jpelg

Happy Birthday!

A Man In Full - David E. Kelly still makes good TV

I think most of our older (pre-boomer) folks don't change. Unfortunately, it may take much of them literally dying out for us to truly get past a lot of generational sins. This is a big conflict for me, as I am a staunch supporter of our "greatest generation" for their history, their contributions, & their many good qualities. But, my dad had severe prejudices. The racial stuff was more apparent. The anti-gay prejudice wasn't as openly talked about, but it was there. I had to do a lot of personal work, and boundary-setting as an adult to divorce myself from those prejudices. His downward spiral with dementia began as my nieces & nephews came of age & started to express themselves. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have dealt with it well had he kept his faculties. Maybe that's the universe's way of making way for the new & is actually a saving grace? Dunno. Thankfully, my mom is the complete opposite & the epitome of unconditional love (I severely doubt my parents would have gotten together if they met today). Also, my two brothers have done a fantastic job of stopping those generational sins within their own families.

Mayor of Kingstown - pretty straightforward, but intense procedural. Already into season 2...

Firstly, thank you for sharing your story Steve. I am so, so sorry that you had to endure that pain throughout your life. I've never understood the violent expression of that kind of hatred toward another person. Personally, I have had many gay friends all my life, from high-school & long since into adulthood. I've always been a close friend & an ally. This month, I think of my mother's 85y/o cousin who passed-away just a few weeks ago. She had moved to Green Bay many years ago to live with her "friend" - a Catholic nun. Although most of us understood their relationship, her sexuality was never discussed openly amongst family (not that we necessarily should have). But I was always sad that she felt she had to move so far away from family to live her authentic self. Today, I have nieces & nephews in their twenties who are openly gay/trans, and am glad my family as a whole embrace them as they are. Maybe that's a sign that there has been progress & this is a better time. Let's hope.

Hacks (HBO Max) - the creators of this show have managed to not only maintain, but actually improve the quality of this show with a great season 3 overall. And the scene in the last ep, where Ava confronts Deborah about the head-writer job, is nothing short of fantastic for any acting medium (Whew!).

The Signal (Netflix) - only four episodes, so it's an easy watch & doesn't fall into the traps of the similar-but-troublesome Constellation

Happy birthday!

The AfterParty (AppleTV) - seasons 1 & 2

My condolences Jose. Wishing you well on your recovery.

In a scary coincidence, after seeing @mikeymad's post here, I spotted a copy of this at my local Goodwill. I had not heard of this particular album before, nor of Sanborn's passing, but thought the confluence too much to pass up on this, so I had to buy it.

I'm thinking about getting a decent inkjet printer to print my own digital images. Mostly black & white, occasionally color. primarily smaller prints, probably as large as 8.5x11, at least for now. Not sure of quantities, or frequencies at this point yet. I do have a local shop that still develops film & has digital printing capability, but my few recent dealings with them have not been too favorable. Looking for quality a few notches above Walgreens, as well as having more control over the process. Also looking to jumpstart my digital darkroom skills (very hobbyist-level, mind you) & see where it goes. I like giving prints as gifts too. Epson seems to have the pro edge (I am particularly drawn to their models with "Advanced Black and White Photo Mode" tech), with Canon running second, I think. But even within each of their lineups, each model has different ink tech & the numbers of cartridges they use, so the best stuff doesn't really trickle directly downstream. Does anyone here print their photos? If so, what's your setup & flow?

Ferguson Hill Jetstream loudspeaker system:

Happy birthday!

Started Sugar (AppleTV)

A Gentleman in Moscow (HBO)

Binged it. Loved it. Can't wait for the next (presumably two more) seasons.

Happy birthday!

^This has been very well-done so far.

Happy Birthday!

Alan Carr is a semi-frequent guest on The Graham Norton Show, and is always hilarious. He reminds me of Charles Nelson Reilly.

Belated "Happy Birthday"!