When they said warmer temps were on the way they meant it!!
Might make me long for summer days in Chandler, Arizona when I thought 110 and above was rough...
Thursday, May 28, 2020
Wow, this coming Sunday will be brutal
When they said warmer temps were on the way they meant it!!
Might make me long for summer days in Chandler, Arizona when I thought 110 and above was rough...
Thursday, May 14, 2020
Is There Really Any Shame During COVID-19 Lockdown?
In my last entry I detailed my guilty pleasure as watching “The Masked Singer” every Wednesday night. Do I dare add a new one?
Early last week I recall seeing promos for a Fox program titled: “Celebrity Watch Party.” At the time I shook my head (figuratively) and mumbling “so it’s come to this?” regarding network programming ideas that can be done quickly and in an inexpensive manner.
But in spite of myself….
Come last Thursday evening we already had it on the Fox station (watching the 6 and 6:30 episodes of “The Big Bang Theory”) when 7:00 rolled around and “CWP” debuted.
Well…
It actually gained and held our attention. Part of the appeal was due to this being a program no one needs to take too seriously and some was seeing well-known figures interact with members of their family, such as Tyra Banks with her mother.
To my surprise the shows featured were not only Fox products but included offerings from Disney+, TLC and even CBS Sunday Night At The Movies. Even though the three of us who constitute the Geo-household still hadn’t seen many of the programs the “celebrities” were viewing but we could still laugh together with the rest of the viewing world when Ozzy Osbourne mumbled: “Who the (bleep) is that?” upon last week’s Masked Singer reveal. Just like the erstwhile musician/personality/bat-head-biter we also had never heard of Jackie Evancho.
So an hour goes by and we laughed. A lot.
Will I catch “Celebrity Watch Party” tonight?
Sure!
______________________________
Put this one into the “even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while” category:
A few Christmases ago I gave Geogal (who is a notoriously difficult person to buy for) a PhoneSoap as one of her presents. I got the idea from an episode of “Shark Tank” and figured given her work in health care and her penchant for keeping items sanitary it would be a good gift.
Now fast-forward to March of 2020. She and Geoana have returned to Kansas for a time and there is much concern about COVID-19 and what actions the federal and state governments will take. Geogal is unpacking and reaches into one box, pulls out the PhoneSoap and says—with conviction:
“Best! Gift! Ever!!”
Note to self: Savor this for as long as you can.
Sunday, May 03, 2020
What Am I Watching?
I try to keep these entries original and (I hope) slightly interesting to certain folks. Yet today I'll share how I've spent some of my time in front of the idiot flat screen. Not an excessive amount of time, mind you. But I believe television and movies, in proper moderation and as part of a balanced life, do no harm and actually serve the purposes of relaxation, entertainment and education.
Over the air
Right now there's only one prime time show I watch regularly: "The Masked Singer." And don't you dare judge me, dear reader. (We're all entitled to a few guilty pleasures.)
Otherwise I and the rest of the household usually catch the 4:00 airing of "Mom" on KTMJ, followed by "The Big Bang Theory." Occasionally I catch a good western on Grit, except the reception is a bit hinkey here in Pottawatomie County as the channel 43.3 signal is low-power and not designed to be watchable outside of metro Topeka.
When will "American Ninja Warrior" begin airing???
Streaming
Completed:
The second season of "Manifest." Will I continue? Not sure. Geogal already expressed her disdain for the direction the show is taking and she makes some good points. I also agree with folks on the 'Net pointing out we've now finished two seasons and still have no idea what caused the plane to vanish for five years then reappear with no time elapsing for the passengers/crew.
"The Spy" While I'm not a fan of Sacha Baron Cohen this six episode somewhat-based-on-fact series was interesting if for nothing more than to watch a blue-collar, everyday individual morph into a different persona. Did he continue strictly out of duty to his country or perhaps did he enjoy the life and lifestyle of the alter ego?
In progress:
"The Prisoner" Amazon Prime offers this one and I'm enjoying the ability to watch the episodes when I wish, uninterrupted. Given the surreal and downcast nature of this show this is not one you would binge-watch. I've found about every other day works for me. I have five episodes left.
