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Taking a Chance on Volkswagen

Posted on February 7th, 2025

Dave!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.

   

Bullet Sunday 892

Posted on February 2nd, 2025

Dave!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.

   

Bullet Sunday 891

Posted on January 26th, 2025

Dave!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?!??

Snow on Canal Street. in New Orleans!
Photo taken from Louisiana Memories

Snow in New Orleans!
Photo taken from Louisiana Memories

Snowball Fight in New Orleans!
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.

   

Bullet Sunday 890

Posted on January 19th, 2025

Dave!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.

   

Films of Lynchian Proportion

Posted on January 16th, 2025

Dave!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.

David Lynch as Gordon Cole in Twin Peaks

Rest in Peace, sir.

   

Bullet Sunday 889

Posted on January 12th, 2025

Dave!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.

   

Would I Lie To You?

Posted on January 3rd, 2025

Dave!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.

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Tube24

Posted on December 30th, 2024

Dave!And it's time once again for my annual wrap-up of my favorite TV shows that came out this year. Or, more accurately, a "wrap-up of TV shows that I saw which came out this year." As always, there's a bunch of shows I never got around to watching that might have ended up on my list... and (more likely) shows I loved but have forgotten about. And here we go... THE 18 BEST

Favorite TV 2024

#1 Shōgun (Hulu)
My favorite novel of all time is James Clavell's Noble House. But Clavell is much better-known for another book... Shōgun, a novel set at the onset of the Edo period. There was a very popular television adaptation in 1980 starring Dr. Kildare himself, Richard Chamberlain. It was overwrought and overdramatic, but also entertaining. When it was announced that FX/Hulu was making a contemporary adaptation, I was happy but also concerned. The potential for fucking it up was monumental. The first time around they bent over backwards to make the Japanese a supporting character in their own story. That's not what the book was about. Fortunately for all of us, FX set out to make a faithful adaptation which put Japanese culture and their story at the forefront. It's beautifully made, impecably acted, and uses CGI in all the right ways. It's said that there's a sequel series (or two?) in the works, which is all new levels of terrifying. The next Clavell novel is Gai-Jin which takes place 200 years later, so there's no source material to draw from. I sincerely hope that the people who made Shōgun know what they're doing because I'd love to see more.

#2 Black Doves (Netflix)
The show that came out of nowhere to win me over in a mere six episodes. First of all, Keira Knightley is incredible. Her character is more than a little complex. Plus a total badass. Pair that with Ben Wishaw and Sarah Lancashire, who are always amazing in everything, and it's a show that's primed for dynamite. If they could get the story right. And they did. The wife of an English politician is having an affair. It would be a fairly ordinary show if not for one thing... she's also a spy. A spy who gets involved in a situation that sends several lives into chaos. And there's a cameo appearance that's so unexpected... so good that it made a great show with a great ending even better. Bring on the next season!

#3 The Brothers Sun (Netflix)
If you put Michelle Yeoh into anything, I'm going to watch it. That's just a fact. But this series really put her talents to good use, and the result is a funny, brutal, action-packed bit of genius that I was praying got a second season. Alas, it did not. But it doesn't diminish what they were able to accomplish in the season they had. A guy who's been shielded from "the family business" his entire life gets a rude awakening when the family business drops into his life unexpectedly. Insanity of the best kind ensues.

#4 So Help Me Todd (CBS)
Fuck this shitty network forever for flushing one of their best shows down the toilet and ending it on a cliffhanger. Todd is smart, funny, highly entertaining television which had a cast that killed it every week it wasn't preempted... which was often, because CBS didn't want it to build a fucking audience. It chaps my ass so bad that network execs renew a show just to intentionally kill it like this.

#5 Sugar (Apple TV+)
If you haven't seen this series... just watch it. Don't read anything about it. Don't watch trailers. Just watch it. Then stick with it. Because the show is not what it seems in the early episodes. It takes a hard left-turn into something far more interesting, which was a surprise because nothing prepared me for it. So well done. Colin Farrell is excellent in everything (see The Penguin, below) and he's perfect here. Very, very happy it was renewed for a second season.

