Author: Alex Diaz-Granados
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On Movies & Movie Watching: Amazon Delivers ‘Devotion’ – and I Also Get a Small Refund!
One of the many reasons why I love shopping on Amazon and pre-ordering items – especially movies or books – is that the “world’s biggest e-retailer” offers a Pre-Order Price Guarantee, by which consumers get a refund or are charged a lower price on their payment method – usually a credit/debit card – if the…
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Tempus Fugit (Countdown to the Big Six-Oh Edition): Hazy, Fragmented Memories of Birthdays in Colombia
If you’re a regular visitor of this space, you know that both my older half-sister Vicky and I celebrate – or observe, or endure – our respective birthdays just five days apart in early March. Vicky was born on March 10, 1950, while I came along nearly 13 years after on March 5, 1963. I…
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Tempus Fugit (Countdown to the Big Six-Oh Edition): Where Did the Time Go?
The Relentless Flight of Time Oh, my. Where did the time go? I swear. It seems like it was only yesterday that we were ushering in 2023, and…poof! Suddenly it’s February 28, the last day of the second month. And, on Sunday, March 5, I will go from being 59 years old to 60 years…
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Musings & Thoughts for Monday, February 27, 2023, or: Weekend Update, Part III – Sunday Night Viewing
In case you’re wondering, I did not watch The Fabelmans or any movies that I own on Blu-ray, DVD, or digital copy. Instead, I read for a while from my copy of Paul Duncan’s The Star Wars Archives: Episodes I-III, 1999-2005, which is the second volume in Duncan’s behind-the-scenes history of how George Lucas created…
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Musings & Thoughts for Sunday, February 26, 2023, or: Weekend Update, Part II – Plans vs. Reality
“The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft agley.” ― Robert Burns, Collected Poems of Robert Burns It’s early afternoon here in Lithia, Florida, on Sunday, February 26, 2023. I went to bed sometime after 3 AM and I slept till just past 8 AM, so I am (a) still a bit tired,…
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Musings & Thoughts for Saturday, February 25, 2023, or: Weekend Update, Part I – My Plans for Saturday Night
Playing Regiments in Attack Mode Again – Back to Grasleben It’s early evening here in Lithia, Florida on Saturday, February 25, 2023. I am uncharacteristically late with my blog posting, but I decided to take a mental health break and relax – if you can call playing a war game “relaxing” – for a while…
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A Quick (or Perhaps Not-So-Quick?) Thought on the American Right’s Pro-Russia Stance
Although most, and I emphasize most, Republicans in and out of Congress do not like or trust Russia and condemn Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the MAGA wing of the GOP opposes Western (particularly American) assistance to that embattled Eastern European nation. Even as the war in Ukraine continues over a year since the autocratic…
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On Movies & Movie Collecting (Countdown to the Big Six-Oh Edition): I’m Getting Older…and So Are the Movies I Watch
In 10 days, give or take several hours, I will be 60 years old. And as if I didn’t need any reminders of the passage of time, some of my favorite movies (made during my lifetime) are also getting their 60th, 50th, 40th, 30th, and 20th Anniversaries. Here are some of the most prominent ones,…
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A Quick Thought: Right-Wing ‘Patriotism’
I hate how the right has hijacked the concept and symbols of patriotism and claimed “love of country” as the domain of the conservative movement and its adherents. Trump supporters call themselves “patriots.” They fetishize the American flag and other national symbols (such as the bald eagle). They claim that they, and they alone, are…
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The Lake in Winter (A Haiku)
Chilly northern winds Stir the crystal-clear waters. Gray clouds crowd the sky.