"Black Books" My gals are watching this one but I've caught a few episodes here and there. I always can tell when they've chosen this as I hear bursts of loud laughter no matter where I am in the house.
Just yesterday I started watching "Rust Valley Restorers" even though I'm not a gearhead nor even mechanically inclined. Doesn't matter, it's still interesting to see how nearly-ancient vehicles are given new life.
Geogal activated a one-month free subscription to Hulu last Sunday so that helped turn the normally-dreary Sunday afternoon/evening into an enjoyable way to pass the time. The women prefer "How I Met Your Mother" and "Mrs. America" while I'm rewatching some "King Of The Hill" eps.
Haven't begun but I'm pondering:
"Tiger King" Do I take the plunge? The gals binge-watched this one while they were in Minnesota yet they've kept their comments to a minimum.
Physical media
All hail the DVD! (And Blu-Ray!!) Yes, I know streaming offers movies and TV shows for instant viewing but.....
Not everything is available on streaming. This is especially true for someone like me, whose tastes don't run for anything and everything being colossally loaded with CGI or for superhero movies (either DC or Marvel) that hit the screen at the rate of about one per week. What if I'm more into watching classic films or those that are a bit esoteric?
There's also pride and confidence in owning, truly owning, the movie or show you bought. Doesn't take a long search online to find people angry because they purchased something only to have it removed from the streaming service for one reason or another. Even my 19-year-old daughter understands the value of having the small plastic disk.
But back to the subject--what I am watching on DVD or Blu-Ray?
Currently have "Munich," probably will watch that today. Two nights ago enjoyed "New In Town," particularly given the New Ulm, Minnesota location (even though the picture was shot in Canada).
Just recently:
"Dirty Harry"
"1941"
"Once Upon A Time In Hollywood"
"Rocky IV"
"The Jerk"
"Spartacus"
"The Manchurian Candidate" (the original, with Frank Sinatra)
...and so on.
Combining The Two
The Sergio Leone/Clint Eastwood trilogy of spaghetti westerns. The first two, "A Fistful of Dollars" and "For a Few Dollars More" I watched via the DVD by-mail service and caught the third one, "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" on Netflix streaming. I can put this in the "completed" category.
Soon though, I will take up the John Ford/John Wayne cavalry trilogy. I have "Fort Apache" and "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon" in the DVD queue and can watch "Rio Grande" on streaming.
__________________________
Time for a bit of snark? When you're searching the streaming services for something worthwhile it sure reminds me of scouring the video rental places in the 80's and 90's looking, maybe in vain, for something worth watching that you haven't already seen.
The technology changes but the quality of offerings usually doesn't.
__________________________
I did buy a subscription to ESPN+ around the beginning of March, for reasons completely unrelated to pending lockdown. I wanted to catch some K-State baseball games and then....yeah...we all know what happened. But in addition to live sports the ESPN+ package offers all the "30 for 30" documentaries so in the meantime I enjoyed several that I found interesting and well-done. Granted I won't be watching every one as some pertain to sports, subjects or personalities I either find repulsive or just don't fit my overall makeup. That's OK, however, as it means there's often something out there for everyone. Since I've about exhausted the "30 for 30" productions I likely will end my ESPN+ service. Now, if they just offered "5 Reasons You Can't Blame".....
Over the air
Right now there's only one prime time show I watch regularly: "The Masked Singer." And don't you dare judge me, dear reader. (We're all entitled to a few guilty pleasures.)
Otherwise I and the rest of the household usually catch the 4:00 airing of "Mom" on KTMJ, followed by "The Big Bang Theory." Occasionally I catch a good western on Grit, except the reception is a bit hinkey here in Pottawatomie County as the channel 43.3 signal is low-power and not designed to be watchable outside of metro Topeka.
When will "American Ninja Warrior" begin airing???
