Ka-tet Cantina 2020

GNTLGNT

Kurben said:

GNTLGNT said:

....Kurben, given your education, I was curious if you had ever viewed Destination Unknown with Josh Gates and what your thoughts were....

I've only watched a few episodes here and there and i am a bit mixed. Saw the one on Amelia Earhart and it was OK if too unfocused. Far to long. Then i saw one on Robin Hood which i thought was more about the legend than about the possible origin and when/if he lived. Not very good. But the one of the newly diiscovered temple in Cambodja was good though it was totally unnecessary to speculate on mystical powers that a stone would have. I see he has made one on King Arthur too..... I think he should mention the sources more, Like Gildas that actually a contemporary of when a real arthur would have lived.. Writing in about 550 he mention the Battle Of Badon Hill in 500 AD where the britons won a decisive victory over the Saxon invaders. Arthur is supposed to have taken part in that battle but Gildas never mention him by name. First mentioned by name in the Historia Brittonum (ca 850, that is 350 year after he should have lived) where he is claimed as a warleader under the brittonic kings that won the battle of Badon. First called a king in ca 1136 by geoffrey of Monmouth and practically everything he wrote was made up. There was the round table Guinevere, Lancelot and so on. All total fiction. So i have found it rather uneven. Some OK, if too long and some mostly a waste of time.

....and the whole "let's not offend anyone" terminology change from BC & AD to BCE & CE, c;mon!!!....

Hedda Gabler

My Duolingo Spanish is coming along nicely.  I spend a great deal of time each day working on it. 

I go to the library and check out children’s books, I watch a baby spanish lady on youtube and I listen to two spanish podcasts. One for very small children and the Duolingo series for adults. 

In the lessons, you move through sections and each section has units of learning. Each section has a rundown of what will be covered — a brief text book entry covering what you will be learning with examples. I re-write everything they tell us, making my own textbook. Yes. I can go to the section run-down on my phone and read it any time I want, but recopying is just one more tool I am using for my older brain to reinforce the language.  They also keep a running list of the new words you are learning which I have also written down with definitions. 

I have filled one leather journal and have started on a second with this information. 

I do a lot of practice lessons while pushing forward with the new.  My strength is reading. My weaknesses are forming my own sentences and speaking. My listening is improving as I do a shit ton of listen exercises.  

While you learn, you move up in “leagues.”  Each week, you either go up a league, stay safe in a league or get demoted. I’ve consistently moved up in leagues to the highest one possible where I plan on just sitting in the middle of the pack. I could actively “compete” but I wouldn’t really be learning. It is different. I’m not there to play games with strangers. I really do want to learn. So, slow and steady is the plan. 

Neesy

I cannot remember if there's a "what's for supper" or "what's for dinner" thread - I made some potato and ham soup tonight using meat from the giant ham we had for Christmas.

It's not too bad with bacon bits on top.

Not my soup but it looks a lot like it (I wish I could figure out how to post pics like Notaro does from his phone)

Kurben

Is it only me or is anyone else dogtired of policemovies/series where the leadcharacter always must have a severe personal problem. S/he are either alcoholic, depressed on account of separation, or something just very weird. I saw an episode of a swedish series where the lead carries around his dead wifes ash. Why not let the plot, the mystery, characterization and the policework carry the story. These kinda things often repulses me from watching what might otherwise be a good series/movie.

Hedda Gabler

Kurben said:

Is it only me or is anyone else dogtired of policemovies/series where the leadcharacter always must have a severe personal problem. S/he are either alcoholic, depressed on account of separation, or something just very weird. I saw an episode of a swedish series where the lead carries around his dead wifes ash. Why not let the plot, the mystery, characterization and the policework carry the story. These kinda things often repulses me from watching what might otherwise be a good series/movie.

I’m with you kurben! So many great shows and storylines but jesus take the wheel! with all their dysfunction. 

Yes. People are messy. We all have crap.  I understand the creators are trying to make us care and connect, but fuck me, don’t call yourself a creative writer when all you bring us is the same, very tired character.  I’ve watched a lot of cop shows that were fantastic thrillers bogged down and mired in unnecessary personal shit. I. Don’t. Care.  

