Looking Back on 2025 and Ahead to 2026

The year of 2025 had many adventures and events. I am thankful that I was able to experience them and hope others were able to enjoy their own life events. "Personal growth" would be the term I would use for this year with many things achieved on my own or through my own efforts. I would also use the same term for the introspection done when I made a few boneheaded decisions.

    There were four pleasant trips to my wife's parents place in the Okanagan Valley including the Christmas Holidays. Also had a long weekend camping on Hornby Island which is also a relaxing experience. The huge trip this year was going to Europe for 66 days, seeing Spain and Italy. Mostly short trips within BC in 2026 and possible a long one. Stay tuned.

    A total of 55 fiction books were read in 2026. Standouts include: Abrams, Peter - A Perfect Crime; Balogh, Mary - One Night For Love; Child, Lee - The Enemy & The Killing Floor; Ellroy, James - Black Dahlia; Faulkner, William - As I Lay Dying; Greene, Graham - The Power and the Glory & The Third Man; Henderson, Zenna - The Anything Box; Knebel, Fletcher and Baily, Charles W. - 7 Days in May; O'Brian, Patrick - Post Captain & HMS Surprise; Paterson, Katherine - Bridge to Terabithia; Quinn, Julia - It's In His Kiss, On the Way to the Wedding, and Happily Ever After; Reid, Iain - I'm Thinking of Ending Things; Rice, Anne - Interview with a Vampire & The Vampire Lestat; Sacher, Louis - Holes; Stark, Richard (Donald Westlake) - Nobody Runs Forever, Ask the Parrot, Dirty Money; Wells, Martha - Murderbot 0.5, 1-4, 4.5, 5-7.

    Five graphic Novels were read: Cooke, Darwyn - Richard Stark's The Outfit and The Score; Miyazaki, Hiyao - Nausicaa books 2 through 4.

    For non-fiction, 16 magazines were read (Archeology and National Grographic) and six books: Astronauts Guide to Life by Chris Hadfield; Bird by Bird by Anne Lamont; Sacred Origins of Profane Things by Charles Panati; Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari; The Definitive Edition of Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl; Walking on Alligators by Susan Shaughnessy

    With podcasts, 208 were listened to. They are great when traveling or cleaning the house/yard: American History Hit: 29; Ancients: 68; Betwixt the Sheets: 10; Debaters: 9; Frountburner (30 min): 1; Gone Medieval: 41; History Hit: 1; Ideas: 49

    Three music specials were watched: Europakonzert: From Berlin with the Berliner Philharmoniker with Krill Petrenko and another concert by the same folks in Barcelona inside the Sagrada Familia; Simon and Garfunkel: Concert in Central Park.

    Two live Early Music Society (EMSI) concerts were attended: (Brilliantly Baroque by Tafelmusik and Yule by Trio Medieval

    Films in a theatre watched numbered four and movies seen in a home were twenty-four. Standouts include (T=Theatre): A Christmas Story, Brazil: Director's Cut, Chef, Edge of the Knife; T Fantastic Four: First Steps; Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga; Ladybird; Little Women (2019); Pride & Prejudice A&E Episodes 1-5; T Superman; The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; The Lunchbox; The Warriors: Director's Cut; White Noise (2022)

    Animated films seen numbered nine. Standouts include: Kiki's Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke; Spirited Away; Superman Vs The Elite; Whispers of the Heart

    For animated TV, 149 hours were watched. Standouts include: Batman Caped Crusader (10); Batman Beyond (33); Creature Commandos (3); Invincible S2 (5); Rick and Morty (10); Star Wars: Clone Wars S1 (20) S2 (20) S3 (1); What If (S1: 9; S2: 9)

    For competitive TV, 179 hours were watched. I appreciate the British shows most of all for its humour and "feel good" atmosphere. The one I enjoyed the most were: Great Pottery Throw Down (8); Junior Bakeoff (40); Top Chef Canada (8). I do need to get out my models to assemble and paint while seeing these as I can imagine the extra models I can paint with 179 hours!

    Of the 12 documentaries watched, the ones of most interest were: American Experience's Forgotten Hero: Walter White & the NAACP; Blue Box; Chasing the Moon (three episodes of 2hrs ea); Fight to the Finish; Hannah Arendt: Facing Tyranny; Satan Wants You; The US and the Holocaust (2hrs each and only one of three episodes watched so far)

    With 130.5 hours of non-fiction TV watched, there were many that were particularly enjoyed. Those are: *Apocalypse War of Worlds (5); *Art That Made Us (2); *Being Beethoven (3); Daily Show (3); Exploring India's Treasures with Bettany Hughes (2); Fake or Fortune (9); Finding Your Roots (9); House Special (30 min, 5); Icons Unearthed (Batman) (6); Icons Unearthed (Harry Potter) (5); Icons Unearthed (Marvel) (6); Icons Unearthed (Spider Man) (5); Icons Unearthed (Star Wars) (6); Nova (11); Secrets of the Brain (2); Secrets of the Dead (6); *Shakespeare: Rise of a Genius (3)

    Fiction TV watched, at 249.5 hours, is always a little more bloated than I want. I need to be more severe on stopping to watch a show that is slightly better than "meh" or lower. Standouts of what I saw were: All Creatures Great and Small (7); Cloak and Dagger S2 (7); *Daredevil S3 (13); *Expanse S5 (10) & S6 (6); Jessica Jones S3 (13); Leverage: Redemption (10); Punisher S2 (13); Resident Alien (10); Secret Agent AKA Danger Man S1 (30 min; 33) S2 (1hr; 1); *She-Hulk (9); *Shogun (10); Wandavision (30-45 min, 9); *We Are Lady Parts (30 min, 2); Wolf Hall (6)

    So that is 2025 in a snapshot. Here is to a pleasant and non-stressful 2026! Happy New Year everyone!

A Look Back to 2024 and ahead to 2025

In 2024 I attended Camosun College for two semesters (with A- to A+ marks), traveled to Saltspring to and stayed with friends, went to the Maritimes for seven weeks (blog posts ongoing), travelled to Comox and Tofino for long weekends (posts to come eventually). I could say I am way behind in my posts due to schoolwork and life, but it was also because I have been preferring reading, writing, and relaxing when I have free time. I need to do better, though, so I resolve to do so. 

Here some things that I read and watched of note:

Fiction Books: Fifty-three (53) books were read which is nearly double of what I accomplished last year. Standouts were Battletech Warrior Trilogy & Battletech Blood of Kerensky Trilogy by Michael A Stackpole, Beaowulf new translation by Seamus Heaney, Blood Oath by Christopher Farnsworth, So You Want to Be a Wizard? & Deep Wizardry by Diane Duane, the first five Bridgerton novels by Julia Quinn, No Middle Name by Lee Child, The Giver by Louis Lowry, Parable of the Sower & Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler, Riddlemaster of Hed Trilogy by Patricia A McKillip, Master and Commander by Patrick O'Brian, The Tutor by Peter Abrams, The Plot Against America by PhillipRoth, The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury, The Gunfight by Richard Matheson, five books in the Parker series by Richard Stark (Donald Westlake), Bloodstream and Gravity by Tess Gerritsen, and The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K LeGuin. Yes, I know that 35 out of the 53 books I have read were standouts. So what.

