The Paris Olympics

Why has this Olympics been the best ever? Anyone have a theory? I'm not even into sports,  but such awesome moments, so many fun ppl. Just extraordinary ordinary ppl living their best life. - Lisa

Abigail

So I finally got around to watching this recently, and about a third of the way through I was NOT impressed. I thought the kidnapping (no spoiler here, it's right at the start) was a cliched mess right out of a middle schooler's creative writing assignment, and the whole group of criminals gave off the vibe of a low grade Reservoir Dogs ripoff. 

So I stopped watching. 

Then I read some reviews that claimed the movie was great and unique and blah blah and I thought "Either I'm missing something or those reviews were bought and paid for by the studio" 

So I resumed watching. 

I still don't think it was unique or anywhere close to great BUT the last two thirds were a significant improvement. They we fun  horror-movie gory, and downright entertaining. So yes, I'm glad I went back to finish it. 

Did I like it enough to recommend it or revisit it in the future? No, not really. 

Grade: C+

End the Honeymoon

 It's been twelve days since Joe Biden withdrew from the 2024 election, and about 11.75 days since Kamala Harris was anointed the Democratic nominee..

I'm not saying she wouldn't have been the pick if Joe had withdrawn sooner: she's the sitting VP, she checks all  the right age/sex/race boxes, etc. 

I'm also not saying she shouldn't be the pick. 

But . . 

More than sixty years ago the parties stopped deciding Presidential candidates internally - supposedly - and turned to the primaries to give the voters a nominal voice in the process. 

Nominal, because the primaries are rigged for one or two favorites each cycle, and the nominee is all but chosen by the time some states have their primary. 

But my goodness, what have we done in 2024? We've - well, the DNC - has crowned a candidate without input from a single primary. They've even done it while skirting the traditional nomination process at the convention. Apparently, not only the public is excluded from deciding, but so are the delegates at the convention. 

In those 12 days Harris has given zero press conferences, and has been exposed to no serious journalistic questions. The media has gone mum on all of their criticism of her, which, while benign, existed prior to a few weeks ago. 

Again, this isn't an anti-Harris post. It isn't the person that bothers me, it's the sleight of hand behind the scenes. 

This is the same media that denied up and down that Joe Biden was physically unfit for office, that covered it up for months at the risk of an election loss, or worse. Then, when it was on display for the world at the debate, and they couldn't pull off the lie, they turned on him like a pack of wolves.

Now, 100% of coverage is about Kamala Harris, and how wonderful she is. No discussion. No questioning. No dissension.

I am not a conspiracy guy. I don't think humans are dependable enough to keep mum and pull off a national or international scam. But by all I hold dear, the belief in my head that this republic can't be bought outright . . well, it's fading fast. 

The media should not crown a King, or a Queen. Neither should a party chairman and high dollar donors.

 So far, all 3 have tried their best to do so in 2024, and I think they'll succeed. 

Trap

Continuing our tradition of seeing M Night Shyamalan movies on opening night,  Lisa and I went to see Trap. 

The police have learned that The Butcher, a serial killer with 12 victims to his name, will be attending a Lady Raven pop concert in Philadelphia.  They lock the facility down,  refusing to let any man out without first questioning him.  Bad news for our guy Cooper, aka The Butcher, who is attending the show with his daughter.  Will he escape the elaborate trap?  Or have the police finally got their man?

OK, first of all, Shyamalan haters, there is no wild twist at the end,  so relax. Second,  it was grand seeing Haley Mills up on the silver screen. 

There's no twist,  but there's also not a whole lot of tension in my opinion, and I'm not sure why the "trap" worries the guy so much.  The cops don't have an ID, a description, or even a race to compare him against. Answer their questions and go home. 

Also, not a fan of the conversation in the arena that leads to a car ride. I won't give up the spoiler, but suspension of disbelief, if it wasn't a thing before, would have been invented after that scene. 

The last 15 minutes tho - oh those did the trick.  He ended the movie well. 

BTW, Shyamalan's daughter plays Lady Raven, and does a great job singing.  Acting,  not so much.  And the plot armor her character wears is awfully thick. 

