All three branches of government are now controlled by a rapist who campaigned on purging the country of nonwhite immigrants and driving trans people out of public life, supported by a Nazi billionaire, I think maybe you can ease off the Has Woke Gone Too Far beat for a while
for those of you not on twitter anymore, the anti-aging billionaire guy posted a timelapse of his failed attempt to inject "fat-derived extracellular matrix" into his face and I thought you might want to see that
Indeed. When they rounded up the Japanese Americans, myself and my family included, for internment during WWII out of fear over Japanese spies and saboteurs, two thirds of us were U.S. citizens. Don’t think it won’t happen again when they come for the “undocumented.”
THIS IS BEING BUILT UP STILL. CHECK OUT THE STARTER PACKS BELOW TO JUMP START YOUR SPORTS FOLLOWINGS.
Dribble. Pass. Shoot. Throw. Dunk. Touch Down. From WAY Downtown. Hail Mary. Serve. Slam. Bonk. 1st Down. Torn ACL. Pitch. Football AND Football. Flibbed It. Own Goal. Fandom. The Wave. Home Run. GOAT. Elite. The Hole. Post Game Interview. Dingers. 4th and 27. Scorigami. The CBS Jacket Patch. The Diving Catch Your One Friend Did In Little League. Opening Day. The Playoffs. Shredding. Bball With The Boys. The Catch. 3rd Concussion Of The Season. Losing Your Savings On Betting Apps. Communal Joy.
It’s juicing, as they say. Bluesky is gaining a million users a day at this point, including some very cool and very nice and very famous people. Celebs even: A, B, C, and D List (non-derogatory). See a list of celebrities and other famous people currently posting on Bluesky below.
Bluesky is now hitting a critical mass. As of writing this it just hit 14 million users, with 5x increases in follows, likes, etc. Some politicians are starting to become more active again, including AOC. Check below for a list of some of those politicians. More coming soon.
I also include some group and individual activists that are worth following a well.
Note: I tried to include people who were active in last 3 months or so, but a few less active accounts might be included. Hopefully they will come back soon.
Bluesky recently released “Starter Packs” which are just groupings of users, made by Bluesky Users. They are intended to help new users find their people. Below is a list of different Starter Packs by Category.
I can’t get enough of Slow Horses and very happy they have Series 5 already shot. Check out the Teaser from the end of Series 4. We are still waiting to get the release dating. Based on release of previous seasons, we are looking at 8-10 months. So possibly June-August of 2025.
Apple TV+ is staying with the spies of Slough House for a sixth season.
Hit Gary Oldman starrer Slow Horseshas been re-upped again upon the conclusion of Season 4 on the streaming platform. A fifth season was ordered back in January.
No word yet on Series 7 but I’d say it’s likely to happen given the slow but recent hype for the Slough House gang.
Spooky/Scary/Slasher season is upon us. Time to watch those movies, baby. I’ve been trying to do one a day. I binge watched five episodes of the show Castle Rock on Hulu and had a night of nightmares, which is rare for me!
Anyways, Tubi has some great Horror options this October. Check out 5 of my favorites and see the full list here:
About: As a youngster I didn’t really care for scary movies but this is one I recall watching with a group of fellow 20 year olds and finding it quite scary! Always remember: if you are out in nature (forest, desert, etc.) there are people out there watching you. Always.
About: A surprise Jack Black is in this slasher sequel. It’s meh, but good 90s vibes in it, if you’re looking for that sort of thing. Takes place mostly at a Bahamas resort.
About: Not “boo”/jump scary, but the alien people in this are super well crafted and fun. What’s really scary it turns out, is capitalism. A classic movie that you should watch if you’ve never seen.
About: For about 7 years I actually lived in the neighborhood this was largely filmed in. If I ever want nostalgia for that time in my life, I watch this great scary/creepy movie. You won’t have sex for weeks after watching this movie.
About: I’m new to knowing about and watching this movie, and it has become an instant love of mine. I’ve rewatched 3 times in the last 6 months. Such a good mix of cult, Scottish, and boobs.
I recently wrote about how I make roughly $10 in Amazon Gift cards by using the Microsoft Rewards system. Mostly getting those points via searching things on Bing. It’s an easy habit and the few extra bones each month is nice.
Often times there are Sweepstakes where you can use your Points to win $5k or $10k even but the last few months of 2024 they are upping the game and having a $1,000,000 Sweepstakes. A million bucks. A million smack-a-roonies.
One lucky winner gets $1,000,000 (USD) plus 10 winners receive $10,000 (USD).
You can get up to 200 entries, by doing various tasks in Bing/Microsoft, or by purchasing some products(boo). Below are some of the ways you can get entries.
Boo. It’s scary movie watching season. And Amazon Prime is not f-ing around this October with their Horror movie options. Some new and old classics included. Check out a list of 8 great Horror movies currently on Amazon Prime, with 5 bonus movies at the end.
Direct links to the movies on the Title and the Image.
About: Barbarian is a very rewatchable movie. Maybe stay away if you have a scary basement. Justin Long’s character is an irremediable piece of shit, but man it’s hard not to love his opening scene in the movie (prior to him answering the phone, where it’s all down hill from that).
About: As a The Shining lover, when I first watched Doctor Sleep, I wasn’t holding my breathe for something I loved, or even liked. HOWEVER, despite realizing it’s not “great”, I really do enjoy this movie. Ewan McGregor and Kyliegh Curran are both excellent in the film. Probably helps if you’ve seen The Shining, but I think you can pick up on the whole Shine plot either way.
About: This was my first and only Cloverfield movie, so far. Not Bad. Have to love John Goodman. I think this would be considered a “Bottle Movie“, and I think it works well.
About: I’m going to be strong enough to watch this movie this October. I’m going to be strong enough to watch this movie this October. I’m going to be strong enough to watch this movie this October.
I just watched the trailer and it frankly looks very scary. VVish me luck.
About: I know real Horror and Film heads will probably hate this take, but I found the original 1977Suspiria essentially unwatchable. However this 2018 version from Luca Guadagnino is very good and very rewatchable. What’s with me and all the rewatchability stuff??