Non-Fiction Book: Only one was read, unfortunately, but it was a very good one; Artful Edit: On the Practice of Editing Yourself by Susan Bell. I intend to read at least three in 2025.

Comics: Only three; Essential Punisher Vol 2 & Vol 3 and the first volume of Nausicca. I will be reading more Nausicca because it has been decades since I last read them. 

Magazines: Seventeen (17) were read and those were Archeology (Jan/Feb 2024 to Sep/Oct 2024) and 

National Geographic (Feb 2023 to Jan 2024). I am reading the Archeology magazines as they arrive, but I am still a year behind on the National Geographics. I hope to gain at least three months for National Geographics in the next year.

Podcasts: A total of two hundred and ninety-seven (297) podcasts were listened to. They are still the best way to chop vegetables, cook meals, wash dishes, dust, drive for errands, and do yard-work. I like them all, but will only list the ones I have stuck with: American History Hit: 54, Ancients: 84, Betwixt the Sheets: 9, Debaters: 10, Gone Medieval: 62, History Hit: 5, Ideas: 22, Not Just the Tudors: 4, Under the Influence: 2. I will probably listen to about the same in 2025 and will have to expand my podcasts as I am almost caught up to recently released ones for several of the above podcasts.

Documentary: Fifteen movie length documentaries were watched. Standouts include: A Citizen's Guide to Preserving Democracy, AE: American Coup Wilmington 1898, Brian Cox: Seven Days on Mars, Frontline: Democracy on Trial, Ken Burns: Leonardo plus Behind the Scenes (5 hrs), Little Richard: The King and Queen of Rock and Roll, AE: Nazi Town USA, Stargazing: 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing, NASA: The Mavericks of Mars; Ingenuity Helicopter, AE: The Riot Report. I will likely watch just as many documentaries this year because I enjoy longer format informative programs.

Music: Ten music concerts were watched, but there were many others that the audio or singing were bad so I deleted them before finishing so I will not count them here. Standouts were: John Bonavassa at the Hollywood Bowl, Pet Shop Boys: Live at Rostable 2009, Taylor Swift: Extended Eras Tour, Wolf Alice: Reading and Leeds Festival, and U2: From the Sky Down. I will probably watch just as many in 2025. They are good to have in the background while painting models.

Films in a Theater: A pitiful three movies were watched in the theatre. I do want to see more. What I had seen were D-Day on IMAX, Deadpool & Wolverine, and Dune 2.

Films at Home: Whether it was part of a gathering, with my wife, or on my own seeing movies in a home is a great feeling when they are done right. Twenty movies were watched and standouts were: Dinner Rush, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Godzilla, Holiday Inn, In the Mood for Love, Master and Commander, Mr. Jealousy, and The Batman.

Animated Films at Home: Thanks to Adult Swim, and my own collection, thirteen animated films were watched. Standout include: Castle of Cagliostro, Crisis on Infinite Earths vol 1 (2 and 3 felt rushed and the story was not as good), Graveyard of the Fireflies, Mortal Combat Legends: Cage Match (for its 80's action film love in), My Neighbour Totoro, and Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind.

Reality Competition Shows: We still watch reality shows, but mostly the British ones. They are nicer towards each other, less drama, and it brings smiles to our faces as we learn more about the subject matter of the show. 233 hours were watched and the shows watched were: AGT: Fantasy League, AGT, Amazing Race Canada, Canada's Got Talent, Great British Baking Show, Great British Junior Baking Show, Great British Sewing Bee, Great Canadian Baking Show, Great Canadian Pottery Throwdown, 

Great Pottery Throw Down, Landscape Artist of the Year, Masterchef Australia, Olympics, Paralympics, Preakness, Race Against the Tide, Top Chef Canada, Top Chef: Wisconsin and Last Chance Kitchen.

Non-Fiction TV: I like learning about things I knew nothing or little about as well as shows expanding what I know. 184 hours were watched and here is what we watched: 1491: The Untold Story of the Americas before Columbus, 80th Anniversary D-Day CBC, American Politics (2024 State of the Union Address and Republican Rebuttal, DNC, Presidential and Vice Presidential debates, The Choice 2024: Harris vs Trump, Washington Week with the Atlantic, Election Coverage), *Art that Made Us, Battle of the Exoplanets, BLK: An Origin Story, *Cosmos: Possible Worlds, Daily Show, Escape to the Country, Fight the Power: How Hip-Hop Changed the World, Finding Your Roots, Hitler and Reichstag Fire, Human Universe, Icons Unearthed: Marvel, In Search of Science with Brian Cox, Inside the Court of Henry VIII, Jamie Oliver's Italy, Jane Austen: Behind Closed Doors, Mark of Empire: Asia's Ancient Civilizations, Monty Don's Adriatic Gardens, Monty Don's Spanish Gardens, Nova, One Cup 1000 stories, Pompeii: The New Dig, Repair Shop, Searching for Secrets, Secrets of the Dead, Superpowered: The DC Story, The Nature of Things: Cataract House, The Massacre that Shook the Empire, The Planets with Brian Cox, The Romantics and Us, Treasures and Treasures of the World with Brittany Hughes, Walking Hadrian's Wall with Robson Green, Walking Wartime Britain, Welcome to Wrexham, Winston Churchill's War, Wonders of the Solar System, and Wonders of the Universe.

Animated TV: Thirty-eight and a half hours were watched of animated TV. Standouts were Spectacular Spider-Man, and Star Trek: Lower Decks. Others watched were Atom Eve, Creature Commandos, Invincible Fight Girl, Kite Man, My Adventures with Superman, and Rick and Morty: The Anime.

Fiction TV: I like good stories and this year I watched 238 hours of it. Standouts were Broadchurch (S1-3), Fargo S5, For All Mankind, I Claudius, Mindhunter S1-2, and The Expanse S1-4 (watching for the second time and it is the first time for my wife). Notable shows were 3 Body Problem, All Creatures Great and Small S3-4, Band of Brothers, Bridgerton S3, Grace, Interview with a Vampire S2, Loki S2, Reacher S1-2, Resident Alien, The Lazarus Project S2, and We are Lady Parts.

A Look Back to 2023 and Ahead to 2024

The year 2023, for me, was one of change. I retired from my job of 33.5 years and moved into a non-working life. I hate to say retirement because I am starting classes in writing next week, something I am excited and nervous about which are good feelings to have to go into the future. Here is a look at things done, travelled to, read, listened to, attended, and watched.

