An Idiotic Superfecta and an Oddly Ironic (funny?) Sign

 You've heard of a trifecta (picking 3 in a row), but a Superfecta means picking first place, second place, third place and fourth place finishers in order.  Today's news brings a Superfecta of Idiots... but to start on a funny/ironic note, there's a California Highway sign to ponder.

IRONIC SIGN- The Interstate Turnoff For California's Donner Lake Apparently Has Dining Options . If you know the History, that’s just squirmy.  The lake is named after the Donner Party, a group of Midwestern pioneers who were forced to spend the winter of 1846–47 in the Sierra Nevada mountain range.  Legend has it that some of the members survived by eating others in their party, though a more recent archeological study turned up no physical evidence of cannibalism.

THE IDIOTIC SUPERFECTA!

IDIOT - JAN. 6 SUSPECT ARRESTED AFTER RUNNING TOWARD OBAMA HOUSE - An armed (criminal) man who has been previously identified as a participant in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol was arrested Thursday near former President Barack Obama's home in Washington. 

IDIOT – MIKE PENCE SAYS HIS WHITE KIDS ARE SOMEHOW PROOF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION IS NO LONGER NEEDED- Former Vice President Mike Pence bizarrely pointed to his own white family of college graduates while praising the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision Thursday to end affirmative action across most institutions of higher education. Colleges and universities across the country have had affirmative action policies in place for decades in order to promote more racially diverse student bodies.

IDIOTIC STATE POLITICS - FLORIDA LOSES BUSINESS DUE TO ANTI-LGBTQ LAWS  - A major pole-dancing convention known as PoleCon won't hold their event in Orlando in 2024 out of concern for their attendees, which include people of various genders and ages and some in drag. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has signed laws targeting the LGBTQ+ community. “It’s just too risky to go to Florida,” said Colleen Jolly, the group's CEO.

IDIOT-  CLARENCE THOMAS and OTHER CONSERVATIVES FINALLY GET WHAT THEY WANT - The Supreme Court declared affirmative action programs at universities unconstitutional, ending systems designed to help Black and Latino students access higher education after centuries of discrimination. For Justice Clarence Thomas, it's personal — he has long wanted to end the policy he benefited from!!   Add that to removing abortion rights, weakened rights of LGBTQ people and killing President Biden's student loan forgiveness program

Viking Cruise Vacation #7: Exploring Inside an Historic Dutch Windmill

This is the seventh blog about our Viking Rhine River Cruise. Today's blog takes you inside an historic Dutch windmill in the Netherlands and gives an update on today's process for removing water from the region. Our tour guide described the country of the Netherlands as "one big estuary." 

(Photo: Tom and Rob inside the 1738 Historic Windmill. Credit: R.G.) 

THE WINDMILLS' PURPOSES - In yesterday's blog, I went into detail about the 19 Historic Windmills remaining in the low-lying area of Kinderdijk, the Netherlands and how they were used to pump water off the land and into canals that carried it back to the North Sea. Draining the land enabled agricultural land use. In addition to pumping water, there was a millstone in the Windmills that was used to grind grain. Today, water is removed by electronic water pumps. 

FUN WITH NEW FRIENDS - One of the highlights of cruising the Rhine with just 150 other people is the ability to meet fun people like Sue and Jim. They used to live in New Jersey and retired to Florida. We had some great conversations and laughs together and we're keeping in touch. This is a picture of them at the windmills (it was a cold and overcast day).

4 FAST FACTS - 1) Did you know the "cap" of the windmill could rotate, so that the blades of the windmill can be turned to face the direction of the wind? We didn't!

2) In 1738, Windmills were rounded buildings made of bricks that cost about $3,000 Euro at the time. But they were so heavy they started sinking into the wet ground. 

3) By 1740, Windmills were octagonal in shape and made of wood (like oak), to make them lighter. Each cost about $3,500 Euro to build. 

4) The wooden parts were lubricated by beeswax.

TOURING THE WINDMILL - If you're claustrophobic, or you can't ascend narrow, steep stairs up three floors, don't go in a windmill. Here's a brief look from the 3rd floor down to the 1st floor. 

