I started our Independence Day weekend the right way on Friday — accidentally — by happening upon 2,000 American flags at a local park in tribute to the individual memories of 2,000 who have perished serving our country in wartime. See video here: Happy Birthday America.
Long holiday weekend here in the U.S. but now that’s over and real life intervenes. Fortunately family vacation time is not far off — July is meant for slow-rolling, right?
But it allowed me to spend some of it re-watching “Band of Brothers” which everyone should watch at least once, in part because you will learn a lot about pivotal battles in WWII like D-Day, Operation Market Garden, and the Battle of the Bulge, in part because nothing brings historical events to life like putting them on screen, and in part because it’s just very well done in every way, from performances to story-telling to the “you are there” realism.
There are also unexpected poignant moments like after liberating Eindhoven (Netherlands) two soldiers discover a family that has been living in the cellar for 5 years. One of the soldiers gives the young son a chocolate bar which he starts to devour without saying a word — and then the father says his son has never tasted chocolate.
This scene, whether strictly 100% factual or not, is true because it represents all of the sacrifices made by hundreds of millions of civilians around the world for years, things that people today cannot even conceive of. The show is worth watching for that scene alone, if one allows the power of that idea to penetrate one’s brain.
This trailer includes a piece of that scene about 2/3 of the way through.
Wasted several hours watching the Cubs play, and lose, 3 more games in a row, with the losing streak up to 10 now. The pitching has been mostly okay, not great, but the offense has been horrific: too many strikeouts, not enough contact, too many guys trying to hit 6-run homers with nobody on base. Whatever, I turned it off last night in the 5th inning after they fell behind again. I will not torture myself watching shitty baseball. This streak greatly increases the chances they will dump several potential free agents before the trade deadline July 31, marking the end of an era and saying goodbye to several key players from the 2016 championship team. It is what it is.
Watched the Austrian Grand Prix Sunday morning, won by — guess who — Max Verstappen for his third win in a row, and by a lot. The battles for position behind him were the only drama in the race. Here’s a really good video explaining why his racing technique is so solid.
Also watched a bit of UEFA soccer tournament play, it’s down to Italy vs. Spain (today) and England vs. Denmark (tomorrow) to go to the final.
Enjoy your Tuesday ...