Things done: Besides "retirement" there was a wonderful three week trip to Spain, relaxing trip to my wife's parents place with wine tasting thrown in, camping on Hornby, storm watching in Tofino, dinosaur bones and Ankor Wat at the museum, and a relaxing Christmas at my wife's parents place. Tried several new restaurants and revisited old ones. Also saw two performances: Duo Corvi and Charlie Ross's One Man Pride and Prejudice, both excellent. There was also a lot of work; downsizing "stuff", making a more robust will, errands, organizing, repair and maintenance of house, and helping friends. "Retiring" does not equal total relaxation, nor should it as it is a stationary stone that gathers moss. 

Non-Fiction Books Read: Only six non-fiction books read, two less than last year. Standouts were A Man on the Moon by Andrew Chaiken and On Writing by Stephen King. Other notables were Landmark: Xenophon's Anabasis, Robert Silverberg's Worlds of Wonder, Sagrada Familia by Gijs Van Hensbergen, and The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell with Bill Moyers. Also read the magazines Archeology (Jan/Feb 23-Nov/Dec 23) and National Geographic (Dec 21-Jan 23). This year will mean reading more books about writing as I expand my knowledge about that craft.

Fiction Books Read: A whopping 23 books were read, nearly double what I normally read. This is good because a good writer should read a lot, and of different genres too. Standouts were all by Connie Willis (Doomsday Book, Blackout and All Clear). Notables were Agatha H, and the Voice of the Castle as well as The Siege of Mechanicsburg by Phil and Kaja Foglio, Passages and Remake by Connie Willis, The Duke and I by Julia Quinn (my first romance book), and Three Men in a Brummel by Jerome K Jerome. The rest were four Battletech short stories, Battletech: Decision at Thunder Rift,  Mercenary Star, and Price of Glory by William H Keith, Butcher's Moon by Richard Stark, Iron Heel by Jack London, Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson, Mockingbird by Walter Tevis, Samurai Mysteries by Laura Joh Rowland; Samurai's Wife and Black Lotus, Shattered Sylph by L.J. McDonald, The Last Man by Mary Shelley, and To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis.

Comic Book Collections Read: Eleven comic book collections were read. Outstanding ones were the Sandman books (Preludes and Nocturns, Dream Country, Doll's House, Season of Mists). Notables were Lady Killer and Mouse Guard (Tales of the Guard vol 2 and 3). Others were Cyborg: Unplugged,

Essential Punisher vol 1, Harley Quinn and Her Gang of Harleys, and Inhuman.

Music Concerts Watched: I discovered some music concerts on PBS, Knowledge, and music video channels. They were nice to have in the background while doing other things. There were also several that were awful, for various reasons (over the hill singers or not well filmed) which I will not mention. Here are the best of the bunch: Come from Away, Depeche Mode: Rock AM Ring, Dios de los Muertos, Elvis Presley: '68 Comeback Special, Linkin Park: Live in New York, Molly Tuttle and the Golden Highway, Queen and Adam Lambert, Sting: Vina del Mar, Willie Nelson: Live in Budokan. The rest were Alice in Chains: Unplugged, Band in Seattle; 30 min, 10 episodes, Billy Joel: Live at Yankee Stadium, Carol King: Home Again live in Central Park, Dolly Parton and Friends: 50 Years at the Grand Old Opera, Doobie Brothers: 50th Anniversary in Radio City Music Hall, Duran Duran through time, Kenny Rogers: 1983, Johnny Cash: Man in Black - Live in Denmark 1971, Roy Orbison: Black and White Night, Santana: Live at the Us Festival, Sting: Live at Olympia Paris, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Live at Soundstage, Willie Nelson: Last of the Breed, Willie Nelson: The Show Must Go On.

Podcasts Listened To: Lots of knowledge and/or insight was gained by listening to knowledgeable folks in 2023 with 363 podcasts. Going to continue into this year. Outstanding ones were Jordan Harbinger and the series The Flamethrowers. Notables were Gone Medieval, Not Just the Tudors, The Ancients, and select (about 40%) episodes of Ideas.  Others listened to were American History Hit, Betwixt the Sheets, Dan Snow History Hit, Debaters, and Rick Steves Spain.

Documentary Length Watched: I like to be surprised by documentaries for what I did not know before or at least made more aware of a subject. Here are the outstanding ones watched: Casa Suzanna, In the Shadow of the Moon, Ruthless: Monopoly's Secret History, and Putin's Witnesses. Other ones seen were Georgia O'Keefe: The Far Away, King Tut: A Century of Secrets, Quest for Tonewood, Tupperware, Unzipped, Yvres St Laurent: His life and times, and Zora Neale Hurston.

Non-Fiction TV: Like documentary length features, I like to be surprised or made more aware by topics. Here were the standouts out of 143 programs and episodes of programs: A Nation Soars, Ancient Worlds, Professor Jim Al-Khalili (Beginning and End of the Universe, Gravity and Me, Joy of AI, Order and Disorder, Secrets of Quantum Physics, Secrets of Size), Return to Belsen, Sacred Rivers with Simon Reeve, Stuff the British Stole, Truth and Lies. 

Competition TV: What we prefer for competition TV in our house are shows that make you smile, not the vengeful nor vindictive stuff that is out there. We watched 150 hours worth. That includes America's Got Talent, Amazing Race Canada, Canada's Got Talent, Great British Baking Show, Great British Sewing Bee, Great Canadian Baking Show, Great Pottery throwdown, Project Runway, Race Against the Tide, Top Chef, and Ultimate Challenge Canada. I did watch three episodes of Traitors and although the mechanics of the show are very interesting the people were not.

Films in a Theater: Last year six movies were seen. Spider Man: Across the Multiverse was the outstanding one with special mention to the rest: Dinosaurs of Antarctica IMAX, Dungeons and Dragons: Honor among Thieves, Godzilla Minus One, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, John Wick 4, and Wings over Water IMAX.

Fiction Films: Twenty eight movies were seen at home or on a plane. Standout was Everything, Everywhere, All at Once and Lion in Winter. Other notable films were: Big Night, Enola Holmes 1&2, Glass Onion: A Knives Out! Mystery, Spider Man: No Way Home, Star Wars Saga (Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith, New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, Rise of Skywalker), and two filmed performances at the Stratford Festival (The Tempest as well as Caesar and Cleopatra).

Animated Films: Thanks to Adult Swim, many cartoon films were seen in addition to other sources. Standouts were Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons, Harley Quinn Valentine's Day Special, and Justice League: Doom.

Animated Fiction TV: I like well done animated/stop motion programs and the standouts were Cowboy Bebop, Scavengers Reign, and Young Justice: Phantoms. Other notables were Rick and Morty, Simpsons Treehouse of Horror, and Star Trek: Lower Decks.

