Many months on the road continue for me. I think I have a solid two and a half more months of wayward travel. Regardless, as sure as the sun shines and drink specials happen throughout the week, I will make a post on Thursdays. Failure is not an option.
As Godzilla Minus One swept the popular conscience in 2023, another movie quietly crept into theaters. Shin Ultraman. This has the same purpose as Godzilla Minus One, just to show the beginnings of things and concentrate more on the lives of the people than on the monsters themselves. And I really like that.
So what is it about? In case you never, ever in your life watched an episode of the Ultraman TV show, it’s about a giant silver man that shows up and fights monsters. Why does he do it? Where does he come from? Who is he fighting for? The U.S. government? Japan? The Kids?
Shin Ultraman, like Godzilla Minus Zero, focuses on the freedom of the individual and the prison society and governments create for us with rules and obligations. And I would say overall this is quite well made. This does tackle serious themes, as did Godzilla Minus Zero. Even with those similarities, tonight’s film is from a different production company (although Toho had some hand in both), and does not share the writers or directors with Godzilla Minus Zero. For all I know we may be looking at a new dawn in Japanese movie making, one that is openly critical of overbearing government officials. I can only hope so. We need more movies like this.
So watch! Or don’t! Everything is voluntary! Next week, we lighten it up a bit with Lesbian Vampire Killers!
“I think I have a solid two and a half more months of wayward travel.”
At least you aren’t in Los Angeles.
The child of one of the lurkers was in Palisades. She had to run for it, flames chasing her. Didn’t calm down for days. Her house was completely razed, the only thing left was the foundation and the stones that led up to the door.
Picture:
https://www.glibertarians.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Fire.jpg
Awful.
My wife just left her hotel in Westwood and is in the air. Her meetings were canceled – unsurprisingly, talking about donating to your alma mater is a low priority when your world is in flames.
It was getting slightly hairy even there – Palisades fire about 15 minutes to the west and the Sunset fire about 10 minutes to the east.
Damn. Tragic.
Yikes!
That looks like it was downright beautiful in the before times.
The old-school Toho kaigu seemed like Shinto morality tales to me. Not much about government.
It keeps that part. The darker tales of self-determination from early Ultraman are here, plus some new cynicism. And a little bit of giant women fetish.
I’ll check this out – this CFP game doesn’t need watching if it stays like this. Yeesh, they both look bad.
Sabres here, choosing to not suck.
Bruins playing the Lightning – I’ll peek at the score through interlaced fingers; Bs are totally stumbling.
Made a slush man earlier today. Some snow fell with a bunch of freezing sleet/rain. Has not stopped since this morning.
https://www.glibertarians.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Slush-man.jpeg
I can’t remember the last time it went above freezing here… a couple weeks?
It finally went above 20Β° and honest to gods it felt “warm” as I was out and about today.
Not sure I’ve even heard of it. Β―\_(γ)_/Β―
Next week sounds promising!
I definitely recall it from my youth.
So do I. The opening sequence with the swirly mix congealing intlo ‘Ultra-Man’ had me stumped for years. How could they do it? I was too small to realize that film could be run backwards.
Ultra-Man was like the Cybernauts of Dr. Who; most vulnerable part right on the chest.
Ultraman!!! Ultraman was part of my afternoon ritual after I got my homework done. Along with Speed Racer.
I remember Speed Racer very well.
Maybe my UHF channel just never showed the other one.
Ultraman in the afternoon? Lucky bastard, we had to get up at 7:00am if we wanted to catch Ultraman. I had a paper route, so I frequently watched after my morning route was done.
lol I had to catch the school bus in the middle of Star Blazers every morning. π‘
There has to be a firebug in LA. The ‘spontaneous’ fires now popping up make no sense to wind direction and possible embers.
You misspelled ‘junkies’.
Commies.
In the canyons? Naw. First one in Palisades I’d say downed powerline. Eaton (Altadena) maybe…others, firebug or others thinking nows the time to cash in on one gigantic bailout cause insurance was dropped.
“others thinking nows the time to cash in on one gigantic bailout cause insurance was dropped”
I seriously doubt if there is an arsonist, that person is a homeowner.
