Sunday got lazy and watched television
Mar. 30th, 2025 08:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatIt's been an unproductive weekend. Too much time spent arguing with annoying Optimum customer reps. Everyone asks why I haven't cut Optimum and jumped to Verizon already...a couple of reasons, giving back the damn boxes, and I'm not quite ready to change. But it is coming. If they don't fix the issue next weekend - I'm ditching them for Verizon.
Also, apparently its a thing now to say "I'm sorry" whenever anyone lodges a complaint or has an issue they need fixed?
I need to call Verizon next week and ask them what it is involved or required to switch services seamlessly? Because I'm kind of done with Optimum.
***
Talked to Wales today, who informed me that her sister is now a prison guard. I'm guessing at Leavenworth, Penitentiary - since to my knowledge that's the only prison in Kansas.
***
Been watching:
1. A Complete Unknown - the bio-pic about Bob Dylan. It's by no means the first or last one. Bob Dylan is like Elvis, the subject of multiple bio-pics and documentaries. For a bio-pic, this one is actually pretty good. It made me want to watch the Joan Baez documentary, I am the Noise to get her side of things. My main take-aways from A Complete Unknown, outside of the wonderful music, is Dylan was and is a bit of a self-hating jerk (which I already knew). Although to be fair to Dylan, he just wanted to perform his music and share it, he didn't want to be labeled or slotted into anyone genre. He even tells this to Pete Seeger in the very beginning, when Seeger asks him what type of music he likes, and what type he likes to play - and he states, pretty much all of it, rattling off Jazz, Folk, Country, Rock, etc. He runs across Seeger, when he decides to visit Woody Guthrie in the hospital. And plays for them both a song he wrote for Guthrie (which brought tears to my eyes, along with Seeger's and Guthrie's). As Baez points out in her documentary, Dylan didn't write music and songs like a normal person. And as Dylan points out - people resented him for not being able to write like he did, and had a desire to pigeon hole him. He basically breaks away from the folk music movement by playing electronica ("Maggie May") at the Newport Folk Festival (with Johnny Cash's approval). Cash and Dylan bond, mainly because neither wanted to be pigeon holed, and both were jerks.
What's interesting about A Complete Unknown is that the point of view isn't just Dylan's - if anything it is mainly Baez, Seeger, and to an extent, the young woman he was involved with. Dylan was consulted on the project by the director, James Mangold, and had only two requests - it shouldn't just be his point of view, it should be multiple ones and evenly done, and that the young woman he was with, who isn't a singer, be provided a fictional name, since she wanted nothing to do with fame or with his world. I found those two requests interesting before seeing the film, and even more interesting afterwards.
2. I Am the Noise - the Joan Baez documentary clarifies the Dylan/Baez romance. It was a full-fledged romance that lasted a few years. Dylan pretty much broke her heart. They remained friends off and on until 1984, when he disrespected her on a tour, and she left and they never really spoke after that. Although they've spoke kindly of each other in each other's documentaries, and to the press. She states that she forgave him long ago, and was able to let go of her resentment towards him after painting a young version of him. Baez is also a talented visual artist.
Much like Joni Mitchell. Baez unlike Dylan is a folk musician first and foremost, and an activist. Dylan was never really an activist. Baez was and is. She even states that she became so addicted to activism that she neglected her son and family. The song "Diamonds and Rust" is Baez's song about the Dylan/Baez tumultous relationship. His version of it is "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" - he was a womanizing jerk.
Baez had mental health issues that prexisted Dylan - and had nothing to do with him. She suffered from debilitating anxiety and depression, and was diagnosed DID. She may or may not have experienced molestation at the hands of her father - it's not clear and she had no clear way of knowing, her sister believes they did. All her family is gone now, and she's learned to let go of it. Closing the door on the past.
The end of the film has Baez closing her farewell tour, and dancing in the sunshine of the California valley with her dog.
While slow in places - it is an inspiring documentary, and can be found on Hulu and I think Disney Plus.
3. Somebody Somewhere S3 - this is the final season of the series on HBO MAX, it's a lovely hyper-realistic series about a middle-aged woman who had left school to care for her sister (who died of cancer), and is now trying to find her way in Manhattan, Kansas. She does it via her friendships with various people, a gay man, a transgender man, her sister, and others. It's a heartwarming story with a cast of folks who don't look alike and look like most of us. Not like they jumped off the cover of Vogue magazine.
4. Daredevil Born Again - it's an uneven season? One episode has Matt defeating a bank heist, the next he's going after and defeating a serial killer. I could have done without the serial killer. (Honestly, why does Hollywood feel the need to insert serial killers into all noir detective stories? Isn't Fisk enough.) Weirdly the folks in the fandom preferred the episode about the serial killer. Makes me wonder about folks mental health.
