That Simon Pegg off Hot Fuzz

In my last blogpost I spoke about the need to watch Hot Fuzz immediately. 

Well, the writer and star of it, Simon Pegg, shows just how insane, but down to earth, and human he is here: 

And nearly normal;

kthanxbai! 

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The New Normal (2026)

Why yes, that’s a new movie out on 17th April that is a western! No, it’s not Yellowstone or Madison or Marshalls or Train Station related. 

Bob Odenkirk stars as Sheriff Ulysses: An interim sheriff who discovers that his quiet new town is harboring a massive criminal conspiracy. You know, as you do. 

Yes, that Bob Odenkirk, the one with multiple Golden Globe nominations for Best Actor – Television Series Drama (2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2023). That lawyer guy from Breaking Bad. 

The insane in the membrane accounting guy from Nobody (2021)

And who else? That nice young Henry Winkler as Mayor Kibner: The town’s seemingly cheerful (but potentially corrupt) mayor. He’ll be a star one day, mark my words!

You may not have noticed him, he is generally in the background, but he has credits that include:

TV Shows such as Happy Days, Macgyver, Night Shift, Arrested Development and Barry, and in movies such as Scream and The Waterboy.

But there's more; Lena Headey as Moira: A key local figure whose true allegiances are a central mystery.

Yes, Cersei is in this one. 

Yes, the leader of a drug-dealing gang and the primary villain in the 3D sci-fi action film Dredd

So, this film is directed by Ben Wheatley (Free Fire, High-Rise) and written by Derek Kolstad (the creator of John Wick), Normal is described as a neo-Western action thriller that leans heavily into "Gonzo" mayhem.

The story follows Ulysses (Bob Odenkirk), a man looking to escape a traumatic past and marital issues by taking a "provisional" job as the substitute sheriff in the tiny, sleepy town of Normal, Minnesota.

The quiet life ends abruptly when an out-of-town couple attempts a botched bank robbery. When Ulysses steps in to negotiate, he quickly realizes the town isn’t just eccentric—it’s entirely corrupt. His own deputies turn their guns on him, revealing that the local law enforcement is actually a front for a massive criminal operation involving the Yakuza. Again, as is always the case. 

Critics have described it as a mix between Hot Fuzz and a dark Western. It features a heavy dose of black humor, particularly in how the seemingly "normal" shopkeepers and neighbors Ulysses met earlier in the film turn out to be cold-blooded killers.

Oh, and if you haven’t watched Hot Fuzz yet;

    Go. 

        Now. 

            Watch it. 

kthanxbai! 

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Darkness in the Light

Now that the Israeli hostages have all been returned. 

Now that Hamas have admitted that over 20k of the dead were actually their own fighters. 

And now that the world has seen just how promoted, subsidized and manipulated the pro-Hamas protests were, well, we can all smile at this music.

H/T @hillelfuld 

kthanxbai! 

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Foolproof Ways To Avoid Getting Deported

That most humble of publications, The Babylon Bee (fake news you can trust), has come up with a unique and informative series of points to follow if you do not want to be deported;

kthanxbai! 

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And theres more

This film looks fun. And you know who is in it? 

I have no idea. Nor do I care, because the trailer is awesome. 

And if you haven't seen Mr Inbetween, a truly brilliant comedy/drama that everyone should watch at least once in their lifetime.

Not a trailer, but a very nice scene. And as it says, possibly the best scene in this brilliant series. 

kthanxbai! 

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Shouting into the abyss

2 films I know I'm going to be watching this year:

 

because, you know, its Jason Statham and F1, because, Guenther, of course. 

If you don't see a clip below, its because F1 is still kicking around in the 2010s when it comes to sharing. #theydontliketo

 And Brad Pitt.

So here is also Thunderbolts, which looks good as well

kthanxbai! 

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Communication is Key

Communication is key in any relationship
byu/Ataiy inUnexpected

kthanxbai!

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When Fantasy is Less Than Reality

Yes it has been a while. But this ight just be worth it.

Can't see the enemy (audio warning at the end)
byu/tr4ff47 inUnexpected

kthanxbai! 

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A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed

Hey America, 

Dr. Phil says you should wake up. 

kthanxbai! Jumblerant

Deep and meaningful

This guy seems to know what he is talking about, and actually presents it very well too. 

BTW, never ask someone if they are an AI - the AI will always deny it. 

Impressive view.
by u/uppityscissors3219 in BeAmazed

kthanxbai! 

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The Ark TV Show

The Ark is an interesting television show.

In a similar way that the Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009) remake was kind of rough around the edges, with great acting from some (Katee Sackhoff, James Callis, Tricia Helfer, and Mary McDonell) and some ‘could do better’ acting from others, The Ark has a great plot line, some good characters, but I do feel that with a sneeze or light breeze in the wrong direction, some of the set might fall down. 

