The runner-up best line, by Xan Brooks in The Guardian: "It’s one of those rare, unicorn films that doesn’t have a single redeeming quality. I’m not even sure it qualifies as a documentary, exactly, so much as an elaborate piece of designer taxidermy, horribly overpriced and ice-cold to the touch and proffered like a medieval tribute to placate the greedy king on his throne."
So glad you found Pittsburgh! A couple of years ago, my neighbor was having the drywall around her tub replaced -the studs were briefly exposed in one area. Unbeknownst to the installer, her cat jumped up to explore and disappeared into the wall, where he was promptly sealed in. Much, much later that day, she was looking frantically for the missing cat. She heard muffled howling but it took a bit before she realized that the howls of distress were coming from inside the wall. They had to chop a big hole into the new drywall and coax the cat out.
I chose "to cow the independent media," but there is another depressing reason that wasn't presented as an option: To send a subliminal reminder to American voters that they mainly arrest/harm people of color.
(All the journalists who've been detained are people of color)
Yes. I think we can forget about assigning deep, Machiavellian motives to the man - his minions, maybe, but not him. He’s operating on hate and knows what he hates when he sees it.
The lines from the reviews are great, but what was truly priceless for me was watching the trailer. You know how trailers highlight the best line from the movie? And how you know, you just know, that if that is the best line, you’ve seen all you need to see of the movie? Well, I’m sure that holds true here, but it really is great. Melania has her back to the camera, standing in an ornate (of course!) room. She has phone to her ear. There is the sound of the phone ringing, then Melania cooing into the phone, “Hi, Mr. President. Congratulations!” Trump responds, “Did you watch it?” Melania: “I did not. Yeah. I will see it on the news.” Has there ever been such a devoted wife? She’s the most devoted wife in history!
I saw that trailer and started laughing and thought that I hadn't realized that the movie was a satiric comedy. For the few seconds I thought that, I considered maybe it was worth seeing. More seriously, I wonder if the line in the trailer was done on purpose as a way to say "Oh, sweet Jaysus, don't go see this movie. It is worse than you think it will be." by one of the creatives on the advertising team.
About extreme cold: the week we arrived in Soviet Leningrad in Jan. 1987 for a Foreign Service posting was the week it hit the coldest temps since WW2 -- minus 40, which incidentally is the same temp in both Fahrenheit and Centigrade, I'm told. Our three-month-old baby stopped breathing momentarily when we stepped off the plane. That wasn't a good way to arrive. Then we were put in temporary housing where one of the windows cracked from the cold our first night there. We had to carry the dog outside every few hours for him to do his business, then carry him back inside again. A few weeks later, I was driving to meet my husband at an art exhibit when the car stopped cold. I was able to pull over and wondered what I was going to do, esp with our baby in her carseat. A man pulled up behind us, got out of his car and took a look under my hood, then HELD HIS LIGHTER TO THE CAR'S FROZEN GAS LINE before I could stop him. Then he shut the hood, because, miraculously, the car had not exploded killing us all, and gestured for me to start the car. It worked! I thanked him profusely and he followed me all the way to the exhibit where I thanked him again and introduced him to my husband and explained how this nice man saved us in the end. He was smiling the whole time. After he left, my husband said, "That wasn't just some nice stranger: pretty sure he was your KGB tail."
Years ago, we were temporarily fostering a kitten found by our neighbor. He/she went missing one day, and we searched our finished basement thoroughly. But not thoroughly enough. Kitty had gotten into my craft room (actually known as the "crap room"), and was hiding behind a piece of posterboard leaning against the wall. A space too narrow for even my small hand to fit. Eventually a tiny mew alerted us to where kitty was. Kittens apparently are boneless and can give mice a run for their money as far as fitting into spaces the size of a gunshot.
Even the big ones have the magical ability to liquefy their bones. Try petting a cat that doesn't want to be touched. Your hand can get millimeters from the ground and not touch fur.