#6 The Penguin (HBO Max)
I hated the new The Batman movie and was going to give this spin-off series a big ol' pass... until I heard that Colin Farrell (who's unrecognizable!) was in it, and the rave reviews start dropping. And they were on-point. This is an excellent crime/drama series that just happens to be set in a comic book universe, and they took it all the way. You can set it right next to more "mainstream" series in the same genre, and it's not out of place. I have no idea how/why a show like this exists, but it's worth a watch.

Favorite TV 2024

#7 High Potential (Hulu)
Kaitlin Olson is one of the most compelling actors going, and it's amazing that she's still finding time to do Always Sunny in Philadelphia when I'm sure she has a lot of demands on her time for other projects. Like this one! What I love is that they are not making her into some kind of genius as a reason she's helping the police solve crimes... she's just exceedingly observant and has a great memory. And that's more than enough to make her the smartest person in the room. I'm holding off on watching the French(?) original because I'm sure that some of the stories have been taken from there and I don't want them spoiled.

#8 The Gentleman (Netflix)
I will watch absolutely anything by Guy Ritchie because the guy just knows how to create stuff I'll enjoy. And since I loved the movie version of The Gentlemen, I thought the spin-off would be worth a look. And while it's not really a spin-off or re-boot... heck, I don't know how it relates to the original... it was indeed something I enjoyed. I wish that they hadn't taken the brother character to such bizarre extremes because it just wasn't needed, but maybe they'll address that in the second season.

#9 Ripley (Netflix)
This is like the third or fourth time that they've remade The Talented Mr. Ripley, but it's my favorite yet. Not only because Andrew Scott absolutely kills it, but because it's shot as a black-and-white art piece, and every fucking frame is a work of art! It never falters. It's beautiful and interesting from start to finish.

#10 Monsieur Spade (AMC)
This is a take on Sam Spade that was ridiculously well-done. They sunk the money into the cast (Clive Owen!) and the script and the setting to craft a noir-drama that delivers at every turn. I really, really, really hope that they give us a second season where they send Spade back to San Francisco for a hard-noir follow-up. No idea if AMC could finance something like that, but it's worth the money to try.

#11 The English Teacher (Hulu)
This could have just been another "gay teacher" stereotype shoved into the same old jokes in the same old situations... but they make it very clear that this is not going to be the case early into the show. Brian Jordan Alvarez (who writes and stars in it) has come up with something special, and it subverts things nicely while being funny, charming, and entertaining. No word as to whether we're getting a second season, but I sure hope they get on that. This is the kind of unique show we need on television.

#12 Star Wars: Skeleton Crew (Disney+)
I'm one of those people who enjoyed The Acolyte because I thought it was good Star Wars that took things into a direction we haven't seen before. A lot of people didn't agree and it was canceled. Then the hate brigade started dumping on Skeleton Crew next and I thought we were in for a repeat. But here's the thing... this show is too good to die like that. It got a bunch of kids in it, but they're not annoying. They're a terrific set of characters you actually want to see. Plus? Surprisingly dark. And Jude Law. This show is The Goonies in space and Disney really got their shit together this time. It's not even over and I'm hoping for a second season.

Favorite TV 2024

#13 Matlock (CBS)
I'm being completely honest when I say that without Kathy Bates in the lead, this show would not be ranking this high. The overall story arc which was a shocking twist at the end of Episode 01 has become a dull endgame in Episode 08. The rest of the cast is struggling to keep up with Bates, as she's stealing absolutely every scene. And the "legal shenanigans of the week" are tired and uninteresting. But... Kathy Bates. She's just phenomenally good in this, and I look forward to new episodes every weeks. Hopefully they find a way to make it all pay off without a cliffhanger, because I will be fucking pissed if I keep hanging in there only to have it canceled before we get answered.

#14 Abbott Elementary (ABC)
This is a series that keeps chugging along... knocking out amazing show after amazing show week after week. Every character is so fully-realized and funny, still, and you just can't help but be entertained by it. Sure the style and tone are taken from The Office, but they've really made it fresh. This could easily go on for ten seasons and I don't think anybody would think it strange if they can maintain the absurd levels of quality and care that Quinta Brunson and Company lovingly pour into it.

