The Man in the High Castle — Series 3 — Episodes 10: Jahr Null

29th October, 2018.

Yes: it’s official.

I’ve got a copy of David Bowie’s Blackstar album in my iTunes library.

I’ve a few, since you ask.

But that one, released literally days before The man’s death?

Well, it’s powerful … 

~≈§≈~

But that’s possibly a distraction …

Possibly … 

Given that I’ve had both a day off, plenty of Brian Eno playing away on the Apple TV, as we speak … 

And enough time to have watched the last episode of The Man in the High Castle third season.

And, yes: I think that’s a cracker … 

~≈§≈~

The Man in the High Castle — Series 3 — Episodes 8 and 9: Kasumi (Through the Mists) and Baku.

25th October, 2018.

You have, haven’t you … ?

You’ve actually gone and read today’s Daily Teaser, haven’t you … ?

No … ?

Oh, well, thought I’d ask.

It’d be nice … 

But I’m not going to worry if you haven’t.

One thing I did mention … ?

Was that today was a day off … 

Which meant a lot of cleaning, for one thing.

The amount of one brand of noted product I used?

I should change my name to Barry Scott.

At ANY rate … ?

I’ve had some time off … 

Which means more time watching … 

The Man in the High Castle, series three … 

~≈§≈~

The Man in the High Castle — Series 3 — Episodes 6 and 7: History Ends and Excess Animus

18th October, 2018

No, I’m right, aren’t I … ?

Stuff doesn’t get built to last!

I only changed the bulb in the lamp — the one in the lamp shade right next to my desk — a couple of days ago.

And … ?

And, JUST when I want to record an intro video, and want half way decent lighting … ?

‘Click,’ goes the bulb … 

And out goes the light.

I think I’m going to have to visit Poundland in the morning!

Or possibly Wilko’s, going by the web site!

At ANY rate … ?

It’s been a quiet day off … 

That’s seen me catching more TV.

You can tell I’m going to mention the third season of The Man in the High Castle, again, can’t you … ?

~≈§≈~

The Man in the High Castle — Series 3 — Episodes 4 and 5: Sabra and The New Colossus.

16th October, 2018.

Yes, OK … I’m getting old.

But … ?

Frankly … there’s a couple of things.

First off … ?

I’m in a Facebook group: for Dr Who fans.

This year’s celebrity gimmick?

Get J. K. Rowling to do a script for Dr Who.

Personally?



I read the first of the Harry Potter books, a long time ago: I can see the appeal, but felt the series wasn’t for me.

Although, yes: it’s got kids into reading.

Which is a big achievement.

But … ?

The fact EVERYONE keeps going on about Ms Rowling, AND the Harry Potter franchise, as if it were the only thing on the bookshop’s shelves?

Is just a little bit off-putting.

The more I hear … ?

The more annoyed I get about it.

And secondly … ?

Yes: I got some cheap Sainsbury drinking chocolate.

OK, twenty years ago, that possibly would’ve been a beer.

Frankly?

I’m glad I’ve replaced it with cocoa … 

And a TV show.

Yes, you’ve guessed it: I’m catching up with The Man in the High Castle, season three, again … 

~≈§≈~

The Man in the High Castle — Series 3 — Episodes 3: Sensô Kôi

9th October, 2018.

Yes … 

There’s officially a story behind every post.

Ones with heat, passion, love, hate, rhubarb, big dinners …

And almighty cocks up, SOMEWHERE along the line.

Apparently?   I’m supposed to be at work.

Today, tomorrow, and Thursday, as well as on Saturday and Sunday.

Which ISN’T on the copy of the rota I got, lets put it that way.

Basically?

I’ve work tomorrow, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday … 

Instead of the unpaid few days off I was expecting.

Frankly?

That means an early night tonight, and emergency train ticket collection, tomorrow.

Oh, and whilst Architecture and Morality plays in the background?

