My wife is away at our oldest’s in FL since the 21st to help with some health issues. I was feeling alone and my favorite song to dance to played. I danced, smiling. I feel better now.

3 hours ago, chuckrh said:

All 3 covers albums are s9 fucking great. 

Just now, chuckrh said:

Looks interesting.

It is. I love Nick Hornby, so my oldest got me his new one for Christmas. On the surface, two seemingly disparate artists. After research, two artists with many similarities. He compares them in various ways. Hornby is a big fan of both, and it’s written with his humor, of course. If you’re a Hornby, Prince and/or Dickens fan, or enjoy reading about artistic geniuses, you’ll enjoy it. It’s also a very quick read.

I didn't think about any of that. After explaining, I understand your issues. Hell, I'll give it a go. Maybe she just wanted to get the hell out of Khalil's, and/or in such a high stress situation, she didn't think it all through.

Re leaving Youcef to die, maybe she realized he used her. My wife and I commented on that. When he lost it all, he showed he was a selfish asshole. Maybe Emily realized that it's now me uber alles or I have no chance at survival.

Re the police, I assumed Khalil or Youcef IDed her. Maybe there was some evidence we aren't privy to. Any number of possibilities. Non-lethal? A man was stabbed with a box cutter. Another was given a serious head wound and was dying (You said "left to die").

I did actually think about her needing information and materials to get started in a foreign country. I assumed she met criminals or figured it out. It happens. I didn't put much thought into it. Who knows how far in the future the last scene is?

Having been often screwed over herself in the working world, maybe she wants to be a fair criminal boss. Or any number of things. I agree re the business plan. She might find that out. Once the credits roll, the characters lives go on unbeknownst to us. Wait for the sequel "Emily the Inept Criminal".

I didn't think the ending was cool. I just thought that it was one of many possible endings. We do not know what the director's motivations were. We can speculate, though. Maybe he didn't have the funding to make a longer movie and tie up all your loose ends. Maybe he did, but the finished product was his entire vision. Maybe a journalist will ask these questions and we'll get the answers. Until then.

Hear, hear, Donna. At times I fail at that. Mainly with people believing crazy shit, Jewish space lasers, stolen elections, pedophile cannibals, etc. But I'm trying. I know that everyone needs a sense of belonging, and sadly, some are so lost, they grasp onto shithouse rat crazy. 

Enjoy life, VC. That's what it's for.

1 hour ago, chuckrh said:

I just thought it was a bit abrupt, I wanted more. The film wasn't that long & they could've shown how Aubrey got to that place for instance. I still liked the movie.

I agree. It was abrupt and I would rather have watched how she got there instead of speculate on it. There is a difference between an abrupt ending and an ending requiring an egregious suspension of disbelief. 

On 12/22/2022 at 9:01 AM, chuckrh said:

Ya, ending not the best. Film better than most of the crap out there. Aubrey is really good in it.

My wife and I enjoyed this. Aubrey Plaza was excellent and I agree it was "better than most of the crap out there". Could the ending have been better? Maybe, but it could have been much worse. Hell, due to the comment on the previous page re the ending, I was expecting the main character to kill everyone with a box cutter and become the new credit card fraud king of L.A. From how bad the ending was supposed to be, I honestly didn't know what to expect. I've seen movies that required some serious suspension of disbelief. This wasn't one of them. Due to her circumstances and situations, I could understand her saying "Fuck it" and going full selfish criminal. As far as ending up where she did? It's possible. SPOILER ALERT She could have driven to Mexico (I assume it was Mexico) before Johnny and Janey Law kicked her door in the next morning. There are far more unlikely outcomes. It's interesting how folks can have such different reactions. 

A ‘’salted caramel hot chocolate bomb’’ sounds right up my wife’s alley. She also loves Nathaniel Rateliff! 
 

Damn, Chuck. So sorry to hear that. I was wondering about you across the Puget Sound when I saw the Alki Beach flooding on the news. What a way for the year to end. 
 

