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That’s a line from Ingmar Berman’s Autumn Sonata. It’s a heartbreaking notion of the human condition being so hard to navigate because you can reconcile complexity between yourself, but to do so with the people you love and respect and cherish becomes arbitrary and difficult and aspirational.

Also, I seriously need access to Criterion or Janus people, so if anyone know people I’m trying to bring a film back to life. Long, but cool, story.

 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! This issue has a bunch of content recs for the winter. Woot Woot.

Christmas Music this early!??! Let’s get at it! ‘Smas decorations on the floor, and I’m in the mood. I think it hits you over the head with no less than 3 Christmas songs total… it’s mellow, wide ranging, and super chill background vibes. A very random & not that oppressive Christmas mix to ease you into the season. Includes Khruangbin, Tom Waits, James Blake, Bill Withers, Pink Floyd, James Brown, David Bowie, Neil Young, CSN, Vince Guaraldi, Thelonious Monk, Black Pumas, etc. Link: https://www.mixcloud.com/DJFishbits/20202-winter-christmas-soul-and-jazz-and-indie-and-classic-rock-and-what-am-i-doing/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Space & Carl

  • From his wife, a note about Carl Sagan on what would have been his 88th birthday, November 9th.

 

 

 

 

 

If you want to read a lot of his wise words and see people celebrating his birthday on twitter, it’s pretty awesome!

 

 

 

  • MAGNIFICENT. You go into space thinking “stars”, but without atmosphere, it’s black death as far as the eye can see. Maybe we save this planet, eh?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • I’ve always thought the Drake equation and overall question is not whether aliens exist, vs when. The universe is still relatively young, and so are we. We’ll likely off ourselves accidentally before anyone else has evolved to communicate with us… or they killed themselves:

NASA SCIENTISTS SUGGEST THE REASON WE HAVEN’T FOUND ALIENS IS THEY ALL KILLED THEMSELVES THAT’S GRIM. https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-scientists-aliens-destroyed-themselves

 

 

 

INTERACTIVE MAP: https://mapoftheuniverse.net/

 

 

SCI / TECH / Philosophy about Sci-Tech

  • I will fight anyone who pays for fireworks vs this:

 

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Early humans may have cooked fish in ovens 780,000 years ago | New Scientist

 

 

 

  • Simple, important tools… Pulleys, Levers, and Gears! This is UNREAL and sort of hard to wrap your mind around:

 

 

 

How many animals are believed to live in the ocean? Because so much of our oceans remain unexplored, it is impossible to know just how many species of animals call its waters home. Scientists estimate that 91 percent of ocean species have yet to be classified, which makes Nautilus’ work vital. One study found that there are at least 228,450 known species in the ocean — and an estimated 2 million that have yet to be discovered.

How many shipwrecks are in the ocean? The seafloor provides an often untouched record of human history, making it an important target of exploration for archeologists studying the complex chronicles of humanity. It is estimated that 3 million shipwrecks can be found across the ocean floor around the planet — most of which have yet to be discovered!

 

 

  • A Nanorobot picks up a sperm and carries it to impregnate the egg.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Oculus Founder Builds VR Headset That Kills User If They Die in Game “If you die in the game, you die in real life.”

“At this point, it is just a piece of office art, a thought-provoking reminder of unexplored avenues in game design,” Luckey wrote. “It is also, as far as I know, the first non-fiction example of a VR device that can actually kill the user. It won’t be the last.

https://futurism.com/oculus-founder-vr-headset-kills

 

 

  • This is absolutely bonkers:

SCIENTISTS FIND THAT LIFTING WEIGHTS OFFERS NO BENEFIT OVER SIMPLY LOWERING THEM WANNA CUT YOUR WORKOUT TIME IN HALF? https://futurism.com/neoscope/lifting-weights-no-benefit-simply-lowering

How Lifting Weights Changes the Female Body - stack

 

 

World's first stem cell treatment for spina bifida delivered during fetal surgery | University of California

 

RANK ALL HISTORY AND PEOPLE? This is wild:

  • A few years ago a student walked into the office of Cesar A. Hidalgo, director of the Collective Learning group at the MIT Media Lab. Hidalgo was listening to music and asked the student if she recognized the song. She wasn’t sure. “Is it Coldplay?” she asked. It was “Imagine” by John Lennon. Hidalgo took it in stride that his student didn’t recognize the song. As he explains in our interview below, he realized the song wasn’t from her generation.