Fiction TV: A whopping 367.5 hours of fiction TV were watched, of which most were good but few rose to great and near perfection. At least in my estimation. Most were watched by just me over breakfast, lunch, and break days where I binged. This is something that has to change in 2024 so I can concentrate on school, reading, and writing. I will save TV for the stuff I like. The ones that were perfect or near perfect were: Daredevil S1 & S2, For All Mankind, Jessica Jones S1 & S2, Mrs Davis, Punisher S1, Severance, and Ted Lasso. The greats were: Cranford, Doom Patrol, Interview with a Vampire, Luke Cage S1, Luther, Mandalorian S3, Manhunt, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Picard S3, Whose Line is it Anyways.

There was 2023 in brief. Here is to everyone for a better 2024.

Cowboy Bebop

The 26 episode saga of Cowboy Bebop was something I missed in 1998-99, due to my work schedule. I saw it on the shelf during a boxing day sale for a good price and heard good thing about it. I gave it a go. 

 I really liked the short one episode story arcs. It had a mix of film noir, madcap, wild west, drama, and future shock blended into one marvelous visual soup that was very palatable. There were also a few series arcs that came to satisfactory resolutions. I can see why it was and still is a highly regarded show.

Look back on 2022 and Ahead to 2023

 2022 was an interesting year. Personally there was a shift in the department where I worked, taught a leadership course, got COVID, and submitted paperwork for retiring in 2023.  Regionally there were provincial elections. Nationally there was the anti, fill-in-the-blank for the reasons, protest in Ottawa.

We participated in Noirfest, Canada Day on Gorge road, a week in the Okanogan, My wife and I travelled within the province (Courtney/Comox, Tofino and Kelowna area) and I traveled to Moncton, Quebec City, and Halifax). We were not able to travel for the winter holidays to her parents, unfortunately.

I read 8 non-fiction books this year. They include: Atlas of Ancient Archeology by Jacquetta Hawkes, Atlas of Classical Archeology by MI Finley, Larry Gonick's History of the Modern World 1&2, The Authoritarians by Bob Altemeyer; The Year 1000 by Robert Lacey and Danny Danzinger, Universal: A Journey through the Cosmos by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw, and Yesterday in Acadia. 

I also read 21 non-fiction periodicals: Archeology Magazine 2022 issues and 15 National Geographic (just a year behind now).

For fiction reading I have read 13 books. The best were: Amazing Adventures of Cavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon, Parker Series by Richard Stark (Slayground, Plunder Squad), Raymond Chandler complete short story collection (double sized), Sano Ichiro Samurai Mystery Series by Laura Joh Rowland (Book 3 Way of the Traitor and Book 4 Concubine's Tattoo). Other books were: A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemmingway, Agatha H and the Airship City, Agatha H and the Clockwork Princess, Firewatch by Connie Willis , and Haynes: Millennium Falcon & USS Enterprise Owner's Manuals.

Twenty-three comics were read. Standouts were: Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne, Blake and Mortimer (Mystery of the Great Pyramid 1&2, Secret of the Swordfish 1&2&3, Timetrap, 

Necklace Affair, Francis Blake Affair, Voronov Plot, The Strange Encounter, Sarcophagi of the Sixth Continent 1&2), and Sensational Comics Vol 3. Others read were: Largo Winch (The Heir, Takeover, Dutch Connection, Hour of the Tiger), Necessary Evil, Star Wars Rebels: three cinecomics, and Superman: Emperor Joker.

For music the video concerts and documentaries seen were: Band in Seattle (9 at 30 min ea); Carmine Street Guitars; Heart, Mighty Uke, On Broadway, Prince: Sign o the Times, Prince and the Revolution: Purple Rain tour, and White Riot.

Podcasts were a big part of my enjoyment this year, as explained in my post a few months ago. In total 315 of them were listened to while going about chores or painting models. Ones listened to were: Gone Medieval (50), Ideas (8), Prehistory Podcast (9), The Ancients (236), The Archeology Show (4), The Debaters (30 min: 9), and Under the Influence (1).

Documentaries that were movie length or more that I really enjoyed were: Design Canada and Ken Burns: Benjamin Franklin (4hrs). Other were: A Brief History of Time, Echo in the Canyon, Ella Fitzgerald: Just one of those Things, Face of Anonymous, John Stewart: The Mark Twain Prize, and Mae West: Dirty Blonde.

Movies seen in a Theater were: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Spider Man: No Way Home, The Batman, The Menu, and Thor: Love and Thunder.

For movies seen on TV there were 42 of them. The best and/or most interesting were: Batman: The Long Halloween Part 1&2, Blood Red Sky, Boston Strangler, Enola Holmes, Harry Potter film series (last 5), In Cold Blood (1967), Injustice, Magnificent Seven, Nobody, Nope, Spider Man: No Way Home, Tenet, The Favorite, The Grand Illusion, The Lady from Shanghai, and The Seventh Seal. Natalie started a food potluck movie club. Movies seen so far were: Babette's Feast, Like Water for Chocolate, and Tampopo.

Competitive shows watched this year totaled 234 hours. The British do theirs with friendly contestants that assist each other with words or physical deeds, which is nice to see, for All That Glitters (jewelry making), Good With Wood (carpentry), and the Great British Baking Show. The Canadian competitive shows Top Chef Canada&Houston and Great Canadian Baking show also features collaboration. The winter Olympics were also trilling this year and the America's/Canada's Got Talent shows are frivolous fun.

For non-fiction shows, 375 hours of them were watched: Standouts include: A Nation Soars (3), Afghanistan: The Wounded Land (4),  Art Detectives (4), Cosmos: Possible Worlds (2), Empire of Silver (3), Finding your Roots (22), Forces of Nature (4), Great Scottish Estates (4), Jamie Cooks Italy (3), Jamie Oliver Christmas, January 6th Congressional Hearings; 6 hrs, Josephine Baker: Story of Awakening, NASA: Orion (2), Nature (1), Nova (1: 2hrs, 9: 1hr), Secrets of the Dead (8), Secrets of the Surface: Mathematical Vision of Maryam Mirzakhani, The Persians: A History of Iran (3), Titian: Behind Closed Doors, Venus, Bacchus, and Mars (3), Welcome to Wexham (30 to 60 min; 16), Wild China (2), and World's Greatest Ships (6).

Of Fiction shows, 413 hours of programs were watched. Standouts include: All Creatures Great and Small (10+Between the pages), Bridgerton (16), Chucky (8), Cowboy Bebop (30 min; 23), Deadwood (S1: 12, S2: 12; S3:12; Movie), DEVS: 8, Expanse S6 (6), Firefly (14), For All Mankind (3), Harley Quinn S3 (30 min; 10), Lazarus Project (8), Leverage, Little Demon (30 min; 10), Lupin (10+10), Luther (16), Mandalorian (second time, 16), Orville S3 (11), Resident Alien (16), Rick and Morty (10),  Star Trek: Lower Decks (11), Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (10), Ted Lasso (17), The Game (6), The Good Place (30 min; 50), The Resort (12), The Rookie (18), Whose Line is it Anyways (9, 30min), Witcher S2 (8).

