Binge Watching Takes Over the World

There's a million series out there, on cable channels or streaming services, and I can't keep up.  Since many of them are oriented to younger generations, I don't feel bad missing them.  And I'm just not into the most popular fare, such as Game of Thrones.

But the ones I seek out and get the most pleasure from seem to be foreign, and you have to dig for them a little, and handle subtitles.  Such series seem deeper and more intense.  We can start with the four seasons of Braquo, probably the most intense cop show ever.  And you have to start from the very beginning of this French series.  I saw the first two series on DVDs from my local library.  The last two were found on Hulu.  Riveting...

Another French series that you'll binge all night long is The Bureau, a spy series involving the French secret services, the CIA, the KGB or whatever they are call these days, the Iranian secret service, the Iraqi secret service, ISIS, and several love affairs.  Lots of plot lines that intersect, often maddening to keep together, often puzzling, but ultimately resolving.  Amazon Prime Video if I remember correctly, four seasons so far...

Finally, a friend turned me on to a German series on Netflix, Babylon Berlin.  Two seasons of episodes rolled into one series depicting 1929 Berlin, a time of political intrigue and much naughtiness.  Trotskis vs Stalinists, Commies revolting in the streets, proto Nazi's plotting a takeover of the country.  Then there is the cabaret...  wild scenes, wild women, drunk men, sultry songs, jazzy music (the drummer is great!).  I've always been fascinated by this era between wars in what was a very bohemian culture in the city, amongst the poverty and unemployment.  The depiction of the city during this time is amazingly thorough.  Again, many subplots, and, unfortunately, very little is resolved at the end...  more Babylon Berlin!  An aside, some of the original music, at least lyrically, is by Brian Ferry, who also makes a stage appearance in Episode 10 (he also has a CD called The Jazz Age, his music reinterpreted in 20's and 30's style).   Well worth subtitle reading.

Well, those three should keep you up through the night.  Oh, and there's Serial, another French cop show which I haven't had time to get back to, but I love the main female character, so wonderful watching her choose her lovers...  

Now I need to catch my breath for a bit before plunging into another series.  

Maui Madness 1

I thought I'd post some pics from our recent trip to Maui.  They will be out of sequence, in a sense, but that's the way it goes these days.  First up are a bunch of plant pics.  Yep, I assume you know that there are some incredible plant species throughout Hawaii.  I don't have any idea of names, but I enjoyed them anyway.  Most are from the Iao Valley State Park.  Click on 'em to get a bigger view.

And one very colorful rooster, lots of 'em running around freely.

Maui Mailbox

Yep, we're here in Paradise.  And a perfect day today.  Strange having all the Xmas stuff up and around Lahaina, seems strange without cold and snow.  But I'll take it!

Burning Guy

The Nevada desert hosts a yearly Burning Man festival.  However, the Brits have their own version, celebrated around the world.  It's Burning Guy! (better known as Guy Fawkes Day)

This year I was lucky enough to get invited to a Guy Fawkes celebration (I have a little Brit in me from my grandfather and Prince Edward Island).  Besides the usual massive amounts of booze and great food, we had some work to do.  Thankfully the bonfire was already assembled in an appropriate manner, but we need to stuff the Guy Fawkes effigy and get him mounted on top of the bonfire.  Straw and cute clothes from DI did the effigy trick.  The little cowboy boots were precious...

After eating and drinking and waiting for darkness, it was time...  The fire was lit with fireworks to follow.  What a deal, and the Fire Department was thankfully MIA. (Use full screen for best video viewing)

Thanks to Chantell and Stuart for all their work and for a great celebration.

Dog Meets Robot

My son's dog, Melon, has a new friend.  And the floors are cleaned...

A Commercial Interruption

One of my favorite things to do when a SoCal opportunity arises, is to visit the Long Beach docks, the Port of Los Angeles.  Unbelievable the level of commerce taking place as container ships are unloaded and zillions of trucks leave to places unknown (actually known, the warehouses east of LA).  Similarly, I like to take a last convertible trip of the Fall over to the West Side of our fair city, all the way to 60th West, between 13th and 21st South.  Simply amazing the number and enormity of the warehouses in that area, and all the train tracks one must cross while cruising the area, and cruising it is, street after street...   And one thing I've noted, that instead of massive concrete rectangular boxes, there is actually some attempt at pleasant design, at least to the entry facades of these buildings. 

So, while certainly not my best photo work, I present some pics I took of the West Side warehouses.  Click on the pics for a larger image.

It's impossible to describe the enormity of some of these buildings in a simple pic, but here's trying...

And, of course, there are millions of trucks that stretch along the loading docks, far into the distance, it seems.  But on to more facades...

Never heard of this cookie company...

And some heavy equipment suppliers conveniently next to each other...

A new one, just finished...  move right in!

And on we go...

Finishing up...

And that's just a small portion of what's out there.  Take a cruise yourself someday (Sundays are best when the traffic load is low), you'll be surprised, and amazed at all the commercial activity, and all the businesses you never heard of.  Fascinating...  Now back to the docks...

Falling For Fall

Seems like this year the changing of the seasons, the colors of the leaves, is more intense than usual.  I don't know if it was the timing and intensity of late summer, early fall rains, but the trees and bushes are glorious.  A couple pics illustrating this intensity, I'm sure there could be many more.

A great tree in the Aves...

And from our Park City condo window, maybe the last great weekend for leaves...  Note the fresh dusting of snow...

And now for something completely different, the fabulous bread pudding from Terigo on Park City's Main Street...