Category Archives: Action

There are two kinds of people

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Weather in the Tries:

Whoa, Doat! It looks like Friday was (note that, past tense) our last hot day for a while, maybe even until next summer. This week looks mostly sunny with temps from 81 to 93, with most in the 80s someplace. It’s nice to not just think about cooler weather, but for a while to enjoy it. Until it gets super cold this winter. Actually, I don’t mind the cold either, if I can dress for it, and the dog can go out in it, but that time isn’t here. Yet.

There Are Two Kinds of People

Okay, there are probably several kinds of people, but I believe most people will fit into one or the other category. 1. The LOVE talking to computers and playing games with AI. Many don’t want the personal touch of a human, they want to get in, get out, get back to what they were doing. Or, 2. They hate talking with computers, they want a person who can understand them, hold their had (virtually, if necessary) and take care of business with a smile in their voice, and a nice goodbye well-wish. I’m in the latter category. I hate having to push buttons for this, for that, for anything. When I call a business, I want to hear something like, “Please listen to the following menu as we’ve made a few changes. If you’d like to talk to a living, breathing human, press 1; if you’d like a computer who doesn’t give a frap about you or your piddling problem, press 2.

I hate it when I say I want a representative and the AI says, “Before I connect you, please tell me a little bit about what you want.” So I, being the dumb person I am, say, I need a pin number. “Oh, I can help you. Do you want to cancel your account? Press 1. Do you want to cancel someone else’s account? Press 2. Would you really like to unplug me? Press 3.”

I suppose, another way of saying there are two kinds of people is to say there are old farts and fartesses, and young farts and fartesses. Those of us who grew up when telephone operators were there to help like real people. Those who grew up taking computer classes in the second grade, want to talk to AI.

Then, if you’re a fan of AI, may I recommend a book? I read it 25 or 30 years ago, and am sure I’ve forgotten a lot of it, but I remembered enough that I went looking for it and have a new (used) copy to reread again.  Lady El a science fiction novel by Jim Starlin and Diana Graziunas. I had just about given up on the book as the beginning was pretty rough—not the writing, the story line where a little girl (black) was the smartest in her class and was on her way to college in a few years and then her stepdad pimped her out. Uh, no. I don’t need that kind of a story, but I gave it another chapter and BAM!! All that was back story that was necessary, but that wasn’t made clear. Anyhow, she escaped, made her way to NYC, worked at menial jobs, but never THAT job, and spent her spare time in the libraries reading (my kind of gal). When she got her ID card, she signed up to be an organ doner. Yeah, you guessed it, she was shoved between the subway and wall, and was crushed to death. Ewwww. BUT the military was looking for ten good brains, from heads that weren’t damaged. 

When she came to she found herself in a computer. The other nine either didn’t survive, or couldn’t handle the new them. But Lady El, she was on an adventure. She could visit any and all libraries in the world. She could read and comprehend books in mere seconds instead of hours. She could get even with her stepfather (stand up and cheer!!), she could go anywhere, and do just about anything. Yep, her death was the beginning of a new and best life ever! The best one she could have ever imagined. If you want a fun book, hit your favorite used bookstore and get Lady El, by Jim Starlin and Diana Graziunas. 

Photos of the Week:

I may have put this enthusiastic dabbler in before, but I just love him and his kicking. All the other ducks are much more couth. But this little guy is having FUN!
One of the dragonflies. Alas, they are mostly gone now.

Books: Remember, if I finish a book, I review and post it to http://lenoragood.blogspot.com 

I not only finished the four Golgotha books that are out (two more are coming—eventually) I ordered his other two series! 

I did buy and read a new chapbook. It’s a small book with about 22 pages, 20 poems in Spanish and English, written by young men between 13-17 years of age who were, at the time of the writing, unaccompanied minors waiting in the Selma Carson Home in Pierce County WA to find out if they could stay or would be shipped back to their home country. Really, they were boys, but their poetry says they are old for their years. My review is at http://lenoragood.blogspot.com. The book is $12.00 including shipping & handling. Buy the book at https://www.collateraljournal.com/community. You’ll be glad you did. These young men have found the beauty in life, the book is full of hope. I hope they all got to stay. We need people like them.

Earworms:

3 hours of Spanish Guitar. Great background music while you rest, read, work.

Quotes from Andres Segovia: 

“It is not so hard to be original, what is hard, is to be original with continuity.” 

“A man without patience is a lamp without oil.”

“The guitar is the easiest instrument to play and the hardest to play well.”

And there you have…the week past, the week future, and I hope an interesting read. Be well, laugh often, and love one another.

The Old Guard

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Netflix, 2020
American, closed captions
125 minutes

Rating: 5 out of 5.

This was a total romp! It was magnificent. Charlize Theron is the star, and she stole the show. It’s about a 4-person group of immortal mercenaries who roam the world doing good. Okay, they aren’t really immortal, but they all have the ability to heal themselves until they don’t. Dreams play a part in the discovery of ‘new’ immortals, and they find one in Afghanistan, a Marine who should have died and came back. Of course, she’s going to be sent Stateside, probably forced to stay in a hospital while they run tests on her. But she’s a Marine. She follows orders. Until Andy shows up and kidnaps her. Andy is Andromache of Scythia, played by Charlize Theron.

And the fun begins. Nile, the newly discovered immortal doesn’t want to be part of the team. She’s a Marine. The team breaks its rule and works for the same person twice. Someone films them self-healing and wants to capture them, hold them prisoner until science can learn how they self heal, and save humanity, or indoctrinate the army of the highest bidder, whatever. Nile walks away. But–she’s a Marine.

The fight scenes are absolutely fantastic. Well, of course. It is a Superhero movie. The choreographer did an absolutely marvel-ous job of fights. (Didja notice my homage there to Marvel comics. Huh? Didja?)

In fact, this movie is a comic brought to life and is more fun than you can imagine. AND, next year, we get the next movie, it’s already “in the can,” as they say.

The Old Guard trailer

Kingdom: Ashin of the North

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Netflix, 2021
Korean, excellent subtitles
1h, 33m

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Ashin is probably 11 or 12 and her mother is dying. She goes into the forbidden forest to find the magical herb to save her mother. Her entire village is killed in her absence. When she returns home to find everyone dead, she goes for vengeance. I’m not normally fond of vengeance movies, but this one held me. She belongs to a tribe of, I believe, Jurchen, who were from China and looked down upon. The War Lord likes her father and holds out acceptance to him for some under-cover work. When Ashin goes to the War Lord and says she will do anything if he will look into the slaughter, he uses her as a spy. She has a place to sleep in a drafty barn, and is spurned by the villagers. Her father taught her martial arts, and she watches the soldiers, becomes proficient in the use of a bow and arrow. (for fun, count the arrows)

The horror part of the movie comes in rather early, but I was too naïve to see it—the magic herb she found, turns the dead into zombies. We don’t really see them, until she uses it for revenge, and then it’s a delightful twist, worth a couple of good laughs, and makes for the perfect ending.

Kingdom: Ashin of the North trailer