We’re heading out Tacoma tonight for Thai food and Zoolights at Point Défiance (my gift to my wife). It’s Christmas light overload in a myriad of designs at the Zoo. My daughter gave me Nick Hornby’s new book ‘’Dickens and Prince: A Particular Kind of Genius’’. He’s my favorite author. 

I'll share a tree picture, Donna. Happy holidays to all. Enjoy any and all days you are able. I'm glad the ice storm is over and the streets are no longer steep grade hockey rinks. 

On 12/21/2022 at 1:40 AM, chuckrh said:

Despite Beltmann, who I’m sure is correct as he’s never steered me wrong on a film yet, finding fault with the ending, I too love Aubrey Plaza and am planning on watching. 

On 12/18/2022 at 7:22 AM, Beltmann said:

Last week I showed Kelly Reichardt's "Wendy and Lucy," which is heavily influenced by Italian Neorealism, to my film students. High schoolers always find this minimalist movie challenging, for obvious reasons. I'll never forget the day, though, when one of my quietest students lingered after class to tearfully thank me for showing it. She told me that "Wendy and Lucy" was the best movie she ever saw, because it was the first movie that truly understood her life and her family's challenges. She didn't know such movies even existed, and she was grateful to be seen in a way that once seemed unthinkable. Some teens have lived experiences that lead them to, say, John Hughes. They can use him. Other teens have lived experiences that lead them to Kelly Reichardt. They need her.

Perhaps you must have personal experience (like my student, I was raised in abject poverty) to grasp how this masterpiece acutely conveys the fears and vulnerabilities associated with feeling that you are perpetually near a precipice.

This is obviously late, but I agree that it is a masterpiece, about it’s power

and how it and similar films are needed. A superb example of how the great art allows us to see and understand ourselves and the lives of others.

As a recently retired high school teacher, I truly appreciated the anecdote about your student. It made me think of many students over my 36 years that benefited from exposure to the film, music or book that helped them through and/or let them know they were not alone. And of some that likely would have if they had been provided the opportunity.

That is what I miss the most. Not ‘’teaching’’. Who really gives a damn about the state standards? But the interactions with students, the getting to know them, the banter, the feeling when you know they now understand a concept they had difficulty grasping and providing opportunities for them to better understand their lives and those of others. But I digress. John Wesley Harding will inform me that this is not an Arby’s.

A couple weeks ago, I received an email from the Ryan Adams organization, promoting what appears to be Ryan covering Springsteen’s Nebraska, which I am very interested in hearing, and new tour dates, just him, an acoustic guitar and a piano  (the presale was that day). I love Adams’ music and several songs are the soundtrack to important times in my life. I was dismayed with the revelations in the New York Times article and the way he responded. My wife also. Hell, she used to jokingly refer to him as her boyfriend. Anyway, I never stopped listening to his music, particularly, though not exclusively, The Cardinals back to Whiskeytown. I have a close friend who is also a big fan. We both decided we’d likely never see him again. 

Anyway, I looked at the tour dates and saw that he was playing a theatre nearby in March. I decided to look at the tickets. They were pricier than I expected, but front row center of the balcony was $116 for 2, including fees. I decided to purchase, but when I got to confirm, I balked, watching the timer tick down. I decided to look at recent set lists. 35 songs, older songs, very cool covers, not the exact same set every night... Oof. Then I noticed most nights he was playing 16 Days. That song means a lot to me. I went back to the ticket page. 51 seconds left. I breathed deep and clicked. I can understand someone choosing differently, but I know those songs will wash over my wife and I like a river of emotions, bringing us the sadness, comfort, and joy they always do, but even more so when they have been experienced live. He did horrible things, I respect those women and they deserve whatever they feel they need. I hope he finds what he is missing that enables him to provide it to them.

 
The best art has meaning, independent of the artist. That is why we listen, look, watch, read, etc.
 