#15 Creature Commandos (HBO Max)
It's James Gunn super-hero dynamic crazy in an R-rated package that's well-animated, well-voiced, and of course well-written. Nazi-killing GI Robot is the gift that keeps on giving, and I really, really want to see him brought to the DCU in live-action, which I'm told is a serious possibility.

#16 Reacher (Amazon Prime)
I am crazy in love with this show. First of all, they are trying really hard to honor the books. Second of all, they are casting every role to a flawless degree (including Alan Ritchson as Reacher, which is perfect). No, the second season was not as phenomenal as the first, but it was still loads of violent fun. The fact that Amazon keeps renewing the show (Season 03 drops February 20th!) gives me hope.

#17 Slow Horses (Apple TV+)
This show does not slow down, and that they're managing to keep it so fresh season after season is a testament to everybody involved. Usually spy thrillers lose their steam very quickly and back themselves into a corner that they can't escape from. But I guess everybody involved cares enough to learn from the mistakes of other shows and makes an effort to keep their show moving ahead. Doesn't hurt that you've got Gary Oldman and Kristen Scott Thomas leading an exceptional cast to boot.

#18 Fallout (Amazon Prime)
Shows and movies based on video games usually suck. I was looking forward to Borderlands (based on a game I love) because the cast looked exceptional. No surprise, it sucked hard. And I had zero expectations for Fallout (also based on a game I love)... but they somehow managed to absolutely nail it. I like the story that honors the game. I love the cast. And they sunk in enough money to make it work too. A recipe for success.

