Monday, November 09, 2020

Still Here

 https://youtu.be/XIsc0_J_vg0

 

Boy, I miss opening credits like this from CHARADE. They were an art form in the past, but I guess also very expensive.  I also watched INDISCREET this week. The Cary Grant bio has me revisiting his films. There are only a few I haven't seen (GUNGA DIN for one). But I have to admit, I find less to love about Cary after reading this bio. Not that he did anything heinous but had some annoying traits.

Also reading THE LIBRARY BOOK by Susan Orleans. It is about the eighties fire that almost destroyed the building as well as many hundred of thousands books. Because it happened the same day as Chernobyl it drifted to the back of the newspapers. Read DEEP WATER by Patricia Highsmith. 

Mostly watched election coverage this week. The fantastic weather allowed me to spend time with some friends. Looks to be only two more days of it. Covid is completely out of hand. How can we be so stupid. Still seeing people without masks. 

What about you?

14 comments:

resmitoto said...
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Steve Oerkfitz said...

Read a Song of Shadows by John Connolly and The Evidence by Christopher Priest. Now reading The Mexican Tree Duck by James Crumly and Peace by Gary Disher.
Watched mostly the results on CNN. Also watching The Undoing, Bill Maher and John Oliver on HBO. Rewatching Godless on Netflix. And rewatched the movies Open Range and Memento.
Great weather. Too bad I can't drive with this boot on my foot. But I did sit outside for a bit Sunday. But at least I am out of the hospital. Nothing to watch there but mostly bad tv. Like NCIS. What a poorly written and plotted show. Get my stitches out Tuesday.
And the Lions looked bad for the second week in a row. What else is new.

Jeff Meyerson said...

Love MEMENTO.

Yeah, amazing weather here - 75 yesterday, just one degree off the record. We even ate out lunch yesterday, and today will go to Jackie's favorite, L & B Pizza - Spumoni Gardens in Bensonhurst, for their great square (Sicilian) pizza, and spumoni of course.

Watched Jon Meacham's documentary (based on his book), THE SOUL OF AMERICA on HBO. Not that we needed the proof, but it shows bigotry in this country didn't begin with Trump.

I wouldn't really recommend LOCH NESS (aka THE LOCH), though it was watchable. Good surprise twist at the end, but overall not great or believable. ROADKILL (PBS) is a mess, and we are having a hard time following it (or caring). But since it is only four parts we will continue with it. Jackie is going to continue THE UNDOING herself. Watching more comfort viewing - INSPECTOR MANARA, THE MALLORCA FILES - that soothe with nice scenery and don't tax the brain. We watched the last MORSE episode (4/2) directed by Peter Hammond, who never saw a reflective surface he couldn't shoot against or through, or a bizarre angle or closeup he didn't take. It's jarring and annoying. It's hard to remember (and I need to remind myself every episode) that John Thaw was only in his late 40s then (1990). The white hair and the "keep off my lawn" attitude make him seem much older.

Also watching THE GOOD PLACE and TRUTH SEEKERS, among other half hour shows. My brother recommended WAYNE on Prime, which we will try, and we watched the first KIM'S CONVENIENCE.

I enjoyed Hilary Mantel's collection of pieces (mostly reviews) from the London Review of Books, MANTEL PIECES. I may seek out her short stories or her memoir.

The election was a big disappointment - it should have been a landslide - but it certainly could have been a much worse result. What is wrong with 70 million people? This country is in a very bad way, and with another ten weeks of Trump, the Covid death total will be skyrocketing. Stay safe!

Margot Kinberg said...

You know, my husband and I were just talking about that the other day (opening credits, I mean). Credits are mostly at the end now, and not nearly as interesting and visually appealing as they used to be.

pattinase (abbott) said...

Opening credits made everyone prepare to be quiet for the film. Gave them a chance to settle in.
Trying Wisting (Sp?) on Acorn or Brit Box. Pretty well done, Jeff. Kim's Convenience Store is watchable and nice but it's no Schitt's Creek.
Yeah I am watching THE UNDOING but I find it very strange in its filming. Why all these odd camera angles on people's eyes? And I am entranced by how immobile Kidman's face is.

Jeff Meyerson said...

CHARADE has been one of my favorites forever. Long before we went to Paris, I fell in love with it at least partly from that. I remember the chase through the Metro and around the Opera. And what a cast! They really don't make them like that anymore.

I doubt we'll watch KIM'S CONVENIENCE other than if we have a little time to fill. THE WINDSORS is another silly half hour. I'm holding off starting series two of DERRY GIRLS so as not to finish it. SCHITT'S CREEK at last has a bunch of series, and THE GOOD PLACE had four.

George said...

THE LIBRARY BOOK by Susan Orleans is a great book. I read it a couple years ago and loved it. I think Diane's Book Club read it, too.

Patrick has arrived in Western NY and is self-quarantining at a cousin's condo in Lewiston (about 20 minutes away). Katie plans to drive to North Tonawanda this weekend. We'll have the kids home for Thanksgiving, but not for Christmas.

The weather here has been unusual for November. We've set some warmer than Normal temperature records over the weekend and now we might set some more today and tomorrow as we will be in the 70s. Last year at this time, we were preparing for a blizzard!

Like you, we spent a lot of time watching the Election returns. We're so happy with the result!

pattinase (abbott) said...

Last year at this time we had a blizzard. Ten inches or more, I think.
Yes, very relieved.

Anonymous said...

