I woke up feeling awful, because of course I did. I had the day off. If I'm going to be feeling super-great, you can bet your last dollar it will be on a work day.

So I spent most of my time watching Would I Lie To You? clips on their YouTube channel. As you'd guess from my obsession with British television programmes (see what I did there?) it is, in fact, a British series. A British Competition series hosted by Rob Brydon with David Mitchell and Lee Mack as the team captains. It is categorically one of the most consistently funny things I've ever seen.

David Mitchell is hilariously funny. Any time he's on a quiz show, you're guaranteed a laugh or ten (the second iPad story is so funny that I think I'm permanently damaged)...

Lee Mack is easily one of the quickest wits on the planet. It's insane how fast he is...

An important part of the show is when a guest comes out and each of the three teammates say how they know this person. Only one story is true, and it's up to the other team to suss out which is the truth. It gets crazy...

Sometimes the guests have stories that are absolutely mind-blowing. And half of them are from Bob Mortimer...

There's comedians that appear which I'd never heard of before who are just beyond funny. Like poor Sam Campbell, who has deadpan down...

But the funniest bit I'd seen all day was James Acaster doing a bit on the game of "Squirt." I nearly died...

If you ever need a distraction from the horrors of life, Would I Lie You You? is the place to be.

Don't look now but the world isn't ending after all... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• AMNK! Oh look. This is my life right here...

And here's Part One...

Yeah. Just like that.

   
• This Moment! Well this was unanticipated. I had no idea that Able Heart had beautiful feel good tracks like this until it popped up in my feed...

Another artist I need to keep an eye on, it would seem.

   
• Viral! NEWSFLASH: Crucial Firefighting Plane Grounded In LA Because Of Idiot Drone Operator. Who gives a crap that homes are burning... I want footage to go viral on TikTok!

   
• SPACE! ELEVATOR! I loathe the AppleTV adaptation of Foundation, but keep coming back to this awesome scene every time I see anything about building a space elevator. It's incredibly well-done...

The trail of destruction as the cable for the space elevator falls acrss the earth is epic.

   
• Baked! Have I mentioned that I still loathe my new Whirlpool oven? After finally fixing it so it will actually work (the element was not fully seated or something), I run into new things to loathe always. In addition to the control panel layout being shit, my latest consistent source of hate is that YOU CAN'T KEEP THE DOOR OPEN WHEN BROILING! WHO THE FUCK DESIGNS AN OVEN LIKE THIS? You can't look through the window to keep watch, it isn't tall enough. You have to constantly open and close the door to look. This is fucking madness. In all my years of using an oven, including my previous Whirlpool, you could leave the door open to broil. I will never buy another shitty fucking Whirlpool appliance again. What a waste of money for something so frustrating. — Seriously thinking of welding the fucking door sensor permanently shut. But then I'd void my warranty? Lord.

   
• Spring Break! NEWSFLASH: 2 bodies found in the wheel well of a JetBlue plane in Fort Lauderdale, airline says. WTF? So... let's think this through. You stow away in a wheel well where the landing gear goes after takeoff. Assuming you can avoid getting crushed by it, you'll then reach a cruising altitude of 40,000 feet where it's freezing cold and you can't get oxygen?!? I just... what could the motivation be for something like this? "Screw New York weather, I'm going to Ft. Lauderdale!" or something? I dunno. Maybe if they didn't have someplace warm to ride out the winter this would seem like a good idea... but if this "keeps happening" it seems as though there should be some kind of sensor to tell the cockpit if there is a presence in the wheel well.

   
Until next Sunday, assuming the earth is still here.

Awww, man. In many ways, David Lynch is a genius who cannot be touched. Between Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive, Eraserhead, and even Dune... WHICH I ARGUE WAS A FANTASTIC ADAPTATION FOR THE DAY... I admire his work so much, and was sad to hear that he had died.

YouTube is not letting me embed an awesome video where David Lynch is talking about the time he met George Lucas because Lucas wanted him to direct Return of the Jedi. But it's awesome so I am giving you the link right here. Everything I love about David Lynch is encapsulated in this story. You MUST watch it. Even if you're not a fan and don't understand his work. Especially then, because it will explain why so many people are fans of his, and how it translates to what he does.

Rest in Peace, sir.

I've made it my mission today to start deep-cleaning my home because it's just gone too long without. But I won't leave my daily blog entry hanging... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• Furnishings! When I bought my home, I had less than no money. But I had to furnish it completely from scratch for two people because the stuff my mom had was all hand-me-downs that were damaged and falling apart. I ended up buying everything at IKEA because it was cheap (though I did buy the real wood "Hemnes" IKEA instead of the MDF fake wood stuff, because I needed it to last a while). With the exception of my IKEA Hemnes bed, which is a squeaky pile of shit, I'm happy with all the furniture. But it's not ideal. My dream is to learn how to make quality furniture to replace all my IKEA, but wood has just been too expensive. Maybe one day! — Anyway, this is a fascinating video which explains where we're at when it comes to furniture in America...

Yeah, I gotta learn to make my own furniture! Starting with a bed!

   
• -A45! She's not wrong. Just like America's idiotic failure to adopt the metric system, failing to adopt the A4 system is equally stupid...

I am increasingly convinced that the USA clings to stupid as a point of pride, because we do it all the time.

   
• Prophecies Unfulfilled! When Dune: Prophecy began, it had narrative and structure problems but I liked the idea of it all. For the first three episodes they felt like they were building towards something interesting, and I was intrigued enough that I was willing to overlook the flaws. Plus it was beautiful. Then the fourth episode came along and it was awful. It was so bad that it instantly negated the excitement I was trying to hold onto, and it only went downhill from there. It was so badly scripted and so boring, and by the end of it all I didn't give a shit about any of it. Everything amazing about the Denis Villeneuve Dune masterpieces was gone. I was badly disappointed. But not as disappointed as this guy...

Oh yeah, he totally nailed it. And watching this video shows me just how desperate I was to love the show that I was overlooking all the bad things about it. Until I couldn't any more with Episode 04. I hope to God that they manage to write their way out of the dud the show became in its first season, because I really want to have great Dune stories to watch.

   
• Shocking! BWAH HA HA HA HA HAAAAAA: The Vegas Tesla Loop Is A Glorified Crosswalk.

   
• Switch it Up! I bought the original Nintendo Switch the minute I could get my hands on one. I wanted a very good handheld system, and Nintendo pumps out games that are exceptional and fun. I wish I had time to use it more, but I don't, so I am not sure I'll be investing in the Switch 2. Unless there's a game for it that's super-compelling...

What we really need to see are specs. Just once I'd love for Nintendo to release something that's not woefully underpowered when compared to Xbox and PlayStation. Sure, Nintendo is smart in realizing that the game play is more important than anything else... but it's just sad that games which run beautifully on my Xbox drop to a subpar experience on my Switch. It would be different if it was only a handheld system, but it's a television console as well and really needs to be able to keep up.