I want to continue to decrease non-fiction shows watched and disregard uninspiring entertainment more easily. Time is too short for bad entertainment.

The Good Place

The Good Place is one of those television series that breaks genres and entertains while it enlightens. It is also one of those series where not much can be given away because the reveals that occur are incredibly rewarding. The starting premise is that Eleanor (Kristin Bell) is greeted after death by the architect (Ted Danson), tells her she is in the good place, and that this is her reward for the things she did on earth. The problem is that she was not a nice person and proceeds to rope others, as the first season progresses, to be educated in ethics so they blend in better while glitches occur around them because of their abnormality in the good place. Season two, three, and four change the goals of the characters due to the circumstances also changing. It also makes moral philosophy interesting, interactive in many bizarre and comedic ways, and has topics that stick with you.

The shows are a half hour long, brilliantly written and acted, and lasts long enough at 50 episodes to tell the story to a satisfying arc. One of the best shows I have watched. Period.

The wiki link to "The Good Place" if needed but best to just watch it first. Trust me.

Deadwood TV Series

Shakespeare has drama, comedy, violence, tragedy, and redemption. If he was alive today he, after a long tutelage of everything he would need to understand the setting, would love the Deadwood TV series. 

The characters give so much of themselves on screen by what they do or cannot do, say or cannot say, and how their relationship changes between them. It is impressive. I was hooked after one episode. After the first season of 12 episodes I knew them like old friends or enemies. By the end of the 36 episodes and one TV film, I regretted saying goodbye.

Be aware, there is a lot of swearing and sexual content. I do not swear every sentence or two, like the characters in the series are, but they do it with such feeling and emotion that it sets the scenes every time.

If you want to read the transcripts, there are available here: https://deadwoodchronicles.com/deadwood-transcript-collection/  which I had to do when several episodes on my second season set were wonky. 

Young Justice S1 to S3

The Young Justice animated series is, in my opinion, on par with the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited series. It takes place in the DC comics universe within the Earth-16 universe, used because its continuity was available for use without bumping into the comics/TV/film series. In this universe the heroes have won against the villains and the heroes take care of small crime, conventional battles, and natural disasters...or so it seems. Up and coming young heroes, some trained under their established mentors, are being trained and undergo missions to gain experience and find their own way in the world.

Each season has an overarching theme and conflict while there are sub-plots and/or character development that resolve over the series, season or within several episodes. Season one sets the stage by introducing the main characters and the mysterious organization known as the Light. Season two introduces the Reach, an alien cooperate empire that wishes to add Earth to its franchise without violating its treaty with the Guardians of Oa. Season three goes into the forced activation of humans with the meta-human gene for use as mind-controlled mercenaries throughout the universe. 

Each season introduces new characters so that there are new facets to explore for stories and character development. A fourth season has just about finished on HBO Max and is called Phantoms, which features the Legion of Super Heroes. A fifth season has been greenlit. 

I had seen the first and second seasons before and I purchased these three seasons because I wanted to rewatch the first two again and carry on with the storyline. I can see myself carrying on with the series and rewatching them again in five or so years along with the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited series. Highly recommended.

Leverage

Leverage is a great caper style TV show. It basic premise is a small  group of not very nice people getting together to do bad things to bad people for nice folks who were taken advantage of. Because of that, each episode always leaves me feeling happy with the results and that there should be folks like this in real life. Or at least proper enforceable laws to prevent the bad people from doing bad things.

The characters are nicely acted and each have their own character arcs over the series. There is the mastermind with a drinking problem, grifter who fails at being an actor, hacker with phobias and allergies, thief with social interaction issues, and the hitter with an aversion to guns. They face against new bad folks each episode, find their weaknesses, and exploit them to turn the tables on them for the benefit of getting compensation for their victims. Most times the bad guys end up being arrested for the now exposed bad activities. Many guest stars play the bad guys and occasionally as people the main characters know from their past. There is always a twist or two in the show where it seems like they cast will not succeed but in fact they did plan for it, seen through a flashback.

Each season has a shorter run than series mainstream tv, 13 to 18 episodes. In all 77 episodes were made. There is currently a revival and continuation with nearly all of the characters called Leverage: Redemption, which I also very much enjoy.

Cyborg TV Shows - Six Million Dollar Man and Now and Again

So I have recently finished two cyborg related shows, The Six Million Dollar Man and Now and Again. 

The Six Million Dollar Man was great to rewatch as my very young self only dimly remembered most things but some episodes were quite familiar. The three original TV movies, that started the series, were all surprising to me. In particular the first two were very serious spy style plotlines while the third had a wonderfully cheesy theme song by Dusty Springfield. It was interesting to see the tropes become solidified as the series progressed. For instance the trope of the bionic sound effects were not in the first several TV movies nor episodes so it took me off guard. By the end of the first season it was firmly episodic and slightly wacky. It was great to revisit but I am ok with not watching more.

Now and Again was a refreshing take on the everyman "recruited" by the government trope. This is because the everyman's brain is put in the biologically created body and his family is not only still alive and unaware of his recruitment but featured in every episode (although not always interacting with the male cyborg lead. In fact the family storylines are sometimes more interesting than the cyborg ones, because of the concepts of loss and despondency. This series I would have liked to have seen more of, but it ended after one season.

Blueberry Picking, Anthony Bourdain's Roadrunner, and Zambri's Italian Food

A very active day yesterday. First there was blueberry picking at Meadowbrook Farm. Two hours of it yielded two buckets full. It will be tasty to snack on and freeze for consuming in the winter time.

We have been here before last year and it was nice to do this again. They also have lots of rows to spread out in.

After a short afternoon at home, it was off to see the Roadrunner documentary on Anthony Bourdain's life. It was an honest look at the good and bad parts of Bourdain's work and personal life, concluding with his suicide. It gives pause for looking at what is important in your life and reflecting on the accidents that happen while living it, for boon or bane, and how that shapes you. It also gives great pause for knowing that you cannot let that which causes you grief to control you. That there are people who you can talk to.

In tribute to Anthony Bourdain's joy of good food, we had supper at Zambri's, a fabulous Italian restaurant. I ordered an Antico vermouth as a pre meal drink. The food started with local green beans and cherry tomatoes mixed with pesto (not pictured). There was also a plate of fresh bread and dish of olives. Both delicious. 

For a main we all wanted the special; Dungeness crab in ravioli with local corn for texture. The restaurant took the two portions and split it amongst the three of us. Delicious as always. I had this with a Saltpring Wild semi-dry cider.

Because we know that was not going to be enough, we split an order of the halibut special. It was cooked to perfection and was a very fresh tasting dish.

For dessert I had a chocolate bourdino, a nice end to the day.

