Reads, Listens, Watches

Reading list of books, magazines, newspaper articles, other physical documents, or online posts
Playlist of posts listened to, or scrobbled
Playlist of watched movies, television shows, online videos, and other visual-based events
Watched October 4, 2021 - PBS NewsHour from PBS NewsHour
Monday on the NewsHour, we look into the deepening standoff between President Joe Biden and Senate Republicans over raising the debt ceiling. Then, a major oil spill off the coast of Southern California threatens wildlife as crews race to contain the damage. And, the Supreme Court takes on abortion, gun rights and more divisive issues as it starts a new term.
Watched "Line of Duty" The Ambush from Netflix
The Ambush: Directed by Douglas Mackinnon. With Michael Nardone, David Maybrick, Antonio Magro, Keeley Hawes. A police convoy escorting a civilian under a witness protection scheme is attacked, the witness hospitalized and all the police officers killed, except Inspector Lindsay Denton, who organized the operation at very short notice and who only informed DCC Dryden of the route. Ted Hastings asks Steve and Kate to interview her but Kate pulls out, claiming one of the dead officers, Jayne Akers, was a friend - though she has been having an affair with Jayne's husband Rich. Her place is taken by Georgia Trotman, who is troubled that the men are savage with their interrogation, treating Lindsay as a suspect and delving into her finances. Lindsay herself is moved to a missing persons unit but is shown to have a violent streak, attacking a noisy neighbour. Kate follows her to the retirement home where her mother lives and finds she has rung the hospital from a payphone. Georgia and Steve attend at the hospital where somebody is trying to kill the witness and who kills Georgia.
Tight opening… I’m already bought into the series, but this is a heck of an opener.
Watched "Billions" The Punch from Amazon Prime
The Punch: Directed by Stephen Gyllenhaal. With Paul Giamatti, Damian Lewis, Maggie Siff, Malin Akerman. The pressure from the US Attorney starts to affect Axe. Chuck uses the past to get the upper hand. And the case against Axe Capital gains a powerful weapon when Connerty turns a member of Axe's inner circle into an informant.
Watched "Billions" The Good Life from Amazon Prime
The Good Life: Directed by Neil LaBute. With Paul Giamatti, Damian Lewis, Maggie Siff, Malin Akerman. Axe orders his traders to unload their positions, before he unceremoniously disappears. Wags and Wendy struggle to maintain morale. Meanwhile, Chuck intensifies his investigation and sends the FBI to make a surprising arrest.
Watched "Billions" Short Squeeze from Amazon Prime
Short Squeeze: Directed by James Foley. With Paul Giamatti, Damian Lewis, Maggie Siff, Malin Akerman. Axe must fend off a short squeeze led by Chuck's father. Chuck learns about the inner workings of Axe Capital, but must also take action against his father for stock manipulation. Axe reckons with a betrayal.
Watched "Billions" YumTime from Amazon Prime
YumTime: Directed by Scott Hornbacher. With Paul Giamatti, Damian Lewis, Maggie Siff, Malin Akerman. Chuck discovers that a rival has made inroads in the Axe case and that he needs to get it back. Meanwhile, Axe makes an activist play for a family owned bakery corporation in a move that reverberates back to Chuck.
Watched My Name Is Pauli Murray (2021) from Amazon Prime
Directed by Julie Cohen, Betsy West. With Patricia Bell-Scott, Pauli Murray, Dolores Chandler, Brittney Cooper. A look at the life and ideas of Pauli Murray, a non-binary Black lawyer, activist and poet who influenced both Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Thurgood Marshall.
Couldn’t make it to the Women’s march today, but watching this was an incredibly enriching replacement.
Watched "The West Wing" An Khe from HBO Max
An Khe: Directed by Alex Graves. With Stockard Channing, Dulé Hill, Allison Janney, Joshua Malina. A Navy Hawkeye AWACS crew is missing in North Korea, a Broadcaster has called CJ a chicken and a proposed tax break for stay at home moms causes Josh stress. Amidst the usual West Wing mêlée, Leo finds himself hearing things about the man who saved his life in Vietnam, that he doesn't believe.
Watched "The West Wing" The Warfare of Genghis Khan from HBO Max
The Warfare of Genghis Khan: Directed by Bill D'Elia. A nuclear device is tested in the Indian Ocean, but none of the known nuclear powers will claim responsibility, leading to the possibility of a terrorist group holding missile tests. Vice President Russell, heretofore dismissed by west wing staff as a joke, a four-term congressman alleged to be securely in the pocket of a large Colorado mining company, recalls a junket he'd taken early in his political career in which a drunken Israeli statesman confessed to secret missile tests. Russell visits the sit. room and puts the military and national security leaders at ease, leading the president and Leo to reassess the man's political gravitas. Bartlet then drags the Israeli p.m. to the White House, where they debate the power of the U.S. to dictate which states should have nuclear capabilities.
One of my favorite episodes, and not just because I make a brief appearance.

I will say that you don’t want to annoy the producers or they’ll snipe at you from their bully pulpit. For those who haven’t seen the episode, CJ unceremoniously blows off my call. 😁