List of Things - 2024

 • The passed two years haven't helped me to readers who leave me comments telling me they at least read my blog. That's okay, tho it hurts... editions in red...blogger gives now the possibility to check how many times your blog has been read. It seems people do find my blog, but don't leave comments. Gee thnx people! Or they still don't bother to read it. Turns out, most of the visit counts come from bots using my blog to only further their own advertizing. Bots have lots interest since I don’t post all that often anymore. Might increase again. Nope, no more readers. Which is a good thing since I hardly ever write a post these days. Readers? What are those? Can I eat it? Who cares about readers? Who cares about readable texts!? Since I hardly ever write blogs anymore, checking reader count is pointless, unlike this list...I mean it doesn't service any goal but to amuse myself, but it has points, doesn't it? The only point about this list of points is 'Tradition'....a pointless tradition, but a tradition all the same.

• My computer is not ready to log on to the rkop-chatbox...still not after two years, but who cares..I don't at least...I hardly ever visit RKOP these days and I forgot what chatting is (j/k) What's RKOP? (j/k) What’s a computer? (j/k) Huh, what!? RKOP? What is that? Can I eat it? Chatting? What is that? Can I eat it? Oh no wait, I know what chatting is. We started a group chat on Google's hangout, Citizens for Boysenberry Jam. I'm a citizen....for boysenberry jam...apparently. I'm still a citizen. I'm also a Time Team fan on facebook now. I don't understand facebook. I hardly use any social media these days. I'm still a Citizen for Boysenberry Jam though. I like other jams too, but hardly ever buy them. Not much changed here. Very little chatting, even less jam.

• The new sound boxes I bought...SUCK! With a Capital SUCK and an exclamation mark...still do...still do, but I bought new ones which make me happy...The sucky sound boxes are now near the end of their lives; one has already given up completely. I'm thinking of buying a new set for in the bedroom. Now my good boxes are slowly joining the choir of dead sound boxes. I'm thinking of buying new ones for in the livingroom and for in the bathroom and maybe for in the bedroom. I still own those good boxes; they’re now in my bedroom. I bought really bad boxes for in my bathroom which produce some light and bad sound. I now also added a bluetooth version in the bathroom. In the livingroom I’m using my friend’s old boxes which have a heavy bass. Unchanged situation. Sound boxes? What are...Is this getting annoying? I don't use the bluetooth version in the bathroom anymore, because it cuts out at the wrong moments. I now carry the ones from the bedroom to the bathroom. I'm also still using my friend's heavy bass boxes. I bought new speakers for in my home office. So I can watch Time Team when I'm supposed to work. I'm not using the new sound box in my office, I'm using an old one, which is now dying. I'm now using the boxes that used to be the new boxes, but are now the old ones for work. I bought myself really nice plugin and bluetooth boxes for TV watching.

• Dennis Morris and Charlie Mingroni -without the ‘e’ at the end. I can also spell "Gyllenhaal". …and Garfunkel…I can't however, write "Roy Hal...Hall..H-hh...Hal-Halee?" Oh, fer chr...!!! Halee...I think...All that really matters is that his first name is Roy. Halee? Hallee? Hallie? No new names to get wrong, though many people have trouble with Stewart Ainsworth; they think his name is Stuart. Leonardo Dicaprio. In one go; I'm so proud...Not my current interest, but Tobey Maguire is really not hard to spell, though some people think he's Toby. I know better. I'm not even going to attempt to write his ex-wife's maiden name; she's Italian. Google it yourself!

• I was up at 7.00 am this morning....I could have been....I was awake and up at 7 am to empty my bladder, then went back to bed to play the Sims FreePlay. Bad (bed?) me. I was up real late. I really need to change my life rhythm. Maybe try getting up at 8.00 instead of 9.30. I'm pathetic. Nope, still pathetic (got up at 9.20), I just don’t care anymore. Actually, got up at 8.00 am today. There might be hope for me. There was hope. I changed my whole routine (waking up/exersizing/food) and started to get up around 7.00, do yoga, have breakfast en then go to work. However, since I'm on the edge of burning up, my schedule got wrecked. I got up at 9.00 am today. Still wrecked. I got up at 10. Corona killed my good habits. Yup, nope, I was up around 9am (woke around 4am), because I had a meeting around 9.30am. Nothing to do with me trying to be healthier and more productive. I'm wrecked, bed was warm and comfortable. Maybe one day I can rectify this again. Why am I even still writing about this? I'm a night owl! Deal with it!

• I reviewed my passed two years using my review from a couple of years ago which I recycled as well...I actually took the time to review several lists and brought them back together in a list that lists what is applicable now. I used that last revised list, see the link below. Still old list. Might add another point. Yeah...why would I change the list? Let's face it, it's a tradition now. Good traditions should live on!!! History! Archaeology! Continuation! Stratigraphy! In this edition that line goes here, because...Sad to see I didn't change much; just moved points around. Stratigraphy! (points up)

• I'm too lazy to write a completely new review...I thought it would be funny to use this list again...See previous addition...and again. I'm wondering when this stops being funny. I might have reached that point already. Personally, I still think it’s funny. I love the fact I can now trace the history of a personal futility; my speakers. This is now a habit really. No concern at all if it's funny or even read by anyone but myself. History! Habit! Tradition! (throws hands up in the air) History! Archaeology! Continuation! Stratigraphy!!! This list is now part of my life. Deal with it! I will start writing a continuation plan for after my death.