Please reread the thread. The thread creator, I believe the cool kids refer to it as ‘’OP’’, did not ‘’trash a band’’. They asked people for their opinion on Wilco covering the Dead and a Dead influence in recent recordings. Any ‘’trashing’’ was mild and humorous at worst and mainly occurred as a reaction to Dead fans overreactions. As for myself, I have not ‘’trashed’’ the Dead. I said I like their songs, songwriting, musicianship and some studio performances, but do not like their live performances. ‘’Jamming’’ does not interest me. I also said that I love when other bands I love cover the Dead. If that’s ‘’trashing’’, please cite the dictionary you use to define ‘’trashing’’. I believe that if you had left that thread open, a few more posts would have happened until the thread ran it’s course. End of. But because you apparently did not appreciate the conversation, you locked the thread, which lead to the nonsense in this thread. 

People still post here. My son-in-law gifting my wife and I a Solid Sound trip caused me to return after a lengthy spell of disinterest. That lead to other posts about new bands I’m into, politics, hearing a cool bluegrass band cover Wilco, etc. Just like I did years ago. 
 

I appreciate the dialogue regarding this issue. If you or someone starts an appropriate thread or you open up the original, I might contribute. Otherwise I’ll never post in the Grateful Dead thread again. Good day to you.

Analogman (these names!, but I digress), why did you lock that thread? Nothing untoward occurred. If a mod/admin is going to lock a thread, the proper thing would be to state why you did it. No one would have said anything negative about the Holy Dead in the Grateful Dead thread if you had not locked that thread. Simple.

 You cannot get up in arms about posts here that are not Dead genuflective when you played a role in their happening. What silly situation.

Clearly we are not all adults. 3, 2, 1...

I agree re songwriting. No question. I like the songs, dislike the performances.

Message boards, like texts, are an imperfect communication method. You did nothing wrong and no apology necessary. I was just being a smart ass. I couldn’t give a damn what thread is what. I was thinking back to the days when people whose entire lives seemed to be VC would get riled up by such egregious behavior. Haha! That’s all.

I also was wary of The Bear due to Lip becoming annoying at the end of Shameless. I was happy to see Oliver Platt appear, adding to an already excellent cast.

Maybe this should be in a different thread, but I didn't start it... We are 4 episodes in and thoroughly enjoying The Bear. The soundtrack is excellent and apropos. Thanks again, Chuck.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/30/middleeast/iran-protests-world-cup-defeat-celebrations-intl/index.html

Iranian protesters celebrate World Cup defeat, as fears surround players’ return

There are so many shows that sound good and you cannot watch them all. The Bear did not make the cut, but I have changed my mind. It’s next in the queue. Thanks.

I totally understand your point re supporting Iran. Infantino and FIFA are disgusting and the further Iran go, the more support the protests may get. I also see the other side. Just as I do not want success in sport (or much of anything) for Russia, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, North Korea, Qatar, et al due to their vile human rights abuses and other political issues, I do not want success for their sibling nation, Iran. Until they change, of course.

As a counterpoint, this is from the BBC:

I do not like The Grateful Dead. I love some of their songs when covered by other artists. I thought that the Dead covers album with Dwight Yoakam doing Truckin’ was/is an incredible album. I saw The Dead in 1978 when I was 15. It seemed as though they played one song for 2 hours or more. Granted, I was higher than any 15 year old should have been, but I did not enjoy it, music-wise. I have a close friend who is a serious fan. We don’t talk about them! Ha! 
I can listen to studio Dead, such as American Beauty and Working Man’s Dead, but any live recordings turn me off. The entire jam thing does nothing for me. I saw the Dylan tour with Bob Weir, MMJ and Wilco (with my Dead loving pal!) If memory serves, it was just Weir and a guitar. I enjoyed it. When he joined Wilco for a Dead song or two, it was excellent. 
Basically, I usually enjoy when a band I love busts out a Dead cover. It's rarely an extended jam bore and I love it. So even though I do not like live Dead, I like when they are covered live. So I’m cool with Wilco Deading it up in concert, as long as they don’t do masturbatory noodling.