What struck Hidalgo, though, was the incident echoed a question that had long intrigued him, which was how music and movies and all the other things that once shone in popular culture faded like evening from public memory. Hidalgo is among the premier data miners of the world’s collective history. With his MIT colleagues, he developed Pantheon, a dataset that ranks historical figures by popularity from 4000 B.C. to 2010. Aristotle and Plato snag the top spots. Jesus is third. It’s a highly addictive platform that allows you to search people, places, and occupations with a variety of parameters. Most famous tennis player of all time? That’s right, Frenchman Rene Lacoste, born in 1904. (Roger Federer places 20th.) Rankings are drawn from, essentially, Wikipedia biographies, notably ones in more than 25 different languages, and Wikipedia page views. https://www.media.mit.edu/articles/how-we-ll-forget-john-lennon/

This is the site: https://pantheon.world/

 

 

 

HUMOR & STANDUP

 

Contagious Laughter and a REALLY SMILEY DONKEY:

 

 

 

 

 

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  • Jack and Diane, but most of the song’s lyric is the single lyric “Suckin’ on a chili dog”.

 

 

 

  • Because of the pandemic loosening, Netflix went on a spree of new stand up specials.

*Sam Morrill is brilliant. This is his new special, but he also did a great one prior to the pandemic, then a “rooftop pandemic” special, and a post lockdown special with interviews of other comedians between his sets and bits. He’s definitely my favorite right now. He’s also great on Tik Tok: https://www.netflix.com/watch/81613412

*Sheng Wang channels some Mitch Herberg in his own wonderful style: https://www.netflix.com/browse/genre/11559?jbv=81276951

*Nate Bargatze from earlier this year: https://www.netflix.com/title/81248586

*Dave Chappelle’s writing partner, Neal Brennan: https://www.netflix.com/watch/81036234

*I am so excited about this, because watching Deon come up over the many years he has ground it out, and I am really happy for him. His bit about crossing off jokes from a list as he tells them is one of my favorites.  So WATCH Deon Cole, he is amazingly funny: https://www.netflix.com/title/81630234

AND AT THE END, RELATES SOMETHING EXTREMELY IMPORTANT:

@unclefishbits

For anyone dealing with grieving and loss, pay attention to one of my favorite comics ever. His bit of crossing off jokes from a piece of paper is one of my favorites. But his new special on Netflix just nails a truth that I think we can all stand to hear. You don’t need to find normal when you’re losing people you love deeply. The special is by Deon Cole. Let’s give it up to his mama Charleen. Not sure what is the real one, but @deoncole4 @deoncole_official It’s too important not to share. get your clip up and if you want me to, I can take this down. #foryoupage #fyp #loss #grief #profound #respect #love #normal #normalnotnormal

? original sound – unclefishbits

 

 

Also… Sebastian Maniscalco in a few weeks:

 

 

Then Tom Papa the week after! https://deadline.com/2022/11/tom-papa-netflix-comedy-special-1235171649/

 

Here is a list of all the best specials so far in 2022, from early November! https://www.vulture.com/article/best-comedy-specials-2022.html

 

 

  • No joke, during the pandemic I accidentally platformed this guy and he blew up a bit! He’s SO FUNNY:

 

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  • This is George Carlin circa 90s? And no offense to any boomers… anyone reading this is likely not that.

 

 

  • Tim Conway was a genius.
@pianoplayingwriter Tim Conway and The Elephant Story on The Carol Burnett Show #carolburnettshow #timconway #elephantstory #famousbloopers #bloopers #funnybloopers #vickylawrence #sketchcomedy #showbizhistory ? original sound – Nick

 

 

 

  • These guys drink milk and try not to laugh. I’ve watched this loop like 20 times.
@styjdo #fyp #foryou #??? #??? #? #? #?? ? original sound – styjdo

 

 

  • This is hilarious grunting male sex sounds via arm wrestling:
@rebecca_gilliland #duet with @ET @keithedgett you knew EXACTLY WHAT YOU WERE DOING ??? #armwrestling #whisper #asmr #dirtytalk #sex #menoftiktok #rebeccagilliland #breakdown #melt #woundup #fyp #humour #jesuschrist #fire #thirst #thirsty #ineedhelp #sendhelp #ineedjesus #R2D2 #r2d2scream #obsessed #talktome ? MELANCHOLY – White Cherry

 

 

@mookieozoic #mispronouncedwords ##englishlanguage##wordchallenge##ihavethebestwords##DoritosDareToBeBurned ? Rondeau (Masterpiece Theatre Theme) – Amy Hite & Dedra Clark

 

 

@hater_tok_ #duet with @letussavethevid #Duet ? original sound – Owen

 

 

 

  • This is silly, but I like it. When I worked in F&B, my friend and I had dozens and dozens of jokes we would play.
@hugejerk #stitch with @thecrinkle ? original sound – sydney

 

 

 

@hugejerk Replying to @jessicanixonodom ? original sound – sydney

 

 

 

@anthonybegemann How long until we get an company wide email about cheese? #cheese ? original sound – Anthony Begemann

 

 

MOVIE AND TV

 

  • WHOLESOME, specifically because Harrison is never happy.