   
• Climate Changed! NEWSFLASH: 2024 first year to pass 1.5C global warming limit. Online, people are laugh-reacting to this story. Guess they find the challenges and horrors that their kids and grandkids will face to be funny? — As for me? I'm done giving a shit about selfish, uneducated, ignorant, asshole humans. What I care about are the other living creatures on this planet that are facing extinction because of something they had nothing to do with.

   
• The Future is Now! Just over seven years ago, I wrote a post about guns. In this post, which got me some pushback, I said that passing gun control legislation was a stop-gap measure that was doomed to fail because technology would eventually allow people to 3D print any gun they want. Well... surprise: Americans Are Posting 3D-Printed Gun Videos to China’s RedNote With Surprising Success. This right here is what I've been talking about all this time. Banning guns in a day and age where anybody can 3-D print whatever they want in their basement is not going to solve the problem. And what happens when 3-D metal printing technology is mainstream? We need to be creative in how we address gun violence, and yet everybody continues to think old world solutions are going to work in the new world which we live. Just think about the horrors of what will be possible in another seven years. We're late on creating solutions. Soon we'll be too late, and hand-wringing has gotten us nowhere.

   
Back to house cleaning, I suppose. Ugh.

I don't know if it's Winter or Spring, but I'm setting my weather confusion aside right now... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• Snow Orleans! This should be the dead of winter where I live. But it's been sunny and warm. The snow is quickly disappearing. This will have dire consequences this Summer when we're likely facing drought conditions. But someplace that's not lacking Winter weather? NEW ORLEANS?!??

Photo taken from Louisiana Memories

Photo taken from Louisiana Memories

Photo taken from Louisiana Memories

I've been to New Orleans dozens of times in every season. I've never seen snow. It's rarely been cold, even in Winter. So I have no idea what to make of this.

   
• Unexpected Advice! I laughed way too hard and way too long at this. Genius...

I can't watch this enough times.

   
• Final Two! Aw, man. Vera has ended? I had no idea until I watched the last episodes! Brenda Blethyn is magic in the role and I will very much miss the series.

If you like British murder mystery shows, it's worth a look.

   
• FASTER! FASTER! If you've never worked in a restaurant, this is the kid of thing you have to deal with...

Funny if it's not you. Not so funny if you've got a customer screaming at you because you can't defy the laws of physics in your kitchen.

   
• Only at Night! Ya know, I was very excited for the new season of Night Agent on Netflix, but the first episode is so stupid as to be practically unwatchable. I'm no spy, yet I know not to make these many colossal mistakes he makes. It's pathetic and bad. And the main supporting character is an idiot despite being hyped up as "smart." Plus there's no Hong Chau. — The first season wasn't perfect, but it was still good television. Eventually I just skipped to the final episode and couldn't even make it through that. So disappointing.

   
• Transferrance! I've never been so crass as to pester my trans friends with invasive questions. It wouldn't even occur to me to do that because I wouldn't do that to any of my friends. Which is why it's a bit shocking to me how people think that trans persons are obligated to answer even the most private questions about personal aspects of their lives. A couple years ago a friend responded to a ridiculous question by a complete stranger by saying "I'm not comfortable talking about things like this, but here's somebody who is..." and dropped a link to Jamie (AKA Jammidodger). I ran across that video again today, and here it is...

I understand why people might be curious. I don't understand at all why people are invasive to ask weird shit.

   
• Declutter! For 2025 I've committed to tossing/donating a big chunk of my possessions. I've collected way too much stuff over the years, and my garage is packed to the rafters with things I'll likely never use. After four weekends and several carloads dispersed, I've made a noticeable dent. It's been so much work and I have a long way to go, but I will be so much happier without so much stuff cluttering my life. How did I become such a hoarder? And now that my bullets are over, guess I had better get back to it.

   
Now back to our regularly-scheduled Winter. Spring. Winter.

There will be no crying that I don't know where my weekend went... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• Well Hello Hello! If you want to escape from the horrors of the world, I love the Black Hammer Artisan YouTube channel. The two guys behind it were giving up because nobody found their videos. Then their goodbye video blew up, so now they're back! They make things with medieval blacksmithing methods and it's so zen to watch...

I hope they get a lot of support from YouTube so they can keep going.

   
• Cursives! Things like this bring a smile to my face even as the world burns to the fucking ground...

I am one of those people who thinks that cursive writing is antiquated and unnecessary. Schools need to teach more modern, relevant subjects that will actually get used. Leave cursive to art and history electives. Though this is a highly entertaining use of a dead writing style, so there's that.

   
• Evaporation Blankets! I always keep a heavy blanket in the car in case I have to help somebody or rescue an animal or something. I ordered a new blanket because the one I had was 20 years old or more and was getting a little brittle. The blanket was not cheap because I wanted something heavy enough to insulate from the ground in the cold. I finally got around to opening it and washing it... and what a disaster. The washing machine was filled with fuzz. And now I've run it through the dryer three times in an effort to get all the fuzz stuck to it to come off... and it still needs to be run again. I swear the blanket has lost half of its volume. This is stupid. Why make a blanket that can't stay together through even one washing?

   
• DOON Fumble! Of all the videos dishing on why Dune: Prophecy was a disappointment, this one is right on target...

I too hope that they recover with the second season because I want to love this series. I think they were so hot to make it be Game of Thrones that they forgot to make Dune. That needs to change.

And while we're at it...

If show runners don't want to be "shackled" to an Intellectual Property and feel the need to "do their own thing"... THEN GO DO YOUR OWN FUCKING THING AND STOP FUCKING UP BELOVED IPs!! NETWORKS NEED TO HIRE SHOW RUNNERS WHO **WANT** TO BE "SHACKLED" TO THE IP! THAT'S THE ENTIRE POINT OF CREATING A SHOW BASED ON IP!

   
• Fare Thee Well, Dream! Welp. The Sandman is done at Netflix. I mean, I'm glad that Netflix is giving the show one more season... but it being the "conclusion" of Sandman when there are loads of stories left to adapt is incredibly sad. I really, really, really wanted a Death: The High Cost of Living mini series. But nope. Neil Gaiman had to end up being a piece of shit, so now this is all there is...

Very sad to all the actors who don't deserve to have their work cut short because the creator of the source material ended up being garbage.

   
• Old is New! It's not all bad news out of Netflix. Here's a returning show that I'm really looking forward to...

Oh man do I hope it's as good an adaptation as the first season.

   
• Fresh Young! Emily left Linus Tech Tips and started her own channel... her intro is pretty great...

Young is very good at what she does, and her being trans has absolutely zero effect on her ability to do it. If people just get the fuck over themselves and just let trans persons exist, then she likely wouldn't have needed to even address it. She shouldn't have to address it. But... here we are. So many people clutching pearls over something that has no effect on them whatsoever. I wish her the best of luck.

   
And that's it for another Sunday. Time to prepare myself for a return to Real Life.

I detest watching shows on ad-laden HBO Max.

Because I know I'm going to have to endure those shitty "HAVE A LITTLE FUN!" Volkswagen ads over and over and over and OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER. This is clearly HBO ripping off Volkswagen by saying "GIVE US LOTS OF MONEY BECAUSE WE DISPLAYED YOUR AD A MILLION TIMES LAST NIGHT!" without telling Volkswagen that those million ads were served to only 50 people. I have nothing against Volkswagen, per se. But the way HBO abuses their advertising has me on the verge of HATING Volkswagen.

