dinsdag 31 maart 2015

dinsdag 31 maart 2015 Up at 3:34. Restless. Stuffed up. Watch some Star Trek TNG 7th Season.

Egg salad sandwich for breakfast. Turn on Stephanie Miller. Under fire by critics of Indiana’s new Religious Freedom Restoration Act and companies threatening to boycott the state, Governor Mike Pence published an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal last night defending the law, which he wrote “has been grossly misconstrued as a ‘license to discriminate.”‘ Indy Star: 'Fix This Now' Dan Savage lights into Ryan Anderson Heritage Foundation. Go, Dan! You should be on Steph's show! Backlash against Indiana ‘religious freedom’ law explodes

Next... Lost In Space: His Majesty Smith Imagine ruling a world!

maandag 30 maart 2015

maandag 30 maart 2015 Midnight movie - John Carter... of Mars.

Honestly, I didn't make it through the whole movie. Up at 3:46. Watch France 24. News about France's local elections - Far-right gains spell end to France's two-party system. It seems that former president Nicolas Sarkozy is content with the results. Then - REVISITED: A wind of freedom blowing in Kuwait.

Fried egg and hash browns for breakfast. Turn on Stephanie Miller. The Rude Pundit talks about the uselessness of Indiana’s anti-gay law. Yes! There will be consequences - Mayor Murray prohibits Indiana travel for City employees. Nice hot bath. I love SNL. A couple things stand out for me. On Weekend Update - SNL Mocks Indiana's Religious Freedom Law (Going Out Of Business).

And actor Dwayne Johnson helps with the opening - The Rock Obama. Bobby Moynihan impersonates Ted Cruz with his whiny voice perfectly. Nice weather. It's 61° and mostly sunny for my walk up to Capitol Hill. Thomas is still my old street of sweet dreams. I love this little nook at the old Harvard Campus of Cornish. Camellias are still blooming.

I miss this old place... the Tudor mansion where I lived in the 80s.

I rest here and there... My back still hurts. Back to my place after 2 hours of walking. It's my duty to pay my taxes. Run down to the Post Office for my stamp to send my bill to the IRS. There you go - U. S. Treasury. Tired... exhausted. One last word - faïence.

zondag 29 maart 2015

zondag 29 maart 2015 Up at 6:22. Watch France 24. In a sea of red-and-white sea of Tunisian crescent and star flags, citizens march in solidarity. Non a la peur!  Je suis la Tunisie! Report - Hollande joins tens of thousands of Tunisians in anti-terror march.

This seems to be a morning for Science Fiction in glorious black-n-white. Lost In Space - The Battle Of The Robots. Clam chowder for breakfast. Yes! We are controlling transmission. The Outer Limits: The Bellero Shield.

It's cloudy and 58° for my walk down to the library. Browse through the travel books. Pick up Fodor's Guide To Switzerland. A walk down to the market...  busy with tourists. Golden Age Collectibles is always fun. 'Hi' Baymax & Hiro.

I hear some lost tourists ask themselves, "Where's the doughnut hole shop?" I direct them to go upstairs to Daily Dozen Doughnut Company. Thinking about the cinnamon sugar holes makes me hungry. (I saw a long line.)  What's up here in the Corner Market? Radiator Whiskey! It's closed, but it looks awesome! Pass through the crowds at Comicon. Back home. Watch SNL - The Rock Obama Cold Open.

Pesto pasta for dinner and movie - Prometheus.

zaterdag 28 maart 2015

zaterdag 28 maart 2015 Up at 5:40. Watch KOMO News. Congrats to the Bulldogs! Gonzaga headed to Elite Eight. Respect the shimmy. Bologna and sauerkraut sandwich for breakfast. Next - Up With Steve Kornacki. NBC’s Ayman Mohyeldin brings some clarification to the rapidly-escalating confusion in the Middle East - Whose side is the US really on in the Sunni-Shi’ite conflict?

