Small Axe: Lovers Rock (TV 2020)

Rotten Tomatoes

Small Axe: Lovers Rock (TV 2020): One night at a house party in London in 1980, where Jamaicans slow dance to a reggae blues beat. Short, at 68 minutes. Not much plot beyond girl meets boy, but a whole lot of mood. It's enchanting as camera weaves among dancers and singers. B-

See my review of the first movie in this limited series: "Small Axe: Mangrove".

The Long View

It's been said that the 20th Century was the American Century. World War I saw the collapse of all the great European empires. Even England and France, which were victorious in war, emerged as much weaker nations. America was on the rise. It was challenged by Japan and Germany (again), but those countries were utterly devastated by World War II, leaving America and Russia competing in a Cold War for leadership in a bipoplar world. The collapse of the Soviet Empire at the end of the century left America unchallenged as the only tentpole left in a unipolar world. Americans could be forgiven for thinking that the 21st Century would be the second American Century. But then, as it often does, shit happened.

Tom & Jerry (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes

Tom & Jerry (2021): Movie suffers when Tom & Jerry aren't on the screen. Live action story about a hotel wedding doomed less by the cat and mouse hijinks than by the couple's incompatbility, which kids won't get and adults will find boring. Watch a classic cartoon instead. D+

Taking Out of Context RISD Candidates For District 1

Community Impact Richardson asked the candidates running for Richardson ISD's District 1 board seat several questions. I want to highlight a few words of their answers that most caught my attention. Excerpts, by their nature, take words out of context. No attempt is being made to twist the meaning of the full answers. Read the full answers at Community Impact Richardson and judge for yourself.

Coming 2 America (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes

Coming 2 America (2021): African prince faces succession arguments with his American son, his daughter, and a rival dictator. Cast is full of big name stars. There are few crude or sophomoric jokes. Watchable; not as bad as feared. The big musical numbers are very good. C+

Taking Out of Context CoR Candidates For Place 4

Community Impact Richardson asked the candidates running for Richardson's Place 4 City Council seat several questions. I want to highlight a few words of their answers that most caught my attention. Excerpts, by their nature, take words out of context. No attempt is being made to twist the meaning of the full answers. Read the full answers at Community Impact Richardson and judge for yourself.

Taking Out of Context CoR Candidates for Place 6

Community Impact Richardson asked several questions of the candidates running for Richardson's Place 6 City Council seat. I want to highlight a few words of their answers that most caught my attention. Excerpts, by their nature, take words out of context. No attempt is being made to twist the meaning of the full answers. Read the full answers at Community Impact Richardson and judge for yourself.

POTD: Ferry to the Temple of Philae

From 2019 11 20 Abu Simbel

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Temple of Philae. The Aswan High Dam was not the first dam built on the upper Nile, and Abu Simbel was not the first temple flooded. The Aswan Low Dam was built by the British in 1902, a little distance down river from where the future High Dam was constructed. The Low Dam itself began flooding temples, but intermittently during the year. Finally, in the 1960s, a UNESCO project to relocate the Temple of Philae to higher ground was undertaken. It was moved about 500 meters to the higher island of Agilkia. Today, as ever, the temple is reachable only by boat. It's just on a different island.

Another photo after the jump.

It's a Sin (TV 2021)

Rotten Tomatoes

It's a Sin (TV 2021): London flatmates in 1980s face the onset of AIDS. Equal parts joy (of coming out among supportive friends) and sadness (AIDS was a death sentence in 1980s). No preaching, no politicking, just drama, with focus always on the friends. Great ensemble cast. A+

Taking Out of Context RISD Candidates for Place 7

According to the Advocate Lake Highlands:

Lake Highlands Blue hosted a forum Thursday night for candidates seeking to become the District 7 at-large trustee for Richardson ISD. Six of the seven candidates attended the virtual event: Amanda Clair, Nicole Foster, Nick LaGrassa, Chris Poteet, Blake Sawyer and Eric Stengel. Gavin Haynes did not participate.

Source: Advocate Lake Highlands.

As far as I know, video of the forum is not available to the general public. But the Advocate Lake Highlands helpfully published a transcript of the candidates' answers to three questions (edited for clarity and brevity). I want to highlight a few of the sound bites that most caught my attention. Sound bites, by their nature, take words out of context. Read the full answers at the Advocate Lake Highlands to see the context of these sound bites. Also, keep in mind that for many of these candidates, this is their first run for elective office. They probably have little experience with extemporaneous speaking. These are the answers that I suggest they work on. No doubt they will get more polished by election day.