I'd walk into one of their dealerships, hear that song in my head, then walk right back out the door.

The movie I am watching... again... is Taking Chance.

Years ago it was mentioned as a good film to watch so as to understand why Dover Air Force Base should be open to the media to cover fallen soldiers returning home. And so I watched it. I was not prepared. I don't think you ever could be prepared to watch it. But it's such an important film that's so beautifully crafted that I think everybody should watch it...

I make a point to see it every couple years when I want to be more emotionally devastated than I already am.

Which is most days, lately.

It's a rainy post-vacation weekend, but we're all good... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• Jack is Back! God how I love Reacher. The third season just started on Amazon Prime. Alan Ritchson was born to play the part. And the fact that Amazon.com Prime Video puts the money into adapting the stories, and casting good actors, and making it look like a million bucks... well... the show is perfect. If you like action serials, you need to be checking it out...

I am beyond elated that they've already renewed the show for a fourth season. I really wish that they would shoot two series back-to-back each year and get them backlogged so we could get as many of the books shot as possible before Ritchson wants to reture from such a punishing role. Heaven only knows that Amazon can afford it. They're blowing a billion dollars on the gut-wrenchingly awful prequel series to Lord of the Rings travesty.

   
• Short Round! If you don't adore Ke Huy Quan and find joy in his renewed success after watching this, then I don't know what to say to you...

The guy just released a new movie and has four more coming up, so I guess everybody does adore him.

   
• LIES! If you know me, you know I LOVE a good advertisement. This one featuring the main three characters from The Californians (Bill Hader, Kristen Wiig, andFred Armisen) from SNL is absolutely perfect...

But it gets better... the leading comment on the video is "STOP SPREADING LIES SNL! The PCH is closed at Santa Monica due to the fires. Stuart would need to take the 5 to the 405 to the 101 then exit Kanan to reconnect to the PCH to get to Point Dume where this is filmed. WUUUUHT ERRRRR YOUUUUU DOOOING?" — Priceless. I still think the Betty White appearance at the SNL 40th Anniversary is my favorite The Californians sketches with its stacked cameos...

How awesome would it be if this was an actual limited series? Peacock needs to make it happen.

   
• Death to Pennies! President Trump has been doing a lot of heinous shit (I mean, my God), but amongst all that he said we're going to stop making pennies, which is something that should have happened over a decade ago, so okay then...

Here's CGP Grey's original video from 13 years ago on the subject, which brought me onboard killing the penny...

Now if he can do away with changing the fucking clocks twice a year and either make Daylight Saving Time permanent or, ideally, split the difference and have us Spring Forward or Fall Back a half hour... that would be great.

   
• Good Bye Miss Yvonne! Lynne Marie Stewart, best known for her role as "Miss Yvonne" on Pee-Wee's Playhouse and "Bonnie" on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, has died...

My favorite thing she's done, however, is this hilarious guest appearance on SNL writer Jimmy Fowlie's series Go-Go Boy Interrupted...

Rest in Peace... you made us laugh, and that's a gift that will never pass.

   
• Carr Ride! Look, I know that Jimmy Carr is highly problematic. That's his entire brand. You know what you're getting into when you tune in because he's never not offensive to somebody. He works hard to be offensive! That being said, the guy is a brilliant comedian if you get what he's trying to do. His latest "Heckle Amnesty" video is amazing...

What gets me is that Jimmy isn't just finding comedy at the expense others... he goes out of his way to find comedy at the expense of himself. Which is why I find him funny. No, I don't think he's as talented as people who are able to find comedy without punching down on anybody at all (Nate Bargatze is the current king in my book). But this kid is doing alright...

I gotta say... with all the punching down on the trans community by comedians, it's refreshing to find those doing the work to be inclusive. This is what laughing with a person instead of at a person looks like. Yeah, he struggles a bit to get those jokes formed because it's a new situation for him... but he's trying his best to adapt without bigotry and, to me, it seems as though he's succeeding.

   
• TransAmerican! I am trying my best to take a seat and renew my efforts to listen to what marginalized communities are facing day-to-day. I have a couple trans friends who mean a lot to me, so I've been subscribing to some trans video channels to help me to understand their lives better. In the Year of Our Lord 2025 in these United States of America, I don't get why people who contribute to society, pay their taxes, and live their life the best they can with the cards they were dealt, are actively persecuted just for existing. A lot of lies and misinformation gets peddled against trans persons, and it makes no sense to me. I guess sending unwarranted hate to others makes a good distraction to keep people from looking at what you're doing? I dunno. In any event, this is a good video to watch if you're wondering what a small group of your fellow Americans are dealing with right now...

I wish I understood how we got to where we're at.

   
Onwards and upwards...

I needed something good today.

And it doesn't get more better gooder than the new trailer for Andor Season 02. No joke. The first season is not just some of the best Star Wars ever made... it's actually some of the best television ever made. Period.

It's dropping April 22, and here's the trailer...

This series is such a gift. That it will end this final season by leading directly into Star Wars: Rogue One (another favorite Star Wars thing I love) is just the icing on the cake.

I may be feeling nauseous and very close to puking on my keyboard, but the internet must go on... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• Deli Bro! I think the reason I'm sick is because working non-stop has finally caught up to me. And so... instead of cleaning my pit of a house, I spent yesterday laying on the couch watching Deli Boys on Hulu. The first episode is available on YouTube, but I don't know for how long...

I loved the show. Which means it'll get canceled. Don't know why I bother getting invested in television any more. None of them seem to be given a chance to find an audience and grow. Like Amazon just canceling The Recruit.

   
• Hot Bill! =sigh= Bill Murray always fires on all cylinders. And he's in true form on Hot Ones... a show I'm flabbergasted he wanted to appear on. But I'm so glad he did...

Is the guy ever not funny? I doubt it.

   
• Fraud! I am begging y'all to freeze your credit reports at the Big Three: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. It may be a pain (especially at Equifax, may they burn in hell for all eternity) but it is a vital protection. I just received an email from BECU telling me that they were "unable to approve your application"... and the email headers say it's from the actual BECU, not a scammer. This is the third time this year somebody has tried to credit fraud me. By having your reports frozen at all three places, new credit can't be established in your name. You will, however, have to un-freeze if you decide to open a new credit card or get a loan. You can read about how to do it here at USA.gov.

   
• Goin' with the Moen Flo! When I had to get my water shut off valve replaced, I went for a “smart” valve that would allow me to remotely shut off my water when I’m away and automatically shut off my water if a pipe bursts. But it also monitors water usage. And it’s pretty good. It can distinguish between a short flush and long flush for the toilet. It can tell me how much water is spent washing clothes and dishes (my dishwasher uses a ridiculously low amount of water). But it’s also misreading stuff, because I’ve not turned on my irrigation or my hose, don’t take baths, and I have a quick shower every morning but it’s not seeing it always...

