Communications

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Jungle Cruise

I took a small trip to see Jungle Cruise at the cinema. I could have paid to stream it on the television but I really like going to the cinema. I noted that the tide was very low in the river, all the mud banks were exposed. This was a metaphor for my low expectations of this film, even then, the film disappointed me a bit. I rated the film on IMDB, there’s a communication dealing with the scoring system.

I didn’t hate this film but I also didn’t think it was worth watching by the end of it. I know this is a film based on a theme park ride but maybe people should just stop making those. The premise was ok-ish: a plant to cure all diseases exists somewhere in the Amazon jungles and the protagonist has to find it, for reasons. Stuff happened including loads of supernatural bollocks. But, here are the things I found most annoying:

A lot of the action was filmed close up and without a steady camera and so it all blurred and I couldn’t really tell you what was going on during the action scenes. Maybe I’m getting old but there was a lot of CGI and fast moving cameras which took away from the actual action for me. Although I am prepared to say that I am definitely not the market for this film.

Why is the bad guy a German? In a submarine? Why German? Why not some mega-capitalist? Why German? Have we not accepted that perhaps not all bad people have Germanic roots. I kind of get it with Indiana Jones and the Nazis, because that was when the film was set and they were really bad. But this guy just seemed to be some low level German royal who wanted the plant-thing. Maybe I need to re-evaluate my approach to whoever the bad guys are.

NOTHING ELSE MATTERS by Metallica was the music that opened this film and also came along for a bit of easy rock half way through. Fuck this song. It is shit. What is happening in the world?

{SPOILER FOLLOWS} Why did the protagonist, who is motivated by saving the sick of the world give the only flower to a dead man she had fallen in love with? Where was her sacrifice for the better good? What an utterly selfish bullshit thing to do. Fuck this move.

I didn’t really enjoy this film. I was curious to see what the ending was going to be, and, of course, it was completely happy. Except for the German, obviously.

What happened in the year 1910 given that this is communication number 1910?

  • Slavery made illegal in China.
  • The Earth passes through the tail of Halley’s comet.
  • A boxing match causes race riots across USA.
  • 40,000 die in China of a pneumatic plague.
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The Rap Guide To Religion – Baba Brinkman

For some reason my album reviews have gone out of order and this one should have been before the last few, as they are alphabetical by title. Now, this is a really odd one for you. This is a rap album by a white Canadian where they explain how religion is formed and what the psychological processes are that means humans are pre-disposed to religion. I don’t mind rap music because I like a good beat, and I like learning about religion. So, this album hits the spot. I bought it originally as I like music and I’m happy to buy music directly from the artists or whole albums as it seems a better way to pay for music rather than use a streaming service. I know that I might only end up liking a few songs overall from an album but I think the type of musician I listen to now needs the money. I’m happy to rip off the superstars though.

I really enjoy this album and possibly you will too if you can cope with hip-hop music.

Number 1909 and so here’re some things that happened then:

  • The NAACP is founded.
  • Turks kill 15-30000 Armenians in a single day.
  • The world’s first military airplane is bought.
  • The Indianapolis Speedway track is opened.
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Not Sure When I’ll Stop

I’ve been playing around with a few things in X-Plane. I’ve tried direct flight routes using the in-flight computer along with saving flights and then recording the replays from “interesting” angles. My round the world trip started at RAF Valley, I’ll try and find a date if I can. Originally I was going to fly the coastline of Great Britain or maybe even the UK but I ended up turning right at Jersey and have been heading around the coast of Europe and then Africa. I’m currently in Namibia but struggling to find airstrips along the coast so I’m inland for a little while.

I’m trying to tweet each journey with a screenshot just for posterity. My hashtag isn’t unique and so when I try to look back I’m going to get photographs of lots of people who are going around the world for real. I guess one aim of this is to see other places and see what the world looks like. Even if this is virtual at the moment maybe one day I’ll find somewhere cool to live when I retire!