HONORABLE MENTION
  • Kaos (Netflix)
    Well waddaya know... a wholly original concept for a series with the perfect cast, note-perfect dialogue, and Jeff Goldblum?!? Sounds perfect! And it is! So let's cancel it so we can shovel a bazillion dollars to Zack Snyder so he can crank out his stupid fucking Rebel Moon bullshit! We're Netflix. That's all we know how to do!
  • Heartstopper (Netflix)
    This third season was a drastic step down for me compared to the first two, and yet it's still better than so many series on television. Not sure if the next season is the last (if it even happens), but its probably best if it is before the kids are too old and they are out of source material to draw from.
  • What We Do in the Shadows (Hulu/FX)
    This sixth and final season was bittersweet. Yeah, I'm sad a show that I've loved is ending... but I also think that they let things get away from them these past three seasons. Even so, there were moments so hilarious that it was still must-see television for me and I wish more was on the way.
  • The Lake (Amazon Prime)
    The first season was a complete shock. Once it popped up on Prime I watched out of boredom and was immediately hooked. Then they announced a renewal and I was happy to see where it might go next. No, it was not renewed for a third, but this final run was more than I would have expected and it went out on a high note.
  • Ted (Paramount+)
    All things considered, this is a great series IF you are a fan of the movies AND you can keep your expectations in check AND you can withhold the urge to become offended by the many, many offensive things in the series (including the language). Basically, the show is a prequel to the movies which takes place after the time Ted was a Hollywood sensation and Johnny is in high school. It's a funny (and surprisingly heartwarming) take that was savaged by critics falling all over themselves in an effort to be edgy. Well, I all I wanted was to be entertained, and I loved it. The animation and physical interactions with Ted were flawless, and enough money was spent to make it work.
  • Dead Boy Detectives (Netflix)
    Neil Gaiman became toxic after he was accused of sexual assault, so there's no telling if this excellent series was canceled because of that... or what it was. I'm sure nobody at Netflix is going to make a statement on it, so I guess we'll just have to be grateful that we got what we got? I sure hope that the second season of The Sandman still gets released, because losing that would be devastating.
  • Echo (Disney+)
    Like Taskmaster, Maya has "photographic reflexes" in the comics. Meaning she can see how somebody moves or fights and mimic that ability. In the MCU Maya is a skilled fighter and combatant, but lacks any powers. Until this new series where she gains what I guess is "super strength" by calling on the strength of the women of her past generations that "echo" through her. She also can use these powers to heal. Or something. Overall I'm not so upset about the change in powers as I am the fact that the show was kinda boring. The entire time I was watching it, the only thing I kept thinking was A) Boy I wish we could get a second season of Hawkeye... B) Boy I can't wait for the new season of Daredevil to get here... and C) Why can't they just give us a Kingpin series, because holy shit is Vincent D'onofrio killing it in this role! That's not great when watching a show about somebody who is not those three characters. But anyway... it was something to watch and it didn't suck, so I guess I can be happy about that.
COMEDY SPECIALS OF NOTE
  • Tig Notaro - Hello Again (Amazon Prime)
    I've been a huge fan for a very long time. But I always tune in to whatever Tig has going on because she just keeps getting better and better... and this is the best standup from her I've seen yet. Well worth a look.
  • Anthony Jeselnik — Bones and All (Netflix)
    Jeselnik is not the first person to do this particular kind of comedy... but I think he's the best person to have done it. He's so precise in his timing, and that's absolutely everything. I have enjoyed every special he's ever had, plus his TV shows, and am already looking forward to the next one.
  • Nate Bargatze — Your Friend, Nate Bargatze (Netflix)
    The fact that Bargatze manages to be this funny while delivering his usual clean material is a miracle. This special isn't in any danger of eclipsing The Tennessee Kid, but it's still a funny watch that has some genuine hilarity happening in spots.
  • Rory Scovel — Religion, Sex and a Few Things In Between (HBO Max)
    Scovel's latest is 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!
OTHER SHOWS I LIKED
  • Pachinko
  • Julia
  • The Traitors
  • Iwájú
  • Star Wars: The Acolyte
  • Tokyo Vice
  • Agatha All Along
  • Apples Never Fall
  • Under the Bridge
  • Baby Reindeer
  • Extraordinary
  • Get Millie Black
  • Arcane: League of Legends
  • Interview with The Vampire
  • Lady in the Lake
  • True Detective: Night Country
  • The Tourist
  • Sunny
  • Grotesquerie
  • A Gentleman in Moscow
  • The Sympathizer
  • Masters of the Air
  • Expats
  • The Regime
  • Girls5Eva
  • Mr. & Mrs. Smith
  • Nobody Wants This
  • X-Men '97
  • Only Murders in the Building
DISAPPOINTING
  • Dune Prophecy
    This show started out so good. Interesting political intrigue, plots within plots, a great cast, supreme special effects... the list goes on and on. But then... we crossed the half-way point. And suddenly everything got real boring real fast. It's like they made putting the pieces on the board more important than the actual game or something. The series has already been renewed for another season, and I sure hope that they figure out a way to keep things more exciting than the back-half of the first season.
  • 3 Body Problem
    Blergh. This was awful to a disproportionate degree compared to my caring about the show. Which is such a shame because I loved the books. It's like every time there was a decision to be made, they went the wrong way or something. The sole scene that hit me was the nanotechnology wire slicing through that ship. Illogical, but beautifully done. Though the entire time I was thinking "Ya know, Ghost Ship did it first and did it better." Oh well. You can't win them all. I suppose for every magnificent adaptation like Villeneuve's, Dune, there's going to be a pile of shit like this.
  • The Umbrella Academy
    I don't know what I was expecting for the final season, but it wasn't this hot mess. I read somewhere that they were ordered to cut some extra episodes from the planned amount, but that still doesn't excuse coming up with an entirely unsatisfying ending that had you wondering why anybody in the show ever fucking bothered with absolutely anything. The final two seasons had an uphill battle trying to live up to the first two, but surely somebody could have dreamed up something better than this. I almost want a fifth season to undo what happened so that I don't feel I wasted my fucking time getting invested.
  • Tracker
    Justin Hartley is a better actor than he's ever really given credit for (having come up through soap operas), and I've always been waiting for him to get a part that can make use of his talent. Everybody told me that was This is Us, but I couldn't get into that show. I was hoping it might be Tracker but this ain't going to be it either because the writing is awful. I know that there have to be absurd action beats to make things exciting, but when the setup is so horrifically bad... it doesn't matter. The action has been tainted because all you can think of is how idiotic it was to get there. As if that wasn't bad enough, the efforts at a backstory are so one-note. Oh well. Better luck next time Justin Hartley.
  • Elsbeth
    I keep giving this show another chance because it feels like something I should be absolutely loving. But every time I just can't do it. I find everything about it to be extremely annoying and unwatchable. Maybe it's not Elsbeth and it's just me.
  • Doctor Odyssey
    Physically painful to watch. It's that bad. And do you know how hard it is to say that when the show stars Joshua Jackson? This medical drama on a ship could have been a home run, but it's just fucking senseless and stupid and poor Mr. Jackson is playing his every scene way over the top when he's capable of so much better. I despise this show way too much to watch more than the first episode, so maybe it improves? I will never know.
DIDN'T SEE, MIGHT HAVE MADE MY LIST, ON MY NEED TO WATCH LIST
  • Landman
  • Dexter: Original Sin
  • The Day of the Jackal
  • A Man on the Inside
  • Watson
  • Batman: Caped Crusader
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Categories: Television 2024Click To It: Permalink  8 Comments: Click To Add Yours!  

