I know — I’m late to this party but if you have the traditional Star Wars background and you suddenly gain full access to Andor… just do it! It’s likely in the top ten of all televisions series by itself, but when you top it off with Rogue One… it’s sublime. True art in its finest manifestation! The pairing is simply breathtaking.

I saw Rogue One in the theaters and clocked it as the finest of all the Star Wars movies — and to rewatch it after Andor and ten years… just one of the finest media viewing experiences of my life.

And Rogue One experts: is the director of Rogue One directly referencing Blue Velvet’s Frank when Sol Guerrero hits his gas?? How did I not notice this the first time. It’s amazing — and like Frank, the gas makes him crazy. It’s too close not to be intentional. Anyway… forgive me — I’m having a media high. Just want to share that! Go… do this… and may the force be with you.

Proud moment for me:

I made it through the second of 8 absolutely delightful, engaging, and extremely PLEASURABLE novels in a series about a topic I love.

But the first book ended POORLY... because they knew that fans like me would be the second. It’s like it LITERALLY had zero ending. Meaning there was this absurd violation of novelistic structure.

And the second cemented my creeping suspicion that this all... all all all... was trifling crap. It’s like porn for people who like fast talking smart alecks, snide, sarcastic, and battle after battle after battle.

One amazingly engaging battle after another. So enjoyable. Exactly what I love.

Except that there's zero heart, soul, message... oh... it takes a head nod in the direction of what is noble and how should people behave...

But at the end of the day...

Lovely useless battles of stupid.

So... I did not buy the third.

I'm done.

Victory.

I’m not going to mention the name of the series because I don’t want to get into it with fans who are fine reading the same book 8 times: Hero and partner in exotic setting fight stuff until they live or die.

That’s the book.

Sirens of Titan made me weep for three hours. This is what I expect a novel to do. Moby Dick changed the way I examine culture and society. Emma taught me to be expect the unexpected. Valuable books do valuable work. Entertaining books entertain. I get it. I consider the elevation of my human experience more valuable than being entertained for five hours. Thoughts?

Heres a new one: Crime 101 is a 2026 crime thriller film starring Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan, and Halle Berry. It is written and directed by Bart Layton, based on the 2020 novella of the same name by Don Winslow.

Big stars! How weird this has disappeared.

I haven’t read the plot so no spoilers, but I’m thinking it’s possible that there might be culturally or politically unsettling elements in this film. Remember: IDIOCRACY predicted our NOW and it was disappeared. ANNIVERSARY is our NOW and it was disappeared.

Crime 101 was released in January and I literally have never heard of it despite a great cast. What’s going on? Disappeared to protect the guilty?

I doubt many here have seen this show, linked here. I’ve been watching from season 1 and now that I am on season 9 I realize what an eternal treasure it is. Imagine a show being made on the 90s that recreates the thirties with extreme perfection. ZERO cgi. Just pure humor and mystery and joy.

But trains cars and planes from the 30s.

Great characters and timeless mysteries.

I guess I’d like to know what series you believe people might stumble upon after it’s quite old and still fall as in love with it as folks might have during its first run. This is one of those. It simply cannot age because it is a perfect period piece.

My wife and I watched this movie last night and we were speechless for twenty minutes. It’s breathtaking. The biggest question that came to my mind was this: How had I never heard of it.

I dare say this is by design. You can check the Wiki page on it’s production for more on this.

But more important: watch it. Start to finish. Start spreading it. I can’t think of anything more important than simply spreading this movie right now. For supporters of Bernie… it’s a slam dunk jaw dropper. But for MAGAs it’s a mirror. And that’s the most beautiful element.

I have no one to talk to about this movie, besides my wife, so please, if you have seen it, chime in.

Oh… you don’t need the text. Even if you are one of these folks who never holds the door for others, you know why I have chosen Unpopular Opinion for this. And if you are a person who does hold the door, you have had the door dropped in your face enough to know this is an unpopular opinion.

Yes, I was taught to always hold the door. I will hold the door for you if you are even ten, twelve or fifteen feet back. It is polite to hustle a little if you are at that fifteen foot extreme.

I like a little courtesy in our world. I like the brief hello with a complete stranger that accompanies most of these events.

It’s just a nice thing to do. It’s polite.

To the several people who dropped the door in my face today… try holding it. You won’t make a friend, but you will feel like you did something kind for a stranger.

Help. I need to know. If this is slip: why? If not, how?

I like being alone.

Guess it’s all in the subject. I’ve found some implementations of AI practical but it’s always asking for more data more everything. Just curious about how others use AI as carefully as possible.