Here’s a video of me landing somewhere. I recorded the flight and then managed to replay it while moving the camera around [not a great landing]:

This next video is me flying from Ruacana to Ondangwa in Namibia. I think I start the flight halfway through and then go through different views so you can see the sort of thing I look at while flying [another not great landing]:

This is communication number 1908 and so here are a few things that happened in that year [AD]:

  • An opera house fire in Pennsylvania kills 170.
  • The UK acquired the rights to the first major oil discovery in the middle east.
  • The model T is launched by Ford – who by the way was a fucking massive anti-Semite.
  • THE TUNGUSKA EVENT
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The Sickness – Disturbed

OK, now this is a great album. I don’t know the individual songs and I can’t put the correct names to the correct rhythm but I can tell you that this album ROCKS. The signer’s voice really adds to the overall theme and you can tell that if he wasn’t there it would be mediocre. I’d be interested to see this band live and I nearly did but the tickets were too expensive for a trip to Wembley Arena where this band were the support. It would be nice to see them at a festival, when festivals are happening again. Go and get this album, you’ll love it.

This is communication number 1907, so as with my recent trend here are some things that happened in 1907. Clearly, these aren’t the most important things to happen but they are things that stand out to me:

  • The “mud march” takes place in London with women fighting for the right to vote.
  • 19 women are elected to the assembly in Finland.
  • A peace conference happens in the Hague.
  • A mining explosion kills 362 in West Virginia.
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The Shadowthrone – Satyricon

I got this album when Satyricon were meant to play Alt-Fest in 2014. I have to say I listened to some bits of some songs and pretty much hated it.

As this is communication 1906 here are some of the things that happened that year [common era]:

  • The pope didn’t like France’s law declaring a separation of church and state, but fuck the pope.
  • A mine explosion in France kills 1060.
  • Women get the vote in Finland.
  • The BCG vaccine is developed.
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Maybe, Maybe Not

As part of this summer I went to the Imperial War Museum in Duxford. It’s a great place and I’ve been there loads in the past. This time was to talk bollocks with an old friend AB. We wandered around and shared stories along with catching up with what’s been going on for the last two years. In the American hangar we saw a B25 Mitchell which had apparently once been the gate guardian at a US Base in Germany. This meant some soldiers would sign the plane by scratching their name into the skin of the aircraft.

Elvish History
Elvish History

If you look carefully you can see that the name in the middle is Elvis. This is plausible as he spent time in the US Army and was in Germany. The fact that he spelt his last name wrong shouldn’t get in the way of a good story.

Maybe Not
Maybe Not

You might have to look at the original pictures, click on them, to be able to see the details!

This is number 1905 and so continuing a recent feature I give you some things that happened in that year [common era]:

  • A boiler explosion in the Grover Shoe Factory kills 58.
  • Einstein submits his photoelectric effect paper.
  • The French pass a law concerning the separation of church and state.
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The Second Annual Report Of Throbbing Gristle – Throbbing Gristle

This album, this debut album is shocking. It’s a collection of noises from the collective called Throbbing Gristle. This album was so influential with artists producing electronic music along with the rest of their back catalogue. When you listen this album you become hypnotised by the noise and curiosity of what is going to happen. The track listing is as follows:

  • Industrial Introduction
  • Slug Bait
  • Slug Bait
  • Slug Bait
  • Maggot Death
  • Maggot Death
  • Maggot Death

There’s an utter fascination that draws over me whenever I listen to this band. I think a part of it is the horror of the sounds. Then there’s the wondering what’s going to come next and finally there’s the intrigue of who and what created these sounds. When you listen to Throbbing Gristle you might not enjoy it [I do] but you end up knowing you have experienced. If you can, it’s worth the listen, but be warned.

