I'm too tired to blog, but I'm committed to the madness... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...
• Crashing Down? Does anybody want to buy some $BlogographyCoin cheap? It's the best crypto out there, and I'm letting people who worship me to get in on the ground floor, because this is sure to be an investment that skyrockets! Sink all your retirement into crypto because it's the investment that can't fail!
• Oh She Young! Sharing this for no reason at all...
Yep. Nope. No reason.
• Cringe Story! Some comedians can pull from experience in a way that should make other comedians jealous...
@notnicksimmons Throwback to the most awkward cringe story of my life that reverberates in my head. #standup #standupcomedy #funny #storytime ♬ original sound - Nick Simmons
Guess I need to see if there's more material out there by this guy that's worth watching.
• NEWSFLASH: Pasta at Twice the Price? Some Italian Producers Face Huge U.S. Tariffs. If I could find bronze-extruded, slow-dried pasta that was American made... then great. Happy to buy it if the quality is good. But I ain't going to buy shitty American teflon-extruded, rapid-flash-dried crap that won't hold sauce and is just a slippery gawdaful mess. I'd eat half the pasta... but I'd pay twice the price for the pasta that's worth it.
• NEWSFLASH: Sales of AI-enabled teddy bear suspended after it gave advice on BDSM sex and where to find knives. But... so cute...
And now I really want one of these bears!
• Defunct Autonomatons! Defunctland released another video, and this one is beyond good... assuming you're into Disney stuff. This one is just over four hours long, but the time flies by as usual because Kevin Perjurer is just that good at his job. For the most part, this is just a timeline of Disney's adventures into autonomous animatronics, but it's also somehow deeply embarrassing for Disney who has become synonymous with overpromising and underdelivering...
They'll get there eventually. And once they do I'm sure it will be incredible. And, can I just say that Perjurer's take on whether Walt Disney would want himself resurrected as an animatronic is perfect? Probably because it's the same opinion I have.
At least until the autonomous animatronics get loose and decide to kill all the guests. Westworld never looked so adorable. I mean, just look at this...
Death by Olaf... what a way to go!
And... I'm off to a much-needed sleep.
Josh Johnson is fascinating to me.
The thing that's so brilliant about his comedy is that he can take these wild tangents that make you think he's losing his train of thought... and then BLAM! He brings it all back around to punctuate his point in a brutal cut...
Anybody can be observational of the absurd. Josh isn't telling you anything that anybody who paying attention could say. But it's what he does with the observations which makes him rise above.
This is a really great piece.
It seems as though my weekend is ending just as it began, which makes me want to crawl under the covers and cry for a bit. But I won't abandon you in your hour of need... because here's an all new Bullet Sunday starting... now...
• Cozy! It's pouring rain outside tonight. YouTube knows this somehow, so it recommended this lovely video. It's wonderful and charming from start to finish. They're Turkish, but there's English subtitles. Not that it matters... this is the very definition of "cozy" and the only way I'd want to do camping...
And this one is amazing. They decorate their campsite for Christmas. And I don't mean decorate a little bit...
Welp. Guess I know what I'll be doing obsessively for the next week. Watching RambleSoul.
• Polissya! That video lead me to a Ukranian guy building natural shelters and foraging for food in the forests of Polissya. His builds are very impressive. Like this one, where he creates an underground bunker...
Unlike so many videos that use primitive construction, you see nearly the entire process (albeit sped up) so you know that he built everything himself.
• Must-See TV! HOLY CRAP! THE ENGLISH TEACHER GOT A SECOND SEASON?!??
I haven't seen this advertised anywhere. Ran across it by dumb luck on my news feed because somebody mentioned it.
• Tig! Need a laugh? I'm a huge fan of Tig Notaro and have been finding her early specials available on YouTube...
It's amazing how her comedy was so fully formed from those early days. Her latest special from last year, Hello Again, was just as hilarious as ever, and can be seen on Amazon Prime Video.
• Logic! Here's my latest thrilling adventure with insurance...
PHARMACIST: Your insurance will only pay for 1/2 a tablet per day. We'll need to have your doctor re-write the prescription or you'll have to pay the cost or you can take it up with your insurance.