(Photos: View of the Polder area outside, and inside, the thrid floor inner workings. Credit: R.G.) 

THIRD FLOOR - All the workings of the cap that swivels and the windmill fan blades are housed here.

SECOND FLOOR - There was a makeshift bathroom with a sink. But inhabitants would wash up in the outside "watercourse" or Furnace shed (where linens were washed). There was a small bunk for the 2 boys in one family. It was tight quarters on that floor! We did take a picture from one of the windows and a short video of the blades turning. 

(Photo: First floor Living room area of the Windmill. Credit: R.G.) 

RESIDUAL ENERGY- When people live or visit a place, and are emotional about it, they can leave an imprint of energy in the walls of the structure. If you're sensitive to it (like me), you could feel the energy of the families that resided there.) 

FIRST FLOOR - The Living room was located on the first floor. This floor was also used only in winter... again, very small... but at least it had a good view of the other windmills. :)  OH, and to go the bathroom, summer or winter, you went outside and used the Outhouse. 

VIDEO OF THE WINDMILL LOOKING OUT AND INSIDE - This short video gives you a quick look outside a window and around the inside the windmill.  

NEXT: The Windmill Cat in the Cradle 

Viking Cruise Vacation #6: True Purpose of Windmills of Kinderdijk, and Sea Level

This is the sixth blog about our Viking Rhine River Cruise. Today's blog is about our experience with the 19 Historic Windmills of Kinderdijk, the Netherlands. These windmills were created for a unique purpose that most people would not have thought about, and it has something to do with land elevation. In the U.S., we use modern windmills to generate power.  Today's blog explains the historic windmills' main purpose (it has to do with sea level).

(Photo: Rob and Tom at a windmill built in 1740 before going inside. Credit: R.G.)

HOW MANY HISTORIC WINDMILLS REMAIN? According to Kinderdijk com, out of the original 150 historic windmills constructed in the region, there are 56 windmills still standing and operational in the region of Alblasserwaard. 19 of those 56 are in Kinderdijk.

(Photo: A couple of the windmills from one of the polders. Credit: R.G.) 

ABOUT THE KINDERDIJK WINDMILLS - The 19 Kinderdijk windmills, built mostly around 1740, are located in a water-rich area near Dordrecht (the Netherlands' oldest city). They are part of a larger water management system to prevent flooding, which I'll explain shortly.

Today they symbolize Dutch water management and in 1997 they were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Kinderdijk windmills were built to keep the low-lying land of the Alblasserwaard (a polder) dry. Arranged opposite each other, they form an iconic Dutch image that is popular with many photographers. 

WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE NETHERLANDS IS BELOW SEA LEVEL? - The Netherlands literally means "lower countries" in reference to its low elevation and flat topography, with nearly 26% falling below sea level. Most of the areas below sea level, known as "polders," are the result of land reclamation that began in the 14th century. With an average elevation of only 30 meters above sea level, the Netherlands is one of the lowest-lying countries in the world.

(Image- the shaded parts on the left map indicate land area below sea level. Credit: R.G. at the Kinderdijk Wndmills)

WHAT DOES SEA LEVEL HAVE TO DO WITH WINDMILLS? Windmill actions hold back the North Sea to prevent it from flooding the country. to provide farmland. Flood control is an important issue for the Netherlands, as due to its low elevation, approximately two-thirds of its area is vulnerable to flooding. 

HOW THE POLDERS WORK & WINDMILL PURPOSE- The polder approach refers to the drainage and flood protection of low-lying areas by means of pumps, canals, and flood defenses. Windmills basically pump out the water from the North Sea into canals and drainage ditches to help dry the land. 

In fact, I learned the Dutch have a long history of reclamation of marshes and fenland, resulting in some 3,000 polders nationwide. About half the total surface area of polders in northwestern Europe is in the Netherlands. (Source: Holland.com) 

NEXT: GOING INSIDE A 285-YEAR-OLD WORKING WINDMILL

 

Viking Cruise Vacation #5: Amsterdam: St. Nicholas Church, Dutch Worshipped Gods and Famous Tunnel Tiles

 This is the fifth blog about our Viking Rhine River Cruise. Today's blog is about some of our experiences in Amsterdam- St. Nicholas Church, Gods the Dutch Used to worship and some famous, historic tunnel tiles.

