Rushmoras

Read through the year of 2003. Nothing substantial I've got to add, save for these things: a) the most memorable arcs in Justice League were World War 3 (Issues 36-41), Tower of Babel (43-46); The Queen of Fables (47-49); The Obsidian Age (68-75) and Trial by Fire (83-89); b) for sometime now, Batman has been for the lack of better word an unlikeable c***, especially in Robin comics; c) the best "discoveries" for me was randomly stumbling upon Lucifer and Gotham Central. They are both equally interesting and probably the best reads out of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, JLA and Hellblazer comics; d) for the most part, I don't care about Superman's futuristic Metropolis and all the troubles it causes. It's been stale for some time now. Though, I guess with the issue of Superman No. 200 (2004 February), they are going to reconcile something with Superman: Birthright, which reading it prior to this, in my opinion was something out of Elseworlds without being labelled such.

Yesterday watched The Menu (2022). Food critics and their friends get invited to a lavish dinner prepared by a top class chef, but the chef has plans to murder everyone and himself. Basically, a diet Saw without any gore, and you have to wait 40 min. for something to happen. Was not a total travesty, but if it was filled with random unheard actors, I would have turned it off in 20 minutes... 5/10

EDIT: So far, The House (2010) album is her best. Can't find any faults with any songs whatsoever!

Couple of days ago completed Christopher Paolini's "To Sleep in the Sea of Stars", which is a wholloping 800+ pages science fiction novel about a xenobiologist, who in a planet, which she is chartering, encounters an alien life form, which attaches to her. Unable to control the lifeform, she accidentally kills all of her team-members and then is being hunted down by an army, who wants to do experiments on her. Then, the whole book turns in to a science fiction war book, wherein humanity's forces are attacked by aliens in a form of squids... I guess I liked it more than Dune, but likewise as Dune, I ain't seeing myself rereading this book in any foreseeable future whatsoever. On top of it all, in the end it became a Mass Effect fan fiction. Now, I don't know what to read, probably gonna continue with Stephen King books or buy "new" James Clavell's book, which was recently translated to my language.

Started Katie Melua discography:

And with 4:44 (2017), completed Jay-Z's discography on spotify. This, together with his penultimate album, are his worst works. As always, subjective assessments: 1. Reasonable Doubt (1996) - 6/10 2. In My Lifetime Vol. 1 (1997) - 5.7/10 3. Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life (1998) - 7.1/10 4. Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter (1999) - 6.9/10 5. The Dynasty: Roc La Familia (2000) - 6.9/10 6. The Blueprint (2001) - 7.3/10 7. The Blueprint 2: The Gift and the Curse (2002) - 6.4 (CD1) / 6.4 (CD2) 8. The Black Album (2004) - 6.4/10 9. Kingdom Come (2006) - 7.1/10 10. American Gangster (2007) - 6/10 11. The Blueprint 3 (2009) - 6/10 12. Watch The Throne Deluxe (2011) - 6.3/10 13. Magna Carta... Holy Grail (2013) - 4.4/10 14. 4:44 (2017) - 5/10

Still on Jay-Z. "The American Gangster" was probably his weakest one (then again, it's a soundtrack for a movie).

Started Jay-Z discog on spotify.

Still on my country's artists music. This time, Irena Starošaitė. I heard a couple of her songs many years back (she was kinda popular in 2000s), but never actually listened to her. First album, so far, chanson type music. Pretty good.

Started local folk rock/metal again, this time, decided to review the band called Žalvarinis (Made From Brass), and this is, um, real, at lest 19-20th century lyrics from rural folk songs wrapped up in a modern rock/metal format.

And with Compton (2015), I have ended Dr. Dre's discography. Um, I am still of the opinion that the album 2001, which was released way back in 1999, was his best overall. Some good collaborations in the end in the album "Compton" (2015), but, that's just the thing, overall, I find Dre to be average. Where he shines is in the collaborations (even in 2001 album his best songs were collabs). On his own, forgetful. As always, subjective assessment: The Chronic (1992) - 5/10 2001 (1999) - 6.1/10 Dr. Dre & Friends (2003) - 5.9/10 Compton (2015) - 6.9/10 Next on, will be probably my own country's artists repertoire. It's time to listen to Aistė Smilgevičiūtė ir grupė Skylė (Aiste Smilgeviciute and Band the Hole) newest album on Spotify, which is basically campfire songs (a drastic change from folk metal).

More or less that's how I feel about a lot of "legacy" bands (that paved the way to someone or was a major influence on someone) out there.

Dr. Dre's third album on Spotify. Eh... so far, 2001 was his best.

Yesterday, accidentally, on reddit, encountered a topic wherein someone posted lyrics to Nightwish Return to the Sea. And it got me thinking that I always heard quite differently the verse that was posted. What I always hear: "Giant spiders learnt how to swim and with wales they fought my nightingale" (which, I found logical all these years cause of the song Know Why The Nightingale Sings), but what Tarja is actually saying is: "Giant spiders leant how to swim, with wales they form a united kin". Which... actually comes close to Nirvana's lyrics for Smells Like Teen Spirit random nonsense :D