Streaming
Completed:
The second season of "Manifest." Will I continue? Not sure. Geogal already expressed her disdain for the direction the show is taking and she makes some good points. I also agree with folks on the 'Net pointing out we've now finished two seasons and still have no idea what caused the plane to vanish for five years then reappear with no time elapsing for the passengers/crew.
"The Spy" While I'm not a fan of Sacha Baron Cohen this six episode somewhat-based-on-fact series was interesting if for nothing more than to watch a blue-collar, everyday individual morph into a different persona. Did he continue strictly out of duty to his country or perhaps did he enjoy the life and lifestyle of the alter ego?
In progress:
"The Prisoner" Amazon Prime offers this one and I'm enjoying the ability to watch the episodes when I wish, uninterrupted. Given the surreal and downcast nature of this show this is not one you would binge-watch. I've found about every other day works for me. I have five episodes left.
"Black Books" My gals are watching this one but I've caught a few episodes here and there. I always can tell when they've chosen this as I hear bursts of loud laughter no matter where I am in the house.
Just yesterday I started watching "Rust Valley Restorers" even though I'm not a gearhead nor even mechanically inclined. Doesn't matter, it's still interesting to see how nearly-ancient vehicles are given new life.
Geogal activated a one-month free subscription to Hulu last Sunday so that helped turn the normally-dreary Sunday afternoon/evening into an enjoyable way to pass the time. The women prefer "How I Met Your Mother" and "Mrs. America" while I'm rewatching some "King Of The Hill" eps.
Haven't begun but I'm pondering:
"Tiger King" Do I take the plunge? The gals binge-watched this one while they were in Minnesota yet they've kept their comments to a minimum.
Physical media
All hail the DVD! (And Blu-Ray!!) Yes, I know streaming offers movies and TV shows for instant viewing but.....
Not everything is available on streaming. This is especially true for someone like me, whose tastes don't run for anything and everything being colossally loaded with CGI or for superhero movies (either DC or Marvel) that hit the screen at the rate of about one per week. What if I'm more into watching classic films or those that are a bit esoteric?
There's also pride and confidence in owning, truly owning, the movie or show you bought. Doesn't take a long search online to find people angry because they purchased something only to have it removed from the streaming service for one reason or another. Even my 19-year-old daughter understands the value of having the small plastic disk.
But back to the subject--what I am watching on DVD or Blu-Ray?
Currently have "Munich," probably will watch that today. Two nights ago enjoyed "New In Town," particularly given the New Ulm, Minnesota location (even though the picture was shot in Canada).
Just recently:
"Dirty Harry"
"1941"
"Once Upon A Time In Hollywood"
"Rocky IV"
"The Jerk"
"Spartacus"
"The Manchurian Candidate" (the original, with Frank Sinatra)
...and so on.
Combining The Two
The Sergio Leone/Clint Eastwood trilogy of spaghetti westerns. The first two, "A Fistful of Dollars" and "For a Few Dollars More" I watched via the DVD by-mail service and caught the third one, "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" on Netflix streaming. I can put this in the "completed" category.
Soon though, I will take up the John Ford/John Wayne cavalry trilogy. I have "Fort Apache" and "She Wore A Yellow Ribbon" in the DVD queue and can watch "Rio Grande" on streaming.
__________________________
Time for a bit of snark? When you're searching the streaming services for something worthwhile it sure reminds me of scouring the video rental places in the 80's and 90's looking, maybe in vain, for something worth watching that you haven't already seen.
The technology changes but the quality of offerings usually doesn't.
__________________________
I did buy a subscription to ESPN+ around the beginning of March, for reasons completely unrelated to pending lockdown. I wanted to catch some K-State baseball games and then....yeah...we all know what happened. But in addition to live sports the ESPN+ package offers all the "30 for 30" documentaries so in the meantime I enjoyed several that I found interesting and well-done. Granted I won't be watching every one as some pertain to sports, subjects or personalities I either find repulsive or just don't fit my overall makeup. That's OK, however, as it means there's often something out there for everyone. Since I've about exhausted the "30 for 30" productions I likely will end my ESPN+ service. Now, if they just offered "5 Reasons You Can't Blame".....
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