SAINT NICHOLAS CHURCH - Nicholas is known as the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, children, brewers, pawnbrokers, and students in various cities and countries around Europe. Apparently, he's the same St. Nicholas that inspired "Santa Claus" and the biggest church in Amsterdam is named for him. St, Nicholas is also the patron saint of the city of Amsterdam.

The Basilica of Saint Nicholas is located in the Old Centre district of Amsterdam, Netherlands, very close to Amsterdam's main railway station. The basilica is the city's primary Roman Catholic church. It's located at Prins Hendrikkade 73, 1012 AD Amsterdam, Netherlands. the church opened in 1887 and was constructed in the Renaissance Revival architecture and Baroque Revival architecture.

We entered the church, and I found it dark with a heavy feeling, so we didn't stay long. 

WHAT GODS DID DUTCH PEOPLE WORSHIP (Before Catholicism and Protestantism)? Gods such as Nehalennia, Hludana and Sandraudiga are of Celtic or Celto-Germanic,origin; the Germanic people had such gods as Wodan, Donar and Frigg/Freya from Scandinavia. Jupiter, Minerva and Venus were introduced by the Romans.

(Photo: Rob walking under a decorated alleyway roof.) 

RELIGION ISN'T BIG IN THE NETHERLANDS - More than half (55 percent) of Dutch people aged 15 years and over are not religious. In 2020, 20 percent of the Dutch population belonged to the Catholic Church, 14 percent were Protestant, 5 percent Muslim and 5 percent belonged to another religious group.

CUYPERSPASSAGE - There's a tunnel near the railway station that goes under the railroad tracks and leads from the city to the docks of the River IJ. In that tunnel or "Cuyperspassage" are about 46,000 painted porcelain white tiles. They are painted with scenes of boats and fishermen. The tiles are an homage to the work of Dutch tile painter Cornelis Boumeester. In addition to the 46,000 tiles on the side and roof of the tunnel, there are said to be another 33,000 tiles on the floor.  As you walk into the center of the tunnel, we noticed that a lof of the images have been worn away, and the tiles appear mostly white with very faint blue outlined images. The tiles feature the traditional blue and white color palette of Delftware ceramics, which have been a major industry in the Netherlands since the 17th century!

CROWDED STREETS - There are some streets in the city that were insanely busy. Once we accidentally found them we turned around and returned to the Viking River Cruise ship! 

NEXT: The Windmills of Kinderdijk

Viking Cruise Vacation #4: Amsterdam: Secret of "Coffeehouses" & the Monkey Bar

 This is the fourth blog about our Viking Rhine River Cruise. Today's blog is about some of our experiences in Amsterdam- Secret of "Coffeehouses" & the Monkey Bar. 

(Photo: Rob and Tom avoiding the odor of the "Coffeehouses" in Amsterdam. Credit: R.G.)

WHAT IS THE SECRET OF AMSTERDAM COFFEEHOUSES? - As a coffee drinker, I was intrigued to see so many "Coffee Houses" in Amsterdam. That is, until I found out they weren't serving just coffee in "Coffee Houses" at all. Instead, they mostly serve marijuana and people go there to smoke it and listen to loud music. I've heard you can get coffee in some instances- but I can't stand the smell of pot, so we skipped it. The Dutch capital is home to more than 160 ‘coffeeshops.’

We learned that many people visit Amsterdam to smoke pot. The Dutch have a "toleration policy" that allows coffee shops to sell cannabis under strict conditions. One of those conditions is that coffee shops must not cause any nuisance and the government has ordered them to stop attracting foreign drug users.

HOW DID THEY BECOME KNOWN AS COFFEEHOUSES? -  The name derives from the semi-secret drug trade in cafés in the early 1970s. For a deeper history, check out this web page from WeAreAmsterdam.