We moved away and I gave away all the unfinished crap...I mean craft...supplies. I've given up pretending that I'm actually a craftsy person. Surprisingly, someone actually took the monogrammed Christmas stocking that I had been working on as a gift for my husband for 20 years.
My current resident cats are the (bonded) brother-and-sister offspring of feral parents. They are never seen by anyone but me because they hide at the first indication of a stranger in the house. (They are now 5-1/2 years old.) Several years ago, we were having the house cleaned but were unable to corral the cats to the secure spot I had set up for them. A few hours after the cleaners left, the female emerged from underneath a chair in the den; and I assumed the male was under the chair also. He was not. Nor was he to be found anywhere else in our one-story, not very large house. In desperation, I put up signs and did all the other things one does in that situation. I finally got in bed, upset and knowing I would be unable to sleep. I began hearing a cat’s voice and suddenly realized I was actually hearing cats’ voices. The female had come into the bedroom and “spoken,” and the male magically reappeared. To this day, I have never figured out where he had been hiding.
I was at a client's house (I do computer support) sitting at her computer, when a cat jumped up on my lap. I am neither a cat hater, nor a cat lover, but I'm fine with them (used to be allergic, though). She said here was a second cat, but he never came out when there were strangers in the house. I said "you mean the black one over there?" I seem to have that effect on cats. They know I am safe.
Every single one of our cats were terrified of vacuum cleaners, but our first cat, Shadowfax, was the only one that attacked them. She was a feisty female. The vacuum was a canister-type, with a long hose. When the vacuum was off, Shadowfax would lurk, then carefully slink up and smack the hose with her paw, ready to scurry away if she awakened the sleeping monster.
Many years ago, I had cat who went missing. She was not a cat inclined to go outdoors, but since she appeared to be nowhere in our apartment I went outside to search for her. I crawled through and under bushes; up and down the block I went. I finally decided she'd return on her own .. or not. I was heartbroken thinking "or not". Several hours later I discovered that I had shut her inside a dresser drawer, where she was peaceful curled up in a tiny ball, still sleeping.
Somewhere around here, probably on a slide, I have a photo I took of a sign on a fruit and vegetable store. The sign was printed on paper, which had to be installed across several window panes. They were advertising mangoes and bananas, but the way the signed had to be installed it read man goes bananas.
1. I'm so glad Pittsburgh was found. Years ago, my late mother-in-law would housesit for us when we went on vacation. We had two dogs and a cat at the time. The dogs were fine with being with her, but the cat went and hid. My mother-in-law couldn't find her anywhere and was beside herself thinking she had accidentally let our indoor cat out. After what must have seemed like ten hours, the cat came out of hiding and my mother-in-law was able to breathe in and out again.
2. This so-called movie is nothing but Bozo's $75 million bribe to Agolf Shitler. And it's also, like everything else in this kakistocracy, a distraction from the Epstein Files.
3. Agolf Shitler's decorating schemes are what a man without any class or taste whatsoever thinks class and taste look like. It isn't, but he's too stupid to realize that.
Thanks for fluff this morning. Glad all the creatures are accounted for. Now back to reality. I was listening to a Scott Galloway pod this morning and he is working to make February Resist and Unsubscribe month. Wondering if you all would participate. This is what I’ve posted on my social media accounts to try to get some buy in. Please feel free to copy and paste on your own.
🔥🔥🔥February is Resist and Unsubscribe month. 🔥🔥🔥
Cancel subscriptions to the big tech firms funding the current government which then allows them to ignore WE the people. The easiest way to make a point if you are unable or unwilling to march in the streets (altho nothing saying you can’t do both) is to vote with your wallet
Cancel one or more streaming services (Prime, Netflix, Disney, Hulu)
Cancel one or more music streaming services (Apple music or Amazon music - i cancelled both and moved to Spotify)
Cancel Audible (you know you can get ebooks thru your local library, FOR FREE, right?) Not gonna lie, this one hurts. Also check out Freebooksy - woman owned Written Word Media for ebooks.
Switch cell phone providers for a month to a smaller carrier.