About: John Carpenter’s masterpiece? Probably. Such a great flick. So great in fact, I’m going to go put on The Thing (1982) on Amazon Prime, right now!
The entire month of October has somehow become Halloween, and I am not complaining. I love me some Horror movies! I’m actually currently watching The Wicker Man (1977) as I write this.
If you have cable TV with the Freeform channel, you’ll know they do a month long scary movie marathon for the Spooky Season. Tonight they played The Haunted Mansion and Beetlejuice.
And what’s a more fitting collab for Freeform 31 Nights of Halloween promo, the start of Fall and cooling temperatures? You guessed it, that classic Fall Treat: Ice Cream.
Check out these Halloween Promotional Options:
Treat or Treat™ – Boo Batter™ Ice Cream, mixed with KIT KAT®, Halloween OREO® Cookies, and M&M’S® Milk Chocolate Candies.
31 Nights of Monster Mash – Classic Cookie Dough Ice Cream is mixed with M&M’S® MINIS Peanut Butter Chocolate Candies, Oats, and Chocolate Chips.
Promotional Halloween Cupcake: Scaredy Cakes – Rich Chocolate Cups filled with a layer of Devil’s Food Cake, Fudge & Boo Batter™ Ice Cream topped with fluffy White Frosting & Spooky Sprinkles
As part of the celebration, Cold Stone Creamery is offering fans a chance to make their Halloween even sweeter. Throughout the month of October, 20 lucky entrants will be chosen at random to win a Cold Stone Creamery Ice Cream Movie Night! Winners will receive a special package that includes everything needed for a cozy, ice cream-filled movie night at home – the perfect way to enjoy 31 Nights of Halloween on Freeform.
I’ve never been Across The Pond, to the land of “chips” and “mates” and Lords and Queens. But I have previously admitted my love and romanticism of London and the UK, largely because of their TV Shows (Series). I also need having TV shows, and other noise-y stuff on in the background, as I work or paint or clean or whatever.
Something the YouTube algorithm served me up a few months ago has been life changing. London bus videos.
As a lover of buses and cities, it has been incredibly soothing and interesting watching the city of London from the top of a Double Decker bus. Seeing the communities, parks, people of London living their lives. And compared to America (Chicago), significantly less cars and significantly more density and public transportation. I can’t get enough.
My two current favorites are Wanderizm and Kidney Beans Global Check them out both below!
Wanderizm shares a few videos a week, and they are really high quality. I also like at the beginning each video he shows the date and time, temperature, and the route of the bus. A small thing that adds a lot of context to the videos. Here are two recent videos I have enjoyed.
London Route 189 – From Brent Cross to Marble Arch in Central London 🚌 (A night route!)
London Bus Ride, Route 27 from Camden to Hammersmith Point-of-view 🚌
They update every week or so with new videos. They also have a Live Stream of their videos which is good to pop into from time to time. Check out the live stream and another of the good routes they have up.
Live London Bus Stream
London Bus 57 🎾 Wimbledon Station To Streatham Hill 🎾 Wimbledon 2024 Bus Ride
Be sure to give them both a Subscribe. Happy Bus Watching.
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The Tubi user base continues to grow (74 Million+), as do their Live Channels and Movies/TV Shows available to stream. Below are 8 movies recently added on Tubi, with some Bonus movies. Check them out!
About: There are multiple of these Die Hard movies on Tubi currently. However, just watch Die Hard: With A Vengeance because it is easily the best one. NYC. The Summer. Germans. Samuel L. Jackson.
About: Maybe not the best of the Will Ferrell/John C. Reilly movies (Step Brothers probably?), but man if 17 year old me didn’t etch lines of this movie in my brain for the rest of my life. Lil’ baby Jesus, and the rest.
About: A sexy (eh, sorta), funny (eh, sorta), thriller (eh, sorta). Look it’s not the best nor the most coherent nor the friendliest to women or Middle Easterners, BUT it’s pretty fun. Turn that brain off and hit play.
About: A campy, fun 80’s horror movie, based of the Stephen King book of the same name. I like this movie, but I HATE Corn Children.
Bonus Movies: 8 Mile, Pan’s Labryanth, Selena, You Got Served, Hacksaw Ridge, How High. And find all Recently Added To Tubi Movies Here: https://tubitv.com/category/recently_added
Happy Tubi-ing!
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Ever since the Jackson Lord Of The Rings films came out at the turn of the century, Tolkien’s world has been in the zeigiest non-stop. And with with the Rings Of Power show on Amazon coming out in 2023, the internet is buzzing with Hobbit talk, and the like. Elvish even. Check out these subreddits on reddit related to Lord of the Rings, Rings of Power, and The Hobbit.
Bluesky has a small (and growing!), but thriving comic creator community, with many of them being very active. Below are 10 creator, writers and illustrators of comics that are active on Bluesky.
It turns out a show with comedians on it, doing funny things, is very enjoyable.
Let me be clear, none of these series are bad. I would happily watch any of them again. And I will. However some have more contestant chemistry, or better themes, or tasks that just hit harder. Oddly even the “bad” tasks provide the laughs. I’ve probably lol’ed (legit lol) in ever episode of Taskmaster I’ve watched, including all rewatches.
Live tasks were often low points for me so I do not include any in the top tasks. One caveat for that, the Knappett Fall in Series 7 is maybe one of the funniest things I’ve see on TV.
The starred ** contestants were my favorites, but again, there is not one I “hated”.
Best Task: Work out the circumference of the caravan in baked beans. Episode 1.
Best Gag: Phil Wang bartering for each prize task. James calling him a pussy while trying to open the box. James not saying “hi” to Alex ever. The Knappett Fall.
2. Series 16
Great tasks, contestants, and contestant chemistry.
Contestants: *Julian Clary*, Lucy Beaumont, *Sam Campbell*, Sue Perkins and Susan Wokoma
Best Episode: Episode 7: I’m off to find a robin.
Best Task: Present a piece called “Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”. Episode 6.