Guess it’s still learning? Apparently it keeps getting smarter over time. Unlike "Apple Intelligence."

   
• Silly Goose! On one hand, it's nice to know that geese care more about the people in their life than my cats do. On the other hand, this is kinda a cruel trick to play on the poor things...

Jake would just crawl on top of me and go to sleep. Jenny would start meowing at me for food.

   
• What a Drag! I haven't played Dungeons & Dragons for decades. But I still like to watch play from time to time, usually on YouTube. And YouTube knows this, which is why it recommended a show called Dungeons and Drag Queens...

And these aren't any random unknown queens either. Bob, Monét X Change, Jujubee, and Alaska(!) are all top-tier queens! Very cool. And this is season two! I missed the whole first season.

   
• YOU GET LESS MONEY AND YOU GET LESS MONEY... EVERYBODY GETS LESS MONEY! I just finished my taxes! And despite the fact that I had to pay out thousands upon thousands of dollars for eye surgeries, I'm getting less money back than last year. But surely that will change now, won't it? It's hard to tell. Back in October the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy released a A Distributional Analysis of Donald Trump’s Tax Plan and it comes out looking like this...

And I was like "Oh thank God!" I was worried for a minute that my taxes wouldn't increase so that millionaires and billionaires can have more money. Turns out I was worrying for no reason, because it looks like more taxes for the majority of Americans is totally what's going to happen! Maybe. This could all change, just like the tariffs have been. But if it does end up being true, hey, at least groceries are cheaper! Oh... wait a minute...

   
And now I need a nap. Blogging really takes it out of you.

I may not be at home, but I'm still tossing bullets aplenty... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• Cinematic Apathy! Simon Stålenhag is a brilliant, brilliant writer/artist who has crafted some of the most amazing books you'll ever see. The Electric State is a beautifully dark and haunting tale where every illustration looks like it belongs in a museum. The Russo Brothers, whose Avengers movies are genius, made a boring, safe adaptation that completely misses the point (on Netflix). It's awful, even though the source material is phenomenal still...

Even if it were a completely new movie that was an original work it would be awful.

   
• Qualls! This is easily one of the best Hollywood interviews I’ve ever seen...

What a fascinating guy.

   
• Port of Seattle! I’ve been saying for decades that SeaTac Airport (AKA Seattle-Tacoma Airport) is one of the shittiest airports in the world, even on the Federal level at Border Control. As you can see here. The airport is busted, nonsensical, inconvenient, and prioritizes space for businesses over space and comfort for passengers. I am filled with dread every time I fly out of the shithole. And I’m filled with embarrassment whenever visitors have to use it.

   
• Found On The Internet Part 7,365,411! I could use this award almost daily...

And so could you if you read this blog daily!

   
• Reagan?! I'll just put these videos here for no particular reason...

No reason at all.

   
• Lumon Terminal Pro! BWAH HA HA HAAAA! If you're watching Severance on AppleTV+, then Apple's latest computer may interest you...

   
• Vaccinate! I feel bad that anybody suffers the consequences of science-denial... it's all programming and ignorance... but I feel even more terrible that their children have to suffer with them. Because Jesus Christ...

Your God gave us vaccines, but here you are... wanting your child to die instead of accepting a literal miracle that was handed to you.

   
See you on the other side of the mountains. One of these days.

Ooh! Spring is finally here! But am I going outside to enjoy it? No... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• Stuck on You! Betty White's social media advertised that the US Postal Service tribute stamp to her was finally released. As my favorite celebrity of all time, of course I wasted no time heading to the USPS website to buy a sheet and also get the cancelation release...

Note the paw print earring. I also picked up some of the Keith Harring "Love" stamps which I had no idea existed.

   
• Close to You! Okay. First of all... how could you have never heard Karen Carpenter before? Second of all... I wish I could erase my memories of Karen Carpenter's phenomenal voice so I was able to hear her for the first time again...

What's interesting is searching YouTube for this topic. There are a LOT of reaction videos. And all of them go about how you think they would. If you've never heard Karen Carpenter with the music stripped away... you need to do that.

   
• Tariffs, Anyone? Aerogarden is shutting down, so their hydroponic systems are on sale for half price in a variety of places. I had one at my old place and loved being able to have fresh herbs available... but it broke when I moved.

So I just bought two of them (they only seem to have the small 6-pod units left @ $60, though I'm told they can be had for $50)...

I also bought a boat-load of seed pods (third party, because the Aerogarden has always been crazy expensive). Given how groceries aren't going to get cheaper any time soon... or ever, given how much of our food is grown in Mexico or harvested in the US by migrant workers who are getting deported... I need to do what I can to afford to make meals I love more affordable. Cilantro, which I eat a ton of, has reached $1.70 a bunch. Parsley $2 a bunch. Basil $3 a package. Thyme $3 a package. Jalapeños are 50¢ each. Butter lettuce is $4 a head. It goes on and on.

My $120 Aerogarden investment plus cheap seed pods will end up paying for itself in under a year. Now I'm considering growing my own tomatoes, tomatillos, cucumbers, and peppers outside to save money. The problem is that I work so much I won't be able to tend to them as they need. I dunno. I should try and find a way, because holy shit is eating expensive.

   
• Nice Beaver! Yeah, baby beavers are about as cute as it gets. Around the 90-second mark you can really hear them crying and squeaking. My heart. The total video is 10-1/2 minutes long, and the babies are just in the first two minutes, but you'll want to watch it all...

Half the video was a beaver eating avocado and beaver chow. I couldn't stop watching.

   
• License to Kill... A Studio! So I don't get accused of misogyny by hammering away at another incompetent female movie exec (the first being LucasFilm's Kathleen Kennedy) I'm going to let a woman do it in this video (oh man how I love Nerd Cookies!)...

But I am going to chime in and say "Amazon Prime Video... WHAT. THE. FUCK. TOOK. YOU. SO. LONG?!?" Jennifer Salke made so many moronic and expensive mistakes that it's beyond shocking she lasted this long. Usually you have to be a straight white man to get a pass on being this bad at your job. Hopefully Amazon will get their shit together and hire somebody who knows what the fuck they're doing and take advantage of their many amazing IPs. Because MGM deserves better.

   
• M'Baku to the Future! The Avengers: Doomsday cast announcement video was fun, I guess. But the only addition that truly made me want to happy-dance was Winston Duke as M'Baku. Don't care about the X-Men, but I've wanted a Disney+ M'Baku series since we've had Disney+, and it boggles my mind we haven't gotten one yet...

No Daredevil. No Moon Knight. No Blade. No Eternals. No Marvels. No Spider-Man?!? Strange. Oh... and no Doctor Strange?!?

   
• U-S-A! U-S-A! Thank heavens anti-vaxers and RFK are intent on bringing back preventable diseases by presenting misinformation about vaccines! The companies who makes iron lungs could use the business after the polio vaccine was developed and wiped out a need for their product. To get a look at what future generations of Americans may be in for, here's an interesting (but sad) look...

I remain absolutely floored at how anti-science rhetoric and "alternate facts" are fucking up this country. And I'm mortified that kids who have no say in getting vaccinated are going to pay the price for it.