(Photo: The Monkey Bar, or "Cafe In 't Aepjen," Credit: R.G.) 

THE MONKEY BAR! - Our tour guide told us the oldest pub in Amsterdam is the Monkey Bar, called "Cafe In 't Aepjen," and that it got its name from one sailor who docked in the city and couldn't pay for his alcohol. So, he wound up paying for his drinks by giving the owners live monkeys from his travels. It's located at  Zeedijk 1, 1012 AN Amsterdam, Netherlands, and you can see all kinds of stuffed animal monkeys in the front windows of the pub. 

According to the website "Spotted by Locals," "Nobody knows if the tale is true, but everyone likes to believe it is. Whatever the case, still today you can walk up to the famous Zeedijk and visit this traditional 16th-century brown cafe where monkeys are sovereign. They even offer their own beer brand, named after the cafe." 

NEXT: St. Nicholas Church and Famous Subway Tiles

Viking Cruise Vacation #3: Amsterdam: Leaning Buildings, Canals, Anne Frank's House, Royal Waiting Chamber

This is the third blog about our Viking Rhine River Cruise. Today's blog is about some of our experiences in Amsterdam- Why there are leaning Buildings, the famous "Anne Frank" House, and a look at the Royal Waiting Chamber.

LEANING BUILDINGS IN AMSTERDAM - Almost every house in one part of Amsterdam was built on top of long, wooden poles that were driven into the marshy ground beneath the city. Combined with the wet conditions of the soil, the houses are simply sinking over time. Although the foundations are generally very stable, over time some houses have shifted, causing them to lurch over the canals.

CANALS IN AMSTERDAM - It's known as the "Venice of the North," according to our tour guide. Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands, has more than 100 kilometers of grachten or canals, about 90 islands and 1,500 bridges. The three main canals dug in the 17th century during the Dutch Golden Age, form concentric belts around the city, known as the Grachtengordel. Alongside the main canals are 1550 monumental buildings.

(Photo: One of the main canals in Amsterdam. Credit: R.G.) 

THE FAMOUS ANNE FRANK HOUSE  (Museum) - If you read the "Diary of Anne Frank" you'll know the significance of the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam.  The Diary of Anne Frank is a book of the writings from the Dutch-language diary kept by Anne Frank while she was in hiding for two years with her family during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. For over two years (1942-1944) Anne Frank and her family hid in the annex of the building at Prinsengracht 263 where Anne’s father, Otto Frank, had his business.  Click for more info. (Unfortunately, we didn't get a chance to tour it). 

(Photo: The Amsterdam Centraal train station. Credit: R.G.) 

THE AMSTERDAM CENTRAAL TRAIN STATION - P.J.H. Cuypers and A.L. Van Gendt were the architects commissioned to design and build it in 1875. It was built in Dutch Renaissance Style.   

(Photo: Rob and Tom outside the Royal Waiting Chamber. Credit: R.G.) 

THE ROYAL WAITING CHAMBER WITHIN - Located in the Amsterdam Centraal train station on platform 2B, a special room was constructed for Netherlands Royalty. It is located on the east wing of the railway station., and visitors can peer into it behind walls of glass. The room is decorated with the royal family's coat of arms and other ornaments referring to Queen Emma and King William III (who were in power during the construction of the train station in 1875).   There are mosaic floors, carpets, paneled walls and a fireplace. 

(Photos: Top:  the Royal Waiting Chamber; Bottom: Outside "reliefs" - stone carvings of Roman Gods. Credit: R.G.) 

This castle-like section that houses the waiting chamber was also known as the “Koninklijk Paviljoen” or the Royal Pavilion. Now it is officially called “Koningklijke Wachtkamer." (Quick Video tour: https://fb.watch/l3A6ylMqU6/) 

NEXT: The Secret of "Coffeehouses" & the Monkey Pub

Idiot of the Week: TikToker arrested after breaking into Busch Gardens, entering alligator pit.

 This week's idiot is someone who thinks he's a social media "influencer." Instead, he's proven he's an idiot and it's too bad the alligators didn't teach him a lesson. Here's his story.