Do not buy anything thru FB Marketplace or anyone advertising on FB (c’mon, it’s just for a month)
Do not use Uber
Do not not not use PayPal (personally painful but I’m doing it)
Take a minute to see if the CEO of your grocery chain is a mega political donor. Then stop shopping there and buy at Costco- just for a month. (Very painful here as Publix owners are MAL members)
This is the fastest way to get their attention.
Please please share this post, pin it to your timeline, post daily.
Let’s see if we can move the needle back to US. ✌🏼💕
I've found it nearly impossible to completely avoid them. Some vendors use Amazon for their online store. There have been instances where I have gone directly to the manufacturer's website, then had Amazon pop up when I tried to order something.
As soon as you wrote "basement" my thought went straight to the ductwork. One of our sweet kitties (aka lethal instruments of mouse mayhem) figured out how to *cat*apult from the top of the furnace to the top of the main duct running through the basement ceiling.
The runner-up best line, by Xan Brooks in The Guardian: "It’s one of those rare, unicorn films that doesn’t have a single redeeming quality. I’m not even sure it qualifies as a documentary, exactly, so much as an elaborate piece of designer taxidermy, horribly overpriced and ice-cold to the touch and proffered like a medieval tribute to placate the greedy king on his throne."
Yes, excellent.
He must have edited out the phrase that I'm speculating originally preceded the word "horribly . . ." , "and like its subject . . ."
So glad you found Pittsburgh! A couple of years ago, my neighbor was having the drywall around her tub replaced -the studs were briefly exposed in one area. Unbeknownst to the installer, her cat jumped up to explore and disappeared into the wall, where he was promptly sealed in. Much, much later that day, she was looking frantically for the missing cat. She heard muffled howling but it took a bit before she realized that the howls of distress were coming from inside the wall. They had to chop a big hole into the new drywall and coax the cat out.
Hmmm. I showed your comment to my wife. She asked if we’re talking about the movie or the person.
I chose "to cow the independent media," but there is another depressing reason that wasn't presented as an option: To send a subliminal reminder to American voters that they mainly arrest/harm people of color.
(All the journalists who've been detained are people of color)
I would have included that if substack polls permitted a sixth choice. I thought about it.
Yes. I think we can forget about assigning deep, Machiavellian motives to the man - his minions, maybe, but not him. He’s operating on hate and knows what he hates when he sees it.
Had the same thought, unfortunately.
I saw a meme review of Melania on X that made me laugh. “Even if they showed this on a plane, people would get up and walk out.”
I saw that one too. Perfect!
You mean I wasn't original? (I don't "x" but had the same thought.)
The lines from the reviews are great, but what was truly priceless for me was watching the trailer. You know how trailers highlight the best line from the movie? And how you know, you just know, that if that is the best line, you’ve seen all you need to see of the movie? Well, I’m sure that holds true here, but it really is great. Melania has her back to the camera, standing in an ornate (of course!) room. She has phone to her ear. There is the sound of the phone ringing, then Melania cooing into the phone, “Hi, Mr. President. Congratulations!” Trump responds, “Did you watch it?” Melania: “I did not. Yeah. I will see it on the news.” Has there ever been such a devoted wife? She’s the most devoted wife in history!
They are the most devoted couple-- he is devoted to himself and she to herself.
That’s really all her contract requires.
I saw that trailer and started laughing and thought that I hadn't realized that the movie was a satiric comedy. For the few seconds I thought that, I considered maybe it was worth seeing. More seriously, I wonder if the line in the trailer was done on purpose as a way to say "Oh, sweet Jaysus, don't go see this movie. It is worse than you think it will be." by one of the creatives on the advertising team.
Calling your husband (contractual partner) "Mr. President." Barf.
Beats calling out "Oh, Donald!" in the throes of passion.
Ewwww....let's try to avoid any mention of Donald doing anything without clothes. It's just not an image I need in my head.
