Been binge watching this new series on FX: The Bridge. It takes place in Juarez and El Paso and focuses on a serial killer who is working both sides of the border. Not just any serial killer, but a super smart one with mad tech skills and a message about immigration or some such thing. The first murder victim is left on the bridge crossing between the US and Mexico and it turns out to be actually two victims; the upper half of the body is a white female US judge; the lower half of the body is a Mexican whore.
Lot of side stories going on--maybe too many--but it’s nicely done so far with oddball characters and intricate plotting.
A lot of the filming was done in nearby Simi Valley up at Hummingbird Nest Ranch.
Werent you suppose to come out to Cali for work this summer?
That particular customer hasn’t gotten off their dime yet…I suspect they’ll be in a big ol’ hurry after the first rain, when people start yelling at them. š
Aside from folks in SoCal being really nervous about spending whatever money they have (or must borrow) on major roofing projects until absolutely necessary, there’s also the issue of property taxes. Such capital improvements significantly affect the property value (especially on large commercial properties), so their taxes also go up.
Nothing like providing a perverse incentive to not take care of property.
================
Your brief description of “The Bridge” actually makes it sound sort of interesting to me.
A lot of the filming was done in nearby Simi Valley up at Hummingbird Nest Ranch.
It’s worth watching. There’s a scene in one of the later episodes where I can see where our house up in the hills is through a car’s window.
Who knew that Simi Valley looked much like Juarez?
I had to look this one up: the white female lead detective is suppose to have Asperger syndrome which is why she’s so odd…although well worth meeting in a bar.
Happy Caturday, Gerbil Nation!
As Sven said, it’s hot and humid. It never really cooled down last night and there is no breeze this morning. Reminds me of other places I’ve lived.
After our almost-worthless expository reading/writing class yesterday, we had lunch at the Knights of Pythias hall in old town. The hall sits above some shops and has no air conditioning. With all the windows open and four large fans going, it was sweltering. We were assigned to teams (that we’ll be on for competitions throughout the year) and given our first task -- create a multi-media presentation on how to teach one of the new Common Core English standards -- due in two hours. This is supposed to be a team-building exercise. We were told we could go anywhere, take pictures, make videos, etc. Since internet access was needed, everyone got up and drove back to the air-conditioned comfort of school. Why we didn’t just have lunch at school, outside on the plaza, I’ll never know. It would have been cooler. So we spent a couple of hours creating a wiki page with links, resources, and tutorials and called it quits.
Oh, I forgot to mention. These projects will be judged by the administration and we’ll be given points. Each quarter there will be prizes for the team with the most points. I’m so looking forward to more tasks like the one we were given yesterday.
With all the windows open and four large fans going, it was sweltering.
Were stoontzā¢ subjected to those same conditions in a classroom, some tool would be running their yap about how Teh Chiiildrenā¢ cannot possibly be expected to learn under such harsh, brutal conditions. Why, that’s just one step away from being a combination of the Trail of Tears and Bataan Death March!
We were assigned to teams (that weāll be on for competitions throughout the year) and given our first task — create a multi-media presentation on how to teach one of the new Common Core English standards — due in two hours.
I suppose recommending the use of a ruler across stoontz’ knuckles repeatedly until they get it right would have been deemed “unacceptable”. (I wonder how many tens-of-thousands of dollars the district paid to some crony’s company for this idiotic “team-building” BS.)
How badly do your “teammates” suck, Paddy?
Why we didnāt just have lunch at school, outside on the plaza, Iāll never know.
That would have required a) forethought, b) thrift and, c) common sense.
Each quarter there will be prizes for the team with the most points. Iām so looking forward to more tasks like the one we were given yesterday.
Have you thought about gaming the system by simply regurgitating the current (no doubt moronic and unproven) “cutting edge” academic theories -- and buzz-phrases -- right back at them? š
No, I hadn’t thought about the regurgitation angle, Fatwa, but one of my teammates remarked, “You know, I really don’t care if we win, let’s just get this done.” I kind of like that attitude. I think we may try to get through this exercise (meaning the entire, year-long competition) with as little effort as possible.