Telling you about the one episode of The Man in the High Castle third season I saw, tonight … 

~≈§≈~

The Man in the High Castle — Series 3 — Episodes 1 and 2: Now More Than Ever, We Care About You and Imagine Manchuria

8th October, 2018.

You know, I’ve had time off … 

I like time off: PAID time off, that is.

Work, at the moment is complicated: and has given me very few shifts.

Last week … ?   I managed to use up a lot of holiday time, let’s put it that way.

Next week … ?   And this week … ?

Well, I suspect I may have to take some very good advise I’ve had, And start looking at giving either the Citizen’s Advise Bureau or ACAS a call.

Just to see what they can say.

~≈§≈~

At any rate … ?

That amount of time of time off has done one thing … 

Well … a couple of things.

Job-hunt, obviously.

Catching up with a few movies, last week.

This week … ?

Given it’s a new — ish — release?

The third season of Amazon Prime’s The Man in the High Castle.

It’s easy to forget quite how disturbing it could be … 

~≈§≈~

The Man in the High Castle — Series 2 — Episodes 9 and 10: Detonation and Fallout

30th March, 2018.

Yes … 

I think ‘satisfying’ is possibly the word, here.

Can I make a slight confession?

I’m — at the moment — off ill.

A case of Bell’s Palsy: a — temporary, I’m told — trapped facial nerve which makes me look and sound slightly odd.

Which you’s possibly worked out.   Especially if you’ve seen the intro video for this morning’s Daily Teaser, and started wondering if I look like J. W. Pepper … !

At ANY rate: I’m trying to say I’ve had time off.

And time to catch up with both Teaser videos: AND a box set.

As you may also have worked out?

Is that the box set of the month is season two of The Man in the High Castle.

Yes: I think satisfying is the word … 

~≈§≈~

The Man in the High Castle — Series 2 — Episode 8: Loose Lips

29th March, 2018.

Yes: I’m officially off ill.

Which I don’t like.

The’s job centre doesn’t necessarily cover it: at least … as regular sick pay, it won’t: just pay me extra Universal Credit … toward’s the end of the month.

Which I still don’t like … 

I’m ill.



Which I like even less.

With the bailiffs (metaphorically) banging at the door?

I’m worried … but have at least been able to make arrangements.

Or, at least, start to make arrangements: to get everything in place, and fend off SOME forms of starvation.

Right now?



I’m worried … 

But can’t do much more.

Bar try to relax.

And catch up with a TV I’ve missed …

~≈§≈~



It’s at times like this … ?

That, frankly, I’m grateful I’ve a box set or two, in hand: have sone for some time.

And, as you’re possibly aware?   I’ve been happily catching up with The Man in the High Castle over the past few weeks.

Season two, if you must know.

And yes: episode eight — out of a potential ten — is building to a big climax.

~≈§≈~

The Man in the High Castle — Series 2 — Episode 6 and 7: Kintsugi and Land o’ Smiles

26th March, 2018.

It’s a bit of a … you know … conundrum … !

I am actually missing a series from my otherwise flawless Dr Who collection: and  I don’t know where it’s gone!

The Creature from The Pit, wouldn’t you know?

If anyone’s got a spare copy I could beg borrow, I would LOVE to hear from you!

It’s going to bother me for minutes!

Ahem!

At ANY rate … ?

~≈§≈~

At ANY rate, and as you’d possibly guessed?

I’ve not been without a favourite piece of TV.

Oh, no.

No, tonight?

On my last day off of the week?

I got to do two things.

1).  Check in with my GP.   You HAVE to, after the sort of weekend I’ve had.

And …

2).  Watch more of the second season of The Man in the High Castle.

Because you have to … !

~≈§≈~

The Man in the High Castle — Series 2 — Episode 5: Duck and Cover

25th March, 2018.

No, really … 

I have with my normal breakfast — usually a bowl of cornflakes — for something else.

As you might know, if you’ve read this morning’s Daily Teaser, I’ve come down with what’s called Bell’s Palsy: a type of facial paralysis caused by a trapped nerve, after an infection.