This is number 1904 and so here’re a few things that happened in the year 1904 when the year 1 is what some people consider to be when JC was born but it wasn’t and that kinda messes everything up:

  • Roger Casement publishes an account of Belgian atrocities in the Congo.
  • The British defeat Tibetan troops.
  • The SS Norge sinks killing 635.
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Low Level Creek

Earlier today I had a lovely walk around the creeks of Faversham. The walk started in the centre of Faversham near the Guildhall building and then followed the Saxon Shore way around Ham Marshes. It’s a lovely part of the countryside and nice and quiet, just the wind whistling through the masts of the boats.

Faversham Creeks
Faversham Creeks

The tide was quite low and there was little water in the creeks. The first part of the walk was along Faversham Creek and then the return was along Oare Creek. There were a lot of newer houses along the shore way and I’m concerned that in fifty years or so they’ll be under water. I’m not convinced at all that humans are going to solve the climate change crisis. I think we are already within the realms of a positive feedback loop.

Faversham Creeks
Faversham Creeks

When I first published this communication I completely forgot about the new “this year in communication number” feature I had been doing and so this is to correct that:

In the year 1903 ACE the following happened:

  • A fire on the Paris metro at Couronnes kills 84.
  • The Iroquois Theatre fire kills 600.
  • Henry Ford founds the Ford motor Company. Henry Ford is a raging anti-Semite.
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The Resistance – Muse

I have tried with Muse. I have tried to listen to it and feel good things about the music. But I have failed every time. I can’t stand it. I think it’s the singer voice. I’m not really sure. It just leaves me cold.

So, this is communication 1902. So, what happened in that year of the common era?

  • A snowstorm in Japan kills 199 during a military training exercise.
  • A stampede at the Shiloh Baptist Church in Birmingham Alabama, kills 115.
  • The first Borstal opens in Borstal, Kent, UK.
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Old

After a long day of building stuff I had booked to go to the cinema to make sure that I had a definite end in sight. I didn’t want to be working into the evening always trying to do “one more thing”. As it is the progress is good and I got to where I wanted to be. Still plenty to do though. The only film I could be bothered to go and watch was Old by Michael Night Shyamalan. I’ve looked at what’s on later today and can’t see anything other than a Purge film – which I couldn’t care about – although maybe I should check out a different cinema and see what they’ve got. Watch this space to see if I write another review.

The tide was low this time as I approached the car park. I could see the edge of the mud banks so I’m not sure how much lower it can get, it’s been quite a while since I regularly went this way. When I saw F9 plenty of people were wearing masks but this time there were a lot who were not. It’s very clear that the government [BJ] wants to shed the responsibility and pass it on to individuals [a classic right wing manoeuvre] but in the broadest sense people are stupid. We rules and laws in place to ensure that people don’t make their own choices on many things. If we didn’t have speed limits there would be many many more deaths on the roads than we face now. After the film I thought about what rating to give it and they are explained here.

What did I think of the film? I hated some of the acting and I hated some of the cinemaphotography. I guess M K was heading for a style but it is one I didn’t enjoy. Overall the film was kinda OK but really I just hung around as I wanted to know what the resolution was going to be. I’m not going to give that away here as that wouldn’t be fair but I was hoping for an explanation of why the beach existed rather than what use it has been put to. I guess I can’t have everything.

Oh, there were too many codas. I don’t think any were needed. It could have ended at the point where the people are swimming in fish. That would have been enough for me. It would have meant there were loads of questions that were unanswered but I think it would have made a better film overall. Please remember that I am not a film maker and so I know nothing about these things.

This is communication 1901 and so in line with recent practice I mention below some aspects of the year 1901 – and yes, I am aware that for a lot of people this isn’t even the correct calendar to use but it’s the most common.

  • The UK and Germany agree on how to carve up some of Africa.
  • Boer concentration camps run by the UK are reported to be cruel and have a high mortality rate.
  • Alabama requires voters to have passed a literacy test – and yet modern day republicans are outlawing critical race theory.
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