(Photo: Busch Garden's alligator enclosure in Florida (left). Jacob Pursifull (right) mugshot courtesy of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. )

TikToker Arrested After Allegedly Breaking Into Busch Gardens, Entering Alligator Pit

Police tracked down Jacob Pursifull with the help of a social media video that appears to show him jumping into the park’s gator enclosure in Florida.

Nina Golgowski, Huffington Post, Jun 8, 2023, 03:05 PM EDT

A 20-year-old man is facing criminal charges after police said he was filmed breaking into Florida’s Busch Gardens theme park and entering an alligator exhibit, in an apparent attempt to gain online notoriety.

Jacob Pursifull was arrested Monday on burglary, theft and trespass charges following the brazen stunt in Tampa on June 1, according to a Tuesday statement from city police.

A video uploaded to Pursifull’s TikTok account appears to show the Louisiana man scaling a wall to enter the park. He then appears to take ice cream snacks from behind a counter without paying and climb two fences to enter the gator enclosure.

“Crikey, look how big that bugger is,” he says at one point, seemingly imitating the late Australian zookeeper Steve Irwin while standing just feet away from the reptiles’ water habitat.

Pursifull accuses horrified onlookers of being “Karens” when asked to get out, and he appears to gleefully run and evade security as he exits the park.

Police said they used the social media video to track down Pursifull.

“Following investigative leads based on the linked social media posts, investigators were able to positively identify and locate Pursifull,” said Tampa police.

He was arrested on suspicion of burglary of an occupied structure, which is a second-degree felony, and misdemeanor charges of trespassing and first-degree petit theft.

The aspiring social media influencer has created a number of online videos that show him carrying out crude pranks and attempting to get a rise out of strangers.

Heroes of the Week: Scotland's Kyle RNLI lifeboat crew Rescues 72 Year-old Hiker

 This week's heroes are Scotland's Kyle RNLI lifeboat crew, who were called out to rescue a man who was hiking and stranded on a remote cliff!  

Image caption,: Members of Glenelg MRT beginning their search IMAGE SOURCE,KYLE RNLI

Man rescued after 24 hours stuck on remote Highland cliff, Scotland

BBC News, May 23, 2023

A hillwalker spent 24 hours stuck on a cliff edge above a Highland loch in Scotland before being rescued by a lifeboat crew.

The 72-year-old man got into difficulty near Kinloch Hourn on Loch Hourn in the west Highlands on Sunday, May 21, 2023. But there is little to no mobile phone reception in the remote area and he was only able to contact the coastguard on Monday afternoon.

Kyle RNLI lifeboat crew found the man and got him to safety in a rescue operation lasting more than six hours.

A spokesman for the RNLI said the man was an experienced hillwalker who had become trapped in an "impossible situation, unable to go forward or back".

The search was carried out by the Kyle of Lochalsh-based RNLI crew and members of Glenelg Mountain Rescue Team, after the alarm was raised at about 13:20 on Monday.

It began at 16:00 with the Glenelg team dropped off at the head of the sea loch, an area where there is no electronic communication signal, according to the RNLI.

The lifeboat crew headed back out of the loch to re-establish communications with the coastguard.

By this point, the hillwalker had been able to get in contact with emergency services again to say he had spotted the lifeboat, but it was too far away for him to signal to the crew.

Kyle RNLI picked up the Glenelg team and headed back into Loch Hourn to make a search. The man was eventually found on a small ledge just above the waterline at 19:00.

He was reunited with his family in Kyle of Lochash about 30 minutes later.

The search and rescue operation lasted more than six hours A spokesman for Kyle RNLI said: "This gentleman is an experienced walker who had unfortunately become trapped in an impossible situation, unable to go forward or back. "Due to the location, he had no mobile signal from the time he had become trapped until Monday lunchtime, when he noticed he had a very weak one. "He was then able to get in touch with the emergency services who launched a search and rescue operation."

He said: "We regularly train with other rescue agencies and by working well with everyone involved, we were able to return him back to his family safely."

Kinloch Hourn is a small community at the end of a single track road on the edge of Knoydart, an area often dubbed as the "last great wilderness".

