Dash Cam

I don't have a dash cam in my car, but I think I should get one.  I watch a lot of those YouTube videos of dash cam footage of bad driving and accidents.  And it's quite terrifying how bad some of the driving and drivers in the US are.  And my real life experience of driving in the US backs that up (though judging from the YouTube videos, driving in Russia would seem to be a hundred times worse).  But what I find ridiculous is that about half of these people who presumably send in their dash cam footage are either oblivious or ignorant to the fact that they are as much as fault as anyone else.  Which is scary.  There are also videos of bad UK driving, but I'd generally say that US divers are a LOT worse than the UK.  Americans don't know how to deal with roundabouts, don't use their indicators, and pay little heed to stopping distances and speed limits.  The sense of entitlement, the general disregard for road conditions and your surroundings, driving these needlessly big vehicles really badly, and a litigious society all combine to explain why I have to pay so much for my car insurance.  Of course this blog entry has nothing to do with the fact that my next car insurance payment is due shortly.     

Film Collection

I've been going a bit crazy with the number of collector's edition Blu-ray/4K disc sets I've been buying recently.  From The Criterion Collection, that includes The Irishman, The Silence of the Lambs, and Being John Malkovich.  From The Film Vault, that includes Goodfellas, Scarface, 1917, and (via a birthday/xmas present request) Blade Runner.  Other special/limited edition sets include All Quiet on the Western Front, Full Metal Jacket, The Lighthouse, and Midsommar.  But perhaps my most important purchase, and definitely one of my best purchases, is "The Ultimate Restored Edition" of The World at War - arguably the greatest documentary series ever made, and which I got for a steal on eBay.  This has all meant that I am increasingly pleased with the film collection I have built up over the years (with only a few misfires in the early stages).  However, it does mean that I have an awful lot of films and extras to catch up on.   

Major League Cricket

It was brought to my attention over the weekend that some kind of cricket tournament similar to the IPL is being organized in the US.  Which was news to me.  It certainly hasn't made the US sports headlines yet.  Which is somewhat discouraging if they expect cricket to gain a foothold in the US (which I doubt it ever will).  So I've looked up more details, and apparently the "Seattle Orcas" are one of the 6 teams that are going to compete.  Despite the fact that we don't have a cricket venue (but apparently there is a 6,000 seat cricket stadium being planned near the Microsoft campus, which is not a surprise given the number of Indians that work there and that one of the owners of the team is the Microsoft CEO).  What most surprised me was that this is apparently going to be a professional league.  Professional US cricketers?  That seems unlikely when nobody in the US even knows anything about the game - but a bit like MLS, I imagine they can bring in and overpay a load of foreign players who are either nowhere near good enough for their home country or are well past their best.  They have started drafting players for the 6 teams, but since I don't know any of the people being drafted I can't say how good they are.  But quite a lot of them seem to have international caps, so maybe it's not a total disaster.  But with the inaugural tournament due to start this summer, I hope one of the big networks (like ESPN) have the TV rights and actually promote the tournament.  Because I see absolutely no anticipation for it so far.  

TV Theme Tunes #23

I read today that the rebooted Challenge Anneka TV show has already been pulled.  So it seems only appropriate that this is my choice today, another very iconic theme tune.

Skiing

I couldn't care less about Gwyneth Paltrow's ski-collision trial.  But when I see headlines about it, all I can think is thank god I didn't try to learn to ski in the US.  The only time I went, which was a long time ago but thankfully in Europe, I remember ploughing uncontrollably straight into a child - something that sounds remarkably similar, if not worse, than what Gwyneth Paltrow allegedly did.  If that was in the US, I would undoubtedly be sued for traumatic brain injury and whatever extensive mental health damage I caused to that child.  Such is the ingloriously litigious society I live in over here.  My total lack of control is one of the many reasons I hated skiing, and why I never have and have never wanted to ski again.    

A Big TV Night

I'm writing this in the early evening, in anticipation of the biggest TV night of the year so far.  We have the return of Succession (a very bittersweet feeling - it's the best show currently on TV, but it's devastating to know that this is it's final season).  We also have the return of Yellowjackets - a very buzzworthy show (pun intended), and one difficult to describe - maybe a coming-of-age survival horror?  It's well worth watching though.  What other big shows are on my radar right now?  Lucky Hank is also on Sunday nights - Bob Odenkirk's next project after Better Call Saul - that has some potential but I'm not totally sold on it yet.  I'm also currently watching Perry Mason - very film noir-ish.  And another detective series, Under the Banner of Heaven - an interesting crossover between murder and Mormonism.  Otherwise, it's the usual junk.     

Whoops

Oopsy, I forgot to post something on my blog yesterday.  My Chromebook ran out of power earlier in the day, and I charge it up in a different room.  When it's not within eyesight as I'm watching TV in the living room in the evening, it's easy to forget I need to write something.  Or is this symbolic of my deteriorating mind as I get older?  I hope not.  Mind you, it probably didn't help that my evening was kind of disrupted by a late night Skype call.  And I don't really have anything substantial to say - and I haven't really had anything substantial to say for a while, making me question the necessity of continuing this blog.  At least on a daily level.  Let's see how much of a burden it becomes...