Grateful Dead

Also a fantastic show, also a story of Jimmy's evolution into Saul, step by step choice by choice. I would argue that as Saul has progressed Jimmy has become more true to his own inner self, but I am a season behind - I watch things on disc. And yes, Jim, that is a great scene with Ken getting duped in the bar by "Viktor" and "Giselle". Did you remember that Ken was in Breaking Bad? He was the obnoxious dude on his bluetooth in line in front of Walt at the bank, and later when Walt encountered him at the gas station, I think driving a BMW with a "KENWINS" license plate, Walt makes a few adjustments and sets his car on fire. Also, that bar scene turned me on to The Supreme Beings of Leisure, their tune Golddigger was playing in the background in the bar at some point as a I recall. Catchy tune and once I saw the band name I was intrigued. Who wouldn't like being a Supreme Being of Leisure, right? Different but sort of smooth and cool stuff. But I digress...

What Charlie said. Amazing recap, good job.

I was working late one night channel surfing just to have some ambient noise and I happened to dial into the beginning of the very first episode. That's all it took, I was hooked and watched it whenever I could until it ended. I recently got (almost) caught up on Better Call Saul and am just starting the new season, I enjoy it too.. not quite as dark and more whimsical. Educational too, for example, never make a bet or initiate a financial commitment to someone you have never met while getting drunk at bar. Just sayin'

I somewhat recently discovered Silicon Valley, which recently ended.. but that's quite funny and makes for good binge watching. If you like dark humor, Barry is good.. if you don't mind mocking mega rich televangelists, the Righteous Gemstones is out there and really funny. I recently got into Narcos Mexico on Netflix. If you were around that year Mexican weed suddenly got really, really good.. it does a great job of telling explaining how that came to be and who was responsible. I am just getting to the El Chapo part in season 2. Tunnels.. crafty smuggler.. they just found a big one and $30M in drugs yesterday, bet chapo is rolling over in his 8X10 prison cell thinking about it.

That's all I got. Oh.. and man, that June 76 box is a great way to soften the stay at home blues.

The story is at it's core a tale of Walt's evolution. The cancer and need to make money to leave for his family was not the plot, but a triggering event to allow the plot to proceed, i.e to start Walt on his evolution from downtrodden schmuck to a man recognized far and wide for his genius as a chemist and awe inspiring power.

At the start of the story we see Walt treated as a schmuck by his brother in law at his 50th birthday party, with Hank mocking his perception of the weight of the gun and giving a sense of his perception of Walt as somehow lesser than. We see his wife Skylar feeling like she is giving Walt a great birthday gift as she absent-mindedly gives him a handjob as she tracks her ebay auction. We learn that Walt's chemistry genius was instrumental in the formation of an immensely profitable company, but that Walt does not seem to get credit or reward for this, having left the company early after it's founding due to personal issues with the other founding members. In short, Walt appears to be a schmuck and treated as such by those around him. As the story progresses we see Walt make innumerable moral choices as the story progresses - killing in self defense, killing in defense of Jesse, not intervening to save Jane...the list goes on and each decision has moral consequences. In his actions to provide financial security for his family, Walt discovers his true self and begins to be true to himself, often without regard for the consequences to others.

We see this evolution start early on when Walt deals with Tuco. We see it when Walt begins to take pride in his product instead of just seeing it as a means to an end. We see it when Walt spots the tweakers buying everything for a cook at a single store - inside the store Walt offers tips about spreading out the purchases and then we see him reach a realization of some sort and he confronts the tweakers in the parking lot and threatens them and informs them that they are on his territory. We see Walt gain the recognition as a genius chemist that he always felt was his due, but which had previously eluded him. We see that this credit is so important to Walt that when Hank believes that Gale was Heisenberg Walt can not help but suggest to Hank that Gale was a mere lab tech, not the chemist responsible for the production of the blue meth, even though it puts Walt at greater risk of discovery. We see Walt become Walt. We see it when he tells Skylar "I am the one who knocks." He knows he has done evil things as evidenced when he tells Jesse "All the people we've killed - Gale and the rest? If you believe there's a hell- I don't know if you're into that, but we're - we're already pretty much going there, right? But I'm not going to lie down until I get there", but he is clear that he will continue to be true to himself. Ultimately Walt returns to New Mexico and rescues Jesse due to his anger that someone else is manufacturing his product.

This whole show is a brilliant morality tale with the evolution of Walt serving as the vehicle, each step of the story placing Walt in a position where he is forced to make ever more significant moral choices. And each step of the way Walt becomes more Walt. His evolution is the story.

My wife and I were constantly told to watch it, so we finally started it a few years ago, but were surprised to see that there are 62 episodes. We thought, "Sounds like a great concept for fifteen hours of t.v.," but we couldn't imagine being interested past that. We were enthralled by it for . . . about fifteen episodes or so, and then the initial plot is kind of played out. We watched a few more, but [spoiler alert!!] once Walt's cancer was gone and he had $1M, we weren't sure why we would keep watching.

