Parasite (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

Parasite (2019): Korean. Family of grifters con a rich family. All is going well until a complication arises. Then it's chaos. A black comedy with violence, suspense, and farce. Just when you think writers have written themselves into a corner, they escape. Over and over. A-

The Lighthouse (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Lighthouse (2019): Two men confined in a lighthouse descend into madness. Dark. Unsettling. Intense. Like a punch to the gut. Who's mad and who's sane? What's real and what's hallucination? Is it all damn metaphor? Did you like it is the wrong question for this movie. A-

POTD: Luau

From 2019 01 17 Kauai

You go to Hawaii, you go to a luau, right? We went to Hawaii, so today's photo-of-the-day is from a luau in Kauai.

Bonus photos after the jump.

POTD: Kauai Coffee

From 2019 01 17 Kauai

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Kauai Coffee plantation.
"Grown in rich volcanic soil, touched by abundant mountain rain, warmed by the Pacific sun and cooled by the gentle Hawaiian trade winds. Taste Paradise. One Cup at a Time.™"
Too bad Ellen doesn't drink coffee. I do.

The Laundromat (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

The Laundromat (2019): Satire with no bite based on "Panama Papers" leak showing how billionaires and corporations use shell companies to avoid taxes and hide corrupt money. Too many disconnected stories. Not even Meryl Streep can save this. Why is she even in it? C+

POTD: Polynesian Red Junglefowl

From 2019 01 17 Kauai

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Kauai. It shows one of the countless free-range chickens all over the island. These feral birds are believed to be descendents of chickens that escaped from coops during hurricanes in 1982 and 1992. DNA analysis shows that they are a mix between the chickens brought by the original Polynesian settlers of Kauai and chickens introduced much later by Europeans. The most interesting fact (to me) is that chickens in South America lack the DNA of Polynesian chickens, suggesting that Polynesians themselves never settled South America. So the next time you hear a rooster crow, know that the story it tells contains much more history than I ever imagined.

Bonus photo after the jump.

Tell Me Who I Am (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

Tell Me Who I Am (2019): Documentary. Alex wakes from a coma with amnesia, remembering only his identical twin, Marcus, who fills him in on his life story, starting with childhood. Except for a dark family secret. Alex turns obsessive detective. Marcus clams up. All well done. B-

Review: Something Deeply Hidden

Amazon

From Something Deeply Hidden, by Sean Carroll:

Quantum mechanics, in the form in which it is currently presented in physics textbooks, represents an oracle, not a true understanding. We can set up specific problems and answer them, but we can't honestly explain what's happening behind the scenes. What we do have are a number of good ideas about what that could be, and it's past time that the physics community started taking these ideas seriously."

The title comes from a quote by Albert Einstein. All his life he sought to understand the foundations of physical phenomena. "Something deeply hidden had to be behind things," and he was determined to figure out what it was. So is Sean Carroll.

POTD: Quinn's, the Southern Most Packers Bar

From 2019 01 15 Hawaii

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Quinn's in Kona, Hawaii, the self-proclaimed "Southern Most Packers Bar in the USA." Go Pack!

Bonus photos after the jump.

Judy (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

Judy (2019): Last months of Judy Garland's life, on a London tour, filled with depression, pills and alcohol. Unrelentingly depressing, with nowhere near enough glimpses of the brilliance that made her a superstar. Not a tragedy, just sad. Renee Zellweger deserves Oscar nom. B-

POTD: Secret Waterfalls of Kohala

From 2019 01 15 Hawaii

Today's photo-of-the-day is from a hike on the north coast of Hawaii, up in the Pololu Valley forest. The hike takes you to secret waterfalls of Kohala.

Bonus photo after the jump.

The Wheel's Voters Guide

Election day is Tuesday, November 5, 2019. Early voting is underway. Two trustee positions for Richardson ISD's Board of Trustees are on the ballot. There are also ten state Constitutional amendments on the ballot.

Here are my recommendations for how to vote, not that anyone cares, and certainly not that it will matter in the vote count. But I needed to go through the process anyway to know how I should vote myself, so I might as well share my thinking.

Beginning in 2019, the Richardson ISD Board of Trustees has five single-member districts and two at-large positions. This November, Districts 2 and 4 are up for election. Note that I personally can vote only in District 2, but I studied District 4 also, as if I did have a vote because its outcome will affect my school district.

I attended multiple candidate forums, so you didn't have to (you're welcome). I also read candidate questionnaires. I also read pros and cons for the ten Constitutional amendments.

Forums:

• Hamilton Park Forum
• LWV Forum for RISD District 2
• LWV Forum for RISD District 4

Questionnaires:

• League of Women Voters
• Community Impact Newspaper

POTD: Kilauea, Goddess of Fire

From 2019 01 15 Hawaii

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the rim of Hawaii's Kilauea volcano. There have been recent explosive eruptions here at the summit. There have been eruptions at vents on the side of the volcano. There have been lava flows all the way to the ocean. The landscape is always new, no matter how long or short your time away from Hawaii has been.

Bonus photo after the jump.

RISD District 2 Round Two

Berkner High School hosted a candidate forum for the first-ever Richardson ISD single-member district election for board of trustees. The forum was sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Richardson and the RISD Council of PTAs. Steve Mitchell, council member of the City of Richardson, moderated the forum. About 35 members of the public were in attendance.

Beginning in 2019, RISD has five single-member districts and two at-large positions. The candidates for RISD single-member District 2 are Eron Linn (incumbent) and Vanessa Pacheco.

RISD District 4 Round Two

Hamilton Park Pacesetter Magnet school hosted a candidate forum for the first-ever Richardson ISD single-member district election for board of trustees. The forum was sponsored by The League of Women Voters of Richardson and RISD Council of PTAs. Elizabeth McNamara, immediate past national president of the LWV, moderated the forum. About 45 members of the public were in attendance.

Beginning in 2019, RISD has five single-member districts and two at-large positions. District 4, a single-member district, is an open position, trustee Katie Patterson having resigned earlier this year. The candidates for RISD District 4 are Taler BK Jefferson, Patricia Price Hicks, Regina Harris, and Sakennia Reed.

POTD: Maui or Mars?

From 2019 01 13 Maui

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the rim of Maui's Haleakala volcano. Standing 10,023 ft tall, the air is thin and cool. Maybe not Mars-like, but standing there and looking at the landscape, you can imagine being on Mars more easily than being on a tropical island.