About extreme cold: the week we arrived in Soviet Leningrad in Jan. 1987 for a Foreign Service posting was the week it hit the coldest temps since WW2 -- minus 40, which incidentally is the same temp in both Fahrenheit and Centigrade, I'm told. Our three-month-old baby stopped breathing momentarily when we stepped off the plane. That wasn't a good way to arrive. Then we were put in temporary housing where one of the windows cracked from the cold our first night there. We had to carry the dog outside every few hours for him to do his business, then carry him back inside again. A few weeks later, I was driving to meet my husband at an art exhibit when the car stopped cold. I was able to pull over and wondered what I was going to do, esp with our baby in her carseat. A man pulled up behind us, got out of his car and took a look under my hood, then HELD HIS LIGHTER TO THE CAR'S FROZEN GAS LINE before I could stop him. Then he shut the hood, because, miraculously, the car had not exploded killing us all, and gestured for me to start the car. It worked! I thanked him profusely and he followed me all the way to the exhibit where I thanked him again and introduced him to my husband and explained how this nice man saved us in the end. He was smiling the whole time. After he left, my husband said, "That wasn't just some nice stranger: pretty sure he was your KGB tail."
Years ago, we were temporarily fostering a kitten found by our neighbor. He/she went missing one day, and we searched our finished basement thoroughly. But not thoroughly enough. Kitty had gotten into my craft room (actually known as the "crap room"), and was hiding behind a piece of posterboard leaning against the wall. A space too narrow for even my small hand to fit. Eventually a tiny mew alerted us to where kitty was. Kittens apparently are boneless and can give mice a run for their money as far as fitting into spaces the size of a gunshot.
Even the big ones have the magical ability to liquefy their bones. Try petting a cat that doesn't want to be touched. Your hand can get millimeters from the ground and not touch fur.
That's what we call our craft room, too! Or used to. My wife, the crafty one, did some cleaning and is now a bit touchy if I use the old name.
We moved away and I gave away all the unfinished crap...I mean craft...supplies. I've given up pretending that I'm actually a craftsy person. Surprisingly, someone actually took the monogrammed Christmas stocking that I had been working on as a gift for my husband for 20 years.
My current resident cats are the (bonded) brother-and-sister offspring of feral parents. They are never seen by anyone but me because they hide at the first indication of a stranger in the house. (They are now 5-1/2 years old.) Several years ago, we were having the house cleaned but were unable to corral the cats to the secure spot I had set up for them. A few hours after the cleaners left, the female emerged from underneath a chair in the den; and I assumed the male was under the chair also. He was not. Nor was he to be found anywhere else in our one-story, not very large house. In desperation, I put up signs and did all the other things one does in that situation. I finally got in bed, upset and knowing I would be unable to sleep. I began hearing a cat’s voice and suddenly realized I was actually hearing cats’ voices. The female had come into the bedroom and “spoken,” and the male magically reappeared. To this day, I have never figured out where he had been hiding.
I was at a client's house (I do computer support) sitting at her computer, when a cat jumped up on my lap. I am neither a cat hater, nor a cat lover, but I'm fine with them (used to be allergic, though). She said here was a second cat, but he never came out when there were strangers in the house. I said "you mean the black one over there?" I seem to have that effect on cats. They know I am safe.
That proves you are a good person. Cats are excellent judges of character!
Just came across this from "Vanity Fair" on "Melania;"
"Director Brett Ratner is no Leni Riefenstahl."*
*Hitler's favorite filmmaker
Every single one of our cats were terrified of vacuum cleaners, but our first cat, Shadowfax, was the only one that attacked them. She was a feisty female. The vacuum was a canister-type, with a long hose. When the vacuum was off, Shadowfax would lurk, then carefully slink up and smack the hose with her paw, ready to scurry away if she awakened the sleeping monster.
Thank you for interrupting my doom scrolling with a charming story. A nice way to start the day.
Many years ago, I had cat who went missing. She was not a cat inclined to go outdoors, but since she appeared to be nowhere in our apartment I went outside to search for her. I crawled through and under bushes; up and down the block I went. I finally decided she'd return on her own .. or not. I was heartbroken thinking "or not". Several hours later I discovered that I had shut her inside a dresser drawer, where she was peaceful curled up in a tiny ball, still sleeping.