 

 

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  • Harrison breaks down his whole career. I love these almost as much as the roundtables.

 

 

 

  • Speaking of Roundtables, this Simpsons Writers nostalgia chat is AWESOME, with some great Hollywood insider history, from Tracey Ullman, Mel Brooks, Johnny Carson, Bob Hope, and more.

 

 

 

  • The Thing is a early 1980s masterpiece. You should watch how it was made. The Creature Effects alone are worth it. It’s a great doc for horror fans!

 

 

  • Film and TV Recommendations:

*The new Fletch with Jon Hamm is fantastic. He almost took zero salary to get it made and pay for other people to make it work. Just a real joy, and I hope to see more Fletch. In fact, with stuff like the new IP of Knives Out, and the new film “The Menu”, it feels like Hollywood is breaking from tentpole IP a tiny bit. I won’t hold my breath. I’d love to see more work like this.

Confess, Fletch (2022) - IMDb

 

 

*The Card Counter with Oscar Isaac is a fantastic character study by the writer of Taxi Driver and Raging Bull. Some have called it the most boring film ever, but it’s 100% a character study, and I found it riveting. Definitely not a “super” recommendation as it is slow, and many complain about it, but it’s a slice of life and I loved it:

THE CARD COUNTER - Official Trailer [HD] - Only In Theaters September 10 - YouTube

 

 

*Finally watched Coco. It’s not one of my favorite animations… it’s one of my favorite films of all time.

Coco | Official Website | Disney Movie

 

 

*Bullet Train was needlessly silly fun.

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*The Bear, a Hulu TV Show about running a restaurant, had me pacing and making plans to run a restaurant again. It was a nostalgia farm, to say the least. It’s one of my favorite series I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s unbelievable well done, and captures the controlled, and uncontrolled, chaos of food and beverage.

The Bear (TV Series 2022– ) - IMDb

 

 

*Uncorked is a Netflix gem about the son of a family who runs a Barbecue Restaurant, while harboring dreams of being a master sommelier. https://www.tourcollierville.com/uncorked-the-movie-memphis-bbq-deserves/

Uncorked (2020) - IMDb

 

 

*A new Peacock show called “The Resort” seems great so far, with the Palm Springs and How I Met Your Mother actress that seems like an Aubrey Plaza knock-off (that’s rude, sure), but it also has Chidi from The Good Place! https://g.co/kgs/7qWkCn

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*Of course, White Lotus is unreal fun. The toxic dumpster fire of the hellscape that is wealth, apparently.

The White Lotus (TV Series 2021–2022) - IMDb

 

 

*And Will Arnett’s “Murderville” is back for Christmas! =) https://www.netflix.com/watch/81215158

Netflix will release Who Shot Santa? A Murderville Murder Mystery in December 2022 - The UBJ - United Business Journal

 

*If you need a serviceable romantic comedy for the Holidays, this is a “everyone is catfishing” comedy that has a heart, and it’s well written enough for the guys of the family to enjoy it. It’s called “Love Hard”, and hits all the pop culture tropes while paving the way for a first in holiday or romantic comedies… a mixed race fable with an Asian lead in Jimmy O. Yang. I think Kumail counts in the Big Sick, but they were married? =) https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/love_hard

Love Hard - Wikipedia

 

 

*The creators of “Dark” have created a new show (in English) that is a surreal and trippy story of a ship in the waning moments of the 20th century, which if nothing else is a visually arresting and stunning thing to watch:

 

 

*I quite enjoyed what many will say is a rote film based off a video game, but I thought it was a fun melding of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade vs National Treasure.  I really thought it would be perfect winter popcorn mindless fun! =)

 

 

*Lastly, a slow burn sci-fi movie that is deeply philosophical in creation of an entirely new world and universe. It’s massively fascinating, and really well written and acted. HUGE HUGE RECOMMENDATION

 

 

  • Kudos to goodness… this is a thread of how Directors historically congratulate new films that take over their top gross.

