may give up. It's getting a second season - but the writers haven't figured it out yet. Also the plotting feels a touch weak. Lost, it ain't, or for that matter Lord of the Flies or Alive ( Alive was a true story about the Uruguayan Rugby team (who were alumni of Stella Maris College), and their friends and family who were involved in the airplane crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571. They survived by resorting to cannibalism.
( summary of what happened in Alive )
Alive wasn't that bad. In this one, the survivors after being lost for about 19 months, go batshit crazy. The pilot opens with a scene from the wilderness where eight people dressed in pelts (faces not visible) hunt and trap a girl, kill her, and eat her. Outside of one of the people - whose face is revealed in about the sixth episode, we have no idea who they are or who the girl they've trapped and killed is.
The rest of the series is kind of a puzzle to see how they got there, what happened afterwards, how they survived, who survived, and who did it.
I'm hoping some of those questions get answered in the last three episodes. They've not really been answered to date. It's kind of gruesome but no more so than other things I've seen. And tamer than the 100, seriously the 100 makes this seem rather tame and G-rated by comparison.
***
I get to go back into the office tomorrow. I'm nervous. Not about COVID, more about coughing on the train or at work. I've a lot to do. More than I care to think about. I kind of put my work on hold for two weeks. Enough time to miss it, and to get tired of being lazy.
It's cold here. In the 20s. Which means I'm not hot inside, outside of the hot flashes (which I've got to do something about).
My father keeps bugging my mother about going somewhere. The other day he had an imaginary telephone conversation with a travel agent, complete with imaginary phone. Today - she went over photos with him, which her sister suggested. I suggested she bring the audio book that I gave them last Christmas and play that on a portable CD player, and only play it when she visits - give them something to do together.
***
Having technical difficulties tonight - my computer was freezing on me. Seems to be working fine now - after I rebooted it. Am considering buying myself a Microsoft Surface - mainly because it will interface better with my workplace. Not sure I want another Apple at the moment. My co-workers swear by the PCs.
***
The New Times Book Review - to celebrate it's 125th Anniversary (seriously, its been around that long?) - determined the best book in 125 years.
Best Book in 125 Years along with nominees, and other's voted on
" In October, as we marked the Book Review’s 125th anniversary, we invited readers to nominate the best book published during that time. This was a nod to our history: In its first few decades, the Book Review often asked readers to anoint the best books, the best short stories, the best poems. We wanted this project, like those early ones, to reflect readers’ tastes and preferences.
Responses began pouring in from all 50 states and 67 countries. In November, we presented a list of the 25 most-nominated books (one per author) for a vote. After tallying more than 200,000 ballots, the winner, by a narrow margin, is …"
The Winner
( The Winner )
( The Runner's Up )
( The Nominations )
After reading the above, I think "BEST" is a misnomer, it should be "FAVORITE". This begs the question - why do we use the word best when in reality what we mean to say is our "favorite" or "most appreciated or loved"? Why remove the subjective context? The word "Best" is a lie, and worse is aggressive and competitive. It puts objects that have little in common outside of being words on a printed page, in competition with one another. The human need to win to earn a prize or compete, seems counterproductive in some settings.
Anyhow, my favorite...I don't really have one. It would be like choosing a favorite child or cat or parent or loved one. I love them differently and I find it impossible to choose just one or ten or a 100.
What can I say? I'm a culture junkie and book addict.
***
Random photo of the night...