Then it's a double scoop of Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me! It's 57° and partly cloudy for my walk around town. Lots of characters from Comicon - Star Wars, Batman, Ironman... mutants of various sorts. They pose for photos with kids. Turn north on Fourth. Always something new - the Potala Tower. It's just a hole in the ground to be a 440 ft tower with 40 stories 365 rental units.

Make a right to Vine Street. Hello Montreux Condominiums... only 7 stories. The sun comes in and out.

After Whole Foods, I head home. Turn on KUOW. I miss Rick Steves. What did they do with him? Where did he go? Ancient genetics calls for a visit to Switzerland. Beans and franks for dinner and Star Trek - The Motion Picture.

Open Our Minds - Open Our Universe

vrijdag 27 maart 2015

vrijdag 27 maart 2015 Midnight movie - Clash Of The Titans.

Interesting mix of characters. Prokopion - portrayed by Luke Treadaway - is the leader of the cult of Hades in Argos, and leads the cities' citizens to sacrificing Andromeda to the Kraken.

Brothers and sisters, come to me! Come! I have the way out of our misery! Hades has asked for the princess! Sacrifice one, for the life of the city! Why do they remain silent, while we suffer?

Eusebios: Every step we take is an insult to the gods. Perseus: Good! Afterwards... Watch RT. Conk out after the top stories. Up at 6:02. Fried egg and vegetable fried rice for breakfast. Turn on Stephanie Miller. What an involved chat!  Stephanie Miller & Tina Dupuy 3/27/2015.  A segment with Aaron Schock... I leave here with sadness and humility. Switch to WABC News. Top story - FIREFIGHTERS STILL AT EAST VILLAGE EXPLOSION THAT INJURED 22. It's partly cloudy and 59° for my walk down to Uwajimaya. Get some veggies.

Traffic is all tied up downtown by the Emerald City Comicon. Watch live coverage - Soyuz Lifts Off From Baikonur With New ISS Crew.

Open Our Minds - Open Our Universe

Want to rub elbows with the Comicon people. Happy energy here! Karaoke on the second level. A young Hispanic Spider-Man. Down to Pike Place Market. A busker is playing a Backstreet Boys song - I Want It That Way. Back home. Curried spaghetti and edamame for dinner. Behold - Top 10 Coolest Planets In Sci-Fi Movies. When I was a kid, Altair-4 was jaw-dropping awesome to me. I'm glad that it's in the list. Bath. Watch movie - Forbidden Planet.

In times long past, this planet was the home of a mighty, noble race of beings who called themselves the Krell. Ethically and technologically they were a million years ahead of humankind, for in unlocking the meaning of nature they had conquered even their baser selves, and when in the course of eons they had abolished sickness and insanity, crime and all injustice, they turned, still in high benevolence, upwards towards space. Then, having reached the heights, this all-but-divine race disappeared in a single night, and nothing was preserved above ground.

donderdag 26 maart 2015

donderdag 26 maart 2015 Up at 3:56. Early morning movie - Terminator Salvation. Moral: The machines will kill us all. Did they blow up the Very Large Array (VLA) in Socorro County, New Mexico? News alert: Co-pilot 'wanted to destroy plane' Pasta primavera for breakfast. Turn on Stephanie Miller. Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) talks about how the GOP’s budget makes life harder for Americans. It's already 60° for my walk up to South Lake Union Park.

Lots of construction workers seem to take their lunch break at 10 o'clock... and they finish at 10:30. Hmmm. Walk back to my place. Turn on KOMO News. This art would have been handy yesterday - Rainworks Brings Positivity And Smiles Along With The Rain. It's time for a bike ride. Downtown Seattle is in the middle of the Lunch Rush. The sidewalks and streets are busy. The Seattle Center is busy with tourists. Take a break with a pigeon.

Since I'm playing tourist today, I take a pic of the Space Needle.

Energized by the sunshine, I manage to zig-zag through Belltown and up to Capitol Hill. Hang out at Cal Anderson Park to rehydrate and rest. I'm not sure what these guys are doing.