The plot is simple enough - in the future, the Earth is on fire, so humans have to fly to and settle on other planets to survive. simple enough so far.

In a similar way to the great quote, the journey is more important than the destination. 

Their spaceship runs into some trouble, unlikely leaders evolve from this, and we see the rest of the journey through their eyes. 

It is also similar to Star Trek insofar as you do not want to be a redshirt. Ever. 

I am definitely going to watch where this goes, as the possibilities are great, although it is very brave to bring such a low-budget TV show to today’s world of AI-generated imagery.

Good luck and happy watching!

kthanxbai! 

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Shakin' Stevens - It All Comes Round

Shakin Stevens, the man, the legend, has a new album - Re-Set. 

And it is good.

Like Their Amazingness that are Sir Tom Jones, Dame Shirley Bassey, Bonnie Tyler, and Charlotte Church, he is from Wales! 

A little-known fact is that he was the UK's biggest-selling singles artist of the 1980s. His recording and performing career began in the late 1960s, although it was not until 1980 that his commercial success began.

So he's back, and at 75, launched yet another album. 

Good on ya Shaky and good luck! 

kthanxbai! 

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Ada Blue: The Rising Star in the UK Music Scene

Have you ever heard of Ada Blue? No? Well now you have.

Ada Blue joins the long list of top musicians from the UK music scene who have come out on top. With her deep voice and original lyrics, UK-based singer-songwriter Ada Blue has been making waves in the business.

The sound of Ada Blue is a combination of indie-pop, folk, and soul. She has a distinctive style of conveying her thoughts and emotions through her music, and many of her songs are contemplative. Her voice has a soulful quality and depth that captivates and holds the listener's attention.

One of the things that sets Ada Blue apart from other artists is her songwriting ability. She has a gift for storytelling, and her lyrics are poetic, honest, and relatable. Her songs deal with themes like love, heartbreak, and self-discovery, and they are all written from a personal perspective. Her writing process involves creating a melody first and then adding lyrics to it. She finds inspiration from her personal life and the world around her, and it shows in her music.

kthanxbai! 

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Miley Cyrus, Oh Yeah!

As you are no doubt aware, I do love listening to a bit of Miley. It's pop music but with a bite. Her latest single is Flowers. Sounds simple enough, but it's just a rip into her ex-husband and how he was such a fool. 

The song basically refutes, in verse, the song that he allegedly played for her often, When I Was Your Man by Bruno Mars. 

So imagine my delight when my favorite indie band, Pomplamoose, did a mashup of the 2!! Perfecto. And it really is very good. 

I like to think that the somewhat arrogant and overbearing organ and guitar at the end is just the band reiterating just what Miley thinks of her ex. 

I mean, Pomplamoose has done some awesome music 

And my favorite is with the amazingly talented Dodie 

And yes, I have written about Pomplamoose before;

Suit & Tie 

Angry Birds & Pomplamoose

And back in 2009 - Put your ears back and listen 

kthanxbai! 

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Poker Face - Pretty Darned Good Actually

Poker Face is a new weekly drama/ black comedy that starts off really well and continues to surprise and entertain week by week. 

The premise is that the star, Charlie, has an uncanny ability to tell whenever someone is lying. So I was expecting it to be something similar to the A-Team wherein ''if no one else can help you...'' but it isn't the case.

She's driving through the beautiful USA finding odd jobs here and there and meets characters played by awesome actors.  

Natasha Lyonne is the star

Benjamin Bratt is her adversary

But do you know who else is in the cast? Nick Nolte. Ellen Barkin.  Joseph Gordon-Levitt

 Chloe Sevigny. Adrien Brody. Simon Helberg. John Ratzenberger.

I recommend you watch the show.

#yourwelcome #pokerface #frickinawesometvshow

kthanxbai! 

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Help Ukraine Refugees

I'm a middle-aged (ahem), happily married father of 3.

What I see happening in Ukraine makes me mad, but what can I do? 

Well, a friend of mine, who runs historic tours in Eastern Europe, dropped everything and began helping instead.

** Donate to this worthy cause at the JRoots website **

Currently, they are on the ground in Poland working on helping refugees. Amongst other things, they are working on securing hotel rooms for the next month and supplying kosher food to refugees. They are working hand in hand with the Krakow JCC who will be assigning the rooms as people arrive.

They are also helping the Jewish community in Lviv, including sending them generators so that they can keep the electricity and heating on even during the regular power cuts.

They are also sending the Lviv community blankets, bedding, and sanitary products. 

As my friend Zvi stated in a WhatsApp post:

Back at the refugee center in Krakow we found the team of volunteers in a giant human chain of box throwing loading a double-decker bus until there were no seats left. I loaded the top deck together with three young men who had fled Ukraine on the first day of the invasion. 