Best Gag: Sue getting mad at Alex. Sam being a weird guy. The team of three is funny. Sam wearing all gray/grey outfits in every studio show.
3. Series 1
It’s only six episodes. It’s honestly surprising how good this series is, and how little the show actually changes over time. It’s a little clunky at points, but it holds up super well even 10 years later compared to the newer seasons.
Contestants: Frank Skinner, Josh Widdicombe, Roisin Conaty, Romesh Ranganathan and *Tim Key*
Best Episode: Episode 1: Melon buffet.
Best Task: In the lab, there is a watermelon. Eat as much watermelon as possible. Episode 1.
Best Gag: Tim Key getting caught cheating. Romesh getting mad at the prize tasks. Josh having to do counting tasks.
4. Series 14
Good tasks!
Contestants: Dara Ó Briain, *Fern Brady*, *John Kearns*, Munya Chawawa and Sarah Millican
Best Episode: Episode 5: Chip Biffington.
Best Task: Place one luggage trolley a certain distance away from the line. Then, starting behind the line, strike that trolley with another luggage trolley. Episode 5.
Best Gag: John having bad Prize Tasks.
5. Series 3
Only five episodes. Great tasks. It was really hard for me to choose top episode or task.
Contestants: *Al Murray*, Dave Gorman, *Paul Chowdhry*, Rob Beckett and Sara Pascoe
Best Episode: Episode 2: The dong and the gong.
Best Task: Get to the microwave in as few steps as possible and open the door before the microwave dings. Episode 1.
Best Gag: Paul’s deadpan humor and how Greg responds to it.
6. Series 4
A great season, with solid contestants. The first of the new standard of ten episodes.
Contestants: *Hugh Dennis*, Joe Lycett, Lolly Adefope, *Mel Giedroyc* and Noel Fielding
Best Episode: Episode 3: Hollowing out a baguette.
Best Task: Make a trailer for Taskmaster The Movie. Team task. Episode 3.
Best Gag: Hugh Dennis coming in last for the Prize task 6 out of the 8 episodes.
7. Series 8
This one grew on me more as I watched a second time while listening to the official podcast.
Contestants: Iain Stirling, Joe Thomas, *Lou Sanders*, Paul Sinha and Sian Gibson
Best Episode: Episode 3: Stuck in a mammal groove.
Best Task: Alex is on that bridge in the distance with lights on his head. Get as close as you can to Alex without him noticing you. Episode 1.
Best Gag: Alex asking Paul Sinha questions about history. Ian and Lou being confrontational on team tasks.
8. Series 11
Also a Covid Pandemic Series, and I think it hurts the tasks in this one, which is understandable.
Contestants: Charlotte Ritchie, Jamali Maddix, Lee Mack, *Mike Wozniak* and *Sarah Kendall*.
Best Episode: Episode 5: Slap and tong.
Best Task: Build a tower, then topple your tower so that yogurt lands in a numbered square. Episode 9.
Best Gag: Jamali getting irritated with Alex (and others) a lot.
9. Series 2
Only five episodes.
Contestants: Doc Brown, *Joe Wilkinson*, Jon Richardson, *Katherine Ryan* and Richard Osman
Best Episode: Episode 5: There’s strength in arches.
Best Task: Get this potato into the golf hole. You may not touch the red green. Episode 1.
Best Gag: Jon Richardson being embarrassed constantly.
10. Series 17
This is the first one I watched without bingeing, and I think that honestly hurt my viewing experience some. Great contestants and I had fun watching.
Contestants: Joanne McNally, John Robins, *Nick Mohammed*, *Sophie Willan*, and Steve Pemberton
Best Episode: Episode 8: The umbrella wink.
Best Task: Hoopla Gary before he crosses the finish line. Episode 1.
Best Gag: It was kind of annoying at first but Nick being dressed like Dracula.
11. Series 12
Another (and the last) Covid Pandemic series. Good tasks! They figured out the Covid Tasks.
Contestants: Alan Davies, Desiree Burch, *Guz Khan*, *Morgana Robinson* and Victoria Coren Mitchell
Best Episode: Episode 3: The end of the franchise.
Best Task: Write and perform a 30-second jingle. Episode 7.
Best Gag: Victoria being teased for being a nerd.
12. Series 9
It starts off a little slow, but increasingly gets better as the series goes on. The contestants have better chemistry at the end.
Contestants: David Baddiel, Ed Gamble, Jo Brand, *Katy Wix* and *Rose Matafeo*
Best Episode: Episode 6: Bready bready bready.
Best Task: Serenade yourself. Episode 6.
Best Gag:
13. Series 5
Contestants: *Aisling Bea*, Bob Mortimer, Mark Watson, *Nish Kumar* and Sally Phillips
Best Episode: Episode 5: A wind-dried puffin.
Best Task: Generate a watercooler moment involving this watercooler. Episode 5.
Best Gag: Mark Watson sending texts to Greg everyday for 5 months.
14. Series 15
Contestants: Frankie Boyle, Ivo Graham, Jenny Eclair, *Kiell Smith-Bynoe* and Mae Martin
Best Episode: Episode 6: It’s my milk now.
Best Task: Invent an imaginary companion, then complete a domestic task with your imaginary companion. Episode 6.
Best Gag: Kiell and Alex going at it. lol
15. Series 10
First Covid Pandemic series. I think it starts mid-filming tasks. Doesn’t affect it too much.
Contestants: *Daisy May Cooper*, Johnny Vegas, Katherine Parkinson, Mawaan Rizwan and Richard Herring
Best Episode: Episode 1: God’s haemorrhoid.
Best Task: Silently, make the tastiest and prettiest cocktail with the coolest name. Episode 6.
Best Gag: Katherine Parkinson saying “we” all the time and Alex correcting her.
16. Series 13
Good tasks and first post-Covid Pandemic series.
Contestants: *Ardal O’Hanlon*, Bridget Christie, Chris Ramsey, *Judi Love* and Sophie Duker
Best Episode: Episode 3: I think I’ve got this.
Best Task: Display the shoe Alex is thinking of. All the other shoes must be out of sight at the end of the attempt. Episode 4.