5. The Pitt - this is this seasons' The Bear. The critics can't stop talking about it. It's by far the best medical drama that I've seen, and Noah Wylie (of ER and Falling Skies fame) blows the roof off, with a powerful performance as Doctor Robby, who is running an ER during a difficult and somewhat traumatizing fifteen hour shift. Each episode is another hour of the shift. There are fifteen episodes in all. The first thirteen are intense moments of drama. It takes hyper-realism to the next level. The drama never leaves the ER. It's focused in the ER. We don't go elsewhere in the hospital or follow the doctor's home. All we see of their lives is in the ER.
Outside of Wyle, the cast is rounded out with Dr. King (portrayed by Bryan Cranston's daughter), and Doctor McKay (portrayed by Brad Douriff's daughter, and Dourif is scheduled to appear as the character's father).
If you like medical drama's and hyper-realism? I highly recommend.
***
I can't seem to read a book at the moment. I try and give up halfway through. I can do audio books and graphic novels. Mother thinks it is because I'm reading dry material at work, and editing, and analyzing and keeping track of a lot of information, so my brain is tired. Possible.
I gave up on Station Eternity. It kept jumping around, and I didn't care about anyone. I need a good action/romance/thriller. That doesn't require a lot of thought and has good banter. I don't know if I can find it.
Having more success with audio books. Currently listening to Leah Bardoch's Six of Crows. Heavy with Russian mythology, and language. I'm enjoying it.
It's part of the source material for the Netflix series Shadow and Bone, which I wish had continued. I'd have preferred a Six of Crows series to Wheel of Time or Rings of Power or additional seasons of the Witcher, but alas that's just me.
The audiobook has five different narrators, and is kind of fun.
***
RIP Richard Chamberlain, the King of the 1970s-1990s television miniseries. Chamberlain was in: Centennial, Shogun, The Thorn Birds, Bourne Identity...
RIP Richard Chamberlain who dies at 90
He was known for his range and an excellent actor, with a large body of work behind him. I actually preferred him as Jason Bourne to Matt Damon.
***
I'm taking a break from the insane political tug of war in the US and the world at the moment. Death to Fascists! Sigh, don't worry, they won't die, they are like cockroaches...but hope springs eternal that a killer meteor strike will wipe them out.
Also, apparently its a thing now to say "I'm sorry" whenever anyone lodges a complaint or has an issue they need fixed?
I need to call Verizon next week and ask them what it is involved or required to switch services seamlessly? Because I'm kind of done with Optimum.
***
Talked to Wales today, who informed me that her sister is now a prison guard. I'm guessing at Leavenworth, Penitentiary - since to my knowledge that's the only prison in Kansas.
***
Been watching:
1. A Complete Unknown - the bio-pic about Bob Dylan. It's by no means the first or last one. Bob Dylan is like Elvis, the subject of multiple bio-pics and documentaries. For a bio-pic, this one is actually pretty good. It made me want to watch the Joan Baez documentary, I am the Noise to get her side of things. My main take-aways from A Complete Unknown, outside of the wonderful music, is Dylan was and is a bit of a self-hating jerk (which I already knew). Although to be fair to Dylan, he just wanted to perform his music and share it, he didn't want to be labeled or slotted into anyone genre. He even tells this to Pete Seeger in the very beginning, when Seeger asks him what type of music he likes, and what type he likes to play - and he states, pretty much all of it, rattling off Jazz, Folk, Country, Rock, etc. He runs across Seeger, when he decides to visit Woody Guthrie in the hospital. And plays for them both a song he wrote for Guthrie (which brought tears to my eyes, along with Seeger's and Guthrie's). As Baez points out in her documentary, Dylan didn't write music and songs like a normal person. And as Dylan points out - people resented him for not being able to write like he did, and had a desire to pigeon hole him. He basically breaks away from the folk music movement by playing electronica ("Maggie May") at the Newport Folk Festival (with Johnny Cash's approval). Cash and Dylan bond, mainly because neither wanted to be pigeon holed, and both were jerks.
What's interesting about A Complete Unknown is that the point of view isn't just Dylan's - if anything it is mainly Baez, Seeger, and to an extent, the young woman he was involved with. Dylan was consulted on the project by the director, James Mangold, and had only two requests - it shouldn't just be his point of view, it should be multiple ones and evenly done, and that the young woman he was with, who isn't a singer, be provided a fictional name, since she wanted nothing to do with fame or with his world. I found those two requests interesting before seeing the film, and even more interesting afterwards.