• I hate the font I used for this list. Maybe I should change it. I did start to use more colours; might get a bit much after a while. For the sake of stupidity and to clearly mark the additions, I added green. If it hurts your head, send me your address and I'll reply with painkillers. Orange! To add to the pain and discomfort! Once again brightly blue, because I don't know which other color to do. Bright pink! More pain! More painkillers! Long live all the clashing colors! I actually hurt my own eyes!!! Where are those painkillers!?

Previous version: Wiwipedia: List of Things - 2022 Edition

Happy Birthday

 It’s funny how humanities need to put people into boxes can deprive you. Actually, it’s not funny at all, it’s actually quite sad. How many missed opportunities, because we failed to see the many colours and qualities of a person? How often have people ended up in the wrong place, the wrong job, the wrong team, because someone failed to see the whole package or because people got mispresented? The word ‘typecasting’ is specifically used for the film industry, but I’m sure you can apply it all across the board.

 I was deprived from seeing some really good films. Luckily, I got the opportunity to catch up. The internet might spread a lot of misinformation but can also guide you in the right direction if you let it, if you are willing to be critical and put an effort into it.

 I moved on. I firmly landed in my sentimental fase, for I became interested into another actor whose name and face I’ve known for years and years. I never paid much attention to him, because he was always presented to me as a romcom actor. I was one of those people who looked down on romcoms and definitely the actors who did romcoms. I really shouldn’t, but I can’t deep dive into every actor’s career, so I let fate decide.

 A few years ago, after a hiatus, Hugh Grant came back to my attention with films that were not romcoms. I love it when actors spread themselves, do something they’re not known for, something new and unexpected. And even though I always only had a passing interest in Hugh Grant, and it’s still only passing, I was happy for him. I was even a little bit excited to see him do more interesting roles, with more depth and complexity. He had his birthday yesterday, turned 64. Happy belated birthday, sir!

 When you say Hugh Grant, you say ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’. I never saw that film. I think I attempted it once, because it is a classic, but didn’t get through it. Away from specific films, when you say Hugh Grant, you say romcoms. When you say romcoms, you either say Hugh Grant or possibly Colin Firth. Well, here we are. I never gave the man a second thought. I always thought of him as plain looking, not particularly attractive or handsome. Not ugly either, but rather uneventful, non-offensive, not-quite-intriguing, just-there? He was just another actor mainly known for romcoms, so he held no interest for me.

 Of course, both came to prominence during the romcom fase. A fase during which a new romcom was churned out every 5 seconds. Those were good times for soppy, romantic escapism and I allowed myself to dream away on some of them. Those were the kind of films I would watch on a Friday evening after a long week hard work. They required no thinking but did supply you with romance and a promise that maybe, this could happen to you. I had my favourites, but none featured Colin. No, I lie, I watched Love Actually, faithfully, every year, in Oktober or November. Colin’s story was my favourite. Not for Colin, but for the girl; she was really pretty. Of course, the story was very romantic and had the ‘they-lived-happily-ever-after’ ending. I accepted Colin as a romcom actor, but that was it.

 I remember Mamma Mia coming out. I remember hearing about the plot and thinking ‘Oh hell NO!’ and I scuttled off into the opposite direction. I didn’t pay any more attention to it, though I did notice the ads on the side of walls and buses for the musical. I didn’t go see it. I also heard when the sequel was released, and I remember thinking ‘We needed a sequel for this!?!?’. I did not go see it.

 As you may remember, I’m a follower and Patron for the channel Cinema Therapy. They’re fun, informative, helpful and fun…and I trust their judgement. They reacted to Mamma Mia (only the first one) last May and enjoyed it thoroughly. They convinced me to watch it, after more than 10 years. I fell in love. The film is so silly, so not serious, so cheerful and bright. It’s not trying to be anything more than fun and entertaining, and it is.

 Around the same time, I was transitioning from Tobey to something new. I wasn’t sure who yet, no-one quite caught my fancy, but I was open for someone new. For a bit I was watching Oscar Isaac fuelled by his performance in Moon Knight. However, I couldn’t find the hook that would draw me in. Not that Mamma Mia immediately supplied that, but I was transitioning so open for someone new and out of boredom I started watching interviews for Mamma Mia, specifically the dads.

 That was when I started to realize I had known Colin’s name and face for a long time but had no clue what other work than Love Actually and Bridget Jones he had done. I had only just found out he was in Mamma Mia. Oh, I was aware of the King’s Speech, but had never watched it. The first thing I realized was I had a completely wrong image of Colin in my head. He turned out to be chatty, charming, funny and outgoing. Quite the opposite of how he had always been presented to me. Then I had a look at his filmography and found out he has done more dramatic roles than comedy roles. Someone, or several someones, decided he was just a romantic lead and that was how he was presented. Having played catch up for the last three months, I now know it was a very simplistic and misdirected view of him. I’m glad I corrected that for myself; otherwise I would not have seen ‘A Month in the Country’ or ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’ or ‘Operation Mincemeat’.

 Oh, btw, it’s Colin's birthday today. Happy Birthday, Colin!!!