Luckylyn

I started Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. I really liked The Martian so I was excited about o start another book with this author. The premise of a man waking up with amnesia is a gripping start. I like how I am slowly learning more as the character remembers more. It’s a great read so far.

Right now I’m reading a romance When Stars Collide by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. It’s part of her Chicago Stars series which doesn’t really have to be read in order. Each book stands alone while occasionally referencing other characters in the series. An opera singer (Olivia) and a football player (Thad) are paired together for an advertising campaign. Dislike turns to passion. Phillips books are a reliable enjoyable read. This one has a bit of a suspense element because someone is sending disturbing messages to the opera diva. Some reveals were uncomfortable like the diva hates the football player because This book is a little heavier than usual for Phillips there's also a reveal that Olivia’s ex So I started the book for light fun read and unexpectedly found some darker elements. The humor and romance is still there. I can handle darker things it’s just I didn’t anticipate it in this particular novel. It’s an interesting read so far even though it wasn’t what I was expecting.

This is a great analysis of two fights in Pacific Rim and how it showcases relationship dynamics. Pacific Rim: Friendship Through Fighting

Jessie Gender on YouTube discusses the controversy over Anthony Mackie’s comments regarding Sam/Bucky shipping. I wasn’t sure if I should post this here or the shipping thread because there’s some commentary on shipping in general included. I think there’s a valid point to be made that we need more platonic male friendships that don’t buy into toxic masculinity tropes. There’s this idea that to men can’t be emotionally intimate with friends. So I support showing same sex friends being close without romantic subtext. But when show runners insert certain breadcrumbs (romantic subtext) in their media knowing how some groups will interpret it, they can’t act surprised when fans start thinking in that direction. In Falcon and The Winter Solider, I do think the cliche falling on top of each other scene and the couples therapy eye gazing scenes were designed to signal to people who ship Sam/Bucky. They want to have their cake and eat it to. They want to draw in people who support same sex pairings while also catering to homophobic people at the same time. Hint and imply but never make the romance explicit so they have deniability. She is right about how same sex pairings have been subtext instead of explicit for so long on tv and in movies that fans are just used to looking for the subtext. Sometimes the subtext is an accident in that two actors just happen to have chemistry, but the writers aren’t intending romance. Sometimes the subtext is there because the show runners want to a same sex romance but the network won’t allow it. So all they can do is push boundaries with subtext, and those show runners I won’t criticize since their hands are tied by those in charge. But many times it’s intentional to bait the audience with no real interest in having a same sex pairing be canon which is a game showrunners need to stop. Either go there with the same sex romance or don’t. Stop teasing and then not following through. It’s especially annoying when they tease and then treat fans like they are crazy for believing the things the show runners themselves implied (ex: Sherlock). I appreciate her bringing up the intersectionality of race whether Mackie where a narrative about him is being pushed which perpetuates stereotypes. Also the finding romance in the subtext isn’t just a same sex shipper thing. I have definitely seen heterosexual pairings build upon subtext too.

John Oliver went into detail of abuses that can happen in conservatorships . It does seem unfair that Brittany is not allowed to select and pay for her own attorneys but her father can use her money to hire his. At minimum a person should be able to choose their own representation in court. The whole system seems weighted against the person in the conservatorship. I do think there are people who may not be competent to care for themselves but there needs to be an independent review and protection should be in place to prevent abuse. Some people are temporarily incompetent, some may just be under the control of unscrupulous people, and some may need permanent supervision. There are no easy one size fits all solutions. It really has to be a case by case basis with independent review in my opinion .

I’m currently reading the biography The Happy Bottom Riding Club: The Life and Times of Pancho Barnes by Lauren Kessler. I really like the writing style for this biography. I remember watching a TV movie about Pancho Barnes life with Valarie Bertinelli when I was a kid. I realized the movie was heavily sanitized and didn’t really capture her when I read The Right Stuff which mentions Pancho a bit. Her evolution from wealthy girl to hard living pilot is an entertaining read so far.

Lily Tomlin has a striking resemblance to Travolta’s sister Ellen.

I have no attachment to the character Loki. I didn’t hate or like the character. I had no expectations for the show Loki and wasn’t even sure if I would even watch because of my blah feelings about the character. I am glad I gave the show a chance and am enjoying it. I think my lack of expectations helped. I really loved WandaVision and FATWS. WandaVision in particular was something unique for the MCU. I don’t love Loki but do like it.

I have been reading and really enjoying Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston which about the son of the first female president having a hate to love romance with a prince from England. They have an altercation caught by the media at the royal wedding and have to publicly act as friends to stop the negative publicity. Over time a genuine friendship develops which leads to love. Alex can be a bit much at times, but he really grew on me. His sense of humor won me over. Plus under his bravado he ultimately is good hearted. The combination of outgoing Alex and reserved Henry really worked. I like a romance where the pairings bond is allowed to develop organically. They have things in common and differences that compliment each other. I also find the supporting characters interesting. I would love the see this as a movie.