2. I Am the Noise - the Joan Baez documentary clarifies the Dylan/Baez romance. It was a full-fledged romance that lasted a few years. Dylan pretty much broke her heart. They remained friends off and on until 1984, when he disrespected her on a tour, and she left and they never really spoke after that. Although they've spoke kindly of each other in each other's documentaries, and to the press. She states that she forgave him long ago, and was able to let go of her resentment towards him after painting a young version of him. Baez is also a talented visual artist.
Much like Joni Mitchell. Baez unlike Dylan is a folk musician first and foremost, and an activist. Dylan was never really an activist. Baez was and is. She even states that she became so addicted to activism that she neglected her son and family. The song "Diamonds and Rust" is Baez's song about the Dylan/Baez tumultous relationship. His version of it is "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" - he was a womanizing jerk.
Baez had mental health issues that prexisted Dylan - and had nothing to do with him. She suffered from debilitating anxiety and depression, and was diagnosed DID. She may or may not have experienced molestation at the hands of her father - it's not clear and she had no clear way of knowing, her sister believes they did. All her family is gone now, and she's learned to let go of it. Closing the door on the past.
The end of the film has Baez closing her farewell tour, and dancing in the sunshine of the California valley with her dog.
While slow in places - it is an inspiring documentary, and can be found on Hulu and I think Disney Plus.
3. Somebody Somewhere S3 - this is the final season of the series on HBO MAX, it's a lovely hyper-realistic series about a middle-aged woman who had left school to care for her sister (who died of cancer), and is now trying to find her way in Manhattan, Kansas. She does it via her friendships with various people, a gay man, a transgender man, her sister, and others. It's a heartwarming story with a cast of folks who don't look alike and look like most of us. Not like they jumped off the cover of Vogue magazine.
4. Daredevil Born Again - it's an uneven season? One episode has Matt defeating a bank heist, the next he's going after and defeating a serial killer. I could have done without the serial killer. (Honestly, why does Hollywood feel the need to insert serial killers into all noir detective stories? Isn't Fisk enough.) Weirdly the folks in the fandom preferred the episode about the serial killer. Makes me wonder about folks mental health.
5. The Pitt - this is this seasons' The Bear. The critics can't stop talking about it. It's by far the best medical drama that I've seen, and Noah Wylie (of ER and Falling Skies fame) blows the roof off, with a powerful performance as Doctor Robby, who is running an ER during a difficult and somewhat traumatizing fifteen hour shift. Each episode is another hour of the shift. There are fifteen episodes in all. The first thirteen are intense moments of drama. It takes hyper-realism to the next level. The drama never leaves the ER. It's focused in the ER. We don't go elsewhere in the hospital or follow the doctor's home. All we see of their lives is in the ER.
Outside of Wyle, the cast is rounded out with Dr. King (portrayed by Bryan Cranston's daughter), and Doctor McKay (portrayed by Brad Douriff's daughter, and Dourif is scheduled to appear as the character's father).
If you like medical drama's and hyper-realism? I highly recommend.
***
I can't seem to read a book at the moment. I try and give up halfway through. I can do audio books and graphic novels. Mother thinks it is because I'm reading dry material at work, and editing, and analyzing and keeping track of a lot of information, so my brain is tired. Possible.
I gave up on Station Eternity. It kept jumping around, and I didn't care about anyone. I need a good action/romance/thriller. That doesn't require a lot of thought and has good banter. I don't know if I can find it.
Having more success with audio books. Currently listening to Leah Bardoch's Six of Crows. Heavy with Russian mythology, and language. I'm enjoying it.
It's part of the source material for the Netflix series Shadow and Bone, which I wish had continued. I'd have preferred a Six of Crows series to Wheel of Time or Rings of Power or additional seasons of the Witcher, but alas that's just me.
The audiobook has five different narrators, and is kind of fun.
***
RIP Richard Chamberlain, the King of the 1970s-1990s television miniseries. Chamberlain was in: Centennial, Shogun, The Thorn Birds, Bourne Identity...
RIP Richard Chamberlain who dies at 90
He was known for his range and an excellent actor, with a large body of work behind him. I actually preferred him as Jason Bourne to Matt Damon.
***
I'm taking a break from the insane political tug of war in the US and the world at the moment. Death to Fascists! Sigh, don't worry, they won't die, they are like cockroaches...but hope springs eternal that a killer meteor strike will wipe them out.
no subject
Date: 2025-03-31 02:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-03-31 04:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-04-01 01:05 am (UTC)Sounds like he had a good long life, though I wonder how well he'd like it to have the leading word in his obit be Hearthrob.
no subject
Date: 2025-04-01 12:18 pm (UTC)I vaguely remember in an interview, Chamberlain stating that he found it hilarious folks saw him as a heart-throb. But he was.
no subject
Date: 2025-04-01 05:48 pm (UTC)