Photos

This ominous photo I took tonight of the Disney castle lit by red fireworks is my new header for, possibly, forever because shit is just ominous these days okay?

A brightly lit castle is illuminated by colorful fireworks exploding in a vibrant night sky.

I recently posted a photo of my cat on Bluesky, as any serious person does on a growing social network. While carefully preparing the post (again, I am serious person) I asked four different LLMs for alt text to include with the photo. They all did okay, but as you can see Claude went pretty hard…

Screenshot of Google Gemini showing the following alt text it generated for this cat photo: A black and white cat stares seriously at the viewer while wearing a pink plastic tiara.Screenshot of ChatGPT showing the following alt text it generated for this cat photo: The image shows a black-and-white cat wearing a pink, gem-studded tiara. The cat has a serious expression, with its greenish-yellow eyes focused on the camera.Screenshot of Microsoft Copilot showing the following alt text it generated for this cat photo: A cat is wearing a pink beaded crown. The cat's face is blurred, but the crown is clearly visible, adorned with numerous small, shiny beads. The cat has black and white fur, and the background appears to be indoors with a warm-toned setting.Screenshot of Anthropic's Claude showing the following alt text it generated for this cat photo: This image shows a black and white cat wearing a bright pink, ornate tiara or crown made of small beaded or jeweled elements. The cat has striking golden-yellow eyes and distinctive black patches around its eyes contrasting with its white fur. The crown sits perched on top of the cat's head and appears to be decorative costume jewelry. The cat has a dignified, regal expression and appears to be resting on what looks like light-colored fabric or bedding. The photo is well-lit and in sharp focus, particularly highlighting the cat's facial features and the intricate details of the pink crown.

📷 Found my old Fringe hoodie while putting some stuff away. It’s pretty beat up, but a great reminder that it was one hell of a good show.

I took this photo tonight while leaving work at 18th and Market Streets in Philly. It doesn’t really show how thick the air was, and it’s only slightly better at home in Princeton. Be safe everyone.

A photo taken with an iPhone 14 Pro of Market Street in Philly, a dense haze hanging over the city as a result of Canadian wildfires.

Camp Taylor. Checked in at Camp Taylor. A campfire in the daylight. (@ Camp Taylor Campground, NJ, USA)

A campfire in the daylight at Camp Taylor, New Jersey

Castle in the Sky, 1986

Watched on Sunday May 14, 2023.

Checked in at Camp Taylor. Another night, another shot of the sky through the trees (@ Camp Taylor Campground, NJ, USA)

The sky through the trees (@ Camp Taylor Campground, NJ, USA)

Neil Gaiman announced season 2 of Good Omens on Bluesky today. I enjoyed season 1 which, though it had its faults, was a really pleasant display of the chemistry between its leads, David Tenant as the demon Crowley and Michael Sheen as the angel Aziraphale.

As I said on Bluesky itself: This is… not a good idea at all…

Elliot: The Littlest Reindeer, 2018

Turned this off in the first ten minutes

Riders of Justice, 2020 - ★★★★

It both is and is not the movie you think it is, and both in the best way.

Truth or Dare?: A Critical Madness, 1986 - ★★

Awful… awfully wonderful

CODA, 2021 - ★★★

Awful family places burden of their livelihood on daughter for her entire life and finally decides to let her be her own kid as she leaves for college. It was good but it was kind of missing that one show stopping, jaw dropping song that the third act of any movie in this vein kind of demands.

Black Widow, 2021 - ★★★

It’s worth a watch for the chemistry between the sisters - you don’t see a lot of effective portrayals of sisterhood in action movies - and David Harbour is a lot of fun. Edit: the pig scene was totally unnecessary and gross.

The Suicide Squad, 2021 - ★★★★

A lot of people love this movie for the same reasons a lot of people hate this movie. It simultaneously shamelessly indulges in the same clichés and tropes that it’s constantly subverting. A lot of people just want it to pick whether it’s going to shamelessly indulge or it’s going to subvert but I …

Don't Look Now, 1973 - ★★★★½

The non sequitur implementation of the ending cost half a star but the film is visually stunning and narratively bold. I can’t say what movies clearly took inspiration from it without giving it away, but you’ll probably know right away after you watch it.

Starry Eyes, 2014 - ★★★

Watched on Tuesday July 20, 2021.

The Peanut Butter Solution, 1985 - ★★★

You will not know where it’s going until it gets there.

Cigarette Burns, 2005 - ★★★

Watched for the FUMC.

House, 1977 - ★★★

Well you should all watch it once. Watching it alone was disorientating and left me wishing I had someone to share the experience with but it was a hell of ride. Go in blind and don’t ask of it any more than it is.

A Quiet Place Part II, 2020 - ★★★★★

I try to be stingy with 5 stars but this movie deserves it. The writing, direction, acting and SOUND DESIGN are as good as the first and in some areas even better. The main flaw that bugged me was SPOILER ALERT: The day one flashback was really only there to remind us who JK was on the first one …

C'est la Vie, 2016 - ★★★★

I watched a few of his shorts tonight but this was my favorite.

Beau, 2011 - ★★★

There’s so much more to be told here.

The Strange Thing About the Johnsons, 2011 - ★★★

Yes it’s disturbing but there’s nothing supernatural about it.

Martyrs, 2008 - ★★★★

Watched on Wednesday July 21, 2021.

Come and See, 1985 - ★★★★

Brutal and unrelenting, once is enough, but it’s also necessary.

Near Dark, 1987 - ★★★★

It’s worth a watch despite the lame performance of the male lead. Henricksen and Paxton are wonderful, and Bigelow’s makes the thing a visually classic and novel experience at the same time.

The Amusement Park, 1975 - ★★

These are all things I have seen happening to Oder folks. It’s a sad sad movie whose true horror is the inevitability that we may all face one or more of these deep indignities if we are lucky enough to grow old.

Sunshine, 2007 - ★★

The star power is impressive, with Michelle Yeoh and Chris Evans and Cillian Murphy and Rose Byrne. The story is Event Horizon light and not one of Boyle’s best by a long short but it’s a beautifully shot film.