On the other hand, there have been shows where the dysfunction is important to the storyline.  But, the genre is saturated in gin soaked “oh you crazy rogue cop, you” ho hum. So, there is a fine fragile thread with the idea. 

Be a writer that takes us somewhere clever. If you just can’t, drop “creative” from your CV. 

Kurben

Hedda Gabler said:

Kurben said:

Is it only me or is anyone else dogtired of policemovies/series where the leadcharacter always must have a severe personal problem. S/he are either alcoholic, depressed on account of separation, or something just very weird. I saw an episode of a swedish series where the lead carries around his dead wifes ash. Why not let the plot, the mystery, characterization and the policework carry the story. These kinda things often repulses me from watching what might otherwise be a good series/movie.

I’m with you kurben! So many great shows and storylines but jesus take the wheel! with all their dysfunction. 

Yes. People are messy. We all have crap.  I understand the creators are trying to make us care and connect, but fuck me, don’t call yourself a creative writer when all you bring us is the same, very tired character.  I’ve watched a lot of cop shows that were fantastic thrillers bogged down and mired in unnecessary personal shit. I. Don’t. Care.  

On the other hand, there have been shows where the dysfunction is important to the storyline.  But, the genre is saturated in gin soaked “oh you crazy rogue cop, you” ho hum. So, there is a fine fragile thread with the idea. 

Be a writer that takes us somewhere clever. If you just can’t, drop “creative” from your CV. 

I agree, there has been exceptions but i feel they are very rare.....  Its a pity because i am so tired of it that i mostly does not watch more than the beginning of a series because i become so BORED with their personal issues always taking front seat. I start to wish that the character would drink her/himself to death or get killed so s/he does not bog down the entire show and i doubt that was what the writers intended. I hope i'm not appearing insensitive to dysfunctions but in this context i feel they are a threat to a genre because they have been so cliche that noone cares.

Neesy

Happy New Year and All the best for 2024

GNTLGNT

Kurben said:

Is it only me or is anyone else dogtired of policemovies/series where the leadcharacter always must have a severe personal problem. S/he are either alcoholic, depressed on account of separation, or something just very weird. I saw an episode of a swedish series where the lead carries around his dead wifes ash. Why not let the plot, the mystery, characterization and the policework carry the story. These kinda things often repulses me from watching what might otherwise be a good series/movie.

....not just you buddy....the leads are oft times more screwed in the head than the perps they're after....

Kurben

I have totally turned the day around.... Awoke and it was 11 PM..... Feels like morning to me. Sigh! My inner clock is just very diffferent from everybody elses clock. Strangely enough it works better when i'm visiting my brother in the states. But when home everything goes wrong very quickly.

Notaro

Belated Happy New Year to all💚

FlakeNoir

Notaro said:

Belated Happy New Year to all💚

Ditto... 🎉

GNTLGNT

Neesy

Kurben said:

I have totally turned the day around.... Awoke and it was 11 PM..... Feels like morning to me. Sigh! My inner clock is just very diffferent from everybody elses clock. Strangely enough it works better when i'm visiting my brother in the states. But when home everything goes wrong very quickly.

When do you go back to work? I know what you mean - the holidays have screwed up my schedule (such as it is)

Today I better get my butt over to the library - apparently I have so many books overdue (13) that they won't let me renew any of them online.

Hedda Gabler

Hedda Gabler said:

My Duolingo Spanish is coming along nicely.  I spend a great deal of time each day working on it. 

I go to the library and check out children’s books, I watch a baby spanish lady on youtube and I listen to two spanish podcasts. One for very small children and the Duolingo series for adults. 

In the lessons, you move through sections and each section has units of learning. Each section has a rundown of what will be covered — a brief text book entry covering what you will be learning with examples. I re-write everything they tell us, making my own textbook. Yes. I can go to the section run-down on my phone and read it any time I want, but recopying is just one more tool I am using for my older brain to reinforce the language.  They also keep a running list of the new words you are learning which I have also written down with definitions. 

I have filled one leather journal and have started on a second with this information. 

I do a lot of practice lessons while pushing forward with the new.  My strength is reading. My weaknesses are forming my own sentences and speaking. My listening is improving as I do a shit ton of listen exercises.  

