POTD: The Gift of the Nile

From 2019 11 19 Aswan

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Nile River near Aswan, Egypt. Egypt is called the "gift of the Nile." This photos shows why. It shows the river, the green river bank, and behind, stretching all the way across Africa, the desert. Egypt captured in one photo.

Random Thoughts: Ballsy Move by Linda Koop

Tweets from November, 2020:

• 2020-11-01: Ballsy move by Linda Koop.
• 2020-11-01: Linda Koop throws Trump under the bus (but with plausible deniability).
• 2020-11-01: Tonight's the night to set our clocks back. I just realized that because of coronavirus we don't use our cars enough for it to matter. Wait six months and hope it'll be under control
• 2020-11-01: "Boris Johnson accused of 'giving in to scientific advisers' as England heads for lockdown." Sounds like something a medieval cardinal might warn the Pope against concerning Galileo. "Giving in to science." Let that sink in.

After the jump, more random thoughts.

Between the World and Me (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes

Between the World and Me (2020): Documentary. Readings from Ta-Nehisi Coates' 2015 letter to his son, passing on his wisdom of what it means to be Black in America. Faithful to the book, even more relevant in this year of Black Lives Matter. See the movie, then read the book. B+

See what I thought of the book: "Between the World and Me".

Hillbilly Elegy (2020)

Rotten Tomatoes

Hillbilly Elegy (2020): Forget the book. The movie is not a look at white, working-class alienation in hollowed-out steel and coal country. It's a soap opera about three generations of a dysfunctional family. Mostly depressing. Critics hated it; I kind of liked it. B-

Read what I thought of the book here: Review: Hillbilly Elegy.

POTD: Little Egret

From 2019 11 19 Aswan

Happy Thanksgiving! What kind of bird is on your table? Surely not one of these beautiful birds. Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Nile River near Aswan, Egypt. The Nile riverbanks are home to countless birds. Today's photo is of a Little Egret.

Succession - Season 2 (TV 2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

Succession - Season 2 (TV 2019): The noose tightens around Logan Roy's empire. Debt, Congressional hearings, hostile takeover, skittish shareholders, scandals and backstabbing. It couldn't happen to a more evil family. Not the Trumps, but close. Lots of deserved Emmy nods. B+

Read the Season 1 review.

Ordeal by Innocence (TV 2018)

Rotten Tomatoes

Ordeal by Innocence (TV 2018): 3 episode adaptation of Agatha Christie mystery. Matriarch of large, rich family is murdered. Plenty of suspects. The relationships are as tangled as the possible motives. Killer can be figured out (I didn't), as can the twist (I did, kinda). B-

#VeryTardyReview

Partisan Nonpartisan Elections

School and municipal elections are supposed to be nonpartisan. I say "supposed to be" loosely. There's no law about this. For practical purposes "nonpartisan" just means that "R" and "D" don't appear after candidates' names on the ballot. Everything else is just custom and tradition. Over the last few elections, those customs seem to be breaking down.

Review: Piranesi

From Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke:

I am determined to explore as much of the World as I can in my lifetime. To this end I have travelled as far as the Nine-Hundred-and-Sixtieth Hall to the West, the Eight-Hundred-and-Ninetieth Hall to the North and the Seven-Hundred-and-Sixty-Eighth Hall to the South."
	Amazon

This is a wonderfully imagined world consisting of a mansion with endless halls filled with marble statues, populated solely by Piranesi and the mysterious "Other." Is it real? Fantasy? Magical realism? It'll keep you guessing all the way to the end.

Schitt's Creek - Seasons 1-6 (TV 2015-2020)

Rotten Tomatoes

Schitt's Creek - Seasons 1-6 (TV 2015-2020): Family of rich snobs goes bankrupt and ends up living in a cheap motel in Schitt's Creek. A sitcom with heart that reminded me of Green Acres. You either love it or hate it. Excellent ensemble cast creates unforgettable characters. B+