At least two sighs of relief came from the Florida Panhandle this weekend. There will be a lot of obstacles thrown in Biden's path and I hope he can navigate them. I am also hoping that Trump will go away but I know he won't; he likes it all being about himself too much. As time goes on he will become more and more insignificant, although the crazies will still be trying to regain power. Our own Truminista representative Matt Gaetz (R-Egoville) has tested positive for Covid -- couldn't have happened to a more deserving person.

Still watching (re-watching actually) a lot of POIROTs and MARPLESs, always with the captions on. It's even more fun that way, comparing the captions to what has actually been said -- sometimes the translations can be a bit blue; other times it is far from what has been said. We take our good times wherever we can find it. Also watching Season 3 of KILLING EVE and enjoy it greatly.

It's a bit lonely here with Christina and her family isolating because Jack had been exposed in school. He's fine but Christina was never cut out to be a homeschool teacher. Just one more week for them. Between the bridge being out and Jessie's work schedule we also have not been able to see them. Miss all of my family. The detour bridge will stop suspending tolls later this month, which means we will have to go another 30 or 40 miles out of our way if we want to avoid the $5 each way toll. The county has started a free bus over the toll bridge but its stops will not help us at all.

Our kitchen sink has been leaking for some time now and our landlord has not been able to find the leak. He's made at least four trips over the past few months, all in vain. Yesterday he finally found the problem -- a pinhole leak in the stainless steel sink. We will be getting a new sink soon and for the moment he has plugged the leak with caulking. He also treated us to a long discourse on why he voted for Trump. We did not have the heart to tell him why he is wrong. He is a nice, decent, and honest guy and it was refreshing to see a Trump supporter who was not a complete wacko.

Weather has remained gorgeous here with just a few chilly early mornings. I haven't checked today, but Eta had been predicted to (maybe) hit us in the middle of the week.

I'm still reading mostly short stories. Some from F&SF from the early fifties and a lot from various sixties and seventies anthologies, as well as a number of pulp tales. The library had the latest Dean Koontz on hold for me but I was not able to get there in time. The same thing happened with Craig Johnson's latest Longmire. I will have to read them later.

My computer has been acting up so I'm only able to stay online for a half hour or less before it automatically reboots, and reboots, and reboots...For the second Monday in a row I am unlikely to write or post on my blog. I know both of my followers will be disappointed. **Sigh**

Luckily I'm still able to read your blog and several others, so I'm happy and hope you have a very happy week, Patti. #trumpisonhiswayout

pattinase (abbott) said...

Although having your family close by trumps everything, being in what is now such a red state (esp.after Maryland), must be hard.

Rick Robinson said...

We watched all six discs of THE CIVIL WAR, a film by Ken Burns. This was a re-watch for both of us, as we'd watched it a three or four years ago, and loved it. I wanted to see it agin, so we did. Parts of it dragged a little, but overall it's just excellent. Such a tragic war, and parts of this country seem not over it yet.

We watched election coverage hour after hour, mostly on NBC and MSNBC as they seemed to have the best maps. We started Tuesday afternoon, wanting to see some local trends and then in the evening it was national. We continued Wednesday night, Thursday night, Friday night and finally, Saturday morning a declared winner. Whew. Of course it would be too much to expect Trump to be decent about it, he still says he won, and McConnell is backing him. It looks to be a Republican Senate, which means everything Biden tries to put through will face brisk opposition just because of party partisanship. Bah.

I've read a couple of books, British Library Crime Classics, CROSSED SKIS and one by George Ballairs. I hope to have a review or two written soon. Now I need to read a few short stories for Wednesday.

Weather here is cold, 40s and 30s, with the birdbaths iced over every morning and the leaves falling fast. I's feeling very winterish, though snow is still about 2,000 feet.

Stay well, Patti.

pattinase (abbott) said...

Thanks, Rick. And I, who have not watched MSNBC since Phil died, also watched in night and day until yesterday. Steve Kornacki and his mustard pants had me enthralled.

TracyK said...

Glen is really into opening credits for films, especially those by Maurice Binder and Saul Bass. I still plan to read the Cary Grant biography but I also have some reservations about his behavior at times.

We have been watching more Poirot and purchased some of the seasons that had feature length adaptations of the novels. This week we watched EVIL UNDER THE SUN and LORD EDGWARE DIES. Also more Animaniacs and Law & Order Criminal Intent. We got back to watching Schitt's Creek too, and I want to try The Good Place.

Kevin R. Tipple said...

Still here as well. Watched a lot of election coverage. Was very discouraged and upset Tuesday night and a lot of the week until it became clear that Biden had won. Why it was ever this close with everything that has gone on these past four years, is beyond me. the stupid remains strong and contagious whether it is this or the refusal to wear a mask.

Three separate neighbors had house parties Halloween night. One two house away had at least thirty adults all milling around having a blast. While Dallas continues to take Covid patients being flown in from El Paso, our counts are soaring here and news broke late last night that we are down to 56 open ICU beds in the county. Warnings have started from the Health Department that about ten days from now we will be at capacity.

Read Craig Johnson's latest Walt Longmire novel and enjoyed it, but it hit hit me as very depressing. A lot of contemplation about the future and death and legacy. Rather hit me hard. Part of which no doubt inspired by the fact that this time of year and the so called the holidays are very, very hard.

We were late to the Maladorian deal and are now caught up. Enjoyed it all immensely. Nice to see Star Trek: Discovery back as well. As it was Sunday night with NCIS:LA and NCIS:NO. LA ignored the Covid issue for the most part and had very brief mentions. NO beat the viewer over the head with it using a sledgehammer. While I get it has to be addressed, I do not need to be pounded about it. I watch tv to escape and that was not helpful.

Anyway.....that is enough rambling around from me. Stay safe everyone.