While you learn, you move up in “leagues.”  Each week, you either go up a league, stay safe in a league or get demoted. I’ve consistently moved up in leagues to the highest one possible where I plan on just sitting in the middle of the pack. I could actively “compete” but I wouldn’t really be learning. It is different. I’m not there to play games with strangers. I really do want to learn. So, slow and steady is the plan. 

I have now added flash cards to my growing tool box. The new words are coming fast and furious and sentence structure can be challenging. New verbs to remember — the action words. 

It’s getting muy holy shit! I feel the sliding door to my brain closing — much like a stripper window. 

I am fighting the good fight, though. Never let it be said I gave up. 

GNTLGNT

....and now, "She's a Beauty" by The Tubes is stuck in my head.....

Kurben

Time really does fly, doesn't it?? To me it seems like a week ago that the first christmas signs went up (early november i think?? or earlier still??) and now christmas and new years over. What Happened!! One thing thats different and thats make me happy everyday is my apartment, not only is the bathroom 1000 times better but when i had put everything back the whole thing looked so much better with more space and less things lying around. Feels great. And in a month i'm gonna get a new router (the place where i live has signed a new agreement with another deliverer of internet and TV channels and things) that has stronger connection. They say..... We'll see, i never really believe in a companys praise of their own product until i tried it myself. Anyway it will be a new router so hopefully more powerful??

GNTLGNT

....Summer furniture is already on display around here.....yep, nothing I want to do more than shop for an Adirondack chair when I'm freezing my ass off....

Neesy

Kurben said:

Time really does fly, doesn't it?? To me it seems like a week ago that the first christmas signs went up (early november i think?? or earlier still??) and now christmas and new years over. What Happened!! One thing thats different and thats make me happy everyday is my apartment, not only is the bathroom 1000 times better but when i had put everything back the whole thing looked so much better with more space and less things lying around. Feels great. And in a month i'm gonna get a new router (the place where i live has signed a new agreement with another deliverer of internet and TV channels and things) that has stronger connection. They say..... We'll see, i never really believe in a companys praise of their own product until i tried it myself. Anyway it will be a new router so hopefully more powerful??

What will you make with your new router?

Neesy

Just hanging around the house this afternoon because it's minus 13 plus probably colder than that with the wind chill

Fed the birds outside with some bread and even put some Country Crock margarine on a couple slices for the bigger birds (the crows)

Hope everyone is doing well!

Hedda Gabler

Stay warm neesy. 

FlakeNoir

You can have some of our sunshine and warmth. 🌞

Kurben

Shiver, shiver...... -12 C (about 10 F) but i'm lucky i'm not in the north of sweden. There they have to deal with temps below -40 C (about -40 F too, i think). I made a quick shopping spree today but otherwise i stay indoors if possible.

GNTLGNT

Neesy

Hedda Gabler said:

Stay warm neesy. 

Thanks ☺

FlakeNoir said:

You can have some of our sunshine and warmth. 🌞

We'll get some eventually but it won't be until around May (probably)

Kurben said:

Shiver, shiver...... -12 C (about 10 F) but i'm lucky i'm not in the north of sweden. There they have to deal with temps below -40 C (about -40 F too, i think). I made a quick shopping spree today but otherwise i stay indoors if possible.

Your temps are similar to ours today - it's minus 14 C but at least it's sunny

Okay - this is not me but it sure reminds me of cross country skiing up in CFS Alert way back in 1992 - yikes! But of course we did it in pairs for safety because of the Arctic wolves and sometimes in a group.

Hedda Gabler

I am a chicken!   Cluckkkkk.

i was in a store today looking at a new trash can for my kitchen. All they had was white. I wanted black. I don’t want to waste my time driving around looking for a simple black plastic trash can, so I was debating just getting the white one. 

An old Mexican man came up beside me and started talking very broken english about the trash cans. Very friendly.  He was saying something about the price. 

Here was my chance to speak Spanish out in the wild and guess what i said to him? “I want one in negro.” 

Now, negro is the word for the color black in Spanish.  So no problem there. But I could have been brave and said, “ quiero uno negro.”

I want a black one. Very simple basic sentence. 

And because i said “negro” all by itself, he started speaking all Spanish to me.  I smiled, caught a few words, and talked back to him in english. 

COWARD! 

Carpe diem you dumb bitch. Ugh. I’m so mad at myself.