Grade: B

Deadpool & Wolverine

 

I'm no fan of Wolverine, but it's hard to pass up the significance of  Hugh Jackman's return to the role, plus it was about dang time Marvel had a movie worth seeing post-Endgame. I had wanted to wait for a discount Tuesday showing, but the abundance of spoilers online forced my hand, so Monday Lulu and I went to see Deadpool & Wolverine. 

I had a great time. 

I thought it was legitimately funny, and I laughed out loud more than once. Plot wise, it makes nearly no sense, relying as it does on Marvel's less-than stellar multiverse concept and a heap of references to Marvel TV shows. 

Anchor beings? Time rippers? Yech. 

 (I'm right there with you on disliking the multiverse Deadpool)

Plus I thought the movie had some pacing problems, falling into a lull in the second act. 

Eh, who cares? 

It was fun, it was funny, it was Deadpool and a costumed Wolverine on screen together. 

Grade: A+

Inside Out 2

Lisa and I headed up to Cedarburg for our usual date night at the Rivoli, this time with reservations at a great Asian restaurant nearby. We were a little late getting started, since Lisa had us detour to Southridge Mall for a minute, and right before I was set to call the restaurant, they called us - to say they were closing early due to a burst pipe. 

So instead we dined at The Chocolate Factory. The subs were fine, but the place was packed with kids, and the point of a date night is to avoid that fate. 

We compounded that error by then seeing Inside Out 2, a Pixar cartoon. That said, the movie was worth it. It was cute, smart, and it even avoided the cliche little ending I had been expecting. Well done. 

Grade: A-

The Rabbit Hole

 I remember Facebook exists every 3 months and spend a hour going down a rabbit hole before closing it and repeating the cycle - Smiley

Twisters - in 4DX!

On Saturday YaYa invited me to go see a movie with her and her man, her treat. Sure, I said, what time? 

"Midnight," she said. 

Midnight? I get up at six, what kind of tomfoolery was that? 

I still went. 

Turns out the movie was just outside of Chicago, a 90 minute drive away, and was a 4dx experience. I had a vague notion about what that was like, having been through the Extraterrorestrial Alien Encounter (not a typo)  at Disney back in '96.  I remember the seat moving, and the hot breath of the alien on my neck. 

That was little league; this was the Show. 

Now things didn't start out too well, as the theater played 17 minutes of commercials before the film. 8.5 minutes of content really, as each commercial repeated once as soon as it finished. We were about to riot, but finally the theater noticed the glitch, took it to a dark screen, and then immediately fired up the movie, skipping the trailers

We'll get to the movie review in a minute, but first the 4DX: holy moley!

If the wind is blowing in the film, wind is blowing on you; if it is raining on the screen, rain falls on you; are the characters riding down a bumpy country road, taking a sharp turn, or jumping out of the way of danger? 

Then brother, you move WITH THEM. That chair was bucking back, forth, up, down, side to side, like a dang carnival ride, and there were a few times I had to brace myself to stay in the seat. It was incredible, just wicked fun!

Twisters is of course, a sequel to the 1996 classic, Twister. although to be more accurate it's the second in a series, as there are no repeating characters or plot points (beyond tornados). I did not expect much from the film, especially given what appeared to be the awful acting of the young meteorology students in the opening scene. That turned out to a red herring. The movie was a blast. The action was fierce and visually impressive - perfect for 4dx - but the plot and characterization held up too, and the acting definitely shouldn't be judged by the first scene. 

small spoiler - I especially loved that although there was romantic tension, there was no sex or even kissing between the main cast. In the context of working to stop an onslaught of tornadoes costing lives across the state, that was real-world accurate behavior definitely appreciated - very old school Hollywood! end spoiler 

For what it is, a summer action blockbuster, I grade Twisters a well deserved A+

Go see it!

btw  - I arrived home at 4am. 4!!!!

Noah Kahan Bracelets

Around midday Junie asked Lisa and I to help her construct bracelets to give away at the upcoming (rescheduled) Noah Kahan concert at Alpine Valley. It was during this activity that news broke about Biden bowing out; Junie was the first to let us know as it flashed across her phone. 

This was the first bracelet I made. Honestly, not too shabby, right? 