   

Big Boy’s Ocean Voyage

Posted on December 26th, 2024

Dave!I keep a running list of cool things I find on these here internets so I can share them on Bullet Sunday.

But sometimes... sometimes... something is so cool that I can't bring myself to wait. Today's YouTube video is one of those times. Except I actually found it on the 23rd, so I guess I did end up having some restraint in waiting three whole days.

This video is 35 minutes of absolute joy. It's got it all... old tech... random strangers helping across international borders... entertaining history... and something so hilarious at the 32-minute mark that I nearly choked to death. This right here is why I love the internet...

Earlier this year I posted this epic video along the same lines where a guy tracked down a McDonalds DS cartridge, which is equally fantastic...

If anybody has any recommendations for more videos like these, be sure to comment. The YouTube algorithm is pretty good, but it can't know everything.

I hope.

   

Bullet Sunday 887

Posted on December 22nd, 2024

Dave!Ho Ho Ho! Christmas may be around the corner, but the gift that keeps on giving is here, because an all new Bullet Sunday starts... now...

   
• Not so flat as we were lead to believe! NEWSFLASH: Flat Earthers realize 'they are wrong' after traveling to Antarctica to prove the Earth isn’t round in hilarious footage. And yet it won't move the needle much (if at all) because flerfers are so accustomed to ignoring painfully obvious empirical evidence in order for their deranged worldview to work that they'll just come up with even more deranged ideas to explain it. Oh well. It was fun while it lasted.

   
• Selfish Cow! I laughed way too long at this...

But can you blame me?

   
• Swap! The SNL tradition that never disappoints...

   
• Sad Milk! NEWSFLASH: Infectious Bird Flu Can Linger in Refrigerated Raw Milk for 5 Days. I wish I understood the whole raw milk movement. It makes zero sense to me. And the fact that people are getting really fucked up (or dead) after drinking it, yet people are still drinking it? That makes even less than zero sense.

If only those who developed the first Disney units could see where Imagineers are now.

   
• Cravin' No More Kraven! The latest super-hero movie fiasco, Kraven The Hunter, is struggling to make $30 million on its likely $120+ million budget. And that's =chef's kiss= because it probably needs at least $250 million to break even. Between this abomination, Madame Web, and Morbius, you have to ask yourself if our Sony Pictures Spider-nightmare is finally over. Lord I hope so. We're already at peak super-hero movie fatigue, we don't need complete shit like this making it worse. Why doesn't Sony sell their Spider-rights back to Marvel Studios and just stop with this nonsense. FOR THE LOVE OF GOD... PLEASE STOP!!!

   
• Data Broken! I finally went with one of those data-finder services to scrub as much personal information about me from the Internet as possible. Every time they send a new report, I'm dumbfounded at the number of places I've been popping up. These data brokers are absolute parasites that should shut down. No wonder I get shitloads of spam and spam texts... there's companies working overtime to make it happen. If you want to take a look at the service I picked, DeleteMe, here's my link for 20% off. If you don't want my link, that's okay... you can visit the site without it here.

   
Only one more set of bullets left in 2024.

   

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