   
And, on that happy note, I'm going to go enjoy this fine (albeit a bit overcast) Spring day... by cleaning my house.

Today's post was supposed to be shitty companies who use AI photos for their products who then ship you crap that doesn't match the image of what they sold you... but I just finished watching The Residence on Netflix, and cannot shut up about it.

I cannot fathom this series dropping out of my top five favorite shows of 2025. And I'm dying to see more of "The World's Greatest Detective," Cordelia Cupp, and hope we get a second season. And a third. And a tenth...

They apparently built the largest, most accurate set of The White House ever constructed, but it's more than that. They did some incredible doll-house shots that I found myself rewinding and re-watching again and again. These scenes are alive with people moving through it, and are incredible to behold...

And while I adore absolutely every last person in this phenomenal cast, the dynamic between Uzo Aduba and Randall Park is mind-blowing. How? How did they manage to figure this out when casting? And while I am profoundly sad that the amazing Andre Braugher died and had to be replaced in a major role, I have to say Giancarlo Esposito did such a remarkable job. Different than his usual characters. A beautiful performance really. I love, love, love this show.

WELL WORTH YOUR VALUABLE TIME! Thank you Shondaland for this exceptional show!

Spring cleaning may be in full effect, but I'm not letting that be my entire day... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• Genius! Hearing that Val Kilmer has died was a real hit. I know that he's most famous for his roles in Tombstone, Batman Forever, and Top Gun and the like, but it's his earliest work in Top Secret! and Real Genius that I loved the guy for. Especially in Real Genius, because that role was a terribly fine line to walk. Had to be deadpan-serious while being hilarious. Had to be a genius while being relatable. Had to be aloof without being a fool. And he had to have enough emotional depth for a serious conversation that the entire movie hinged on. He made it look effortless. WARNING: This trailer inexplicably summarizes the entire film and spoils absolutely everything. If you haven't seen Real Genius I am begging you to watch the film before watching this...

I can't even guess how many times I've watched this movie. It is one of my favorites of all time. And it lead to my becoming a massive Val Kilmer fan. Rest in Peace, sir.

   
• DEATH TO NICKELS! Politicians who actually want to save money, instead of just pretending they are by lying about it, may want to ake a look at this video...

Look, I'm not advocating for a cashless society. I think that cash needs to exist because it takes money away from credit card companies and banks and puts it back into the cash registers of the retailers. It also ensures that people who can't get credit are able to make purchases. What I am saying is that cash needs to make some fucking sense. The system we have now absolutely does not. Kill the penny and the nickel and round to the nearest 10 cents. It'll all even out in the end.

   
• Not Your Average Television Series! I'm late to the party on Netflix's Adolescence, but holy crap is it riveting television. I am so accustomed to most child actors being pretty bad (with many being truly awful) that I never know how to react when there's one who is this exceptional in the role. The young actor playing the lead, Owen Cooper, is mind-blowingly good. How did they find him? Every episode is shot in just one take. And if that's the case... they not only had to find a kid who can carry the emotional weight of a very difficult part, but he had to be able to memorize all his dialog? HE WAS FOURTEEN YEARS OLD WHEN THIS WAS SHOT! THERE ARE ADULTS WHO CAN'T DO THIS!

Highest possible recommendation if you haven't seen it yet. Even the poster is frickin' perfect...

I'm now obsessed with how they managed to make this series. How long did the actors have to work on memorizing their dialogue? How much rehearsal was there? How did they map out these insanely complex shots? This is more orchestrated than a ballet! I can only imagine that there HAD to be some kind of improvisation going on that allowed the actors to inhabit their roles so if there was a bit of a screwup it wouldn't ruin a take. I've got one last episode left and am afraid of spoilers or else I would be Googling all these questions.

UPDATE: The final episode was not what I thought it would be, but one of the most important parts of the story. This will easily make my best television series of 2025 and should seriously be mandatory viewing for kids to watch with their parents. Mostly as a warning. But partly to show consequences for your actions extend beyond you.

   
• More Television to Love? THEY MADE A SERIES OUT OF THE MURDERBOT DIARIES?!??? ZOMG!

Thank you, AppleTV+!

   
• Three for Three? To me Star Trek, as a franchise, has been in the toilet for ages. The only thing I've really liked after The Original Series were a few Original Series movies, Lower Decks, and the first season of Discovery (which was phenomenal before turning to total shit). And then came Strange New Worlds, which I've been enjoying even more than The Original Series, which is unreal. And now we're at Season 03, which is looking every bit as good as the previous two...

It is boldly refreshing that the people currently in charge of Star Trek actually know what makes the concept work... but aren't afraid to push it into new directions.

   
• Still Standing! Need a distraction from the horrors of reality? This is a lovely little story...

In a day and age when small businesses are struggling, it's nice to see stories of some that are managing to push through.

   
• It's really difficult to not be a fan of Giancarlo Esposito. He seems like an incredibly nice guy that just happens to also be an amazingly talented actor. I'm really glad that he's being given such a wide variety of acting roles because if you saw him in The Residence, you know that he's more than the villains he's played...

I haven't seen Captain America: Brave New World yet, but I'm sure he was good in that as well.

   
• Lying for Dollars! I absolutely loathe these "food health experts" who have no idea what they're talking about. Or, even worse, they know, but tell lies anyway. Just look at this ignorant asshole spreading misinformation and bullshit about fucking teabags for clicks...

If all food everywhere is so terrible, then just eat shit! Eat your own shit! Because at least then you'd know it's "organic and healthy" and will fit your idiotic narrative of bullshit and lies.

   
And now for that final episode of Adolescence. Until next Bullet Sunday then.

Hold onto your Easter bonnet... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• Home Video! I was going to buy Captain America: Brave New World because I haven't seen it. But the price is THIRTY FUCKING DOLLARS? Are Disney and Marvel Studios out of their damn minds? THIRTY?!? Well, guess I'm waiting until a sale to watch it. Wonder if Disney+ will stream it for free before then or before I remember? I swear... the clueless morons in charge of these studios bitch about how they didn't make enough money in the theater for whatever reason... then charge an amount nobody will pay so they will instead stream it for free so then they can bitch about how they didn't make any money from home video sales? Get fucked, dumbasses. THIRTY DOLLARS?!?

   
• Baby Shark! I love videos of people taking time to be kind to creatures of this earth...

And now Baby Shark is going through my head. Not fair.

   
• Potato! Poppy Cooks finally released The Potato Book. As a vegetarian, the potato is an invaluable part of my diet and finding new ways to cook them is always a plus...

There's plenty of recipes with meat, but enough meat-free options and idea to make it worthwhile.

   
• In Today's News! ISPs and robocallers love the FCC plan to “delete” as many rules as possible — Oh yay! I think what we're all hoping for is more text spam and robocall spam! Thank God we now have an FCC giving Americans exactly what they dream of! Who the fuck thinks this is a good idea?