ME: Okay, I guess I'll pay for it.
MEDICATION INSTRUCTIONS: DO NOT BREAK THE TABLETS. THEY MUST BE TAKEN WHOLE.
I wrote to my insurance and asked exactly how I was supposed to take a half-pill for a pill that can't be broken. They wrote back and essentially said "Oops!" and decided they would pay 50%. Which is better than nothing, for which I'm grateful. But it's just beyond bizarre how insurance works. Or doesn't.
• Mitch! I'm not even going to pretend to give a shit about a man who spent his entire political career not giving a crap about the people he represents. As recently as JUNE he said that "Americans will get over Medicaid cuts." And it's like, gee, Mitch... not everybody has spent their entire adult life fucking over the country for cash, so they're going to need to rely on the Medicaid that their taxes paid for after retirement...
Good Lord is McConnell a gaping asshole.
And on that note, it's time for me to try and get some sleep.
Speaking of comfort films... last night I watched the Oh, God! trilogy.
Now, the original was a remarkable movie to behold. Mostly because of the casting. George Burns was flawless as God. An easy choice. But how did they think about John Denver for the lead? He was perfect for the part, but where did he come from? I would have thought of dozens of names before I ever got to him. Maybe even hundreds.
It was such a clever movie for the day, especially in particular scenes which were written so beautifully. I wish there was a higher quality clip of God answering the questions of the "religious council" that was given to the guy who was claiming he was speaking with God (to prove he was actually speaking with God), because this is as good as it gets...
Oh, God! Book II was a big step down from the first one, but it still tackled some profound questions we might have for God and was a fun watch...
The franchise's third (and final) film made a move so obvious that it seemed almost inevitable... because in Oh, God! You Devil they had George Burns playing both The Almighty and The Devil. I remember an interview with George for the film had him talking about what a stretch it was for him to play The Devil. He said something like "Yeah, I smoke cigars and chase women!" which I still find incredibly funny. The movie itself rebounded a bit from the second one, mostly because of George Burns playing every scene to perfection...
And do you want to know what put these movies on my radar? It was an old Burns and Allen skit that popped up on YouTube...
Say goodnight, Gracie.
I'm entirely too tired to blog because I'm working on four hours sleep, but that's no excuse for missing new bullets... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...
• Emmy! It is un-fucking-believable to me that Diego Luna, Stellan Skarsgård, and Genevieve O'Reilly didn't get nominated for their roles in Andor. It's likewise unbelievable that Denise Gough and Kyle Soller didn't get nominated. The only actor getting a nod is Forest Whitaker (who absolutely deserved it)? I don't even know what the fuck to say here. At least Andor managed to get some writing love, directing love, and a drama series nom, which ain't nothing. But it's also not enough. — In other news, I really hope that Uzo Aduba wins for The Residence. No shade to the other talented actors, but she was next level. And it would be a nice cherry on top of the Netflix cancelation sundae.
• The Puppy List! I find it incredibly difficult to argue with this list...
@weratedogs Top 10 Cartoon Dogs! #weratedogs ♬ original sound - weratedogs
Except to say... my order would be different and I'd probably drop Scooby Doo and Courage in favor of Pluto, Zero (The Nightmare Before Christmas), Sam (Sam & Max: Freelance Police), Ren (Ren & Stimpy), Jake (Adventure Time), Seymour (Futurama), and Brain (Inspector Gadget)...
• Spite House! To explain how crazy the Seattle housing market is... this tiny house (in two stories!) just sold for $745,000. The first part of the video repeats, but it's worth watching to the end, because this is a truly remarkable house!
Perfectly livable. And very cool.
• imperson-AI-tion! People getting impersonated by shitty AI slop is not surprising. What's surprising is that people are falling for it. Now. But all too soon AI will likely be impossible to spot... even for a discerning eye...
@adamtots El Tortuga you will answer for your crimes
♬ original sound - Adam Ellis
One can only hope that AI detection tools get better at a faster rate.
• That Took a Turn! When it comes to up-and-coming comedy talent, there's quite a lot making the rounds in social media. One of my favorites at the moment is the crowd-work by Will Burkart...