Best Gag: Judi getting Alex to do a bunch of stuff for him. Sophie being annoyed by Alex, and talking about death all the time. Judi never winning.
17. Series 6
Some good moments but overall one of the weaker series :(. Sorry :(.
Contestants: Alice Levine, Asim Chaudhry, Liza Tarbuck, Russell Howard and Tim Vine
Best Episode: Episode 10: He was a different man.
Best Task: Do something manly with this cardboard box. Episode 4.
I recently made a list of things I want and at the top of the list was “to visit London”. The last few years I have, like much of America, have been steeped in British Media. The Great British Bake Off is probably the most popular, but there is Peep Show, Taskmaster, the growing hate of the Monarch, and so on.
This year has been British heavy for me, even compared to other years. Here is what I have been watching and listening to.
Taskmaster [TV Show/Podcast]
Between November and February of last year I watched all (at the time) episodes of Taskmaster. I almost immediately started a rewatch, this time doing a ranking of the season (coming soon!). It’s truly a silly and pointless show, but it is legit one of the funniest things I’ve watched in the last decade. And you know what’s great, you can watch it all for free on Youtube!: https://www.youtube.com/@Taskmaster
Oh! And they have an official Taskmaster Podcast, hosted by one of the former contestants, Ed Gamble. I’ve only recently just started listening, but I have a feeling I’ll be listening to it frequently in the near future. https://www.taskmaster.tv/podcast
Trying [TV Show]
I have no longing for having kids, but I do think an accidental pregnancy would fix me. Trying is about a couple desperate to have a child, and struggling to do so. It starts off with fucking on a bus, but the last episode I watched, I think the couple was in like 3 scenes together. It’s a fun enough show, and I like all the shoots that take place in actual London, but I’m finding series 4 a slog. I think couples would have a fun time watching this though.
Slow Horses [TV Show]
Slow Horses is an Action/Drama about British spies (MI5) mostly spying on themselves. The cast is great, and works so well together. Topped off with Gary Oldman as the alcoholic, cynical, old man yelling at clouds. He’s great.
It’s a quick 18 episodes over 3 seasons.
Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster [Podcast]
Sometimes you just need to hear two to three British people talking for an hour or so. They have a good mix of British guests (Paul Hollywood, Jamie Oliver) and American guests (Jason Mantzoukas and Paul Rudd). It’s fun to hear the slight and sometimes significant differences in the two cultures as well. Why isn’t curry a bigger part of my life?? (Oh because America didn’t colonize India probably, huh?)
I want Kevin McCloud to follow me around my day to day life and critique every decision I make. I would be 100x the person I am now if he did. It’s not quite Taskmaster Easy to watch, but it’s pretty easy. Some seasons are at times available on Netflix and Amazon Prime. You can watch a 24/7 channel of Grand Designs on Amazon’s Freevee. AND you can also find on Youtube a lot through non-sanctioned channels. Try this: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=grand+designs
If you love houses, you’ll love this show.
Would I Lie To You [TV Show]
The British are really onto something here: another show where all, or at least a good chunk, are available for free on Youtube. I think all TV Shows should do this.
Would I Lie To You is a short and sweet celebrity panel show that’s low stakes and fun. Look at those three blokes, what’s not to love. Give it a watch here: https://www.youtube.com/@WILTY_TV
What am I missing? Please tell me the good British shows to watch. I can’t get enough.
I loved British TV ever since I was able to start watching it due to streaming around 2010. Luther, Skins, Top Gear, and Peep Show were some of my early favorites. The amount of shows available, although across a significant number of streaming services, has only grown in the last decade plus. Check out these shows from the Live Channels on Freevee. At this very moment of me writing this, and probably you reading it, I am watching Grand Designs. Can’t get enough of Kevin and his house takes.
About: In the last 3 months no human on earth has watched more Grand Designs than I. My Guinness World Record award is currently pending. I can’t get enough of this show: the genius and the hubris of these people that decide to “build their own homes”. I loathe some of them, but often I find the perseverance of them inspiring. Also there is Kevin, who holds back no punches on their lack of qualifications and often times insanity. I original got hooked on this show during first few months of Covid Pandemic, but that love has never gone away, and now you can watch 24/7 on Freevee.
About: Do I hate cars? Yes. Do I find one of the hosts of this show on par with Piers Morgan for British Unlikability? Yes. Do I love to see the stupid cars go vroom vroom? Also Yes. Duality of man. I contain multitudes. Etc. Some of the episodes are pretty meh, but often they are pretty fun.
About: The whole BBC gang showed up. We got Home and Garden. We got Scifi. We got Comedy. We got Travel. We got Earth. Imagine if the United States’ Public Broadcasting Service was as well funded as the BBC. These could all be PBS channels. A Ken Burns PBS Channel??? The dream.
About: If you thought American Antiques Road Show was pretentious, you ain’t seen nothing yet sister. I actually didn’t know the American Antiques Road Show (PBS!) was based on a British version! Well anyways, the British version is fun because 1) the accents, obviously and 2) the UK is just so much older than the US, and I think old things are just neat.
About: I can’t stop looking at the poster. I know it’s small, but look at it. Beautiful. I recently saw people razzing on this movie on Bluesky but in a fun/supportive way. If you like horror movies and you haven’t yet watched this, you gotta. You gotta watch Malignant.
About: There is something about movies where Dudes Are Getting Things Done that I can’t get enough. And as much as I dislike American Car Culture, this is a well paced, and action filled movie with Men Being Men. Remember when Dudes were Men?
About: Skyscraper didn’t make my Top Disaster Porn movies, but that doesn’t mean this non-sense idea of a movie isn’t semi-entertaining. Need to turn your mind (and heart?) off? Skyscraper is the movie for you.
About: A little British Bear wearing a little coat and a little hat, and doing little British Bear things in London? Your kids are going to love it. You’re going to love it. Cozy up with blankets and popcorn and have a nice family evening in. 🙂
About: The first three John Wicks are currently streaming for free on Tubi. Murder. Car chases. Guns. More murder. More car chases. These John Wick movies have it all.