One I think I caught, after having a tooth out, a while back.

At any rate?   I’ve a course of steroids to take: and some eyepatches to wear over night: to stop my left eye drying out.

Although I had to buy my own surgical tape to stick them on.

Which possibly says a lot about the hospital, or the mood I was in, when I got this lot.

At any rate?   I’m going to have to try and have a word with my GP, I think.

I think something like that could well be … … 

Useful.

~≈§≈~

There’s something else I meant To tell you, as well.

I mentioned — the last time I wrote about a TV show — that’s I’d been half lucking: when installing popular DVD transcoding, HandBrake onto my new iMac: the current version of the operating system, High Sierra, doesn’t allow you too.

I’ve done a little experimenting: and found a workaround for this.

The original one I found?   Was to install MakeMKV: which will turn the contents of a DVD or bluray into a series of .mkv files: which you can then rip as normal with HandBrake.

The OTHER workaround?

Out there— very much not on Apple’s App Store — is an app called RipIt which can copy a DVD: and store the contents where you want to put them … 

MINUS the copy protection.

The resulting DVD media … ?

Can be transcoded with HandBrake, as per normal.

~≈§≈~

The Man in the High Castle — Series 2 — Episode 4: Escalation

19th March, 2018.

Which is decidedly odd.

I’ve had most to the relevant files for quite a few years: and some for a lot less time.

All of which have happily shown up on my AppleTV: when they’ve been dragged into whatever my current version of iTunes is.

All I’m getting from them … ?

Is a very strange dialogue: telling there’s an unknown error.

And giving me the error code, 1718449215.

Quite what’s happening there … ?

I really couldn’t tell say.

~≈§≈~

On other fronts … ?

On other fronts, I’m now the proud owner of a new blu-ray drive: now happily hooked up to my new iMac.

Granted, I can’t seemingly get HandBrake to work on DVDs, under High Sierra: despite there being a hack for that.

But I can still use MakeMKV to turn the contents of a DVD into MKV files.

Which can then be converted, as per usual, into mp4 files I can stream straight over to my TV.

~≈§≈~

Actually … ?

I’ll make a confession, here: if I may?

I’ve just done a test rip — with HandBrake —  of one of the problem children in my media library.

Some of them?   Have an extra layer of audio file.

Commentary, mono mix of the show’s audio, what have you.

Re-ripping them, minus that extra audio track?

Seems to help.

~≈§≈~

At any rate … ?

It’s Monday night: a Monday I’ve had off.

And, with all this talk of TV?

You can bet I’ve been watching some, can’t you … ?

You’d be right.

It’s another episode of The Man in the High Castle second season.

Because I’m worth it … 

~≈§≈~

The Man in the High Castle — Series 2 — Episode 3: Travelers

18th March, 2018.

Yes, I know … the simple fact I can smell cocoa?

Is possibly not something to write home about.

Or a post about.

But … ?

As I know Debbi and her husband, Rick, will know — after their visit, back in the day — I gave up smoking some seven years ago: not long after my nephew, Jude, was born.

So … ?

Being able to smell any thing — tea, cocoa, someone’s perfume, me own rather sweaty armpits* — is sort of amazing.

With the possible exception of the armpits …

~≈§≈~

At ANY rate … ?

Today is, officially?   The day of the Mini/Small/Lesser† beast from the East.

In other words?   A second batch of bad weather: coming in after last week’s Beast From the East.

Frankly?

I stayed indoors for most of it.

Venturing out with the intention of getting some milk from the local shop: but coming home with some washing up liquid, and some incense.   And a lighter: to light the incense.

Sense of smell, remember?

Frankly?   I wanted indoor to smell nice, as well as — ha! — clean.

At ANY rate … ?

I’ve been at home: laundering, making videos, editing metadata on my video library …

And wanting to catch up with something.

More episodes of Series 2 of Man in the High Castle.

It’s intriguing.

~≈§≈~

The Man in the High Castle — Series 2 — Episode 1: The Tiger’s Cave

11th March, 2018.