   
• Here Comes Kayla! I loved the first season of Hacks at HBO Max. Hated the second season. It was a meandering mess that felt like absolutely nobody knew what the heck they were doing or where they were going. Then the third season recovered nicely. I loved it more than the first. They had a clear direction and each episode moved towards it beautifully. And now the fourth season just started. It's delicious. I hope they don't drag everything back to the status quo too quickly so it can marinate for a while. I mean, yeah, I know that a common foe will have to manifest to return to where we were because that's how these things go... but how brave would the show be if the conflict ran the whole season? That might be interesting!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I will go back to praying for Kayla to get run over by a fucking bus. Her character isn't funny. It's a never-ending distraction that goes too far over the top in every damn scene and any time she's doing her stupid shit I marvel that every other character seems to be handled with care to make sure there's some grounding to be had, but Kayla's just in outer space being an idiot 24/7. How does that help the show? Nobody in the history of the world would hire this fucking zero, let alone make her a partner. Every time I think something genius is going on in the writer's room... HERE COMES KAYLA! Lord.

   
• Six Days And Counting! If you've been eyeing Plex as you home media server, you may want to buy their lifetime pass at $120 before it over doubles in price...

This is what I use and have had a lifetime pass for many years. Just be sure the features of the lifetime pass are something you really need before investing the cash.

   
• Always Take a Screenshot! I have wanted a Le Creuset Dutch Oven for decades. But they're always so incredibly expensive (even on sale) that I just can't afford it. The price has gone from $340 to $390 over the years. I have no idea what the tariffs will be for France in 90 days, so when I saw the 4.5-quart of my dreams for $276 total including tax and free shipping (it's even the red one to match my kitchen!) I pounced on it. I don't have the money, but it's the cheapest I've ever seen it. Placed my order at Bed Bath & Beyond. Their order screen with free shipping said $275.94... their ApplePay screen weirdly said $253.79 (that's the price not including tax). So I foolishly assumed I would be charged $275.94. Silly me... I was actually charged $300.36! AND... there's NO WAY TO GET MY ORDER DETAILS TO KNOW WHY! Clicking on "Order Details" doesn't tell you anything. So... that's what... $24? $25? difference? Yes. That's $90 less than the usual cost, but I want to pay what I was told it would cost me!

I screenshot absolutely everything when I order stuff now-a-days, because this seems to happen a lot. Everybody should screenshot their order process because you pretty much have to.

So anyway... a half hour on the phone with Bed Bath & Beyond Customer Service and I'm offered store credit?!? Oh hell no. I WANT TO PAY THE PRICE I WAS TOLD I'D BE PAYING... CREDIT THAT OVERCHARGE BACK TO MY CREDIT CARD, BECAUSE I DOUBT I WILL EVER SHOP WITH THIS SCAM COMPANY EVER AGAIN. I honest-to-God do not understand how this is even remotely legal. Charging more money than you say you're charging? How does that even happen? Isn't that theft? I don't give a crap about why something went wrong. I don't. It should not take A HALF HOUR to get this resolved. I HAVE THE RECEIPTS! And what would have happened if I hadn't taken screenshots to prove this was a scam? What if I hadn't noticed I was overcharged? I guess I could have canceled the order... but come on. Just charge the price I was told. This is not rocket science.

Is this an issue for the Better Business Bureau? No idea. But I tell you what... I should receive compensation for the time I wasted trying to resolve their mistake. This call should have been me saying "I was overcharged and have the receipts to prove it." And them saying "Sorry to hear that, I will credit the overcharge back to your card immediately, then I will insist that this gets looked into, because we don't want to charge people more money that we say we're charging them... that would be illegal."

   
You may now resume eating eggs.

Star Wars, as a franchise, is something I love... even when it's bad. Though there's precious few things that I actually consider "bad," because there's always something cool or interesting to be found. I positively loathe The Phantom Menace, but loved the pod racing and ship designs. I also loathed Attack of the Clones, but loved the chase of Sam Wessell in the opening and everything to do with Obi-Wan's story. I thought Return of the Jedi was a massive step down from The Empire Strikes Back, but the big space battle and duel between Luke and Vader were amazing.

Things get more complicated after that, especially with the television series.

The Obi-Wan series should have been a home run. It stars one of my favorite actors, Ewan McGregor, and he is indeed phenomenal in the lead role. And Darth Vader too? Sign me up! But the story was so weak. Not deserving of the character that McGregor made me care about so much.

Ahsoka began as one of my most-hated characters, but once they had her start growing up and getting rid of the annoying sidekick idiocy with "Sky Guy" (Anakin Skywalker) she quickly became on of the best characters in the entirety of Star Wars. And then... then... they cast Rosario Dawson in the role! Her guest appearances in The Mandalorian were too good to be true. So how excited was I for her own self-titled series, Ahsoka? Very. And while the casting and performance and effects were all great, they saddled her with a story which wasn't really her own. It was so jam-packed with other characters that it felt as if she was a guest-star in her own show. Why not just call it Rebels? And then there were positively silly moments that sank it for me... like that crazy spacewalk scene where she battled star fighters. JUST SHOOT THE SHIP!

But oh well. I still enjoyed Ahsoka... it just could have been so much better.

Then, at the other end of the spectrum is the Star Wars television shows I love. The first two seasons of The Mandalorian were good to great. I loved Skeleton Crew, even though I was pre-disposed to hating it because I thought it was just going to be a bunch of bratty kids hanging around Jude Law. Nope! Brilliant Star Wars.

But the pinnacle for me is Andor. The first season was not just some of the best Star Wars ever made... it was one of the best television shows ever made. Period. Very close to one of my favorite things ever, The Empire Strikes Back.

And here comes the second (and sadly, last) season...

Based on the first three episodes alone, I'm guessing that it will end up overtaking Empire for me. It's THAT good...

There's a single line delivered near the end of the third episode which will haunt me for a long, long time. You can't say that about a lot of the stuff you see.

I'll withold my comments until a while after the series airs because I don't want to ruin it for anybody. But, dang... if you're not watching, you should be. Even if you don't care much for Star Wars.

This may be the 900th installment of Bullet Sunday, but the bullets are as fresh as ever... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• The Devil of Hell's Kitchen! I've been ridiculously busy and didn't manage to get past Episode 02 of Daredevil: Born Again until today. When I binged the entire rest of the series. It was better than I had even hoped. Came very close to eclipsing Hawkeye as my favorite Marvel Studios television series. What's surprising is how they managed to keep it as dark and edgy and its Netflix beginnings while toning it down just enough to fit under the Disney+ banner. I thought they would ruin what they had, but they pulled it off...

Highest possible recommendation. Like Hawkeye, they were beautifully source-material accurate. And between Charlie Cox's pained portrayal of Matt Murdock and Vincent D'Onofrio's intense take on Wilson Fisk, the series couldn't help but be good (and lest we forget Ayelet Zurer's deliciously cold and ruthless turn as Vanessa Fisk!). The great story just sealed the deal. I'm betting the second half in the second season (currently in production) will tie things up with a heck of a bang. Here's hoping that Disney has a plan for the Devil of Hell's Kitchen after that.

   
• Papal! Just throwing this out there...