About: Many years ago a friend told me this was their favorite movie, so one night I impulse bought it on Amazon. It’s pretty good but “favorite” seems like a stretch. YOU can now watch it for free (with commercials) on Tubi. Or buy it on Amazon!
About: Has a movie ever felt more 2008 than Wanted (2008)? (non-derogatory). It’s honestly still a pretty fun action movie, with curving bullets, and a hot Angelina Jolie. Give it a watch.
About: It has probably been a decade since I’ve watched this movie, but I’m guessing it holds up (mostly). A cheeky PG-13 flick, that the whole family can enjoy.
About: A classic. If you haven’t watched this movie with your children yet you have failed them. You are despicable. BUT, you can change that today. Fun for the whole family.
Just shipped: Bluesky posts embeds! Now you can see Bluesky posts in their natural habitat.
Simply right-click on the post you want to embed, or paste its URL in embed.bsky.app for the code snippet.
Alrighty then, let’s get into some of the good recent posts on Bluesky.
Phone Bad. Children lazy nerds.
This started from Discourse about a book by some guy who basically says “phones are the problem for why kids don’t leave the house enough these days”. Apparently it ignores….***CARS***.
Anyways, keeping your distance some discourse of dumb shit is good, but I loved this many years old graphic that Doug Gordon (of The War On Cars fame) shared.
Just shipped: Bluesky posts embeds! Now you can see Bluesky posts in their natural habitat.
Simply right-click on the post you want to embed, or paste its URL in embed.bsky.app for the code snippet.
DETECTIVE HARRY HOLE: Its me, norways famous detective, Harry Hole. in Norway it's a normal name.POLICE CHIEF: Hole, I'm glad you're here, and that your name is normal, in our culture. this is a hell of a murder
Might as well post that picture of my son when he was a baby. The one where he look like he was born playing darts. In 1957. Looking like he just got some bad news about a tractor trailer his nephew was minding for him. With a face like my dad's when I tell him about my podcast.
When magazines were fun (and had money): I was going through a drawer and just found one of the more lunatic things I ever greenlit. These are outtakes from a 1996 Oscars photo shoot we did at Entertainment Weekly–one if Babe won an Oscar, one if it didn't.
100% PURE BEEF Beef Burgers. 100% PURE BEEF Beef Burgers. 100% PURE BEEF Beef Burgers. 100% PURE BEEF Beef Burgers. 100% PURE BEEF Beef Burgers. 100% PURE BEEF Beef Burgers. 100% PURE BEEF Beef Burgers. 100% PURE BEEF Beef Burgers. 100% PURE BEEF Beef Burgers.
Beef.
Turns out if you get a nice burger from a local restaurant once a week at $13 (+drink(or two) and tip), that money adds pretty quick!
Luckily I found these frozen burgers at Aldi a few months ago. At about $12 for the entire bag, with cost of the bun and other toppings, I’m eating ~$2.00 burgers at home. Those are savings you can take to the bank. And also, arteries you can be assured are being clogged.
Listen, we (Americans) eat too much red meat. It’s killing us all, slowly. Including me. With the ease it is to cook these, how cheap, and ultimately a satisfying dinner, I often try to switch out these 100% PURE BEEF Beef Burgers with the frozen Turkey Burgers Aldi’s sometimes carries, or frozen chicken breasts. Both can be classed up a bit, easy to make, and are also the “burger” handheld form, which can’t be beat.
Alright, so the preparing and toppings…
Burger: Largely follow the instructions on the bag to cook in oven. 400 Degrees. I place the one or two burgers in a aluminum foil “pan” I create so the juices are easy to clean up, and don’t need to clean the sheet pan. Roughly 7 minutes on one side, flip, about another 6-7 minutes. THEN flip again, and put cheese on burger, for roughly another 1 minute in the oven. Check on until cheese as melted as you’d like. I actually typically put diced onions on the burger and then the cheese on top of that, so the cheese melts around the onions. Very good.
Toppings: As noted above I’ll go with some cheese (swiss or provolone usually), diced or not-so-diced raw white onions, tomato slices, mayo on the side of one bun, and ketchup on the other. If I’m feeling especially unhealthy, and I have them on hand, I’ll put a layer on each end of Kettle chips, for that extra crunch texture.
Rating: 3.5/5. Not bad. Tastes about what you’d expect from any frozen burger. Class it up with your bun and topping choices, and you’re having a good time. And remember, moderation!
About: Maybe the most perfect Camp Thriller movie of the year 1997 (and even all of the 90s)? Great performances from both Cage and Travolta. A must watch if you have never seen.
About: Recently watched this and it absolutely slaps. It doesn’t feel like a 3 hour and 15 minute movie. Remember the dual VHS version of this from when it was first released? Take me back.
About: Jon Stewart showing up is a surprise, but not as much of a surprise as how he meets his end in this late 90s Teen horror/thriller. You should watch it. Now. Go.
About: I don’t keep up with the DC Universe but thought this movie was fun enough. Lightning and running around. Turn your brain off for a couple of hours.
About: It took me a couple of watches but I came around to Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Paul Dano and the rest of the stacked cast has a lot to do with that.
About: There has never been, and never will be again, a better use of a Queen song in a “Middle Ages Film”. I beg you to watch this 2 minute Youtube clip from A Knight’s Tale (no spoilers): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Hi8IWqic0U. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon in The Last Duel could never.
About: An incredibly cute and wholesome movie. Fun for the whole family. Or in my case, a 36 year old man home alone on a Friday night with little else to do.
Don’t worry about seeing Paddington 1 first, it’s pretty easy to get: there is a cute little bear that lives with a family and he’s nice and he gets into his little hijinks.
I love me some British TV. I’ve recently been on a Taskmaster and Grand Designs binge. But also enjoy some of their Crime/Drama/Thriller shows. Tubi has quite a few of the best. Check out the list of Best British Shows To Stream On Tubi below! Want to jump directly to the British Crime TV listings? https://tubitv.com/category/british_crime_tv
About: Arrest me, Scully, I’ve been a bad, murdering boy. (Come on, Mike. get it together.). The Fall is a great serial killer thriller. Series 3 is a bit of a snooze but first two are nail-biters.
