Shows and Movies

Official Secrets
Weird how huge events that happened A) overseas and B) while we were waiting for M to be born have totally slipped my mind. Here is a dramatic recounting of how Brit Katharine Gun leaked a confidential memo about the efforts to sway the UN Security Council to vote in favor of war against Iraq in 2003 to the press, and her experiences after confessing to her “crime.” I’m sure the US has a law as fucked up as the British Official Secrets Act.

A-

Trials of Miles: Running 650km of the Australian Alps
Beau Miles longform vid of the month.

B+

Patriot, season 2
I loved season one. I loved this season. Until the final scene. And that scene was so strange it nearly ruined the entire thing. Later I read that show runner Steve Conrad was really into French films, which I know nothing about. But I think the final scene was laden with French cinema references. Which mitigates its effect a bit. And I realized one scene can’t ruin a terrific season of quirky, smart, insanely funny TV.

A

Michael Clayton
Beirut
Two movies written by Tony Gilroy (he also directed Michael Clayton) featuring two of the biggest leading men of our era.

In Clayton George Clooney is a fixer for a major New York law firm facing various personal issues whose life comes under threat when he learns the truth of a major case. He doesn’t do the usual Clooney stuff, which makes his excellent performance even better. A slow burner that rewards the viewer with a big closing payoff. There is also a very random and strange KU basketball reference in this movie I can not make any sense of.

In Beirut Jon Hamm is a former US diplomat who returns to Beirut during the 1983 civil war to assist in negotiating the release of a former colleague from a Palestinian group that has taken him hostage. Hamm doesn’t veer too far from what made him famous; he drinks and smokes a lot, and shuts people down with his words. Basically Don Draper in a different setting. The story has some holes, especially the finale, but this is still a pretty solid flick.

A-, B+

Sixteen Candles
One night I turned on the NBA playoffs but the game airing had just gone to halftime. I noticed Sixteen Candles was starting one channel up and figured I’d watch until halftime ended. I sat through the whole thing, commercials, heavy edits, and all. Shame so many great but highly inappropriate lines get cut.

An A+ forever

True Detective, season one
This was some wacky, wild, insane shit, my friends. A great show with some top-notch acting, although I would slot it just outside my all time favs.

A


Shorts

How to Cut Michelin Star Onions
I’ve been using his final technique for a year or so. Pretty easy and gets good results. But the “requirement” for Michelin-starred restaurants is insane.

A-

Becky Kagan Schott Explores Alaska’s Glacier Moulins Underwater with Seiko Prospex
This is about the coolest watch commercial I’ve ever seen.

A

How Steep Can Ken Block’s New Audi e-tron climb?
This month’s “Fun with EV’s” video.

A

2022 Audi RS e-tron GT
OK, this is my next car.*

(Assuming all three of our girls find a way to pay for the remainder of their educations without any assistance from their parents.)

A

How Stalin starved Ukraine
The current war in Ukraine isn’t the first time a madman in Moscow tried to destroy that country.

A

HIKING ANGELS LANDING DURING A SNOWSTORM – Most Dangerous Hike in the US
Gorgeous photography but this guy is nuts.

A for visuals, F- for my fear of heights

Kansas Jayhawks Top Plays of 2022 NCAA Tournament
Kansas Jayhawks Top Plays of 2021–22 Season
In case you missed it, the Kansas Jayhawks are NCAA champs!

A++++

Top Ten Bill Self Non-Con Regular Season Wins at Kansas
I could quibble a little with this list but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it.

A

Port of Amsterdam – Timelapse
Time lapses are always cool. As a former boat owner and operator, this one made me queasy, though. Too many boats in too little space. But they seemed to pull it off.

A-

Roman Fox on the Fuji X Series
I’ve been using my camera more lately, and watched a ton of photography related videos last month. I spent the most time in this guy’s feed, which I loved for both content and style.

A

I survived the world’s scariest tunnel
A bit of an exaggeration in the title, but the story behind this tunnel in Virginia is both fascinating and terrible.

B+

Wet Leg – Live on The Porch
This band is so fun.

A

Marathon My Age: Running 42.195kms on my 42.195th birthday
Beau Miles just makes me laugh. I need to find something like this to do for my next birthday. Like maybe, if my joint pain abates and the weather improves, hoping I can shoot better than 51 over nine holes of golf, perhaps?

A

My Wife, Helen: Bike Rider
Beau’s wife seems like a good sport.

A

Indigo Traveler At Ukraine Border 2022 (during invasion)
I’ve watched a few of this guy’s travel videos in the past. His home base in Hungary gave him easy access to one of the primary entry points for Ukrainian refugees fleeing the fighting in their homeland. There is a piece of video at about the 15:00 mark, where journalists are shot at, that is truly harrowing. Fuck Putin.

A-

The Royals Broke All the Rules (And Won)
2015 seems like a long time ago.

A

Big Old Blue
A Need Essentials surfing short. Which led me to…

On Top of the World
…this, one of the most stunning surf videos I’ve ever watched.

A-, A

A bivvy, a phone and a drone: cycling home from China
I was stuck, as I watched this accounting of one man’s bicycle trip from China to England, not just by the coolness of having the ambition and will to pull something like this off, but also how, thanks to modern technology, you can make your own, pretty well done movie of the trip.

A-

Dave Letterman Tried To Buy Twitter
Genius

A+