Flashback Fourth - 2017

A year ago, Ellen and I watched the fireworks from the eleventh floor of Clements Hospital near downtown Dallas. We were hopeful and anxious, as I imagine the Founders were on our nation's first celebration of independence in 1776, when the outcome of the grand experiment was still unknown.

POTD: Acapulco Bay

From 2018 01 29 Acapulco

Today's photo-of-the-day is of Acapulco Bay and shows what made it a strategic port. It's large, it's sheltered from the Pacific Ocean, it's easily defensible.

"Hernán Cortés established Acapulco as a major port by the early 1530s...Spanish trade in the Far East would give Acapulco a prominent position in the economy of New Spain. Galleons started arriving here from Asia by 1550...The galleon trade made its yearly run from the mid-16th century until the early 19th."

Bonus photo after the jump.

Repeat Tweets: "The Entire World Right Now"

Repeat tweets from June, 2018:

• Jun 1 2018: RT @marcorubio: "The entire world right now is in a battle between authoritarianism and democracy. It’s happening right here in our own hemisphere."
  Hey, @marcorubio, it's happening right here in the US, where you are an enabler.
• Jun 1 2018: Headline: "Oil industry joins with solar and wind industry to condemn Trump admin plan to prop up coal industry by forcing electric grid to buy coal power."
  Picking winners and losers?
• Jun 1 2018: Talk about meta. Or irony. Or something...the first news article in my Facebook "Trending" topics feature right now is... "Facebook is killing the controversial 'Trending' news section it showed on its homepage."
• Jun 2 2018: Sorry, @StateFarm. I only buy insurance from companies that advertise on @iamsambee's Full Frontal.

After the jump, more repeat tweets.

Goliath (TV)

Rotten Tomatoes

Goliath: Season 2 (TV): Plot is a mess. Villain is absurd. Why some people are killed and not others makes no sense. But the characters, especially Billy and Patty, are strong and unforgettable. Patty's speech to her FBI agent date is series' highlight. I'd watch a Season 3. B-

Ex Libris: The New York Public Library (2017)

Rotten Tomatoes

Ex Libris: The New York Public Library (2017): Cinéma vérité from Frederick Wiseman. Scenes of program planning, classes, lectures, book clubs, etc. Lots going on in libraries. Maybe too much for a movie. When I saw "Welfare" in 1975, I was mesmerized. But here, not so much. C-

Won't You Be My Neighbor? (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes

Won't You Be My Neighbor? (2018): Documentary of Mr Rogers, TV's original Mr Nice Guy, the anti-Trump. No one has a bad word to say about him, which saps the movie of drama, except late in his life, when conservatives who didn't like his tolerance began to attack him. Sad! C+

POTD: The Hollywood Gang Hideaway

From 2018 01 29 Acapulco

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Hotel Los Flamingos in Acapulco, Mexico. "The hotel is located on the highest cliff of Península de las Playas, about 150 meters above sea level." In the 1950s, the hotel was the scene of wild parties with guests such as Johnny Weissmuller (Tarzan), John Wayne, Cary Grant, Errol Flynn, and Clark Gable. It's still in operation today.

Bonus photo after the jump.