About: A detective that fully engulfs himself into his work because he’s flawed and ultimately unhappy with his life and himself? You got it. When I first got Netflix steaming in around 2009, I recall this being one of my first introductions to British TV.
About: Two detectives that fully engulf themselves into their work because….you get it. This shows has some truly upsetting plot lines but it’s the best I’ve ever seen David Tennant, and Olivia Colman has been doing the work (well) for decades. Probably my favorite from this list.
About: For how much I hate cars, it’s puzzling why I enjoy this show so much. Not to mention how much I loathe Jeremy Clarkson. But before they went full non-sense and military propaganda, there was some great TV in there.
Every year Ben & Jerry’s puts out their top flavors of the year based on sales. You can see that list here: https://www.benjerry.com/whats-new/2023/12/top-flavors-2023. But America is wrong. These are actually the best flavors ranked, by me, Mike.
See my rankings 1-10 below, with the top flavor sold from the Ben & Jerry’s list in ().
1. Americone Dream (Stephen Colbert’s) (8)
The Best! The Caramel swirl. Oh! The chocolate covered waffle cone. OH BABY. This is my go-to flavor in my once-per-month pint of Ben and Jerry’s.
2. Chocolate Fudge Brownie (5)
So chocolatey but oh so good. This one I can take in only short bursts, which is good because it slows down my consumption of it!
3. Half Baked (1)
Would definitely be ranked 2, maybe even 1, if it weren’t for those damn “cookie dough” chunks. nasty!
4. The Tonight Dough (Jimmy Fallon) (6)
Would be one higher if it wasn’t for Jimmy Fallon’s goofy face and name on the pint.
Enjoy this? Find it useful? Please consider supporting bblloobb on Ko-fi!
5. Phish Food (7)
This flavor is grooooooovy, man. 🙂
6. Milk & Cookies (10)
How have I never actually had this flavor before?! Cookie chunks (two kinds) sounds so much better than awful “cookie dough”.
7. Strawberry Cheesecake (4)
I have not yet had this flavor, but cheesecake (in moderation) is a top tier pie/cake and strawberry is a top tier berry (in all amounts), so I’m excited to give it a try this year.
8. Cherry Garcia (2)
Not a cherry fan (flavor is usually good) so sadly putting this near the bottom.
9. Chunky Monkey (9)
As an on-off banana lover, I’d love to love this super fun-ly named B&J flavor but I loathe walnuts. NO THANKS.
10. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (3)
Cookie dough in ice cream is disgusting. What an awful, malting texture. You all need to Find God.
Bluesky continues to grow and be a good site to hang out on and post. Check out some of the best recent Bluesky posts in mid to late March 2024. *Be sure to follow all of these users!*
I’m a Pluto.tv virgin, but damn if they don’t have a great lineup of free movies available to watch. I think I’m going to start with Congo. Check out Congo and some of the other new additions in March 2024 below!
About: Part Jurassic Park. Part Indian Jones. Part The Net. Annnnd you’re already gone, off watching Congo (1995). Stop back in when you’re looking for your next movie on Pluto.tv.
About: This movie is stacked: Foster, Whitaker, and Stewart. Thankfully Pluto.tv has the No Leto Cut of this great thriller. Crazy to think this was Fincher‘s movie between Fight Club and Zodiac, both of which seem and are so massive, where this largely takes place in one Brownstone in NYC’s Upper West Side. (Filmed on a Hollywood Studio lot, sadly.)
But for real, I think Gattaca is a bit of a “cult classic”, after not having box office success, but I don’t think it’s had the wide-spread love that it deserves. Watch it if you haven’t seen.
About: Imagine the world was watching you waste your life away reading this stupid shit, instead of like going for a walk, or talking to your kids, or being a contributing member of your community.
Wait, now I’m imagining them watching me WRITE this drivel. oh my god. i’ve wasted my life
About: Awful poster. Now that I think about this film I recall almost all advertising I saw for it being bad. Probably 10 years after it originally came out, I caught it on Netflix, and you know what? It’s pretty good!
About: Mikey likey, Mikey want to watch a 90’s comedy classic that he at one point knew nearly all the words to. Relive your childhood with me, and let’s watch TB tonight.
I started watching Taskmaster (UK) around Thanksgiving last year and now, about 5 months later, I essentially haven’t stopped. I’m on rewatch two. I love it so much I’m working on a ranking of the series for this site, as I do my rewatch.
Each episode starts with the prize task. Some of them are stolen pants, or subscriptions to cloud picture emails, or it turns out, some things you can actually buy online. Below is a list of the Taskmaster Prize Tasks that you can actually buy. Some of them quite cheap!
(these links are affiliate links where I will make pennies if you purchase something from amazon.com)
The Spinning Nose Elephant On A Bike – Bob Mortimer – S5E6
One of the silliest (and surprisingly cheap) little prize task prizes, is this little elephant on a bike where the top spins as the wheels turn. Bob Mortimer uses this prize twice, once with broccoli on it, and another where it’s a lil’ sausage. Both very funny (and cute!). Oddly this was a “best thing you’ve made yourself” task, which this is clearly not. ha. You can actually buy this for fairly cheap! $16 at the time of writing this: https://amzn.to/3vaHi1m
This is one of those clips that you truly hope is sincere, and it feels like it actually is. A fucking laminator lol. The reactions are great. I guess the category of “most magnificent stationary” makes it make some sense. Buy a similar lamintor here: https://amzn.to/490JDtw
50 Ways To See Through People [Book] – Lou Sanders – S8E6
Okay this one is actually less buy-able. It’s only used and *very* expensive. Still a pretty fun/stupid prize for the task of “The best see-thru thing”. See the options to buy used: https://amzn.to/43hdDAe
Cute Cat Toy With Eyes That Pop – Hugh Dennis – S4E5
In this series Hug Dennis’s prize tasks were hilariously bad and 6 out of 8 times came in last place. Good gag. In this episode for “the Cutest Thing” thing he brought in this cat with eyes that bulge out. I think Greg was a little harsh on him, but still funny. Buy a version here! https://amzn.to/3v5ZWaJ
You should really watch this clip below. The story of Phil haggling for the prize (a gag he did in every episode which was very funny), and then James Acaster’s outburst with Greg taking him aside. All very funny. The category was “the most confusing thing”. Buy similar boxes here: https://amzn.to/3ICDk4B
This is also from the “bring in the cutest thing” category that was also above. I think this is actually legitimately cute, but Greg was a little rascal about it. It’s Three Peas In A Pod! https://amzn.to/3PozJLf
OSHA(Occupational Safety and Health Administration) comes out with a list of the top standard citations they give out each year. These come out roughly in April for the previous Fiscal Year, which happens to be Oct-Sept for the previous time period. So in this case, the 2022 Fiscal Year citations listed below are from October 2021-September 2022.
