Bardem is playing Max Cady, I assume? That alone is great casting. I love Bardem. I am also a fan of both movies so am curious about them doing it as a series. Don't have Apple TV, though.

At home. I suppose theater for something like The Odyssey that's in IMAX.

Cut flowers or a flowering plant?

Quote by gillianleeza

Hazy, hot, and humid here, so nothing new. The air quality alert is new, at the purple level. I was unaware that there was a level above red. It's mostly due to the Canadian wildfires. You can smell the smoke when you step outside. I immediately started coughing, so I will be indoors for the foreseeable future. I don't need an asthma attack.

I hope everyone has a good weekend. Cheers.

Yeah, take it easy out there. Been like that here since Wednesday afternoon but improved this morning (dropped from 10+ to currently 3) so hope it improves down your way, too. There is still a yellow alert up for our region so a chance it could return, I guess.

Fresh coffee and tea are on. Goodies are stocked. What besides the world smelling like a smoky bar is up in your world?

He's baaa-aaack. Actually, we've got both a sequel to Godzilla Minus One titled Godzilla Minus Zero and another Legendary Monsterverse Godzilla x King : Supernova coming. The Legendary movies seem to be leaning into the old Godzilla vs. approach of the Showa and Heisei era Japanese movies, except with Godzilla and Kong as a team. Meanwhile, Godzilla Minus One went back to basics with Godzilla stomping the hell out of postwar Japan and looks to be continuing that with Minus Zero. Of course, the thing that made Minus One standout was its handling of the human characters, with a dramatic story of a pilot with PTSD from World War II and a woman he befriends to help raise an orphaned child amidst the rubble after the American bombings in the late stages of the war. Godzilla is almost a plot point rather than the focus.

The teaser for Minus Zero:

Weekend coffee is brewing and there's Assam and Scottish Breakfast in the teapots. Fresh lemonade and iced tea are in the fridge, as is a selection of craft sodas. Freezer has ice cream and ice cubes for your drinks. And there's goodies.

Spider. Quite fond of my eight-legged neighbours. Though I'm pretty mellow on bees now. Wasps on the other hand ...

Spooky ghost story or funny, silly ghost story?

Depends what I am doing. For writing and similar, laptop. For reading or catching up on news, a tab.

Preferred mobile system: Apple (iPhone, iPad) or Android (Samsung, Google, etc.)?

Probably CDs since I still have some CD players around. Vinyl would require buying equipment as well as the media.

Order your discs online or hit a local record shop (assuming there's any left where you are)?

That sounds yummy. I don't eat dogs much anymore other than the Costco polish sausage. But chili-cheese-Frito dogs would definitely get me back.

Quote by verbal
We are socked in with wildfires from the south. They aren't threatening us, but the skies are cloudy and ashen.

My boss just got back from Alberta and says the smoke was bad in Calgary when they were passing through to fly home. So it's not just you.

Heat has tailed off here but it's still muggy out. Did the grass yesterday in spite of the heat because it's supposed to shower today. Today, it's indoor housework.

Trying to come up with something, anything, to write. My work on various stories has just stalled. Depression is likely a factor. Not sure what else. I'm taking vacay in a couple weeks, just a staycation with no real plans, so maybe that will help me focus a bit.

From Nightwish's original singer's solo career, we move to their current singer's solo work. Floor Jansen launched a solo career as a side project just before and during the pandemic. She is now working up to her second solo album, shifting from a power pop sound on the first back to her traditional world of metal. With Nightwish on an extended hiatus (they last toured in 2023 although they did release an album in 2024), she's keeping herself quite gainfully occupied. The first single from the upcoming album is a beauty entitled "Run". Powerful music, powerful message and, as always with Floor, powerful vocals.

Floor is doing several festival dates in Europe this summer, a couple home gigs in The Netherlands this Fall, then touring Europe and South America in the first part of next year.

250 years of the good ole USA! You have a great country in so many ways. Too bad about the nonsense you're going through right now.

I've put on some dark roast coffee. For those like me who prefer leaves to beans, there's Earl Grey and Darjeeling teas. Iced and lemonade are made up fresh in the fridge. There's sodas, too, and ice cream in the freezer. Here's some goodies, too.

I mostly eat whole wheat but that's because that's the flour I get easily for my bread machine. 15 grain sounds interesting. The multigrain I used to use disappeared during the pandemic and never came back. Discontinued, I guess.

Celebrate America's 250 or watch World Cup matches?