Somewhere around here, probably on a slide, I have a photo I took of a sign on a fruit and vegetable store. The sign was printed on paper, which had to be installed across several window panes. They were advertising mangoes and bananas, but the way the signed had to be installed it read man goes bananas.
1. I'm so glad Pittsburgh was found. Years ago, my late mother-in-law would housesit for us when we went on vacation. We had two dogs and a cat at the time. The dogs were fine with being with her, but the cat went and hid. My mother-in-law couldn't find her anywhere and was beside herself thinking she had accidentally let our indoor cat out. After what must have seemed like ten hours, the cat came out of hiding and my mother-in-law was able to breathe in and out again.
2. This so-called movie is nothing but Bozo's $75 million bribe to Agolf Shitler. And it's also, like everything else in this kakistocracy, a distraction from the Epstein Files.
3. Agolf Shitler's decorating schemes are what a man without any class or taste whatsoever thinks class and taste look like. It isn't, but he's too stupid to realize that.
One could always melt down the gold. Doing so might raise the price.
It's gold leaf on plastic junk. Probably not worth either a plugged or an unplugged nickel.
Hmmmm.....line 'em up on a fence for target practice........................
Note to DHS: I'm talking about the knick-knacks, you Paddywacks.
Whenever my wife or I would see something really tacky, we would say to the other, “Oh, a touch of class!”
If only Trump was granted the Midas touch, I’ll bet a 24 karat Ivanka would please him.
Except Trump is head of a kakistocracy. Everything he touches turns to ka-ka.
Thanks for fluff this morning. Glad all the creatures are accounted for. Now back to reality. I was listening to a Scott Galloway pod this morning and he is working to make February Resist and Unsubscribe month. Wondering if you all would participate. This is what I’ve posted on my social media accounts to try to get some buy in. Please feel free to copy and paste on your own.
🔥🔥🔥February is Resist and Unsubscribe month. 🔥🔥🔥
Cancel subscriptions to the big tech firms funding the current government which then allows them to ignore WE the people. The easiest way to make a point if you are unable or unwilling to march in the streets (altho nothing saying you can’t do both) is to vote with your wallet
Cancel one or more streaming services (Prime, Netflix, Disney, Hulu)
Cancel one or more music streaming services (Apple music or Amazon music - i cancelled both and moved to Spotify)
Cancel Audible (you know you can get ebooks thru your local library, FOR FREE, right?) Not gonna lie, this one hurts. Also check out Freebooksy - woman owned Written Word Media for ebooks.
Switch cell phone providers for a month to a smaller carrier.
Do not buy anything thru FB Marketplace or anyone advertising on FB (c’mon, it’s just for a month)
Do not use Uber
Do not not not use PayPal (personally painful but I’m doing it)
Take a minute to see if the CEO of your grocery chain is a mega political donor. Then stop shopping there and buy at Costco- just for a month. (Very painful here as Publix owners are MAL members)
This is the fastest way to get their attention.
Please please share this post, pin it to your timeline, post daily.
Let’s see if we can move the needle back to US. ✌🏼💕
Don't forget to boycott Hole Paycheck...and Amazon (if you are able).
I haven’t bought anything on Amazon in years. It’s easy.
I've found it nearly impossible to completely avoid them. Some vendors use Amazon for their online store. There have been instances where I have gone directly to the manufacturer's website, then had Amazon pop up when I tried to order something.
Thanks for this. What is MAL?
As soon as you wrote "basement" my thought went straight to the ductwork. One of our sweet kitties (aka lethal instruments of mouse mayhem) figured out how to *cat*apult from the top of the furnace to the top of the main duct running through the basement ceiling.
We had a cat do that, too. A joint had opened a small amount, and we her her walking around in the basement ducts.
wow! scary if they get stuck. silly beasts.
Google Translate has a “live translate” feature that will alternate between two speakers in two languages.
It does have its limits. I tried Hungarian to English for the phrase “Can you direct me to the station?” and it returned “Please fondle my bum.”
Monty Python!!