Movies, Shows, etc
Argo
It had been several years since I watched this. Still holds up, even with all the historical inaccuracies.
A
MH370: The Plane That Disappeared
Maybe the biggest mystery of our time is what happened to this Boeing 777 when it disappeared in 2014. This three-episode series dives into all the theories. Not sure it gets us any closer to an answer, which makes sense given how the plane has never been found. The show focuses on three major theories, and all have massive holes in them. So not sure this really answers anyone’s questions. I did make sure to watch this after we flew over the ocean for several hours.
B
Happy Birthday, Ratboy (live at Schuba’s)
Such a fun piece about a very fun band. They have a terrific sound. I especially love all the little tempo and key changes they throw, seamlessly, into so many of their songs.
A
Watches In The Wild | The Road Through America
I casually check the watch site Hodinkee, because I’m an old man who has weird hobbies. This was an interesting, if uneven, look at the American watch industry. It felt like there was a lack of cohesiveness between the first two and second two episodes. But, as mentioned below, I’ll watch anything filmed along the California coast. Oh, and those custom-made watches from LA? I bet they’ll set you back a year’s worth of college tuition. As much as I enjoy reading about watches, and aspire to have nice ones, I’m always amazed by how much money some folks will spend on them.
B+
A Cook’s Tour, season two
Anthony Bourdain really became “Anthony Bourdain” in this season.
The highlight of these episodes was when I saw three friends in the background of his visit to Oklahoma Joe’s in 2001. Best part was they didn’t know they had been included until I sent them a screenshot.
A
The Night Agent
On a discussion group I frequent someone recommended this show, describing it as not as good as Slough Horses, which I have read but not watched, but much better than Jack Ryan, which pissed me off it was so dumb.
I think that was a good description. This show had a lot of potential, a few good performances, and moments of high action. But it also had a really dumb central plot and some actors who were obviously pulled out of the soap opera world, which made for an odd fit. There were a couple characters that I knew exactly what their fates were when they showed up. And the chemistry between the two leads was a little weird.
B-
Tourist Sauce, season eight
It’s been some time since I watched the No Laying Up crew’s high end travel series. This was a good re-entry point: their trip through Scandinavia last summer. I had no idea there was so much cool golf in that part of the world.
A
100 Foot Wave, season one
I had never heard of this show until I saw an article about season two’s release. I scrambled over to HBO to watch season one before our current subscription expired. Some awesome footage of the efforts to ride the outrageous waves in Nazaré, Portugal, considered to be some of the biggest consistent waves in the world.
A
The Town
I heard someone say they thought this was Ben Affleck’s best film. I don’t know about that, but it was a pretty good way to spend a Saturday evening.
A-
Ted Lasso, season 1
S has never watched Lasso, so as season three spins out we decided to watch from the beginning to get her caught up. She’s enjoying it so far. This rewatch confirmed to me that season one was truly magical. We are in the midst of season two, so that will land in my May list.
A+
Shorts, YouTubes, etc
Superpower for Hire: Rise of the Private Military
Although this is eight years old, it was still super interesting. I’d love to see an updated version given how Russia has used PMCs in their war against Ukraine.
Running a marathon in a luxury hotel
The final chapter of Beau Miles’ 12 Days of Newness was about the perfect Beau Miles experience.
San Francisco to LA | A Bikepacking Journey Along the Coast
If you set a video along the California coast it doesn’t matter what the subject matter is, I will watch for the views alone.
DOES YOUR FLAG FAIL? Grey Grades The State Flags!
Bottom line: we have some butt-ugly state flags in this country.
Didi
French snowboarder Marion Haerty attempts to climb and snowboard a Himalayan peak with an all-woman support crew. The descent wasn’t what she had hoped for, but the trip ended up being more than she could have imagined.
Inside the flop that changed Apple forever
Apple LISA Computer – VIDEO DEMO
Apple Ad “Two kinds of people…” with Kevin Kostner
I’ve read about Apple’s Lisa computer over the years, but the first video here was a good overview of what the platform was and why it failed. Interesting that it, in some ways, was a lot closer to “modern” computing than the original Mac, which gets most of the credit. As bonuses links to Apple’s official Lisa training video, and an ad for the Lisa, which featured Kevin Kostner. Why the fuck was he using the mouse with his left hand? I had a coworker once who did that, and when I had to train her on something it almost literally drove me to a murderous rage.
The Decline of Fuddruckers…What Happened?
Fuddruckers was one of the greatest restaurants ever. I had no idea there were still a few scattered around.
Dissing Your Dog
One of Will Ferrell’s top 10 SNL moments. The line he gives the dog that won’t eat always kills me.
WHITE HORIZON
This woman is both a badass and, likely, crazy.
The Rhodesia Coup – Operation Quartz Hectic 1980
South Armagh – “Bandit Country” (1976)
I’ll admit it: sometimes I watch some weird shit.
Frank Turner plays Frightened Rabbit songs for Tiny Changes
Such an algorithm fail that it didn’t send this my way until nearly three years after it was first posted. Goddamn great songs performed with love and passion. The last song kind of wrecked me, as it always does.