Watch DW-TV. They go into depth with the recent news about the crash - Germanwings co-pilot Andreas Lubitz's hometown in state of disbelief Fascinating documentary - Switzerland's Disappearing Glaciers.  What beautiful views!  They look at the sometimes massive changes in the cantons of Valais and the Bernese Oberland, and their consequences for the local population. Reverse engineering the Terminator series. Watch Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.

woensdag 25 maart 2015

woensdag 25 maart 2015 Up at 3:55. Watch France 24. Updates about the airplane crash. German town holds candlelight vigil.

Kerrygold cheese omelet and vegetable fried rice for breakfast. Watch Lost In Space - The Keeper: Part 1

And Part 2. Oh, Dr. Smith... DR. SMITH! exclaims Will.

Mike's Own Chicken Chili for lunch. Watch some news. Walk around downtown. Sometimes it rains a little. Back to my place to warm up to The Flash - Out Of Time. Fall asleep to Star Trek.

dinsdag 24 maart 2015

dinsdag 24 maart 2015 Midnight movie - Contact. I love the surround sound in the man cave. The sounds and rumblings of the machine are eery. The trip through the wormholes of the galaxy is awesome and scary. Best of all is the intro with the universe opening up... Open Our Minds, Open Our Universe. Conk out downstairs. Up at 6:05. Watch France 24. Germanwings Crash In Southern France. Peanut butter and bologna sandwich for breakfast. Watch Monday's Daily Show - Stewart Mocks Ted Cruz’s Televangelist-Like Big Speech. Ted Cruz... You are a Princess!

Walk to the Top of Toledo Street. Whew! It's steep! C'est beau!

Listening to CBUF - 97.7 - Vancouver. Ottawa élargit à la Syrie sa guerre contre l'EI. What's all the talk about the future of Canada? The 42nd Canadian federal election is tentatively scheduled for October 19, 2015. Some of Gregg's Cabbage Patch Stew for lunch. He drives me up to the Bolt Bus station. The ride up to Seattle is boring. The traffic in downtown flows like molasses. It only rains on me.

Tunafish salad on toast for dinner. Fall asleep while watching KOMO News. This made everything bad Downtown - Semi-truck flips over on SR-99 near Safeco Field, snarling traffic.

maandag 23 maart 2015

maandag 23 maart 2015 Up at 2:15. It's 5:15 AM in New York, so I watch WABC News. Geez! It's still cold out there. Take a nice hot bath.  Fried egg and hash browns for breakfast. Switch to KOMO News. Well, I thought that it was a Done Deal, but Seattle City Council to vote on Pike Market expansion money. Even though it would change the look of the market, some venders say they're excited about The Plan. Walk down Sixth to Bolt Bus. Good morning Seattle!

The bus is almost full. Yay! I got it! Wi-Fi for my ride up to Bellingham! Turn on Stephanie Miller. It skips a little, though. The Rude Pundit talks about Ted Cruz’ big announcement - Ted Cruz Becomes First Major Candidate to Announce Presidential Bid for 2016. Thanks to Steph, the trip is fast for me. Michael picks me up and we visit Starbucks. I haven't had coffee for a month now. Will I get a buzz from a Soy Chai? Pete greets me. "I miss you!"

Up to Fred Meyer to buy a ton of groceries. Find some Dark Horse Sauvignon Blanc - A deliciously refreshing Sauvignon Blanc offering bright citrus and tropical fruit, with a crisp, juicy finish... offering bright aromas of grapefruit and gooseberry lined with fresh green notes. It's a nice aperitif.  Cabbage and beef stew for dinner and.....  X-Men 2.

zondag 22 maart 2015

zondag 22 maart 2015 Up at 5:55. Turn on RT. Watch documentary - Crimea For Dummies. Miguel Francis' documentary is entertainment. He takes us to the tourist spots... explores the cultural heritage and various historical events of Crimea. RT is run by the Kremlin, so I'm taking this with lots of grains of salt. Eggplant, tomato and onion frittata for breakfast. More Russian history with Nikita Khrushchev. Midday movie - X-Men: Days of Future Past. I love the tour of The Pentagon. I always learn something new... Booboo Stewart is Warpath! Get out for some fresh air... to accept position at Walgreens. Back to my place. Salade niçoise while watching Melissa Harris-Perry. Good! She brings up the subject - Starbucks' race reality check 'a hot mess'!