Yes: quite definitely in something of a funny mood: with a feeling of …

Incompleteness, if that’s the right word.

You see, something that’s been nagging at me for a couple of weeks, now?

Is the simple fact I’ve still not transferred over my complete iTunes library from my old machine, to my new one*.

Same for my old iPhoto library: although I’ve got key elements from both moved over.

Frankly?

It’s taking its time … and worrying me, as it’s not done.

~≈§≈~

The Man in the High Castle — Series 1 — Episodes 7 and 8: Truth and The End of the World.

10th August, 2017.

You know … 

I think I can have to much of a good thing.

Or possibly not enough.

Hmmm … 

I’ll possibly have to re-read that sentence, later, and see if it makes sense … 

At ANY rate … ?

I have a short week, next week: some 25 hours.

There’s possibly a shorter one the week after.

As we have a bunch of new trainees coming on-stream.

I’m understandably, concerned: concerned enough to think making discreet enquiries at the job centre would be an idea.

But … ?

Well … 

I’ not sure if I could tell you exactly how, what or where my thoughts are going.

All I could tell you … ?

All I could tell you is that tonight is/was a night off, for me.

And, as I have done for the past few weeks?

Catch some TV.

In this case … ?

More of the formidable The Man in the High Castle.

~≈‽≈~

The Man in the High Castle — Series 1 — Episodes 5 and 6: The New Normal and Three Monkeys.

3rd August, 2017

You know, this SEEMS to be the week for damage, doesn’t it?

Doesn’t it?

I mean … the light in the kitchen, last week, the glasses, the other night … 

And now … ?

The light in my hallway.

And guess what … ?

I’ve tried changing the bulb.   A bog standard bayonet bulb.   On a flex with a bog standard — apparently — bayonet fitting.

Which refuses to take the bulbs with the bayonet fittings I actually HAVE!

~≈Ÿ≈~

Yes, yes, yes: I’ve managed to do some online reporting, before you ask: and reported this to my landlord.

HOPEFULLY?

They’ll be able to get out, in suitably brisk form, and replace the fitting.

Standing on a ladder, trying desperately to replace a bulb, in the dark?

Wasn’t something I was expecting to do in the middle of watching my new favourite series, The Man in the High Castle.

Funny how evenings go … 

~≈Ÿ≈~

The Man in the High Castle — Series 1 — Episodes 3 and 4: The Illustrated Woman and Revelations

27th July, 2017

You know, today is my only day off, this week.

Really.

And, as much as I complain about how my hours go up and down … ?

There are times when less hours — on double the money — seems nice.

As would a humongous great lottery win.

Nothing fancy: just enough to pay off my debts, buy my flat, take driving lessons, refurbish my kitchen, buy a new Mac, and a bigger TV … 

And possibly buy anyone who asks nicely a new computer, but, hey … !

At ANY rate … ?

A night off …

A night off, a TV set, and an Apple TV streaming box?

And a couple more episodes of The Man in the High Castle?

Well, it’s be rude, not too, frankly.

~≈⌘≈~

The Man in the High Castle — Series 1 — Episodes 1 and 2: The New World and Sunrise

21st July, 2017

You know, I really should be trying to maybe — maybe — get out and about, at some point.

Press the flesh, give the flesh an airing, what have you.

On the other hand, though?

I had a lot to try and get done, today.

In fact?

I still have laundry on the go, as we speak.

You’d think bedsheets would bend, sometimes, wouldn’t you?

At ANY rate … ?

I now have cleaner clothes than I did.

Cleaners clothes … and more of a TV series to work through.

You see, I faced a dilemma, tonight.

Should I go for the third series of American Horror Story?

Or should I go for something a little different?

Should I go for the Amazon produced, alternative Cold War history drama that is The Man in the High Castle.

I went for the latter.

I’d read the Philip K. Dick novel, many years ago.

And wanted to see what the show could tell me.

~≈Á≈~