Survival Skills

Next week in the Guardian: how to shit.

It reminded me of this.

What?

Next week in The Guardian: “wipe here”.

So. Did anyone do anything wildly exciting over the weekend?

Honk, honk.

So. Did anyone do anything wildly exciting over the weekend?
I googled comparisons of teacher pay and per pupil spending twixt various US states and vs. UK and other OECDEFGHIJKLMNOP countries. And rotated my tires. But aside from that it was too damn hot. Listened to my extensive collection of Petula Clark long playing records. Got my ya-yas out up in Georgia over the Fourth (sorry) by taking out one of the many new boats available at my disposal. Just put gas in it and go. No muss, no fuss, no rental fee, no $40,000 foolishly poured into a hole in the water.
You?

You?
I’ve been planning something I can’t disclose just yet and which you heathens most likely won’t care about. Other than that, I cooked a glorious steak pie, complained about the humidity, binged on re-watching Bosch, and sat through Jon Baird’s biopic Stan & Ollie, which was acclaimed by critics, but which proved rather lifeless and by no means compelling. In fact, I lost interest and bailed before the end.
So, clearly, I’m living the dream.

given how badly “Spectre” turned out.
It wasn’t a great film, no. Among its other flaws, making Blofeld and Bond related just seemed unnecessary and added nothing of consequence.

Naturally, feminists are unhappy about it
Presumably, Ms Criado-Perez imagines that her comments make her look good. And not like a whiny, ungrateful and obnoxious cow.

… making Blofeld and Bond related just seemed unnecessary…
Not to mention a ripoff of Austin Powers being Dr. Evil’s brother.
…feminists are unhappy about it…

Caroline Criado PerezVerified account
@CCriadoPerez
Lobbyist for Big Vagina.

I’m thinking, as it is generally not considered a compliment, she might want to reconsider the wording on that last bit.

I could attend to my life blissfully unaware that she even exists.
You mean you missed her tirade against deodorant?

she might want to reconsider the wording on that last bit.
I noticed that too. When I saw she said she was a lobbyist for Big Vagina, I did wonder if that meant she was a massive c*nt who’d been chosen by massive c*nts, to represent massive c*nts who want to be as massively c*nty as possible. Because if so, she’s doing an outstanding job.

Great viewing so far.
And it gets better. Re-watching the whole thing, I remembered how much I like Honey Chandler’s arc and the payoff in season five… But I’ve said too much.

That Bond article has got to be a wind-up, whoever has the 007 badge has a licence to kill, normally leading to wholesale murder and destruction, so f*cking someone for information is not really going to bother them, #MeToo or not, and why would a female Bond be any more seductive or murderous than a male one, the whole point of the franchise is the unusual ways Bond is able to get the job done, whether it’s sh*gging the baddies mistress (or right-hand – remember May Day) or blowing their brains out.
Found while researching – https://www.sporcle.com/games/Mateo56/james-bond-villians-how-did-they-die

we watched Federer lose, having been within two points of winning. Then we watched England win, having been within one run of losing.
So that’s what the cab driver was banging on about.

You mean you missed her tirade against deodorant?
Arrrrgggh! Now I REALLY hate all the things. (Folds arms, curmudgeon-like, and mutters.)
I need a drink, barman. And 10 of those pickled eggs. Maybe that’ll send me off to join the choir invisible.

“Wipe here” would be a more widely useful topic than chewing. Provide extra copies to West Coast cities. Print the article on tissue paper to enhance the “read-do” association.

…Bosch is strong on so many fronts – the writing…
I read a lot of short mystery/detective/crime fiction. I had read a couple of Bosch short stories that Connelly had published in The Strand Magazine. I enjoyed them at the time. So it was easy to check out the series after subscribing to Amazon Prime.

“given how badly ‘Spectre’ turned out”
It’s still the only Bond movie I’ve never seen. Not because I’ve heard anything spectacularly bad; I just can’t be bothered. Casino Royale was such a great start for Craig in so many ways, not least because they made it an origin story, setting up some genuine anticipation for the next one. And did nothing with it. Why should I watch Spectre, other than it’s Yet Another Bond Movie?
I still say that once Eon got the rights to Casino Royale they should have gone on to remake all the books, in order, in the (relatively) true-to-the-novel style of the first. A proper reboot. Personally, I’d have done them as straight ’50s period pieces, but they blew that right off the bat.
“Then we watched England win, having been within one run of losing.”
Good Lord, but that was intense. I hadn’t really bothered with the World Cup at all until the last few overs of the Final, but they were the most exciting cricket I’ve seen since the Ashes in 2005.
Excellent Grand Prix at Silverstone, too.
Sunshine? What sunshine?

It’s still the only Bond movie I’ve never seen. Not because I’ve heard anything spectacularly bad; I just can’t be bothered.
I wouldn’t say it was awful, but following Skyfall, which I enjoyed, it was decidedly meh. (Not unlike how I had great fun watching Infinity War and was then seriously underwhelmed by Endgame.)

sat through Jon Baird’s biopic Stan & Ollie, which was acclaimed by critics, but which proved rather lifeless and by no means compelling
I’ve found the most downrated movies on Rotten Tomatoes to be the funniest. I was shocked at how hilarious “Holmes and Watson” was. Judging from the trailer, it looked dire. What it missed was that each major scene was a master class on how to set the premise, then build laughs off it with more and more logical but outrageous acts until you feel ashamed and delighted at what you’re laughing at.
Same for Melissa McCarthy’s recent run of movies. Critics have been savaging them, but I thought they were pretty sharp, especially in their depiction of the “deplorables.” For example, those Americans who could hear a line like “I’ll bet she does her grocery shopping at CVS” and bust out laughing. (Translation: CVS is a drug store chain which sells basic foods in refrigerated cases.)
For extra fun, watch her in “Tammy” (low-rent white trash character) followed by “The Boss” (think dictatorial Martha Stewart). She’s a sharp actress in both roles.
But what do I know? I like comedies I can laugh at (speaking of Bond AND MC, “Spy” is on my top 10 comedy list). Our betters prefer “New Yorker”-type humor, which you’re not supposed to laugh at, but nod knowingly. Perhaps a mild chuckle at most.

“New Yorker”-type humor, which you’re not supposed to laugh at, but nod knowingly. Perhaps a mild chuckle at most.
As a friend of mine used to say about SNL, “It’s art comedy. You’re not supposed to laugh.”
I like Melissa McCarthy as an actress and I’ve always felt she’s been terribly miscast and misdirected. Now that she’s lost a ton of weight and is doing Serious Movies I hope she gets more opportunity. Chris Farley once said “‘Fatty fall down’ is the only real role for an overweight comic”. McCarthy’s been shoehorned into bad slapstick for too long. It’s double jeopardy; nobody wants to watch a woman get physically injured on screen.

Perspires. Shakes fist at sky.
A balmy 98F (so 36.6666666 etc. in French units) here in centralish Texas. Somewhat warmer in the CONEX storage boxes which I was just inspecting.
Weekend activities…not a lot. Generic chores, lots of lazing about, much streaming anime viewed, some (insufficient)time spent in my (air-conditioned) shed trying to work up the enthusiasm to finish my niece’s birthday present. Oh, and avoiding people! So Win!:-D.

I had a weekend of editing digitized 30 year-old VHS tapes from and of family members. Won’t have to do that any more.

Survival skills in the wild have sure changed from my days in Scouting in the last century…