I Spy the TV series 1965-68

 I Spy was a groundbreaking series from 1965 to 1968 that shot portions of its show on location around the world: Morocco, Spain, Greece, Japan, Hong Kong, Mexico, and more. It was also groundbreaking because of the equal top billing of its two costars, Bill Cosby as Alexander Scott and Robert Culp as Kelly Robinson. This was the first time that an African-American received top billing. They are partners working for US Intelligence but Kelly's public identity is a tennis bum and Alexander is his trainer, traveling the world while pitting Kelly's skills against wealthy hosts while enjoying social gatherings and occasional tennis competitions. 

The show's 82 episodes has a bittersweet view of the spy business, from struggling to justify legitimate expenses and losses of equipment to the financial caretakers of the organization they work for to the glamorous lifestyle they lead when not on the spy clock. Often their fun is interrupted with a planned or unplanned mission or someone in need of help. Many parts were a little over the top but the show also surprised me for the mature way things were dealt with. For instance there were also episodes of gravitas where one or the other character struggles with the decisions they or their government have to make. Heavy stuff for TV in the cold war late 60's.

The backstory for the two is that they have been working together for a few years before the first episode and the interplay between the two actors makes you believe it. They tease, poke fun, and egg each other on, even in the thick of danger as a way to cut the tension for the characters and the audience. It works and works well.

Now the elephant in the room: Bill Cosby and his actions towards many women since the 1970's. I bought the three seasons of the series in 2013 and had just started watching the episodes when the first allegations against Bill Cosby appeared. Because of those allegations it sat on my shelf of things to watch until last year, when I had some time and he was in jail. Since then I've seen the entire series because it won so many awards and acclaim for breaking ground in the way the subject matter was portrayed; the hard life of the Intelligence service. 

I also wanted to see it for the way the show and two actors dealt with the fact one partner was white and the other African-American; which was that it didn't matter. Scott is the brains and planner and Kelly goes by his gut. They were both good at what they did, they valued each other for who they were, and were friends who helped each other. The US Intelligence service also didn't care that one of the agents was African-American, only that all their agents could complete missions and keep under budget. 

The show did had sexist parts, especially how Kelly was casual with women. But that got thrown in his face sometimes by strong women, which mirrored the changes in society in the late 60's, in particular the final episode of season three.

I enjoyed the series and will watch it again in a decade or two. If you want to see them for free online, head here at PROClassic TV.

End of 2019 and beginning of 2020

There were many big things this year, some of which I will keep to myself and friends. A change in job responsibilities also occurred and there were improvements to our home, including painting and replacement of our back deck.

Besides the magazines I read this year (3 Archaeology and 15 National Geographic), I read ten non-fiction books: A Great and Noble Scheme by John Mack Farager, Achtung Panzer! by Heinz Guderian, Creating Babylon 5 by David Bassom, God: A Biolgraphy by Jack Miles, National Geographic's Indian Wars, Longitude by Dana Sobel, Napoleon's Buttons by Penny le Couteur and Jay Burreson, Six Easy Pieces by Richard P. Feynaman, The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, and The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason. In 2020 I intend to read at least 9 non-fiction books and continue with my magazines.

Of Fiction books I read a whopping 24 of them but many were short works. They were: Acceptance by Jeff Vandermeer, Best SF vol 2 by Edmund Crispin, Emma by Jane Austen, Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaimen, Gypsies by Robert Charles Wilson, Infinity Box by Kate Wilhelm, Judge Dredd Vol 6, Lady in the Lake by Raymond Chandler, Little Sister by Raymond Chandler, Man with the Getaway Face by Richard Stark, Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen, Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett, Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin, Snow Crash by Neil Stephenson, Suicide Club by Robert Lewis Stephenson, Sword of Rihannon by Leigh Brackett, The Dain Curse by Dashiell Hammett, The Hunter by Richard Stark, The Outfit by Richard Stark, The Seventh by Richard Stark, The Stars are the Styx by Theodore Sturgeon, The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, Them Bones by Howard Waldrop, Three Hearts and Three Lions by Poul Anderson. I do not know if I can read this many in 2020 but will read what I can.

I attended two concerts this year, which were enjoyable: Constantinople: Gate to the East and Tafelmusik: Bach the Circle of Creation. I have no idea of the music concerts i will attend in 2020. For music in the home, I have been watching Band in Seattle (11 of the 30 min program), Fleetwood Mac: The Dance, Queen Elizabeth 1sts battle for church music, Roy Orbison: Black and White Night, Tommy.

I dipped my toe into podcasts this past year, listening to 16 CBC Idea episodes and 7 Under the Influence episodes. I hope to continue with these two great shows and perhaps more.

For movies, I have seen 15 in a theater, 53 at home, and 12 that were feature length documentaries. Standouts in a theater were: Avengers: Endgame, Ford vs Ferrari, Joker, and Spider-man: Into the Spider Verse. Standouts for movies at home were: After Life, Blakkklansmen, Bohemian Rhapsody, Colossal, Gone with the Wind, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Lawrence of Arabia, Mr Deeds goes to Town, Mark of Zorro '40, Ninotchka, Nobody Knows, On the Waterfront, Rashomon, Shape of Water, Split, Upgraded. Standouts for documentaries were: 20 feet from Stardom, An Honest Liar, Apollo 11, Good ol Freda: The Beatles Secretary, Score, The Greatest Party on Earth, and Woodstock.

For non-fiction TV, 185 hours were watched. These were the standouts:  Africa and Britain: A Forgotten History (4), Annie Oakley, Apollo Experience: Apollo 17 (2), Baroque (3), Fake or Fortune (5), Hokusai: Crazy Old Man to Paint, Impressionists (3), Mary Pickford, My Life in Hitler's Germany (2), Nature (10), Nova (14), The Elements (3), Utopia (3).

Of Fiction TV, I watched 275 hours. These were the standouts: And then there were none (3), Babylon 5 - Pilot and S1 and S2 (45), Baroness von Sketch (30 min, 12), Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (24), Doom Patrol (15), Elementary (S6 21) (S7 12), Handmaids Tale (11), Orville (15), Rookie (21), Swamp Thing (12), The Crown (10). I hope to reduce the fiction TV I watch and concentrate more on non-fiction and reading.

Spin-It Records

Spin-it Records is a great place to find rare CDs and vinyl, as well as DVDs/Blu-rays and classic toys. A stop that I make every time I am in Moncton.