I am half way through The Whispering Room by Dean Koontz which is book 2 in the Jane Hawk series. The first book started slow and took a while before it really gripped me. I decided to give the next book in the series a chance because I was very interested by the end of book 1. I prefer book 2 so far. I feel like it has better pacing. The situation is very disturbing/suspenseful. The odds Jane is facing are terrible and I really am intrigued where the story goes next.

What movies have enjoyed but had one scene you thought was just terrible? I love the movie Hidden Figures. I read the book and was understood some changes. It made sense to that they couldn’t include everyone and some peoples’ stories were merged with others for the sake of running time. One scene I hated was when Kevin Costner brought down the Colored Bathroom sign. In the book, one black woman who was not included in the movie did the brave thing of removing the colored sign from the segregated cafeteria. In the movie they changed it to the bathroom and gave the credit to a fictional white man played by Costner. I despised that change. I feel like Hollywood has this desperate need to have some sort of white savior into the narrative even when it’s unnecessary.

I’m half way through Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory . This is the fifth book in The Wedding Date Series. In this one Olivia who is the sister of the heroine of book one falls for a Senator. I feel like this one started slow for me but I am really enjoying it. I like that the characters are flawed and have depth.

I love Streets of Fire. I love the style and the music. The creators know exactly what they are making “a rock and roll fable.” Some film makers act like they are giving you steak, but it’s just popcorn. The people making Streets of Fire know it’s popcorn. I loved that it was a weird combination of 50s and 80s aesthetics. There’s almost a timeless quality to it like it exists in it’s own world. I seriously adore it regardless of flaws. It’s fun and visually interesting. The Warriors also seems to exist in it’s own world. It’s an interesting way to approach a movie. I used to wish for a tv spin off following Amy Madigan traveling all over doing jobs.

Angel and Papi’s Wedding “I Swear” - Pose I am so happy they didn’t autotune him. It’s better with the little cracks of emotion in his voice.

I am very intrigued by Daughters of Sparta. Thanks.

I have begun Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller which is a telling if The Iliad. It’s interesting so far but still I am getting impatient. A lot of time is spent built up the backstory/love story of Achilles and Patroclus which I enjoy, but I also kinda want to get on with it to the war. I have never read The Illad but have read the Odyssey a couple of times. I plan to read Circe by Madeline Miller eventually. I want to ask for a recommendation a good telling of the Trojan War from Helen’s perspective.

This movie was my first trip back to a theater since February 2020. I really enjoyed it. I like how characters have depth and it’s not just scares. I wouldn’t mind a third one with a time jump since the kids are obviously growing up.

John Krasinski Breaks Down the Opening Scene from A Quiet Place 2. I was amused at how insistent he was that he would not participate in a sequel but ended up getting sucked back in while working on an outline for the person who was supposed to take over as writer/director. I feel like the first film ended in a way that concluded things while leaving the door open to other possibilities and that the second film does that as well. I do think if there’s another one it should be helmed by Krasinski because he’s very focused on the character aspect and another director might get focused on the monster/scare factor. I love the sound editing for these films. I like that he crafted some scenes so the sound mimics what Millicent can or can not hear. I loved how proud he was of the camera getting broken causing a mistake that ending up being a perfect shot. I lot of directing is creatively responding to unexpected events on set. So good directors plan but can also cope with the unexpected. I like that he used the shot with the error because he worked better than the plan.

There’s a really great YouTube video about shipping. It’s long but she includes time stamps in her description so you can jump to the topics that interests you. It’s really comprehensive covering pro-shipping, anti-shipping, fans harassing each other, race, gender, sexuality, intersectionality, problematic ships, etc…. It’s a good starting point for conversation. She mostly discusses tv ships but also has a great section about Finn, Rylo, and Star Wars. Purity Culture & Fandom She brought up something interesting about performative activism and shipping where people will use support of a particular group to push their ship but don’t care about the issue in the real world. It’s about scoring points so your ship wins but not really about addressing the issue.

It’s called Folie a Deux I think when two people commit a crime together that they may not have committed individually.

I started How to Find a Princess by Alyssa Cole which is second in her Runaway Royals series. In this book the, investigator from the first book falls for a long lost Princess who doesn’t want to be royalty, but she’s determined to convince the reluctant Princess to claim her place. I like that Cole’s characters have depth and the way she includes humor in her romances.

Naomi Osaka fined $15,000 for Media Boycott I remember when watching sports like gymnastics and figure skating feeling uncomfortable with athlete’s being interviewed when the competition was still underway. I always thought it could mess with their heads before they get to the final. I don’t think an interview after the competition is over is necessarily bad but don’t like the press conference being mandated. Why not let an athlete make an independent choice about interacting with the press? This mostly bothers me with younger althetes.

So in my family we never ever finished a game of Monopoly. At some point an argument would happen between players leading us never to finish. This lead my mother to confiscate the game and she probably still has it hidden in some closet now years later. I have never played a game that lead to so much acrimony like Monopoly.

This book is the sixth in the series. It would probably be good to read what came before, but Briggs does describe things in a way that would help new comers to the series pick things up.