At last, X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Deadpool vs Wolverine. Grr!

zaterdag 21 maart 2015

zaterdag 21 maart 2015 Midnight movie - Timeline. It's a weird little science fiction adventure film (2003) directed by Richard Donner, based on the novel of the same name by Michael Crichton.

What bugs me the most... Throughout the film, anybody who speaks English uses Modern English. The French speak modern French. Back in 1357, the languages would be totally incomprehensible to modern-day travellers. So, I spend a lot of time researching the Occitan language and the Evolution of the French Language. Restless. Watch RT - Earth is halfway to being inhospitable to life, scientist says. Down to U.S. HealthWorks to get a drug test. I'm fifth in line. Wait an hour while watching Matt Gutman Sea Rescue on TV. The weather is fickle. It rains a little, then the sun comes out. Back to my place. Watch France 24. Look at that! Tourists in Mont Saint-Michel, France watch supertide sparked by solar eclipse.

The the clouds burn off at last. The sun beams down on Seattle. Walk to the Colman Dock. Lots of construction on the waterfront for the seawall. Just a handful of travelers. Back up Second Avenue where I see a sad sight - a Ghost Bike.

Back home. Relax and watch a French classic - The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. They filmed almost the whole thing in Cherbourg (1963) - Lieux de tournage des Parapluies de Cherbourg.

Aubergine chili and more Lost In Space... in glorious black-n-white. Splendid, Zachary Smith. Wish Upon A Star.

vrijdag 20 maart 2015

vrijdag 20 maart 2015 Up at 3:24. I guess that I'm up for this cosmic occasion... The Solar eclipse of March 20, 2015 Turn on BBC News - A Moment Of Darkness In The Faroe Islands.

The video is striking. Egg salad sandwich for breakfast. Switch between KOMO-4 and KING-5 for the news. Report - New Shuttle Service Takes Aim At Capitol Hill Crime. That's enough of winter - First day of spring brings snow to D.C. Live from our nation's capitol.

I don't check Variety very often, but the Film Academy is meeting to discuss the Oscar Show and how to change it. He's the guy to host awards shows, but Neil Patrick Harris doubts he'll host Oscars again: 'It's a beast' Your family will take care of you, I'm sure. By the way, I love the brownstone in Harlem. Can I visit? Walk in the rain to Aegis. Chat a little while with Tracy. Uff da. I have a headache, so I head straight home. Thank goodness. The rain is letting up. Watch Lost In Space and beef pot pie for dinner.

donderdag 19 maart 2015

donderdag 19 maart 2015 Twelve years ago, Bush Declares War.

My fellow citizens, at this hour American and coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm Iraq...

Turn on Free Speech TV for The Prosecution of an American President. Remember the eloquent words of the open letter from Paulo Coelho - Thank You, President Bush. Flash back to Madonna in 2003 with her revolutionary mood - American Life. Madonna and Justin Bieber were flirting on Ellen's show yesterday. How could he resist that Matador suit she was wearing?

Pasta puttanesca for breakfast. Spinach salad for lunch. Down to the Seattle Public Library for a while. Hmmmm. The United Way is still giving free help for taxes, but they don't seem very busy. Walk down to the Federal Building just to see... No protests. It was very different 12 years ago, but it's quiet today.

Down 2nd Avenue and up Pike to my place. Watch WABC News. Kids are great! It's shear joy! Heart-lifting story - SHAVING HEADS TO FIGHT CANCER AT GREENWICH HIGH SCHOOL FUNDRAISER. The big star fundraising star - Jimmy Catalano - $12,000. Before...

AND AFTER

Chili for dinner and movie - X-Men.