How badly do your āteammatesā suck, Paddy?
Three of my teammates weren’t even there (various, legitimate reasons), but of the others, they are good people.
Obama found an out. He really wants to do something, but he’ll leave it up to Congress to sign up to it. So when Congress says no, he’ll be able to blame Rush Limbaugh and those nasty Tea Party types who don’t care about the 426 children Assad killed.
So we as Americans feel we can bomb countries that don’t attack or threaten us because we disapprove of the way they treat their citizens, unless they have nukes to defend themselves or are protected by countries with nukes? That does not sound like the America I grew up in.
It doesnt sound like the America I grew up in either, Mac, nor the one I learned about in school and studied about on my own. But this latest national conversation will be either you think dead children are OK or you don’t.
When Obama and his sycophants go on about how the world won’t tolerate a regime that uses chemical weapons against its own people, my mind went back to the last day of the Waco siege cuz we didnt have any problem using them then on our own citizens. Of course, that was different.
What I’d like to know is how did the State Dept determine that 426 children were among the 1429 Syrians killed last week? Those numbers bother me; we don’t even know for sure exactly how many were killed on 9/11/01 in our own country. But we know in Syria that it wasnt ‘around 400’ or ‘over 400’ or ‘several hundred’ we know exactly how many were killed: 426. I smell bullshit which makes me question the whole thing.
Something else that Obama said today is his speech: “But having made my decision as Commander-in-Chief based on what I am convinced is our national security interests, I’m also mindful that I’m the President of the world’s oldest constitutional democracy.”
I’ve never heard (but I do live a sheltered life) America referred to as ‘constitutional democracy’. Republic, yes. Constitutional republic, yes.
All of California’s gun control bills except one made it out of committee and to either the house or the senate last week. This year’s legislative session ends Sept 13 and I expect most of them to pass and go on to Gov Brown’s desk for signature.
First! And from hot and muggy SoCal.
Second! From hot and muggy Larryville.
I hope that K8-E’s enjoying this weather for me. š
Hey Fatwa! Werent you suppose to come out to Cali for work this summer?
Been binge watching this new series on FX: The Bridge. It takes place in Juarez and El Paso and focuses on a serial killer who is working both sides of the border. Not just any serial killer, but a super smart one with mad tech skills and a message about immigration or some such thing. The first murder victim is left on the bridge crossing between the US and Mexico and it turns out to be actually two victims; the upper half of the body is a white female US judge; the lower half of the body is a Mexican whore.
Lot of side stories going on--maybe too many--but it’s nicely done so far with oddball characters and intricate plotting.
A lot of the filming was done in nearby Simi Valley up at Hummingbird Nest Ranch.
That particular customer hasn’t gotten off their dime yet…I suspect they’ll be in a big ol’ hurry after the first rain, when people start yelling at them. š
Aside from folks in SoCal being really nervous about spending whatever money they have (or must borrow) on major roofing projects until absolutely necessary, there’s also the issue of property taxes. Such capital improvements significantly affect the property value (especially on large commercial properties), so their taxes also go up.
Nothing like providing a perverse incentive to not take care of property.
Your brief description of “The Bridge” actually makes it sound sort of interesting to me.
Was the Spahn Ranch unavailable? š
Heh.
It’s worth watching. There’s a scene in one of the later episodes where I can see where our house up in the hills is through a car’s window.
Who knew that Simi Valley looked much like Juarez?
I had to look this one up: the white female lead detective is suppose to have Asperger syndrome which is why she’s so odd…although well worth meeting in a bar.
Happy Caturday, Gerbil Nation!
As Sven said, it’s hot and humid. It never really cooled down last night and there is no breeze this morning. Reminds me of other places I’ve lived.