How he was quick enough to roll with those punches is a mystery!
• Maladapted! Lord how I loathe Apple TV's Foundation... as an adaptation. As a TV show it's fine. I just wish they would have left Asimov's book out of it and done their own thing, since they're doing that anyway.
In the books, The Mule is an amazing plot device because Hari Seldon is dead. All that's left of him are recordings. So when The Mule comes along to throw a wrench in absolutely everything, both the First and Second Foundations were in a total panic. The Universe is falling and there seems that there's nothing they can do. They have to come up with a plan that will get the universe back on track.
But in the show Hari Seldon is kept alive. He's actively working on a way to stop The Mule. This completely defeats the entire premise of the book because the Foundations have lost their agency. But the book is ruined anyway, because they keep dragging the same fucking characters back again and again over hundreds of years... either through suspended animation or cloning. This sabotages the entire concept of a story which must pass through the generations to be told. What makes the story in the books unique is that they don't focus on a single set of characters. Humanity lives and dies and history marches on so that new characters can find their own way to deal with the crises at hand.
It drives me crazy what a missed opportunity this show was. They could have followed the book and had a series of guest stars come each season to play a character... then die. That would have been so cool. But, alas...
• Cancelation! This video is over an hour long. It's frickin' amazing. The more it went on, the more you see exactly how these disingenuous assholes manipulate a narrative to force their awful values on society... and kids. They're "Christians" and yet they outright lie because of a faux persecution complex to get people on their side....
Keep in mind that this is the same asshole who used the modern banana as definitive proof of God because it had angles to conform to the human hand, had an easy-open tab, and was curved towards the mouth. Except bananas have been cultivated by man and wild "bananas" have zero resemblance to his "proof." Not to mention the fact that the human hand conforms to four sides, not the five on a banana... bananas are actually easier to open from the bottom... and the magical curve disappears after two or three bites. It takes all of two minutes of rational thought to debunk this nonsense, but they don't give a shit because they have a series of videotapes to sell. This time it's children's books, but the idea is the exact same.
And now it's time for me to say an early good night.
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...
Last night I got into a bit of an online scuffle because somebody was saying that there are some subjects which comedians should never joke about. I responded that since everybody would have a separate list of things they feel should not be allowed, there would be no comedy left because everybody likely has different ideas about what needs to be on the list.
This is very different from saying that there are subjects which I don't find funny... because there definitely are. But most of the time it's not that I feel the subject itself should never be included in a joke, it's because I feel the joke was lazy. Very few things offend me, but lazy jokes very much do.
As an example... my mother had dementia. Something that I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy because it's such a horrific condition. Understandably, "jokes" mocking or ridiculing people with dementia are not something I find the least bit funny. But do I think that dementia, as the topic of a joke, should be banned? Of course not. Because in the hands of a skilled comedian, it can be darn funny.
Jimmy Carr is a highly controversial comedian out of the UK. He's controversial because his jokes can include a frightening array of topics from pedophilia to sexual assault that are not funny at all. And while he has jokes that are lazy as fuck for punching down, he's also able to make good jokes out of things that are inherently not funny.
Like dementia.
A couple months ago I saw a clip of Jimmy doing some crowd work. Somebody asked him what it's like to be famous. Jimmy said "It's excellent! No complaints. I'll tell you what it's like being famous. It's like you live in a lovely little village... it's very friendly... but you've got Alzheimer's. Because everyone knows you, and you don't recognize any(body). I wander around all day and people go 'Alright, Jimmy!' and I go... uh... hello." — Half of what makes the joke work is how he tells it. But the best part is that he's not actually making fun of anybody with Alzheimer's. So it's funny without punching down, which is the best way to be funny.
Now, I'm not saying there are people who won't find the joke funny... heck, back when I was in the thick of trying to deal with it, I likely wouldn't have found it as funny as I do now... and that's okay. But to outright ban a comedian from a topic if they are able to construct something clever without being lazy? No thanks.
I found the video, by the way. His Alzheimer's joke is early on. Though if you are easily offended, then it's probably best to not watch anything Jimmy-Carr-related. You've been warned...