 

 

 

The DJ who did this is AWESOME, and this noir vibe throwback track fits in the movies section! =) An Aging Rebel:

 

 

  • So, I’ve been rewatching Jaws a LOT, sort of scene by scene. It might be a perfectly crafted film. There aren’t many of those. Michael Clayton might another one. And it seems like it would smash you in the face, but I’ve missed it my whole life… the license plate that comes out of the first shark caught is a nod to the Bond film that took place in Louisiana. Spielberg wanted to direct a Bond film, and put the nod in.

Steven Spielberg’s secret reference to James Bond and Live And Let Die in the movie Jaws https://www.jamesbondlifestyle.com/articles/steven-spielbergs-secret-reference-james-bond-and-live-and-let-die-movie-jaws

 

 

  • Huge recommendation to watch the first one below, for at least a minute: Spielberg was always VERY clear that Indiana Jones was homage to the old 1930s and 1940s serials, but holy cow… side by side, it’s wild how he mined all that content:

This also mashes up all those serials into a proper Indiana Jones trailer:

 

 

  • Here I am not even having started Fargo. It stinks that an image search of Chris Rock in Google leads mostly to Will Smith, but Chris is a pretty good actor, as well!

Chris Rock to Become First-Ever Comedian to Perform Live on Netflix Will he delve into The Slap Heard Around the World as he’s previously mentioned during this new special? https://www.theroot.com/chris-rock-to-becomefirst-ever-comedian-to-perform-live-1849769668

Chris Rock - Rotten Tomatoes

 

 

  • Wednesday with Ricci was a revolution, but I with low expectations am shocked by Burton’s new vision appearing on Netflix! That is wild, but not as wild as the Cameo from Armisen as Fester and I don’t CARE if I spoiled something for you. It’s the Addam’s family… they’re positively spooky.

 

 

  • MST3K homage to Ingmar Bergman, who happens to be the director of this weeks newsletter subject line. =)

 

 

  • Okay Cranston you get a pass:

 

 

  • Good guy, Tom Hanks, hard worker, and genuine American Treasure, as related by Conan.
@siriusxm “You could see, this is why he’s Tom Hanks.” Conan O’Brien raves about his favorite late-night guests in his conversation on the #SternShow ? original sound – siriusxm

 

 

  • Bo Burnham saying brilliant stuff, yet again.  This is likely about his film “Eighth Grade”, but his commentary is so sage and wise, he sort of reminds me of a pop culture version of Pete Buttigieg, only in the way he is able to break down complex things and concisely speak about them:

 

 

 

 

First, HBO had a wonderful documentary on the McDonald’s massive Monopoly cheating scandal that was FAR AND AWAY organized crime. https://www.hbo.com/mc-millions

 

“The Perfect Bid” – a math genius banned from the Price is Right:

 

The Press Your Luck “cheating” scandal was less criminal… he just figured out their security glitch and NAILED IT. This is my favorite:

 

 

MUSIC

 

  • SICK AND FILTHY Hip Hop percussion… without any samples. It’s quite delightful. Wow. BRODY SIMPSON:

 

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A post shared by Brody Simpson (@brodysimpsondrums)

 

 

  • This guy is the G.O.A.T. Harry Mack’s taco flow about midway through this Omegle Bars is just bonkers, as is his sushi one after that. This guy just brings massive joy, everywhere.

 

 

 

  • She’s not a rapper… pretty slick tho:
@amandamovio Am I a rapper now? I honestly cant tell ahaha I like the write anyway. *THIS IS NOT MY PRODUCTION* beat by yogic beats – memories #livemusician #femalerapperartist #erykahbadu #producersoftitok ? original sound – Amanda Movio

 

 

  • Herbie on Miles:

 

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  • Michael Stipe & Karen Elson with a quick David Bowie cover of Ashes to Ashes

 

 

 

  • Taylor Swift as the new Pearl Jam, and the DOJ finally investigating:

Ticketmaster May Have Finally Met Its Match: Furious Swifties Ticketmaster is facing its worse PR nightmare in years, and its sins go deeper than just a botched pre-sale. https://futurism.com/ticketmaster-furious-swifties

 

 

 

  • Massive Attack are releasing an album in a new format: DNA For Mezzanine’s 20th anniversary, the band have encoded the album in strands of synthetic DNA. One spray can contains around one million copies https://www.wired.co.uk/article/massive-attack-mezzanine-dna-album

 

 

 

 

 

  • It is so wild my friend Joe lived up on Skyline and we went by Mountain House all the time and Neil just lived by there and filmed this video there. SO WILD. I love this song. So rich and wonderful.