Meh

Xanadu - Rush

Guess Talia never realized she was marrying a repressed astronomer, eh. Sounds like fun. I have a small one that belonged to my son tucked away but I need to find a place to to use it. My yard has too many trees now to get good views of the sky.

Quote by rolandlytle
Here in the NC piedmont, it hit 35 °C (95°F).

33C here today. That now seems to be our maximum. Originally, they were talking 34-35.

Holiday here in the Great not-so-White North. Canada Day!!! The day for maple syrup and rye whiskey, not necessarily in that order. On this day in 1867, the British North America Act came into force, uniting the provinces of Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. Oddly, Prince Edward Island joined later even though one of the key conferences leading to Confederation was held there.

And that seems to be a real underlying difference between us and the US. The US began in revolution and bloodshed. We began with a political conference and an act of the UK Parliament. Draw what conclusions you will.

Right now, shady park. Too hot to be out in the sun (33C here today)

Honey or jam/jelly with peanut butter (or whatever non-allergenic substitute you use if you're allergic)?

Quote by rolandlytle
My Niece gave me a cake with pineapple and cherries.

I like the sounds of this. Not normally a fan of pineapple but in baking or on pizza, I find it like it more than if I am just eating it.

Good afternoon. Gettin' steamy in my area. Temps over 30C with some humidity. Still better than the heatwave that hit Europe last week but definitely getting into the high end of the range for this region.

Quote by rolandlytle
After understanding the character arc of her role, I believe Ms. Alcock did a fairly good job.

That's been the tone of the reviews I have seen. Movie is so-so at best but she's great as Kara.

Quote by rolandlytle
He was perfect for the role!

Momoa is an actor who needs the right part and Lobo would be one. I can't see him playing Hamlet, but Lobo for sure. Interesting that he's playing another role in a DC movie, though, because in DC's previous attempt at a Marvel-style cinematic universe, he played Aquaman.

I think if I was still watching movies regularly, this would be a wait for video. I'm not that big of a DC fan save Batman. As a kid reading comics, I was more into Marvel overall. My love of Batman actually began with the 1960s TV show and its spinoff movie moreso than comics.

For impromptu, I think the first is better. I'm a terrible bowler but it's just for fun anyhow.

Pickles or no on your burgers?

Quote by rolandlytle
I often use honey on my ice cream, especially if it contains bits of comb.

Oo, that's interesting. My family used to put maple syrup on, basically a maple syrup sundae. Yeah, how stereotypically Canadian, eh. (almost as stereotypical as saying "eh" 😊).

Quote by rolandlytle
Here in Albemarle, NC, on Wednesday afternoon, we had a huge thunderstorm with gusts reaching almost 130 kph. A huge tree branch in my backyard broke off and landed on my neighbor's raised deck and a small gazebo.

Yikes. We had a nasty storm blow through late yesterday afternoon but no damage noted or heard about. My phone was going nuts with tornado warnings just before, though. Heavy winds and a ton of hail. Had a pile of ice pellets on my deck that actually took most of the evening to melt.

Quote by verbal
Has that ice cream melted yet? It sounds tasty.

It's in the freezer so no melting. Go for it! And does this mean we get to call you Space Godzilla now?

Quote by rolandlytle
Scott, I miss work so much.

That's kind of my remaining hesitation with retiring. While I feel 37 years in the workforce is quite enough, part of me is still not sure I can fill the 40ish hours a week my job current takes. And I don't have a lot of social contacts outside work right now, though I have ideas on remedying that.

Quote by rolandlytle
Scott, I have a hard time recognizing which day it is. They are all the same to me except Mondays. Sunday is always my busiest day with church and family events. Monday is my day of recovery.

I expect that I will get there once I am retired (2 years probably). For now, as a working stiff, Monday is the day the week begins for me. Sometimes it is a quiet start to things, sometimes all heck breaks loose. 😕

Monday Monday ... can't trust that day ...

Yeah, the Mamas and the Papas were onto something there. Never know how the opening of the week is going to go.

What I do know is that it is opening with some dark roast Costa Rican coffee along with Scottish Breakfast and Russian Caravan teas. Iced tea and lemonade are mixed up for those needing something cold. There's a nice stock of assorted sodas, too. Kettle is ready for other hot drinks, too. And there's goodies.

Cheery

Yes, I think we should.

seen - nets

With ice, usually. Or from the fridge filter so it's chilled.

Learn a language or learn a musical instrument?

V.A.N. - Bad Omens ft. Poppy