Jimmy's biggest talent is presenting British quiz shows, which he is very, very good at. He's at his best when he's bouncing off of other people, and a quiz show is perfect for that. YouTube has videos for 8 Out of 10 Cats and 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and Big Fat Quiz of the Year, all of which are probably less offensive material than his stand-up, if you're interested.
Just when you think it can't get any hotter here this July, I drop in to prove you wrong... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...
• I don't want two mommies! Tig Notaro's latest special (on Amazon Prime) is hilarious, as I knew it would be. If the end of this clip doesn't convince you that you need to see it, I don't know what will...
Stand-up is a highly specific talent to have. Tig makes it look so easy.
• NEWSFLASH! Oklahoma state superintendent announces all schools must incorporate the Bible and the Ten Commandments in curriculums. So... all schools in Oklahoma are now Christian schools. So much for that pesky "freedom of religion" thing we were so proud of back in the day.
• NEWSFLASH! New Drug Provides Total Protection From H.I.V. in Trial of Young African Women A miracle from science. Cue the anti-vax dipshits in 3... 2...
• Celine! Wow. This Celine Dion documentary on Prime Video is tough to watch. I mean seriously tough to watch. I feel so bad for her...
And yet... she has shitloads of money to help her get through her health challenges, and that's tempering my sympathy a bit. Because the entire time I'm thinking "What about the poor people going through this kind of thing who have no money for cutting-edge treatments, personal nurses and staff, and the ability to not work and still survive?" Regardless, there are moments where they show her performing or using her music... and it takes my breath away as it always has. I wish her the best of luck because the world is a better place with her music in it.
• Don't Drop the Baby! I'm telling you right now. If Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce break up, I will be more devastated than I've been for any breakup I've personally ever had. This is so great...
Travis talked about it in the season finale of the New Heights podcast...
• Miyazaki! There is no greater animator than Hayao Miyazaki. I am an impossibly massive fan, and have been since first visiting Japan in the mid 90's where I was exposed to his work (starting with 1988's My Neighbor Totoro). This video dives into something that seems simple on its surface, but is actually a rather complex take on a legend...
So... not really hating America, after all. I was very lucky to have attended one of Miyazaki's rare American appearances in the USA, and he was nothing but gracious and kind.
• Buh-Bye! After the price increase for ad-free HBO Max earlier this month (it's now $169.99 a year, whereas I was paying $99 a year then $129 or something like that) I dumped them because I am not watching any fucking ads. So instead of getting $129 a year out of me, now HBO will get $34 a year out of me because I'll just subscribe for one month ad-free every 6 months to watch the stuff I want to see. Which ain't a lot. And so... there goes $95 in revenue. And I have no regrets. The genie is out of the bottle. Watching without ads is the ONLY way to go. If my option is to watch fucking ads, I'd rather go without.
Back to pulling weeds in the heat.
Don't even worry about the fact that the world is going to hell in a hand basket. Don't give it another thought. There's no need... because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...
• Biggie! This video shows the largest city on earth throughout history, and it's absolutely mind-blowing...
Fascinating how the USA doesn't even register until the end.
• Good on NASA! In a day and age when young Black men are getting told left and right that they have to cut off their locs or they can't be in school or can't be in sports... Tyrone Jacobs released his NASA headshot...
If NASA doesn't have a problem with natural hair, why the fuck do schools think they have a right to say a damn thing? Newsflash: THEY DON'T. Same goes for tattoos. Same goes for any outward appearance which doesn't keep you from doing the job.
• Queer Comedy! Hannah Gadsby is headlining a gender-queer Netflix Special and I finally got around to watching it. I was expecting her to not touch on the controversy she had with Netflix because, well, how can you use your platform to criticize your platform? But she just went for it. Nothing held back. And Netflix is obviously airing it, so good on Hannah and good on Netflix, I guess...
It's not a home-run, but a lot of the jokes are very funny. I enjoyed it.
• More Clavell! The new Shōgun series is magical to me. I love that the Japanese is subtitled and not dubbed. The language is taking me back. And bless you, Hulu, for putting some money into this. It looks incredible. Sure they wander from the book a bit, but I think that their choices are interesting ones. And I love the cast...