Should we be going back and trying to get through the forty episodes we didn't watch?

Buffy the Vampire Slayer--so good. After that try Veronica Mars and Firefly, if you haven't already seen those.

If you want to get a great telling of the Russian Revolution check out Trotsky's: History of the Russian Revolution.

It's a tome, but gives an insider's view (obviously) about what went down, written by the man himself. It doesn't get into a lot (if any?) of his personal history; an autobiography about being murdered with an ice axe in Mexico City would be a tough feat to pull off. But if you're into the politics and the feeling of being in Russia around 1917 you cant beat it.

Very interesting, had no idea this footage existed...below is the full set of "The Blues Brothers" opening this epic NYE celebration. Every once in a while you can even the "Steal your face logo" hidden behind the band.

I believe the tour was quite short, basically going right from SNL Skit, to a nine-night run at Universal Amphitheater, CA opening for Steve Martin (remember the Let's Get Small album?) then back to SNL later in the year for another skit, then off to the Closing of Winterland show!! Akroyd and Belushi must have had a ton of confidence in their new band to step up to open for the Dead, and The New Riders.....

--"With the help of pianist-arranger Paul Shaffer, Belushi and Aykroyd started assembling a collection of studio talents to form their own band. These included SNL band members saxophonist "Blue" Lou Marini and trombonist-saxophonist Tom Malone, who had previously played in Blood, Sweat & Tears. At Shaffer's suggestion guitarist Steve Cropper and bassist Donald "Duck" Dunn, the powerhouse combo from Booker T and the M.G.'s and subsequently almost every hit out of Memphis' Stax Records during the 1960s, were signed as well. Belushi wanted a powerful trumpet player and a hot blues guitarist, so Juilliard-trained trumpeter Alan Rubin was brought in, as was guitarist Matt "Guitar" Murphy, who had performed with many blues legends."

There is some really good shit here....Matt "Guitar" Murphy just killing it....and don't forget, "They're on a mission from God"...........Enjoy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTpiL_Leg-Q&t=511s

For me, I choose Saul over BBad because I was about to give up on BBad when the episode Better Call Saul happened. Bob Odenkirk burst onto the show and added a comedic element that was absent and made the show far too dark. And I like dark shows. Walt and Jesse both annoy me, Walt because he always chooses the wrong choice, Jesse because his character is annoying for 5 seasons. But Saul and Mike and Gus Fring really shook the whole show up for me. And Better Call Saul has been extremely surprising as it goes along, this season, his ride with Nacho to see Lalo turned the entire premise upside down, because events brought Saul down, not his inner character.

The Wire, I think, is the greatest show ever made. I loved season 2, season 5 was my least favorite. I felt that went a little far, especially McNulty. Somehow Better Call Saul and The Wire have combined for 0 Emmys. Some of the greatest acting and writing on the small screen. Also, the black comedy of The Wire is just gold. Like the scene where Jimmy and Bunk survey a murder scene, and the only word they say throughout the scene is variations of "Fuck". Nice to see love for The Wire here, and really anywhere.

Last 5 watched: Trotsky a Netflix docuseries in Russian that was very enlightening and now I wanna read a bio of him to get an idea of how true it was. Amazing life.

Undone an amazing animated series on Amazon featuring Bob Odenkirk as a time traveling dead father who may or may not be a figment of his schizophrenic daughter's imagination. Very trippy, and makes you think.

Jacob from the TNT Bible Stories DVD collection, they came on 25 years ago, starring big actors, this one was okay. Matthew Modine as Jacob, Sean Bean as My Brother Esau.

Abraham also from that series, starring Richard Harris and Barbara Hershey, Richard Harris overacts a bit, but he always did a little bit. Ben Kingsley as Moses is on the horizon once the wife and I watch Joseph which features Kingsley as Pharoah.

Kidding first season, Jim Carr's Showtime show where he plays a Mr Rogers type of character with pent up rage issues and is unraveling following the death of one of his twin sons. Catherine Keener, Frank Langella, and Judy Greer co-star. This was really funny and very different.

LEDED, thanks for indirectly turning me on to Roy. Just downloaded his 20th Century Masters: The Millennium Collection and it's blowing me back.

Hi stiilwaters
you stand in the bus, but to sit you do need Dpicks33, or DPicks20;
DPicks is a gem from early 73.Friendly.

it seems like in the movie with bill Murray just another day like the one before...
I am surprised nobody mention my favourite one "True detectives" .
Today searching in the bag of blues with:
Peter Green -Hot food powder
Best of Johnny Winter
Sessions for Robert J Eric Clapton
Michael Bloomfield If you love these blues play'em as you please
john Mayall jazz blues fusion
this morning I check the Dark star from wembley (E72) highly recommanded.
my box is flying over the pound & I am still optimistic for the end of the week.
Take care and stay safe.