After our almost-worthless expository reading/writing class yesterday, we had lunch at the Knights of Pythias hall in old town. The hall sits above some shops and has no air conditioning. With all the windows open and four large fans going, it was sweltering. We were assigned to teams (that we’ll be on for competitions throughout the year) and given our first task -- create a multi-media presentation on how to teach one of the new Common Core English standards -- due in two hours. This is supposed to be a team-building exercise. We were told we could go anywhere, take pictures, make videos, etc. Since internet access was needed, everyone got up and drove back to the air-conditioned comfort of school. Why we didn’t just have lunch at school, outside on the plaza, I’ll never know. It would have been cooler. So we spent a couple of hours creating a wiki page with links, resources, and tutorials and called it quits.
Oh, I forgot to mention. These projects will be judged by the administration and we’ll be given points. Each quarter there will be prizes for the team with the most points. I’m so looking forward to more tasks like the one we were given yesterday.
Were stoontzā¢ subjected to those same conditions in a classroom, some tool would be running their yap about how Teh Chiiildrenā¢ cannot possibly be expected to learn under such harsh, brutal conditions. Why, that’s just one step away from being a combination of the Trail of Tears and Bataan Death March!
I suppose recommending the use of a ruler across stoontz’ knuckles repeatedly until they get it right would have been deemed “unacceptable”. (I wonder how many tens-of-thousands of dollars the district paid to some crony’s company for this idiotic “team-building” BS.)
How badly do your “teammates” suck, Paddy?
That would have required a) forethought, b) thrift and, c) common sense.
Have you thought about gaming the system by simply regurgitating the current (no doubt moronic and unproven) “cutting edge” academic theories -- and buzz-phrases -- right back at them? š
No, I hadn’t thought about the regurgitation angle, Fatwa, but one of my teammates remarked, “You know, I really don’t care if we win, let’s just get this done.” I kind of like that attitude. I think we may try to get through this exercise (meaning the entire, year-long competition) with as little effort as possible.
Three of my teammates weren’t even there (various, legitimate reasons), but of the others, they are good people.
That’s really great; sounds like the one you quoted is fairly no-nonsense (and/or not buying-in to teh “happy horseshit”).
Obama found an out. He really wants to do something, but he’ll leave it up to Congress to sign up to it. So when Congress says no, he’ll be able to blame Rush Limbaugh and those nasty Tea Party types who don’t care about the 426 children Assad killed.
I hate this guy.
Criminy.
Too bad Weepy Boner and the rest of the GOP leadership are such pusillanimous crap-weasels that Obama would likely get away with such a maneuver.
Leaving the putative “Tea Party” Republicans (all three or four of them) to be blamed for whatever disaster results.
I rather agree with Palin’s “let Allah sort it out” attitude at this point; fuck ’em.
So we as Americans feel we can bomb countries that don’t attack or threaten us because we disapprove of the way they treat their citizens, unless they have nukes to defend themselves or are protected by countries with nukes? That does not sound like the America I grew up in.
It doesnt sound like the America I grew up in either, Mac, nor the one I learned about in school and studied about on my own. But this latest national conversation will be either you think dead children are OK or you don’t.
When Obama and his sycophants go on about how the world won’t tolerate a regime that uses chemical weapons against its own people, my mind went back to the last day of the Waco siege cuz we didnt have any problem using them then on our own citizens. Of course, that was different.
What I’d like to know is how did the State Dept determine that 426 children were among the 1429 Syrians killed last week? Those numbers bother me; we don’t even know for sure exactly how many were killed on 9/11/01 in our own country. But we know in Syria that it wasnt ‘around 400’ or ‘over 400’ or ‘several hundred’ we know exactly how many were killed: 426. I smell bullshit which makes me question the whole thing.
Something else that Obama said today is his speech: “But having made my decision as Commander-in-Chief based on what I am convinced is our national security interests, I’m also mindful that I’m the President of the world’s oldest constitutional democracy.”
I’ve never heard (but I do live a sheltered life) America referred to as ‘constitutional democracy’. Republic, yes. Constitutional republic, yes.
All of California’s gun control bills except one made it out of committee and to either the house or the senate last week. This year’s legislative session ends Sept 13 and I expect most of them to pass and go on to Gov Brown’s desk for signature.
We are so f*****