If only we'd get a 12-part adaptation of Noble House next. Not a gutted version, but complete with the Cold War elements and fascinating look at Hong Kong through its people.
• Just Poor! Am I being punked? I do not in any way understand the acclaim for Poor Things. I fucking hated this movie despite loving the other films from most everybody in it. Yes, it’s gorgeous, the imaginative sets are genius, and the cinematography is incredible (the use of different lenses throughout is just =chef’s kiss=)... but the story is a big departure from the book. And absolutely not in a good way...
The book is a wonderfully layered story of how men view women, and it uses the concept of “unreliable narrator” so that you truly don’t know who or what to believe. And there are multiple conflicting “truths” that are tainted by things like misogyny, perspectives, and even the wishful thinking of different characters. But the movie? Bella is a child’s brain in an adult body as a matter of fact, which makes the entire thing a fucking nightmare. It’s child porn with a loophole. And it lacks the subtlety and complexity that made the book so interesting. In my view, Bella loses a lot of her agency in the movie. Her experience and story is viewed entirely through the lens of men she encounters, even as she is rapidly maturing and coming to understand how the world works for a woman. Movie Bella really doesn’t face adversity to truly understand anything either. It’s all observational, and nothing feels earned as she wanders from place to place. And, good Lord, the music is a horrific assault that made me want to turn on subtitles and view it on mute. Who the fuck wants to listen to this? So many times I am able to dislike popular movies for myself, but appreciate that they exist for others. But this time? Hell no. I regret the precious time I wasted watching this mess. It gutted a wonderfully interesting book and turned it into soft core porn for the male gaze which is contrary to what I took away from the source material.
• Whistle Broken. John Barnett did not shoot himself? Or maybe he did. Regardless, I am putting the 100% entire complete blame on Boeing. The guy dedicated 32 years of his life to this company but had a conscience. So when management decided to ignore his concerns about declining quality and falsify data on serious issues with manufacturing, he reported the cover-up as a "whistleblower." And now he's dead. Right in the middle of the lawsuit against his former employer. Again, this guy devoted 32 YEARS of his life to this company. They then set out to absolutely destroy what life he had left because he wanted passengers to be safe. They finally succeeded. Regardless of whether he ended it himself or somebody did it to him.
• Cancel, Please! Why don't streaming services allow you to block shows and movies? Take HBO Max, for example. I never want to watch Bill Maher. Ever. Never ever. I don't care who he has on. I'd rather light my pubes on fire and jump into a barrel of gasoline than watch that moronic self-righteous piece of shit asshole for even two minutes. But every time I start HBO Max, there he is. There's no way to block the dipshit. No way to get him off my TV. And no amount of ignoring him will get HBO to get the fucking message. On Facebook I can block somebody I don't want any contact with. But with HBO, there's no options at all. Can't even give him a thumbs-down so the algorithm will stop inundating you with his bullshit. It's nearly enough for me to cancel HBO, because having to look at Maher's smug face is tantamount to torture.
Hope the rest of your Sunday is a good one.
I had such grand ambitions for dinner tonight.
But my Monday was so exhausting that I just didn't have the energy to cook anything. So I'm having a hot dog, warmed pita bread, and roasted red pepper hummus while watching Rory Scovel's new HBO special (just like I promised I would yesterday... I'm a man of my word!)...
The dude has always been funny in a kinda everyman-average-guy-sorta-way, but he's disturbingly good-looking now. He's got a nice haircut (with highlights?) and he's dressed very well. He's totally put together compared to other appearances I've seen from him, which I am not used to seeing.
The special itself, Religion, Sex and a Few Things In Between is actually very good. I don't want to say that it's more mature and refined... this is Rory we're talking about... but it does seem as though he's scaling back on the "wacky" enough to build a stronger rapport with the audience and court a new level of success. No more schleppy Member's Only jacket hiked up to his armpits with his shirt hanging out (which is what his last Netflix Special was about). Nope. Rory got himself a stylist!
But anyway...
After this I'm off to bed. Not necessarily to sleep... I'm not that lucky... but I will be attempting to rest.
Because I'm guessing tomorrow is going to be even more exhausting.
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