Twilight Zone 1959-1964

I recently finished watching most of the episodes of the classic Twilight Zone from 1959-1964. The series is one of the best science fiction shows I have seen and evoked powerful feelings in myself due to the subject matter, acting, writing, plot, or a combination of all these things. Rod Sterling, the creator of the show and its principle writer, used science fiction to disguise his subject matter and allow him to show controversial things in a more palatable setting to make his audience think. All except for the fourth season were half-hour shows. The following are my favorites:

First Season

One for the Angels

Mr. Denton on Doomsday
Walking Distance
What you Need
The Last Flight
Mirror Image
The Monsters are on Maple Street
A World of Difference
The After Hours
A World of His Own

Second Season

Eye of the Beholder
Nick of Time
The Night of the Meek
A Penny for Your Thoughts
The Prime Mover
Long Distance Call
Shadow Play
Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up

Third Season

The Shelter
The Passersby
A Game of Pool
The Mirror
Five Characters in Search of an Exit
Nothing in the Dark
A Piano in the House
To Serve Man
The Fugitive

Fourth Season (1 hour in length)

He’s Alive
On Thursday we Leave for Home
Passage on the Lady Anne

Fifth Season

Living Doll
Number 12 Looks Just Like You
I am the Night – Color me Black
Come Wander with Me

The only episodes I have not seen yet are: The Obsolete Man, Changing of the Guard, A Short Drink from a Certain Fountain, An Occurrence at Owl Creek, Sounds and Silences, The Encounter

I highly recommend watching this series, and they are generally shown on late night/early morning TV.

The Sorrow and the Pity

My wife and I like history and also like documentaries. The Sorrow and the Pity, a French documentary by Marcel Ophuls, was done in 1969 and featured interviews of people who lived during the occupation of France by the Germans during WW2.

The interview questions and film reels follow the sequence of pre-occupation, during, and immediately after. The persons interviewed are very open about their experiences and provides an human look at this time period in France's history. Sometimes funny, sometimes brutal, always honest. Was an academy award nominee in the year it came out.

It may seem lengthy at 251 minutes but with a good bottle of French wine, or two, and some history interested friends, it is well worth while. Highly recommended.

An end to 2016 and look ahead to 2017

Well, it was an interesting 2016. People dying. USA elections. Opinions as fact and fact as opinions. I will not discuss what is being discussed about what people have experienced, but rather what I have experienced this last year and a look towards the next.

Music
I've purchased quite a few CDs this year, especially used ones in the Maritimes during my trip there. Of the ones I have gotten, there are some standouts. You can listen to them as you read on.

London Grammar - If You Want. The album is masterfully raw in the emotion the singer projects with her voice. The instruments accompanying her accentuate the lyrics and voice rather than overcome it. The best for me this year. Here is one of their songs, Hey Now.

Lily Allen - Its Not Me, Its You. Such a wonderful contrast between the poppy music and the visceral lyrics that tell it like it is. Refreshing. I prefer this album over her older and newer one. Here is my favorite from the album, Back to the Start.

Muddy Waters - Anthology. I've been more interested in blues music since I picked up a three-string cigar box guitar. I've also picked up Robert Johnson's complete recordings, which are also great, but I prefer this album. It has a greater range of styles and emotion. It also has three CDs. Here is a selection of songs.

Vishten - Mosaik. From Prince Edward Island, they blend Acadien, English and Mi'kmaq languages and musical styles into a lively and foot tapping blend. Here is a live version of their song Tobie Lapierre.

Tafelmusik - Complete Sony Recordings. This was a really good way to get their earlier recordings. 47 CDs for $90 and you will have some of the best examples of early classical music. They still perform and are one of the best Baroque groups in the world. Here is an example, Weiss Allegro from concerto for lute in C major. Its from their Galileo project which I had the pleasure of seeing previously (not included in the CD but worth picking up as well).

Just for fun, a Star Wars bad lip syncing music video,  Seagulls (Stop it now!).

Also for fun, Hevisaurus, a Finnish Heavy metal band. A spin on the genre, they dress up in dinosaur outfits and sing for kids. They have lyrics that tell the young kids to stay in school, drink their milk, and obey their parents. They are also insanely popular in Finland with young and old alike. Here is their song Rayh!

I wish to expand my learning of playing the three-string cigar box guitar as well as acoustic guitar. We will see about my progress.

Travel
I've had great trips to NORWESCON in Seattle, the Maritime Provinces in August, Hornby Island for camping in September, Tofino in November, and finally Kelwona for the winter holidays. Stay tuned to more in 2017.

Non-Fiction Books
I've read six non-fiction books this year. The big standout was the Landmark Thucydides: A Comprehensive Guide to the Peloponnesian War. The research the publisher has done on this work (maps, references, research) has made it approachable and easy to comprehend. His explanation of events and errors by all factions and city states brought this area of history to life. I also liked the speeches written in the book and just about every one, with small changes, could have been used by speechwriters today for their effective format and influence on their audience. As a fan of ancient history, in particular Greek history, this was a great companion to the Peloponnesian War by Donald Kagan, which I read last year as a primer to the internecine conflict in ancient Greece. I will be continuing the history of the Peloponnesian war in 2017 with the Landmark Hellenica by Xenophon.

I also read Charles Darwin's Origin of the Species and Richard Dawkins' Blind Watchmaker. The first was a marvelous work utilizing many different methods of explaining the evolutionary process through pressures on species by the environment or those from outside organisms. The second was a critique against those who do not understand the evolutionary process which, although very well presented and written, it indicates the small flame of combative criticism that would eventually turn into an inferno in his later years.

Other books read were Bulfinch's Mythology: Age of Fable, Dore Illustrations for Dante's Divine Comedy (Wonderfully evocative art), and DK Publishing's Religion: Big Ideas Simply Explained.All were good books.

Other non-fiction books that I wish to read this year are ones on ancient history, prehistory, philosophy, and Carl Sagan's Demon-Haunted World.

Fiction Books
I read 13 books this year. There were three standouts: Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler (Wonderful hard boiled writing), Dogs of War by Frederick Forsyth (one of the best from one of the best thriller writers. Loved the ending), and Nightmare Abbey by Thomas Love Peacock (Great parody of Gothic romance written in the early 1800's. Was laughing out loud)

Other great books were Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer (modern HP Lovecraft kind of creepy. Will finish this trilogy), Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh (Awesome! Will read more by this great sci-fi author), Luna: New Moon by Ian McDonald (Dallas on the Moon. It is much better than that description. Will read the other books as they are published), Station 11 by Emily St John Mandel (excellent apocalyptic novel about relationships), and Uprooted by Niomi Novik (superb fantasy that breaks sterotypes).

I will start to read Jane Austin books this year as well as more sci-fi and fantasy.

Comics
Only two collected comics this year were read: Judge Dredd Complete Case Files Vol 4, and Ms Marvel vol 3. The first was pure fun nostalgia and the second was original storytelling in the superhero genre.

I have some more collected comics that I will read to clear space on my shelf.

Magazines
I've started catching up in my National Geographic. I read from February 2013 to September 2014. Also keeping up with my National Geographic History (Oct/Nov 2015 to May/Jun 2016). They make for good reading while eating lunch and gives interesting things to think and talk about.

I will continue to read these two publications.

Theater Performance
I've gone to five live performances this year: Handel and his rivals (Opera arias from 18th century England. Not bad but not my thing), Love Makes Me Sing the French Style (Courtly Love Songs from 13-14th Century. Musica Fantastica. Very fun), One Man Dark Knight: A Batman Parody by Charles Ross (hilarious but not as funny as the one man Star Wars or one man Lord of the Rings), Tafelmusik (House of Dream. Always a treat to see them perform), and Collegium Vocale Gent (Tears of St Peter. Interesting and entertaining).