The 2023 list should be coming out this April 2024, showing the 2023 Fiscal Year citations from Oct 2022-Sept 2023. (See that list here!)(coming soon!)
Fall Protection addresses things like the use of guardrails on worksites (temporary guardrails, scaffolding guardrails, and around stairs), properly covering holes, safety net systems and more. Read more about Fall Protection in construction settings over on the OSHA website. https://www.osha.gov/otm/section-5-construction-operations/chapter-4
No one tells you that one of the scariest parts of living in a city, after cars, is scaffolding. Walking under it is scary. Seeing people up on it is scary. Windy days are especially scary for scaffolding. Not to mention the likely mob connection to scaffolding being installed. Be safe: https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1926/1926.451
6. Control of Hazardous Energy (lockout/tagout), general industry – 2,139
This standard covers the servicing and maintenance of machines and equipment in which the unexpected energization or start up of the machines or equipment, or release of stored energy could cause injury to employees. This standard establishes minimum performance requirements for the control of such hazardous energy.
7. Powered Industrial Trucks, general industry – 1,896
Are you Fork Lift Certified? I hope so! Here are the vehicles included: fork trucks, tractors, platform lift trucks, motorized hand trucks, and other specialized industrial trucks powered by electric motors or internal combustion engines. See more here: https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.178
About: A coming of age tale in Sacramento, written and directed by Greta Gerwig (of Barbie fame). It’s a cute and funny movie. Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf both kill it. The movie was nominated for countless awards. Watch it if you haven’t seen before.
About: David Fincher does it again. Other than two scenes I skip past because they are very upsetting, I love this movie. Can’t beat a Scandinavian murder mystery/thriller where they speak English the whole time (hello The Snowman).
About: This is a *safe space*, right? Okay, good. I have never seen Friday. However I did just watch on Youtube “friday best bits“, and you know what, I think I/you should watch this movie.
Really astonishing how funny a person Chris Tucker is. I hope he’s doing well. *me ignoring the last decade in his Personal Life on Wikipedia*
About: An incredible good (and fun! 🙂 ) critique of Class as we slowly transition to our Climate Emergency future. Written and Directed by Bong Joon-ho, of Parasite fame.
About: An incredibly cute and wholesome movie. Fun for the whole family. Or in my case, a 36 year old man home alone on a Friday night with little else to do.
Don’t worry about seeing Paddington 1 first, it’s pretty easy to get: there is a cute little bear that lives with a family and he’s nice and he gets into his little hijinks.
About: I haven’t seen it but I’m guessing the girl in the middle turns sixteen and sheds her adolescence. And then finds a love or two with those couple of fellas? Movie pretty much writes itself. But good try, John Hughes, I guess.
Bluesky has “the juice” as the people who post too much on Bluesky say. Check out some of the recent posts in February/March 2024 that were good. Be sure to follow all of these posters too.
It is far too easy for fascists to speak and be heard in the last 5 years. In big part thanks to the likes of Elon Musk. Why are you still logging into Twitter again?
I’ve been thinking about this idea a lot since Dr. Damien P. Williams posted a version of it a couple of weeks ago. With parents reaching their 70s, and myself having two weeks of lower back pain, it’s hard not too.
You will get old. You will die. (Probably with your body slowly, and then very quickly, breaking down.)
Bluesky now has over 5 million users. I’ve been over there a year plus, since Elon Musk took over Twitter.
We’ve done a few posts over here specifically about Bluesky, check those out below and then sign up for Bluesky. And please stop logging into the site owned by Elon Musk.
As I admitted in my recent post about my most rewatched TV Shows, I said that Psych is my second most watched TV Show. I love that silly trash.
About a dozen years ago or so I had started a site called thenamesofburtonguster.com and cataloged all of the nicknames that Burton Guster is called in the show. I still have the domain, but didn’t keep up with managing the site. I was able to recover most of it from the Internet Archive, and you can see that in these links! See a few of my favorites below.
“Oh, you might not want to do that. Doctor Guster just inseminated an Appaloosa. All the way up to the elbow.” – Shawn, 3:00
Fingers
“You’re 36 months into a subscription for Modern Safe Cracker Magazine, what’s the point?” – Shawn, “I’m an amateur, Shawn.” – Gus, “Well, It’s time to go pro, Fingers.” -Shawn, “Fingers?” – Gus, “Twist it up.” – Shawn, 29:45
S03E03, “Daredevils!”:
Die-Harder
“Actually, I’m Die-Hard. He’s Die-Harder. We have two other guys in our crew, but they aren’t nearly as good as us.” – Shawn, 9:10
“Yo, El Diablo! What’s up, man? [I’m] Shawn Spencer, this is my partner, Squirts Macintosh. Just have a couple sort of serious questions for you.” – Shawn, 15:10
S04E09, “Shawn Takes a Shot in the Dark”:
Donut Holestein
“My name is Shawn Spencer, this is my associate Donut Holestein.” – Shawn, 11:00
I had included Exploring Alternatives on my 6 Alternative Ways To Live post last year, but I’m finding myself watching a lot of the videos recently, and dreaming of building a cob house.