Biden Is Out of the Race

A historic moment of course, the first sitting President to bow out of an election since 1968, and the first to do so so (perilously) close to voting day. 

I think it's a stupid move,  regardless of the election's outcome, for all the reasons I listed here. 

What will go unmentioned today is how this showcases the power of the media. It was the press who covered up and denied Biden's decline,  even though it was painfully apparent to the public. When it could no longer be ignored,  post debate, they doubled down on his weakness and pushed and pushed and pushed for him to be out of office. 

I truly,  truly think that absent a conscious media avalanche Biden continues to November.  

The media is not a Kingmaker. They should not enthrone someone, by act or omission.  But that's what they have done all year,  and now it's gone so far as to override the millions of voters in the primaries. 

It's a shame. 

Junk Drawer Cleanout

I'm not sure this looks as impressive as Lisa thinks it does. She wanted us to spend "five minutes" sorting the junk drawer, which promptly became 20, and to be fair, we did throw out/recycle/put where it belongs a heaping helping of things. 

But in the end . . it still looks like a junk drawer. 

 

Federation Breakfast with Santa - 2003

Saran Wrap Game (year unknown)

 We played the Saran Wrap ball game for the first time ever. It was fun! - Junie 

Memories from 2003

A 2003 Brewers game with the late Dennis and Gil Kohn, YaYa and LuLu

Most men would never take two youngins to the game by themselves. You are special! - Lisa

+

Odd but Fascinating

Videos I find myself watching online despite them having zero relevance to my life: barnacles being removed from losters and turtles, and cow and horse hoof trimming/repair.

Bob Newhart

 

Bob Newhart, the deadpan, stammering comedian whose dry sense of humor spanned the era of black & white TV to the North Pole in Elf, has died at age 94. 

I have always counted myself as a big fan of him. As a young kid I adored reruns of The Bob Newhart Show, I tolerated (but still watched) the new episodes of Newhart (greatest finale ever!) and I try and see Elf in the theater every Christmas. 

He brought a lot of joy into this world, and for that we should all be grateful. 

RIP 

Very Much #This

 

Who?

mf just tried complimenting me by saying “you’re so beautiful don’t let anybody tell you you’re not”

WHO tf is saying i’m not - LuLu

ISO

Whenever someone sees a posting for a drone show PLEASE message me. I've worked every day I've seen one scheduled. I've never seen one and it's at the top of my summer bucket list. Thanks! - Lisa 

25 Years Later - JFK, Jr.

 

25 years ago today, in 1999, the plane piloted by JFK Jr. went missing near Martha's Vineyard. His remains, and that of his wife and sister-in-law, were found five days later. 

We were living in our apartment on 23rd St at the time, with the TV along the east wall of the living room. I remember hearing of the story, and of broadcasters or experts on TV saying there was hope - when it was obvious there was not - and knowing he was gone. 

It was a dark enough event on its own, but it may have changed history. Had he lived, he may have pursued the Senate seat later taken by Hilary Clinton. Perhaps, unlike Clinton, he could have defeated Obama in the '08 primaries. Or, had he waited, perhaps 2016 would have featured a Trump-Kennedy clash, with a different result. 

Or, he could have gone on with his life outside of politics, seeking, to paraphrase his own words, to become a good man, and not a "Great Man."

The Zone of Interest

 

Supposedly based on the Martin Amis novel, though sharing little but the setting to my mind, The Zone of Interest is the story of Rudolf and Hedwig Hoss. Rudolf is the commandant of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp, and Hedwig and his children live a blissful life in a home just outside the walls of the camp. Hoss is facing a reassignment to Berlin, a move fiercely objected to by Hedwig, and he must balance his obligations to the party with those of his family. 

This is a difficult movie to describe and an impossible one to forget. There is little to no action in the film, and no scenes of Auschwitz itself. That horror is left purposely in the background, literally and figuratively, with the occasional scream, a random shot, a chimney of smoke, all contrasting with the love and happiness to be found within the family. 