I was baptized in the Catholic Church. And I am a man. Apparently that's all the qualification I need...

One thing's for certain. If I were Pope, priests and nuns who assault people, particularly children, would have no place to hide.

   
• Niamos! The Official Star Wars YouTube Channel has officially released a one hour video of Mon Mothma dancing to that absolute banger of a track from the end of Andor Season 02E03...

Now... if you haven't seen the episode, you have no idea what's happening, why she's dancing, or just how brilliant this series is. What happened just before the dance started will haunt me for a very long time. If you're not watching Andor, you are missing one of the best TV shows of all time... Star Wars or no Star Wars.

   
• Worth Fighting For! It's one thing to have read the infamous NSFW South Park letter. It's quite another to have the incomparable Matt Berry read it live...

I will never be able to see Matt Berry and not be mad that What We Do In The Shadows was canceled.

   
• Industry! Earlier this week Variety, whose bread and butter is covering the entertainment industry, had a headline of this: "Sinners" has amassed $61 million in its global debut. It's a great result for an original, R-rated horror film, yet the Warner Bros. release has a $90 million price tag before global marketing expenses, so profitability remains a ways away. This headline this early is blatantly manipulative and an obvious attempt to define a narrative which supports big budgets exclusively for IP-based films. Fortunately, Variety was immediately and rightfully called out on it. And one particular source caught my eye...

Bravo. And, just an FYI, as of this writing Sinners has a global box office of $121,726,427. With stellar reviews, great press, Ryan Coogler's fan following, and some serious momentum, The movie will, at the very least, break even at the box office. Then any home-video sales and streaming rights will be gravy. This movie will very obviously hit profitability, and the fact that Variety's shitty headline didn't bother to wait before questioning it's ability to get there is very, very telling. They aren't covering the entertainment industry... they're attempting to influence the entertainment industry. The question becomes why? Conclusions are pretty easy to draw, but the important take-away from all this is that no media is safe from having an agenda. Never have been. The difference is that now they're blatantly obvious about it.

   
• DOOM! Just an FYI... Avengers: Doomsday starts filming tomorrow.

   
See you at Bullet Sunday No. 901.

I'm not exactly sure why I'm taking time to fire off some bullets given how much stuff I have to get done today, but here we are... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• The Hawk! I had just finished rewatching Hawkeye, easily my favorite Disney+ Marvel Studios series, and was commenting how I wanted a second season so badly. Then this happened...

Well, shit. The guy was literally a part of billions of dollars in profit for Disney, and they want to pay him half of what he got for the first season? It's beyond shitty that this is how he was treated. Especially given how brilliant his series was.

   
• Unkerned! What is it with all these letter kerning crimes against humanity? This is atrocious. The Catholics couldn't get a designer for a tomb THIS important to them?

Literally "FR A NCISC VS" on that marker.

   
• Use The Force! Oh yeah, before I forget... May The 4th Be With You today!

Every once in a while I wonder what the world would be like if Star Wars never happened. It's honestly impossible to imagine. So much of sci-fi hinges on this one film. Sure there was the Star Trek TV series that came before it, but that was seen as a failure at the time (kept alive only by force of will from Lucille Ball and Desilu Studios). It was Star Wars that redefined what it means to be a blockbuster, and paved the way for so much of the science fiction we ended up getting. Sure, there might have been some other sci-fi movie that filled the void that the absence of Star Wars would have left... but I cannot even fathom what it might have looked like.

   
• Five Year Mission! And speaking of Star Trek... whenever I find an ad that I willingly want to watch, it makes me loathe bad ads even more. This ad is gold, and I love that the actors were game to do it...

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is the show that basically sells itself with its genius (and I cannot wait for the upcoming season), but it's nice to know that when they have to sell it they're trying to be interesting about it.

   
• Construction! Oh man. If you like carpentry, watching an American-style house get built by a Japanese carpenter is your new bliss...

I'm not saying that the final result is the design direction I would have taken... but the artistry that was involved in creating this incredible structure can't be denied. What a cool video.

   
• Elevation! Here's what's possible when you don't hand over the bulk of your country's GDP to the industrial complex that supplies your war machine...

It's proposed that the 2026 Military budget will be increased to $1 TRILLION DOLLARS. It's so absurd how modern warfare has changed so radically when it comes to how battles are fought, yet we're still throwing money into building this vast military force like it's the 1980's. I don't get it. I really don't. A trillion dollars?!? And we've got $92 million going to go into a fucking military parade on the president's birthday? What the fuck?

I mean, when you think about it, this is hardly surprising. But we're cutting NPR and PBS funding for this senseless crap? Seriously? We're cutting childhood cancer research for this shit? THIS?!?

   
• NEWS: CDC reports 216 children died this flu season, the most in 15 years — Congratulations anti-vaxers... things are looking up for you! Just think of how successful your campaign will be now that RFK is championing your cause! Maybe you'll go from hundreds of child deaths in 2025 to thousands in 2026! I mean, that's what you want, isn't it? That's the goal?

   
Not exactly sure how to wrap this up after delving into childhood cancer and easily avoidable child deaths. So... see you next week. I guess?

Yesterday I watched the latest batch of Star Wars: Andor episodes and wondered for the millionth time how Tony Gilroy managed to get this series past Disney. Heck, how did he even manage to get it past the Lucasfilm division of Disney?

The 12-episode second (and final) season of Andor is being released in four 3-episode chunks, each taking place one year after the previous chunk as it leads directly into Star Wars: Rogue One (which is the prelude to the very first Star Wars movie, A New Hope).

And this latest chunk? The third of four chunks? No spoilers, but...

Unbelievably phenomenal. You'd be forgiven if you thought things couldn't get better than the previous chunk... because how could you possibly know? Then all this happens.

The first episode, Episode 07, starts out a bit slow. A surprisingly leisurely pace given that we're past the half-way point and should be escalating towards the finish line. But then Episode 08 grabs you by the throat and slaps you across the face. Hard. Then it ends. At which point Episode 09 slams into gear, not giving you a chance to catch your breath.

I'm going to restrain myself talking about the series until a few weeks after it's all over because I don't want to spoil it for anybody. All I will say are these three things...

1. Andor deserves to win all the Emmy Awards. All of them. Writing. Directing. Acting. Design. Effects. Costumes. Music. Whatever. There's no other show that's doing what Andor is doing and, even if they were, nobody is doing it like Andor is doing it. If the show isn't at least getting a nomination in all categories for which it's eligible, then the Emmys mean nothing.
2. The show's greatness is that you don't have to have seen any other Star Wars show to enjoy it. There's a complete story being told here. But if you're a massive Star Wars fan, you're seriously rewarded. If you've watched the cartoons and read the books and played the games and followed the stories, your mind will be reeling with every episode. The entire time I'm watching, my brain is thinking "Oh... while this is happening, this person is doing this and that person is doing that!" or even "Holy crap! This character is at the same location at the same time as that character!" And then "ZOMG! Right after this happened, THIS happens!" It goes on and on. For those into Star Wars, there are inconsistencies that pop up of course, but Andor is the gift that keeps on giving because it's all going on at the same time as so much is going on.
3. But it's more than that. This series makes you recontextualize everything you think you know about Star Wars. And it does so while making complex scenarios so beautifully accessible. I cannot fathom how they will manage to top this, but I seriously hope that somebody at Disney is filling a dump truck with cash to back up to Tony Gilroy's house and offering him whatever he wants to continue with more Star Wars projects.