Listen, this post a day thing gets hard when you [redacted] [redacted] [redacted]. I’m trying to make it at least 30 days. Getting close. BUT there will be some duds. There will be some bullshit. There will be some trash.
Welcome to dud/bullshit/trash city.
(These are affiliate links. I will get pennies on the dollar if you buy these duds, bullshit, or trash.)
I’m not a coffee snob, but a coffee snob enough to know that the Folgers sludge my mom drinks is bad. After a few years of trying better, beaned coffee, which I grind prior to putting into my French Press, this Stumptown variety has become my favorite.
I read this book over a year ago and I still can’t stop thinking about it. Care about climate change? Think about how oil executives [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted] [redacted]? You should read this book!
It’s not the best, but it’s what I use. That Stumptown Coffee up above, morning British black tea, nighttime chamomile tea, trying to unclog drains with hot water, my HB 1.7L Electric Tea Kettle has seen it all.
The Majority Report (w/ Sam Seder) (and w/ Emma Vigeland) dunking on Tim Pool weekly has been very funny.
Little balding beanie man is losing it, and who better to narrate his demise. Check out these five(5) recent clips from the MR crew.
Tim Pool FURIOUS About Kristen Stewart’s ‘Gayest’ Photoshoot
This one was very funny. A balding man who wears a hat all the time commenting on another persons appearance. Can’t beat it.
“The Beanie’s About To Pop”: Tim Heidecker Explains Tim Pool’s REALLY Crappy Episode
Tim Heidecker and Sam Seder just roasting Tim Pool for 30 minutes.
TIM POOL IS LOSING IT
A really weird public spat about something clearly greater than what we are seeing. It’s watching mommy and daddy argue about something mundane in front of your friend, six months before they decide to get a divorce, except you’d be okay if any of those three fell off a cliff.
Tim Pool Declares War On ‘Ladies Night’
A solid 13 minutes of Tim being roasted. Ah incels.
Tim Pool’s Hatred Of Women Is Equal To His Ignorance Of Them
Okay, I’m a little drunk watching the super bowl by myself (cool and not sad, actually) and I said “The Buffalo Builts” for some reason so now I’m doing one for all of teams. This is very dumb. I am very dumb.
Arizona Cardinals – Arizona Old Peoples
Atlanta Falcons – Atlanta Players
Baltimore Ravens – Baltimore Be Mores
Buffalo Bills – Buffalo Builts
Carolina Panthers – Carolina Pussies (lol)
Chicago Bears – Chicago Chicagos
Cincinnati Bengals – Cincinnati Britannicas
Cleveland Browns – Cleveland Browns-ish
Dallas Cowboys – Dallas Dbags
Denver Broncos – Denver Not A Real Citys
Detroit Lions – Detroit Cars The Movies
Green Bay Packers – Green Bay Blues
Houston Texans – Houston There Is A Little Weird Guy Up Heres
Indianapolis Colts – Indianapolis Metropoli
Jacksonville Jaguars – Jacksonville Joneses
Kansas City Chiefs – Kansas City State Farms
Las Vegas Raiders – Las Vegas No H2Os
Los Angeles Chargers – Los Angeles Drivers
Los Angeles Rams – Los Angeles Movies
Miami Dolphins – Miami Vices But Not The Bad Ones
Minnesota Vikings – Minnesota We Should Have A Team Called Lakers Agains
New England Patriots – New England Oldes
New Orleans Saints – New Orleans Titties (lol)
New York Giants – New York Dreamers
New York Jets – New York Creamers (lol)
Philadelphia Eagles – Philadelphia Middle Childs
Pittsburgh Steelers – Pittsburgh Wage Thefts
San Francisco 49ers – San Francisco 69ers (lol)
Seattle Seahawks – Seattle See Hawks With Your Local Birder Groups
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Tampa Bay There Are Too Many NFL Teams
Tennessee Titans – Tennessee Messee Bitches
Washington Commanders – Washington Redskins (I’m sorry)
About: I’m mad as hell (that you are not watching these 5 Newsroom Thrillers!) and I’m not going to take it anymore! (actually, that’s fine. please keep reading, and watch one of these great flicks).
About: I could watch 7 hours of this movie. In fact, I have attempted to simulate this by watching this movie (129min) 3 times in a row. I gave up 1.4x in. Will try again.
Cast is stacked. It’s infuriating. No real justice, but maybe sort of?
About: This Fincher Flick might not *seem* like it would be a Newsroom Thriller, but it does the impossible: makes a nerdy, divorced, cartoonist seem interesting and cool(??).
Oh also they try to solve some Serial Killer case, I guess? I was too busy hanging with Robert (Downey Jr.) and Jake (Gyllenhaal) in The San Francisco Chronicle Pit.
I’ve been Library-pilled. Again. Definitely did some library borrowing as a boy, but probably ended around High School. As I try to ween myself off 7 different streaming sites, and spend less money buying books, I’ve started borrowing from my local branches these past couple of months. See my First 8 from the Chicago Public Library!
(some links may be affiliate links to Amazon.com)
[Book] Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction (2019)
If you would like to better understand Addiction, mostly to drugs, but can probably extrapolate to some degree to all addiction, and want to have more empathy for those who are addicted, give this a read! B+.
I’ve really enjoyed this! It is written as a woman telling a story at a bar, and it is long and ramble-y and also feels like how I tell stories at the bar when I’ve had a few. Also last third is pretty devastating. A.
I love the Freddie movies. First time watching this one all in one shot and focused on it, rather than catching parts on cable, or half-watching on streaming site. A+.
Watching this for the fist time at the ripe age of 36 is probably not it’s most ideal first watch. It was a cute little movie, as all Miyazaki movies are, but not entirely my thing. Maybe if I have kids someday. B.
There is a page for each season, although to be honest it’s not quite complete. Tried to build out the version I had made on thenicknamesofburtonguster.com but Internet Archive wasn’t too complete. One day I’ll get back to finishing it.
Kendra Gaylord has been one of my newer Youtube follows (and internet, parasocial crushes). She makes video essays (and a podcast) about Homes and Culture. She recently had a video “blow up” about 151 of the houses featured on Architectural Digest.