And that is the odd part, the point that is difficult to accept as a viewer. You do not *hate* Hoss. He is a steadfast husband, even if he is shown to unfaithful, and is without question a loving and doting father. His evil is compartmentalized and banal, a question of mathematics, not emotion.  If anything, you grow to despise his wife more: it is she who openly profits from the suffering in the camp, dividing up personal effects of the victims, degrading the staff, openly balking at the idea of leaving her personal fiefdom when her husband is transferred, thought the thought of separation tears at him. 

It's an unfair evaluation of course, as one begats the other, and his is the greater debt to mankind. But it is a stunning accomplishment of the filmmakers to make you feel that tolerance for Hoss, and that enmity for his wife. You are reminded, very subtly, that evil does not always come wearing horns and a mask, and that two things can be true at the same time: you can be a loving parent, and still orchestrate genocide. It is a chilling realization. 

Grade: A+

Quite apart from the film itself, I must wrestle with the fact that it is quite possible Hoss was forgiven by my God and has entered heaven. Raised a Catholic, he denounced the faith early in his life. After the war, he returned to it, and took confession before his execution. 

In my faith, confession is only successful if the person truly admits and regrets his deeds, and seeks never to repeat them. Based on a private, and powerful, letter to his son, his return to the faith, and his regrets, may have been sincere. 

It is difficult, oh so very difficult, to believe that a man that willingly murdered so many could find forgiveness and peace in the afterlife. That difficulty, I think, is itself a test for the faithful, and something that I am grateful to the film for showing me. 

The MLB Draft

I treated myself to the annual double-sized issue of Baseball America that analyzes the MLB draft. 

This was a yearly tradition for me for most of this century. I have fond memories of going over it line by line, highlighting pertinent facts, then live tracking the draft and comparing it to the BA traditions. 

That's a little harder to do when you order it weeks in advance but they ship it so late that it arrives with 48 hours to spare. 

Ces't la vie. 

This was their projected pick for the hometown Brewers, in the 17th slot of the draft: 

Instead, the Brewers selected Braylon Payne, a high school outfielder ranked #53 by BA, a 17 year old they gave "a chance to be drafted inside the first three rounds."

Well. 

This isn't an attack on the Brewers, or on Baseball America's prognosticators. Unlike the NBA and NFL the MLB is very much a guessing game, with even top prospects not showing up in the bigs for years, and many first rounders never getting there at all. 

So, I hope the magazine was wrong, the locals were correct, and Payne goes on to be a perennial All-Star for us. 

Time will tell. 

The Squirrel Chase this AM

 Every morning when I let the dogs out the local wildlife scatters from my yard. Birds fly off in a huff, a rabbit or two will duck under the fence, a squirrel will high-tail it along the top of the fence boards. 

Today, however, they all seemed mildly hungover, and there was a split second delay before any responded. 

That . . . was an error on their part. 

The dogs quickly focused on a squirrel. Good choice, as I despise the furry rats, although I do not seek for them to be harmed. They chased this guy around, one of the dogs always managing to cut off his avenue of escape. I stood there watching from the back door, screen door wide open in my hand. 

Naturally the squirrel took the only path left open to it: it ran right up the porch and headed for my open door.. 

I may have squealed a bit in shock and fear - I do not say that I did, but I may have - and quite feebly kicked out with my foot to discourage its path, connecting with only air. 

It did the trick tho, as right before the door it did a sharp 90 degree turn and dove off the porch into relative safety behind the shed. 

25 Years Ago - The Collapse of Big Blue

25 years ago today, I received a call at our apartment on 23rd St.  My friend Tre was on the line,  and told me Big Blue - the crane then in use to build the new Brewers stadium - had collapsed.  

At the time I didn't think much of it.  A construction delay,  sure,  but otherwise, yawn.  In reality it was far worse. Not only did the crane collapse knock out a portion of the stadium, setting the opening back a year,  three ironworkers were struck by the crane and killed. 

The worst part? As with most disasters,  human error and hubris were to blame. 

On this,  the 25th anniversary of their deaths,  RIP Jeffrey Wischer, William DeGrave, and Jerome Starr.

Jacoby Jones

The hits keep coming this weekend.  Jacoby Jones,  who put the Ravens on his back and pretty much won a Super Bowl by his lonesome,  has died of sleep apnea. He was 40.

RIP