 

 

 

  • WOW

 

 

  • WHAT IS YOUR KID DOING? Holy moly…
@wilsonworldmedia Little J and I with an impromptu groove in ‘5’ #musictok #dadsoftiktok #fatherson ? original sound – Justin A Wilson

 

 

 

 

 

  • I JUST FOUND OUT… Buddy Rich’s “The Beat Goes On” was sung by his 12 year old daughter. Are you kidding me?

 

 

 

  • This is STUNNING and absolutely beautiful piano minimalism.

 

 

VIDEO GAMES

 

 

Here’s how it worked, and it’s amazing. It’s also loud, and I don’t speak Japanese. But what an innovation that looks like trash by any modern standard.

 

 

 

PEOPLE, CULTURE, ART, AND SOCIETY

 

  • I don’t want to ruin it for you, so I won’t. This is the highest chairlift in the world. Discuss.

 

 

  • Pretty obsessed with this talented human. Sam Tobey, aka Flow Mayhem. This 2nd clip is a link to her IG as well.

 

IG:

 

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A post shared by Sam Tobey (@flowmayhem)

 

 

  • Pretty creative:
@misselliemouse2.0 My favourite one ?? #gloves #dress #looks ? ???????????? ???? – MissEllieMouse

 

 

  • How to train your bubble:

 

 

  • I wrote a post recently, that I have shared here, about losing my dog, and working on how to deal with, approach, handle grieving and loss, and did a lot of work in the hopes not to be captive to it in the future, vs proactive in knowing how to deal with it.  You never know how to deal with it. Here was that post, but this from Alan Watts is worth a call out:

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • I am utterly obsessed with this ad, which is less about Belvedere than it is about relaunching an entire human being that is Daniel Craig, aka NOT James Bond.  Also, wait for the sushi blooper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Well, this is the best thing I’ve heard in a long time. A LONG TIME. I think the good dudes in business end up having a MASSIVE blind spot as to what women go through.
@kaytuc

Y’all wouldn’t believe the stories I could tell that have forced me to learn this stuff ? #etiquette #howto #womeninbusiness #professional #fyp #fyp? #seriouslythough

? original sound – katie

 

 

 

@bladingvids

This is ? Couintin Mandroun filming street in Lyon ????

? Dayz & Dayz – BLAQUE SPURM

 

 

This caption:

Black and white motion sensor camera capture of Sonoran Desert Toad staring into your soul at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona.

 

 

 

  • So, you wanted to know how many cans of Spghettios to write The Lord of the Rings Trilogy? A guy wrote a program for that:
@tsj_electronics

Replying to @donmarshall72 #lotr #spaghettios #programming #science #experiment #code #interestingfacts

? original sound – TSJ_Electronics

 

 

 

 

  • SO MANY AMAZING SCULPTURES. WOW:

A NSFW review: A sexciting visit to the Jeju Loveland https://thetravellingsquid.com/2017/01/08/sexciting-visit-to-the-jeju-loveland/

 

 

 

  • Of course. But gamers don’t need help being warm. This is a grease-proof video gamer chair with dedicated sauce holders.

 

 

  • Must be Italian! An Oklahoman Town has put Christmas Story’s “Major Award” on display, permanently.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/11/06/christmas-story-lamp-chickasha-oklahoma-park-sculpture/8288167001/

 

 

VEHICLES

  • WE WILL BE ABLE TO ROW EVs! “Manual Transmission in Electric Vehicles is in our Future”:

There’s one currently out there, a custom shops’ Bronco, but the Taycan does have dual gears that drivers can’t access, but there’s hopes on the horizon we’ll be able to row EVs.
https://robbreport.com/motors/cars/manual-transmission-electric-vehicles-future-1234774864/

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michelin Built This Freakish 10-Wheeled Citroen to Test Truck Tires at 110 MPH

 

 

More:

 

 

 

 

  • Let’s wish a Speedy Recovery for Jay!

And yes, this could have gone in “comedy”, but… no. Jay’s the car guy. Not the host. I’ll forever begrudge for the Conan debacle, but he’s really is a decent, storied dude. But boy… Jimmy Fallon makes Leno look like an edgy Rick James compared to Fallon’s skill sets.

Leno said in a statement: “I got some serious burns from a gasoline fire. I am ok. Just need a week or two to get back on my feet.” https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/jay-leno-burned-car-fire-face-injuries-severe-1235432183/

Jay Leno Seriously Burned From Gasoline Fire – Rolling Stone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Not a great or exciting video, but a measured mini-doc on the wild world of shipping cars via air:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Uncle FishbitsCategories: Newsletter