Viking Cruise Vacation #2: Amsterdam: Bikes & Food

Welcome to another installment of the blog about our Viking Rhine River Cruise. Today's blog is about some of our experiences in Amsterdam- Bikes and Food. After arriving at the ship very early and taking a nap, we were semi-conscious for the walking tour at 1:30pm. This blog will give some of those highlights and explain how bicycle-crazy this city really is, and other things it's well-known for... hint: you can eat them. 

(Photo: Rob and Tom trying to stay awake in Amsterdam with 1,000 bikes parked behind them)

BIKES EVERYWHERE - The primary mode of transportation in Amsterdam are bicycles. Everyone seems to have one, and there are lots of bike racks everywhere. In fact, we saw an entire parking garage for Bicycles Only! - and it was full. 

(Photo: Parked bikes line an entire block on this Amsterdam street)

A Warning about bicyclists- they will MOW YOU DOWN if you don't get out of their way. So put the phone down and pay attention. Otherwise, you will get knocked over by a bike. They rule the sidewalks and streets there. 

CHEESE !!  Amsterdam is famous for Gouda Cheese. Gouda, is a yellow to orange, creamy, and sweet cow's milk cheese. Cheese shops were plentiful as we walked around the city. Gouda is the most popular cheese there. There are actually many different kinds of Dutch cheese, including Edam, Limburger, and Beemster. 

BAKERIES! Amsterdam is famous for 2 pastries that we knew of - Apple pie and a gooey, tasty cookie called a "Stroopwafel." 

WHAT IS A STROOPWAFEL? Of course, being a pastry lover, I had to buy and taste a Stroopwafel, and it was delicious. A stroopwafel (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈstroːpˌʋaːfəl]  ( literally 'syrup waffle') is a thin, round waffle cookie made from two layers of sweet baked dough held together by caramel filling

How it's Made: A stroopwafel's wafer layers are made from a stiff dough of flour, butter, brown sugar, yeast, milk, and eggs that has been pressed in a hot waffle iron until crisp. While still warm, the waffles have their edges removed with a cookie cutter, which allows the remaining disc to be easily separated into top and bottom wafers. A caramel filling made from syrup, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon—also warm—is spread between the wafers before the waffle is reassembled. The caramel sets as it cools, thereby binding the waffle halves together. (Info and photo credit: Wikipedia) 

 

 NEXT: The Leaning Buildings and Royal Waiting Chamber

Viking Cruise Vacation #1: Flight Adventures

 Welcome to our 2023 vacation series of blogs. This year, we flew to Europe and took an amazing Viking RIver Cruise that began in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and ended up in Basel, Switzerland (though we never got to actually tour it... you'll learn why at the end of the series about 50 plus blogs from now). Today's blog is about the "fun" of air travel to Amsterdam from Baltimore, Maryland.

(Photo: Tom and Rob in JFK Airport, seeking 5 hours of layover entertainment)

FLIGHTS - Viking arranged the flights for us, and they were included in the cost of the cruise, which was nice. We just upgraded to Premium Economy, so we had legroom and the ability to sleep if we could (we couldn't). 

FLIGHT #1 - Our flight from Baltimore to JFK Airport in NYC was short, and the layover was about 5 Hours. That was tedious. 

AIRPORT ENTERTAINMENT - At least we found a Dunkin Donuts for lunch, and we had fun exploring the NYC Lego store which had some pretty cool LEGO displays. 

One of the LEGO displays was of the Empire State Building, so we took a picture in front of it. Another was a jungle with a figure of Dr. Jane Goodall, who studied apes in Africa. They were innovative and cool. 

(Photos: Tom and Rob in the JFK Lego store)

FLIGHT #2 - This flight was nice, but long. They served food, and we had the ability to either nap (which neither of us could) or watch movies or read. I read comic books I packed, and a novel. I also opted to watch the 1992 movie "Batman Returns" with Michael Keaton as Batman, since he'll reprise his role as the character in this summer's movie "The Flash."  - Batman Returns was dark, gloomy and well, awful. Worse than I remembered it. 

