POTD: Noli Me Tangere

From 2018 01 22 Cartagena

Today's photo-of-the-day is of a statue of a woman raising her arm to face the sea. It stands in the square fronting the old port of Cartagena, Columbia. The inscription reads Noli Me Tangere (Don't Touch Me), which is from the New Testament. It's what Jesus says to Mary Magdalene when they meet after the resurrection. It's a popular theme in Christian art.

Here in Cartagena it's used to "warn off would-be invaders. Because Cartagena was the storehouse of the Spanish Empire's gold, a slew of 16th century pirates — Englishman Francis Drake included — had attacked and pillaged the city several times." (LA Times).

Ironically, the statue has a message for Spain itself. The statue was erected in 1911, on the 100th anniversary of Cartagena being the first Columbian city to declare independence from Spain. (OfficeHolidays.com).

Black Panther (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes

Black Panther (2018): James Bond meets Tarzan in a galaxy far, far away. With a touch of Jumanji and Iron Man tossed in. Jokes? Yes. Acting? Minimal. Special effects? All sorts. Plot? As needed. Commentary on global racial divide? Potentially powerful, but easy to miss. C-

POTD: Strolling Under a Norwegian Star

From 2018 01 19 Norwegian Star

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the deck of the Norwegian Star as it heads to the western Caribbean out of Miami.

Game Night (2018)

Rotten Tomatoes

Game Night (2018): Murder mystery party goes awry when real kidnappers show up. Expect to be guessing what twists are real and what's part of the game right up until the end. Right balance of plausibility and absurdity. Pop some corn. B-

Repeat Tweets: No Wardrobe Malfunction

Repeat tweets from February, 2018:

• Feb 4 2018: Justin Timberlake's backup dancer is wearing a long-sleeved turtleneck with suspenders. Making sure that there's no wardrobe malfunction this year?
• Feb 4 2018: My unpopular opinion? 58 points through three quarters are better on a basketball court than a football field.
• Feb 4 2018: Bad, bad, bad clock management by the Eagles. It could cost them a Super Bowl.
• Feb 4 2018: Never mind.
• Feb 4 2018: Football glory is fleeting. Nick Foles is Super Bowl MVP today. Tomorrow he wakes up #2 QB on the Eagles 2018 depth chart.
• Feb 5 2018: Fact-check. This is *not* the Philadelphia Eagles' first NFL championship.
• Feb 5 2018: First Philadelphia Eagles' championship since 1960 when they beat the Packers, the last playoff game Vince Lombardi ever lost, going on to win five championships in the next seven years.

After the jump, more repeat tweets.

POTD: Counting the Cars on the MacArthur Causeway

From 2018 01 19 Norwegian Star

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the deck of the Norwegian Star as it sails from Miami. The traffic is on the MacArthur Causeway headed to Miami Beach for the evening or the weekend.

"Counting the cars on the MacArthur Causeway.
They've all come to look for America.
All come to look for America.
All come to look for America."
— with apologies to Paul Simon.

The Wheel Award for Excellence in Motion Pictures

The Academy Awards will be given out Sunday evening. This will be the second time in history that I've seen all the nominees for Best Picture before the Oscar is awarded. That means my opinion means something. Right?

2017 had a diverse set of movies, as did the choices in 2016. Unlike last year, there is no runaway favorite for Best Picture, but last year's "La La Land" didn't end up winning, so how much do pre-award rankings mean, anyway? Besides, my personal favorite this year, "Mudbound," wasn't even nominated.

• Mudbound (2017): White farm family in Mississippi in 1940s facing poverty, floods, illness. Black family with same burdens. Plus racism. Script shows same events from different perspectives. Quiet but strong performances. Lessons for today. A-