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Thank you folks. Much appreciated!

Lady Blackbird (aka Marley Munroe): Lady Blackbird – Black Acid Soul

The Sandman (Netflix) - just finished episode 11. The series was not what I expected (I have no connection to the comic). Enjoyed it all quite a bit.

^Yes.

Did not see Garbage tonight, as they cancelled the show at the last minute due to illness. Bummer.

Also, Irma Vep (HBO), series based on a 1996 film of the same name. Sorta bizarre, sorta meta. But sorta compelling to watch for some reason. Alicia Vikander is gorgeous.

A couple of newer shows we are enjoying: Dark Winds (AMC) Hotel Portofino (PBS) Also, ditto on The Old Man (which has already been renewed for another season).

Happy Birthday!

Another belated happy birthday, Rob!

Or the (bargain) Meze Audio LIRIC?

Big Tuesday - For You - a local band comprised of a few young kids going to university here, where they get airplay on the college radio station, turning up so many times in my Shazams that I ended up buying all their downloads. Reminiscent (to me, anyway) of early Everything But The Girl: https://bigtuesday.bandcamp.com/album/for-you-ep

I have been a big fan of the show since the beginning, especially the first three seasons. I also agree with all of your comments, including my disappointment with season 5 & its finale.The initial seasons were a breath of fresh air, capturing Adlon's (& LCK's) wimsy & irreverence, telling the story of a minor-celebrity single parent (none of which am I) trying to fumble through (as most of us are) in the 21st-century. Throughout, I celebrated being educated, having my mind expanded, and just going along for the ride. Amidst the overall high level, there were moments of absolute brilliance (note the "Tilted" video that ended season 2 as a prime example), that I was so happy to have witnessed. Even when the story route appeared circuitous, it eventually came back to close the theme, if not completely resolve the topic at hand. Season 5 was so disjointed - some of which was the result of the pandemic as you noted, and some was the result of creative choices that Adlon made (seemingly) on purpose. Most disappointing to me, I think, was that many of the characters seemed to go backwards. Frankie is still pretty-much the insufferable child she has been all along despite now becoming an 18 y/o, Phyll is back in England with her childhood beau, Jeff is back with Alan after we witnessed a horrible breakup breakdown, Rich is re-marrying Sunny (really???) - the only relationship more toxic than Jeff & Alan's. Finally, Sam is now the unapologetic, irresponsible creative/social-justice-warrior who can spew her "shit" everywhere (another overarcing them this season) while her stable, good-&-perfect brother Marion picks up all the pieces for her. She's basically given up trying to be "better" (see what I did there?). The only character I felt compelling this season was Max, who's arc saw her develop & grow (painfully so) into a real adult (I just wanted to give her a paternal hug). Most of the rest this season was self-indulgent filler, including the un-creative, nearly verbatim rehash video opening of the finale "Woke Up Looking" (the original artist with whom Adlon apparently connected because her own real-life daughter shares the same first name). Whew! I feel "better" now (see what I did there again?). I'm sure Adlon doesn't give a rat's patootee what I think so... TL;DR - loved the show, not so much the final season or finale.

I agree that MS Windows is a PITA in general, Windows Server included. The updates my wife's MacBook gets are far less frequent, albeit much larger downloads. But they usually don't hose the system afterward. I do have to say that Win11 has been solid for me, with far fewer updates than Win10. I don't any experience with Linux on the desktop (not a practical option), but our work servers based on various flavors of Unix/Linux are pretty much "set it & forget it" solid.

Very engaged by the first three epsodes of Billy the Kid (Epix). Much moreso than the first ep of The Man Who Fell to Earth (Showtime). @Ric - curious on your take of the final season (and finale) of Better Things (FX), particularly compared to earlier seasons.

Is 'minimalism': 1. One body, one lens? 2. One camera system? 3. Multiple cameras/systems best at different things, but carrying just the one suited to the use-case of the day? I am still on the fence. And don't even get me started on cases/bags & straps...

The Gilded Age (HBO) - A new series from Julian Fellowes of "Downton Abbey" fame, this time set in late 19th century NYC. This has exceeded my expectations so far, with a much more diversified cast of characters than "DA", and less sentimental (but still romantic) overall. The script is razor sharp, and the fashions are phenomenal - a true treat for the eyes. Here's one promo shot:

Happy Birthday!

Clickbait (Netflix) - a pretty decent drama/thriller about a guy who is kidnapped & accused of killing a woman. Eight eps & no unnecessary filler. We liked.

Around The World in 80 Days - As per usual, PBS rarely disappoints. David Tennant, Ibrahim Koma, & Leonie Benesch make a great, albeit unlikely, team. Recommended for entire family.

Happy Birthday!

"Euphoria" is excellent, very well done on many levels. That being said, it is a difficult watch for me. The sex & drug use amongst teen characters is extreme. That being said, it is still very compelling artistically, which keeps me coming back, despite my internal squirminess. The two Christmas episodes that aired between series 1 & 2, which each focused on characters Rue & Jules respectively, were stellar.

^I need to check out the rest of her catalog. "Lento" is also beautiful:

Happy birthday Ric!

Oh what a difference a year makes... My wife's iPhone 13 Pro Max arrived early this month from Verizon & she is finding that the Mophie goes into blinking (non-charging) mode shortly after placing the new phone on the wireless charging stand. Apparently the Mophie doesn't like the MagSafe tech inside the new phones. The "Belkin 3-in-1 Wireless Charger with MagSafe" seems to garner good reviews. However, my wife is not the most...err, gentle with things, and the Belkin seems to perch the phone rather precariously. I would anticipate frequent droppage off the nightstand, which is not something I want with such a costly new phone. Anyone have any new reco's, other than the "Apple MagSafe Duo Charger" in a combo (phone+watch) charger?