 I will continue to see Early Music Society of the Islands performances that I am interested in.

Movie Theatre
Fifteen films were seen. Standouts are Love and Friendship (Jane Austin novella. Hilarious), Deadpool (also hilarious but in a violent immature way), Captain America: Civil War (great storytelling. All the Captain America films are the best of the Marvel series), The Arrival (great sci-fi story and well told), and Hateful Eight (Tarantino hits it out of the ballpark again).

Other noteworthy films seen were: Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, Doctor Strange,Jungle Book, Missing Ingredient (documentary about restaurant institutions in NYC), Revenant, Secret Life of Pet, Star Trek Beyond, Star Wars: Force Unleashed (twice), and X-Men: Apocalypse. Not a stinker among them.

Looking forward to Star Wars: Rogue One, Valarian, and other superhero films.

Films in a House
Saw 33 films this year in a house. Standouts are: Blood Simple (early Coen brothers film that harnesses their style of film making in a raw form), Deadpool (twice. Its so fun!), Grand Budapest Hotel (good irrelevant joy), One-Hundred Foot Journey (original and warm-hearted), The Vanishing (1988 European original. Superbly dark), Inside/Out (great Pixar story), and Zootopia (surprising and relevant).

Look forward to seeing films of the past that I've missed.

TV Non-Fiction
Myself and my spouse like learning new things so we watch many many history and documentary programs. Standouts were: Athens: Truth of Democracy, Coast and Coast: Australia, Genius of Castles, India: A Visual Homage, Immortal Egypt, Two-Million Year Old Boy, Wartime Farm.

Will continue to watch programming of these genres.

TV Fiction
I watch a lot of programs, and some with my spouse, because I like to paint models while I watch something. I will be cutting back some programs that do not grab me so much and will be more critical of those that may interest me in the future. This will allow me to watch more documentaries and history programs as well as free open course lectures while I paint.

Some standouts were: Childhood's End miniseries (solid adaption of the novel), Colony season 1 (surprised and happy how good it is), Deadwood Season 1 (great Shakespearean wild-west drama), Downton Abbey season 6 (great season and great end to the series), Expanse Season 1 (wow oh wow is it good!), Sense8 Season 1 (Mind-blowing production. How did they plan filming this?!), Timeless Season 1.0 (imaginative and clever take on time travel).

Other shows I will stick with or watch more of are: Agents of SHIELD season 3 and part of 4 (season 3 getting a little tired but last few episodes were really good. Glad I kept with it as season 4.0 was really solid), Father Brown Season 4 (clever and very British), Flash Season 2 and part of 3 (extremely fun series and great superhero soap opera),  Johnathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (excellent adaption of the novel), Justice League Animated Season 1 and 2 (solid storytelling), Justice League Unlimited Season 1 and 2 (more solid storytelling), Leverage Season 1 (fun series), Lucifer season 1 and first part of 2 (very clever and fun), Murdoch Mysteries (simple fun), Supergirl Season 1 and part of 2 (fun and light series that is an excellent role model for girls), Superman Animated complete series (refreshing storytelling).

Teamwork In Mission Impossible

After watching the first season of Mission Impossible, from 1966-67, I was impressed by the format and solid stories. It dealt with fears and dangers of the time: Biological/nuclear warfare, dictators, Nazi resurgence, cold war, organised crime...etc. They did reuse sets from film and television and sometimes redressed the same sets for several episodes, with different set dressing. Each episode has at least two things that do not go according to plan. Overall it was great fun with some standout episodes.

The thing I liked a lot about the series was the teamwork between the characters and this is the focus of this post. So here are things I've learned (or already know but was reinforced) about teamwork from Mission Impossible:

1. Everyone has their part to play that contributes. No matter the seemingly insignificant act of what some of the characters do, it adds to the team's success. It could be turning on a recording, driving a car, impersonating someone on the other end of a phone, swapping an object for another one...it all contributes.
2. Nothing is impossible with the right people, but you have to know your people. The main leader of the group has a portfolio of agents that he can call upon. His main crew are his standbys, the ones who have their specialities but also are quick studies. He also has others for their particular talents or skills. The reason he can come up with a plan is that he knows what everyone can do and not do. Knowing your team means knowing your capabilities and making the seemingly impossible, possible.
3. Plans are useless but planning is indispensable: This quote by General Eisenhower during WW2 was to illustrate how plans never survive first contact with the real world. Planning, however, means you have backups in case the original plan goes awry. The team in mission impossible stack the deck on their side by orchestrating situations and circumstances based on what they know of their target and people in general. With these setups they can accuratly predict the outcome. They use many of the confidence tricks that scammers and scheisters have used for millenia. Things do go sideways in the show but each character has a backup story or action that gets them out of trouble and still contributes to team success. This comes from going over a plan and thinking of all the ways it could go wrong, something they hint at in the show. Going over plans also builds teamwork and reinforces team goals.
4. You are never alone in a team: Often members of a team are operating independently from one another but each of them know their other teammates have got their back. There is never any doubt or hesitancy. That comes from having confidence in each others abilities and the plan. It comes from everyone knowing the plan.

So there are a few things I've learned or was reinforced, from watching classic Mission Impossible season one.

Shooting the Musical

Shooting the Musical is a mocumentary film by one of the directors for "Taking My Parents to Burning Man", Joel Ashton McCarthy. It has many layers of artful subtlety and my wife and I enjoyed it.

It has the following layers:
-Film student doing a documentary on what other fellow students have done in the year since they graduated.
-Emotional and successful film student graduate commits suicide, by sleeping pills, and says that his script about a high school shooting from the point of view of the shooter should never be filmed and should act as his suicide note.
-Roommate of the emotional film student discovers script and erases video suicide note. Gathers everyone from the same class of film school graduates to get his roomates film made. Changes the script to make it a musical.
-While using duplicity to film at the only school that will allow them on their property, a religious school, they have to also film a religious film to fool the principal priest.
-Romance develops between the roommate and the dead graduate's girlfriend.

There are more little layers besides. Here is the trailer. I was impressed by the talented storytelling and method used to tell all these stories and wrap it up nicely, while using humour to convey many delicate messages.

Taking My Parents to Burning Man

My wife and I saw a great documentary called "Taking My Parents to Burning Man". Its about a fellow whom him and his sister have been to the Burning Man festival in Nevada, who take thier parents there for the first time.

It is an eye-opening and heartwarming film. It captures the wonderment that I expected the Burning Man festival to be with all the emotions that go with it, as well as a family travel exposition. Great fun.

One of the director's, whom was there, said it is expected to be avaialable for purchase and on NETFLIX in the fall of 2015. I highly recommend it.