 

They are all helping those who have escaped but are constantly worried about their families who can't get out. 

 

 

Everyone you speak to here from Ukraine will tell you about their family members still there. There is no peace of mind for those who have managed to get across the border, just the constant worry about what's next and the worry about those left behind.

 

To make a donation to this worthy cause, please follow this link to the JRoots website.

kthanxbai! 

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We Need To Talk About Cosby

I've just finished watching the amazing documentary 'We Need To Talk About Cosby'.

I'm not black, I'm not American and I am not female. Watching this, though, really brought home to me how much of an animal he was. 

And Epstein.

And Weinstein.

And Louis CK.

And Kevin Spacey.

What's horrific is that I just found myself googling 'Hollywood rapist'. That shouldn't be a thing either. 

Watch We Need To Talk About Cosby, an exceptionally powerful and relatable documentary.

Excuse me whilst I go and dip myself in a bath of alcogel to get rid of the disgust and slime I feel about all of these 'men'.

kthanxbai! 

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Bill Cosby sexual assault cases

Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse cases and here you can find details of the over 100 women who said they had been sexually harassed or assaulted by Weinstein. Also the 20 women he raped.

Exercise Made Me Vomit Until..

I've recently gotten back into serious exercise. For me, that means 30-45 minutes on an elliptical machine once or twice a day. 

The elliptical I chose is the NordicTrack SE3i. It is surprisingly rugged and takes a beating from my 'low center of gravity' profile.

I have to find the time between work, the kids, and general life and that means that more than once I've had my supper - and then been told that it is my turn on the machine! 

Each session on my elliptical is now up to 45 minutes so I'm trying to find good things to watch on Netflix. And there really is a lot of crappy TV out there! 

Anyhoo, just this evening I had my simple supper and was ready to sit in front of the computer for a few hours when I was informed that it was my turn to exercise. Awesome!

Then I remembered that I had just eaten and I had flashbacks to 'vomit runs' in my past. Not good. By ten minutes in I was feeling nauseous. I slowed down my pace and then decided to watch something more interesting to take my mind off things. 

Ultimate Beast Master was my savior. It is a reality series with mildly insane presenters but top-rate athletes who try and take on an ever-changing assault course. 

And just like that, my nausea left.

kthanxbai! 

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TV Shows That Are, 'Slightly Different', But Worth Watching Anyway

So last time I wrote about Netflix shows to watch. Now its HBO shows that are, how do I say it? "Easy to write about"?

Landscapers

Starring Olivia Colman and David Thewlis.- need I say more? We know it is going to be amazing already. It's a dark comedy, crime, romance. with interesting twists and turns, both in the script, and in the production. 

Landscapers tells a unique love story involving a seemingly ordinary British couple who are actually swept up in a fusion of love, murder, betrayal, and Gerard Depardieu.

 5/5 would recommend

Will Smith’s ‘Best Shape Of My Life’ 

Will Smith? Love the guy. Funny, interesting, 'real', and now he is trying to get rid of his Dad bod. Awesome. In fact - ME TOO! However, I don't have unlimited resources or a trainer, psychologist, and cook on hand. I know, crazy eh?

So how is this classified as interesting? Because with all of his money and ability and pressure from society, he still fails. 

Losing 20lbs in 20 weeks? Easy as pie..

Yes, I will be watching this show.

Read this article about the show too, it has some very interesting ideas about what Will could have and should have done differently. 

Celebrity Substitute 

This isn't a new show, but one I just found. The show is for kids with virtual learning classes who are getting bored of their teachers. Instead of their normal teacher presenting the class, it's a celebrity! 

Ken Jeong explains Your Guts

Karlie Kloss Explains How Computers Work

Terry Crews appears as well, but watch it to find out why!

kthanxbai! 

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Netflix: What to Watch, January 2022

I've had a lot of time to watch TV recently. We don't have cable, just Netflix and other online channels. 

Netflix is my favorite by a long way, they just have the better shows.

So, what to watch right now:

After Life. Ricky Gervais, the genius BUT there is an amazing supporting cast, they even outshine Ricky at many points.

It's hard to explain, but I laugh, and I cry, and then I laugh again. Watch it.

Tiger King: The Doc Antle Story.

You thought that Joe Exotic was more bonkers than a Tasmanian devil on steroids? Just you wait until you see behind the craziness that is Doc Antle. 

Narcos Mexico

This isn't just another rehash of the original, Colombian-based Narcos, but the story of the fights within the Mexican cartel, as well as their downfall. 

Each season has a different perspective, that interweaves, and don't be surprised when old friends from the original Narcos turn up. 

So go off and watch these awesome Netflix shows.

kthanxbai! 

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