When you write an outline on paper, if you feel the need to reorganize, you have to write the whole thing over. This makes the initial structure something you resist deciding on, so you never get started. Doing an outline on a computer is different. Since you have commands to reorganize the outline, you can use any structure that supports your list-making. Because you can always regroup things, or ungroup them., Whatever works for you, over time. #

I saw Soul. I say meh. What a mess. I paid close attention because Pixar produces good movies. But this one was not good. I know lots of other people say they love it, including AO Scott at the NYT. It got a 85 on Metacritic, very high must-see. One thing I did like is how they portrayed NYC. That was a technical achievement. Maybe they should do movies like that. Star a real-life place. Have normal people just doing stuff there. More mundane. Boy meets girl, perhaps. Pixar movies these days seem to have to bite off so much. Toy Story was nice. I liked the story of the old man, a kid, a dog and a balloon, and the one about the robot who has to deal with post-apocalyptic Earth. Those are simpler themes. Trying to make a story about the before-life and after-life? Hmm. That requires a bit less Hallmark and more math, imho. #

One thing worth mentioning is we may have entered a new era of movie-watching. A major Pixar movie, a Christmas movie, opened without theaters being an important consideration. If you had predicted that just a year ago, people would have thought you're crazy. Things are changing quickly now.#

I turned on NBA TV last night and watched a bit of the Knicks v 76ers. A message appeared after a while saying that the game was blacked out where I live. Presumably because they want me to pay for something that provides a way to watch the game on local TV. Except since i cut the cord with Spectrum earlier this year, and went with YouTube TV for local stations, I can't get MSG which broadcasts the Knicks locally. I can swith to Fubo, which has MSG, but it's the same price as YouTube TV, and I have no idea what it is. So where I'm at now is paying $65 a month for YTTV and only watching MSNBC and CNN there. Seems pretty steep. Also if I get NBA League Pass, which I'm considering, I'm pretty sure they'd black out access for me for Knicks games too, even though I'd be paying $200 for the season. I remember when watching local sports was free, Not that long ago. What might be the smartest move, pay Spectrum, become a wire-splicer. What a mess.#

Two online acquaintances who share many of my values who I consider friends say something horribly negative about the US, a feature of Republican depravity, which I vote against every chance I get. I feel we’re on the same side, but I don’t like them making such sweeping statements about my country, which due to poor Constitutional design, has these awful features such as inadequate health care, or unregulated gun violence. One of these fellows is British and the other is an American expat living in Germany. I could respond by blaming the British fellow for Rupert Murdoch, who is enforcing Republican lunacy in the US and elsewhere. I suppose technically he’s Australian, but who cares. Or remind my German friend that Germany is where the Nazis came from, the same ones who menace my country now. He might say he’s really American so it’s not his fault. i won’t do it. But i liked saying it out loud just for a moment. 🤪🇺🇸❤️#