Tom watched 2 movies (maybe 3) and enjoyed the food. But we were Exhausted beyond belief when we got to our destination. The flight was 6 1/2 hours. It arrived in Amsterdam at around 6 a.m. their time (which was Midnight our time).  Customs was easy there. SO unlike Customs in Chicago when we returned (we flew through there), but that's a future blog.

AIRPORT PICK-UP - You can pay to have a driver from Viking to meet you at the airport, which we did. It made it easier. We were both so wasted from almost 20 hours of no sleep.

WHAT TO DO AT 6:30AM on a SUNDAY IN AMSTERDAM?  - Nothing!   When the driver dropped us at the docked ship, the driver said "You can tour the city, but it's Sunday and it's 6:30am and nothing is open." So we went on the ship and asked about the room. They said it would be ready at 3pm and we could sit in the lounge as the other passengers (from the previous cruise) disembarked. We sat in the lounge, nodding off and on- and finally at 11:30 a.m. someone from the ship told us the room was ready early. We promptly took a nap.

 

NEXT: Touring Amsterdam Part 1

A Comics' Fan's Take on Seeing the FLASH Movie at the Theatres

 Recently, I managed to drag Tom and our friends Dave and Laurie to see the "Flash" Film at the theatres ( I don't like going to theatres, btw). I did NOT like Ezra Miller as Barry Allen/The Flash in the Justice League movie and well, I equally didn't like him in his own film. Today's blog explains why as a comics fan of over 45 years, I didn't care for this film.

(Image: Supergirl, the Flash and Batman from the Ezra Miller "Flash" movie) 

  But, I'm going to back up here a bit-  I've been reading DC Comics since the mid-1970s and love the characters (sorry, Marvel - I like your characters, but not your comics). I really loved the super-speedster hero known as the Barry Allen character also known as the Flash in comics, and in the 1990s TV series portrayed by John Wesley Shipp and the recent 9-year series where the Flash was portrayed as Grant Gustin. 

(Image; Grant Gustin as the Flash of Earth 1 and John Wesley Shipp as the Flash of Earth 2 from the Flash TV Series on the CW Network- THESE Guys are the best). 

THIS FILM WAS A "C MINUS" -. Mostly because it also resurrected Michael Keaton's Batman, and had quick cameos of most DC TV and movie superheroes.  If Not for the cameos,  I thought the film a "D." 

DUMB OPENING SCENE - The opening scene with the Flash trying to eat before rescuing (only) 6 babies from a crumbling hospital was absolutely stupid. PLUS, the entire hospital collapsed and he saved 6 infants, 1 nurse and a dog . What about the other thousand people? the Building?  DUMB. (It made me think of Superman III where the director brought it comedian Richard Pryor and had all kinds of dumb "accidents" to try and be funny. Sadly, it wasn't.)

NOTHING LIKE THE GRAPHIC NOVEL -  the director DID NOT stick anywhere NEAR the "Flashpoint" storyline of the comics. He simply used the premise of going back in time to prevent Barry's mother's death  - which changes everything- and it's Absolutely NOTHING like the comic books.

WRONG VILLIANS -  to toss in General Zod in the mix, and omit Aquaman and Wonder Woman as enemies in the timeline was ridiculous... as was all the gratuitous explosions and killings. 

(Image: Someone appropriately doctored the words on this cover of a Flash Comic book from the 1970s)

WRONG CHARACTERS -  Barry Allen of the comics is a blonde-haired, great forensic scientist in his own right, always late, and married to a red-headed Caucasian woman, Iris Allen. The director opted to race-swap for no reason.  Iris was an attractive black woman,  Barry Allen was depicted as a dark-haired, goofy, irresponsible, daffy, Hispanic man. Supergirl is blonde in the comics, too.  There's no reason for it, and that's NOT what comics fans want. We want to see our comics come to life. Not some alternate reality. 

BOTTOM LINE - If you want to see it, wait until it comes out on a streaming service. I will not buy it on dvd and will not watch it again, sadly.

SCENE POST CREDITS- It was as dumb as the rest of the movie and not worth staying for, even if you like the Aquaman character.