And so, yeah, if you're not watching... what in the heck are you waiting for? These are the droids you're looking for.

I'm in the middle of cleaning my filthy house, but rushing through a few things I saw this week seems inevitable... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• New Old! The Old Guard (on Netflix) is one of the best comic book adaptations of all time. I was thrilled we were getting a sequel. Though I was really hoping to get back-to-back sequels, darnit...

Now if only we could get a sequel to Atomic Blonde.

   
• 97%! Has anybody seen the 2023 Hulu movie BlackBerry? It's insane. It's just insane! I knew quite a bit about the rise and fall of BlackBerry, but seeing it told like this is nuts. This movie has a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 97%... NINETY-SEVEN-PERCENT... and I've never even heard of it!

First of all, Glenn Howerton is remarkable. Frickin' DENNIS from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is remarkable. I had no idea he was even capable of this kind of performance. Just watch it and marvel at a good story told exceptionally well.

   
• Shoot the Moon! I recently saw this image of the true distance from earth to the moon, as taken by the OSIRIS-REx probe at around 3,181,420 miles away from Earth...

This is very cool, because most people think that the moon is quite close to the earth. Good thing for us it isn't, or we'd be in a serious gravity-related nightmare.

   
• First Love! Wait. I've watched this video for a song I love by Father Tiger dozens of times. And I am just now noticing... IS THAT NOAH CENTINEO?!? (not in the thumbnail, in the video). Pretty sure it is...

I remain pissed that The Recruit was canceled. Centineo was exceptional in it.

   
• Money! If the government was actually interested in saving American taxpayer dollars instead of padding the wallet of its biggest doner...

We keep being told about all the billions of dollars that's being saved. So where is it? Where has that money gone? Anyone? Anyone?

   
• Science! Just in case, you know, the God-given miracle of mRNA vaccines is not yet understood, here you go.

   
• Renaissance! The only season of The White Lotus that I enjoyed was the first one. Everything since has just been a boring slog that doesn't have a worthwhile payoff. That being said, the opening credits and theme song are pretty great. This rendition of Renaissance is pretty great...

That vocalist just went for it, and it was a joy to watch.

   
Back to cleaning my home. Dangit.

I may be back from a few days vacation and mentally preparing myself to return to work, but the bullets cannot be stopped... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• Andor! The first thing I did after getting home from vacation was take a nap. I had been up for 23 hours and needed sleep. The second thing I did? Watch the final three episodes of Andor...

And, yes, this is officially the best thing to ever come out of Star Wars in my humble opinion. So as not to spoil anything, I'll wait a while before breaking down my thoughts (and I do have them). Suffice to say that you should watch this. Whether you're a Star Wars fan or not.

   
• Murdery Goodness! The second thing I watched? Murderbot on AppleTV+. I was surprised that they are deviating from the excellent source material like they are... but I don't hate it. The show is just a separate thing. Not always in a bad way. Especially with the opening credits, which looks like it was made with dolls...

I can see where some diehard fans of the books will not like it, but I still think it's worth a watch.

   
• Super! The final Superman trailer has dropped...

This looks so good. I may actually end up in the theater for this one.

   
• Blast From the Past! Something that got brought to my attention... somebody has an old Blogography Bad Monkey hat for sale on eBay...

Wasn't expecting that! And $25... I think I sold them for half that?

   
• Duke's! If you think that I went all the way to Honolulu, Hawai‘i and didn't have lunch at Duke's, just like the good ol' days, you don't know me at all...

That Falafel Sandwich was ever so dreamy!

   
• Puka Dog! If you think that I went all the way to Honolulu, Hawai‘i and didn't grab a Puka Dog, just like the good ol' days, you don't know me at all...

I mean, yeah, it's called "Hula Dog" outside of Kauai now, but it's still a delicious veggie Puka Dog.

   
• Maters! When I got home, I noticed that tomatoes were starting to grow on my AeroGarden. At last...

I'm still not convinced that AeroGarden is feasible for anything but herbs, but here we are.

   
And now? Back to my post-vacation blues.

HBO... also known as "Home Box Office" to people like me who grew up with it... started as a premium channel that you could add to your cable subscription package for an additional fee. It offered movies, specials, and other stuff at a time before VHS video tapes existed. The concept was hugely successful, and so other premium channels followed... Showtime... Cinemax... The Movie Channel... and more.

Over the years HBO has kept up with the times by having a streaming on-demand channel, which was originally called "HBO Now." They also had a version of this for their cable subscribers called "HBO Go." But, in the end, no matter where you went to consume their content, it was still HBO.

But then everything got rolled together and became "HBO Max."

And then something remarkable happened.

HBO, one of the most recognized brands in existence, decided to call themselves "Max."

I have no idea what dumbfuck came up with the idea to bury such a well-known brand by dropping the actual branding from the brand... but it was one of the stupidest advertising decisions I've ever seen. Companies would kill for the brand recognition that HBO had developed over the past 50+ years. They'd kill for it.

And HBO just threw it away.

When I got back from vacation on Saturday I saw a news story which said that "Max" was going to rebrand as "HBO Max" again, because people didn't seem to know what the fuck "Max" was. Which is why I never referred to it as "Max" ever. I always called it "HBO Max" because that way people actually know what the fuck I'm talking about.

I understand better than most that sometimes difficult decisions have to be made and the people in charge have to bite the bullet and make it for better or worse. But you'd think... you'd really think... that they would at least try to educate themselves about the decisions they make to keep from having a painfully obvious fuck-up. Especially when millions of dollars are at stake. "Brand recognition" is not some abstract concept. And anybody who's in charge of making decisions for a company at such a high level as HBO branding should fucking understand that concept.

But they didn't, and HBO paid the price.

Now they're trying to roll back this laughably catastrophic decision in an attempt to salvage the brand that they tossed in the trash.

Well, good luck with that.

Fortunately for them there were people like me who were ignoring their whole "Max" fiasco and keep the brand alive on their behalf (and I'm not alone... a lot of people and media outlets continued to call it "HBO" long after it had been rebranded). The problem for HBO (or, more accurately, their owner, Warner Bros. Discovery) are people during the past two years who don't know what the fuck "HBO" is because they've ever known the service as "Max."

And don't even get me started on the fifty buckets of stupid that is the name "Warner Bros. Discovery." Jesus. Who the fuck gives a shit about Discovery? Why rename your entire company to add something that has ridiculously poor brand recognition? The channel is still "Discovery" so what the fuck does that have to do with Warner Bros.?!? God... I just... HEY, DUMBASSES, I CAN CONSULT WITH YOUR BRANDING FOR FAR LESS MONEY THAT YOU'RE LOSING WITH ALL THESE SHITTY DECISIONS! CALL ME!