Why not? Homeowners do stplupid shit all the time.
“Why not? Homeowners do stplupid shit all the time.”
That seems a bit too far fetched. Someone is going to set fire to their multi-million dollar home, and lose everything, on the off chance they get some kind of bailout?
I am not talking about the Palisade fires..those are probably electrical line related. I am talking the fires popping up
They could be downed power lines, homeless people, or climate change activists.
Is Chafed somewhere in the greater (okay, LARGER) LA area or elsewhere in CA? He last commented here yesterday morning, it appears. Hope all’s well with him and his. π
Indeed.
Sending good thoughts for Chafed. He’s normally here by now. Hope he is untouched by these fires.
Agreed. Hoping for the best.
Prayers for all Socal Glibs, present or absent.
Thanks for thinking of me. I’m far enough from LA that I’m not in any danger.
They got tired of firing the Great White North and decided to work in warmer climes.
I’m pretty sure Japan already has nukes.
Officially not. ISTR they could pretty quickly if need be.
Well, not “officially”. But imagine you are the only country ever attacked by a nuclear weapon, you have nuclear power, and a bunch of genius engineers.
Also, Israel “officially” doesn’t have nukes, but the Manhattan Project was 50 Jews.
(I think think one of them was born Jewish but converted to Lutheran.)
I knew Ultraman existed, but no details. Regardless, I’m enjoying this.
“Protect lives, saves lives, and save homes” is the focus group narrative in LA right now.
Funny thing is, it will work.
lol Is there some alternate-reality city named “Buffalo” I’m not aware of?
I don’t know, but the heating bills have to suck ass.
As opposed to the Bills, who might win the Super Bowl.
Weirdly, my heating bills are much less today in also-upstate NY than they were in Buffalo several decades ago – and Buffalo is no colder than where I live now.
I *think* the difference may be I lived in a lot of shitty old drafty houses in Buffalo versus recent construction now?
Insulation makes a big difference. Although, a decades ago difference? Price of electricity and heating oil is way much higher now.
Winter heating bills were often more than rent back then.
I dunno exactly why.
I’ll guess shitty, inefficient heat plus shit insulation.
If it was electric baseboard heating, that’d explain it (see ‘shitty, inefficient heating’)
To wit: I remember paying (split with a roomie) about $350 a month for winter heat around 1992. That was gas – and therefore heat only.
I just looked at my December electric bill (which is heat and all other electric including things I didn’t have back then like dishwasher and washer & dryer and computer etc.) – about $70.
I did have electric baseboard heating my last year in Buffalo, around 1993, and yeah that was crazy expensive.
+ cooking but college kids so we didn’t really do that
The place with gas had to be some leaky-ass craphole, like the ones I lived in; the curtains moved when the wind blew.
Yah but it was the same in multiple housings – including childhood in Rochester. Heat was just insanely expensive as fuck no matter what. I guess it’s possible that I lived in a long string of leaky-ass crapholes. (Not kidding, that is entirely possible.)
“I just looked at my December electric bill (which is heat and all other electric including things I didnβt have back then like dishwasher and washer & dryer and computer etc.) β about $70.”
Wow! That’s cheap. I pay more for that a month when I’m not using heat or A/C.
I still don’t quite get it. Summer bills are higher – up to $120 and I don’t run A/C nearly as much as I run heat in winter. I guess I won’t complain.
The Holy Mother finally woke up and momentum has shifted to the Irish.
Most interesting porno intro ever
I’m keeping an eye on the score and I’ll switch over for the fourth if stays interesting
It’s interesting now.
Very interesting now.
Where’s Newsome been the last couple days? I would expect him to be out in front of this problem, showing his leadership at every opportunity.
Isn’t that what leaders do? Lead?
Idk, but the mayor of LA is in Africa.
She was in Africa. I can’t blame her for that other than it was some taxpayer funded trip that has nothing to do with the city.
There is zero reason for any state or local politician to make an international trip.
(Ok, border jurisdictions to CA or MX)
Newsome was in town. One clip I saw was a ‘random’ person ran up to him (no security) asking what he was going to do.
His response was ‘I’m trying to get a hold of the president’. Which is weird…Biden was just there.
“Biden was just there.”
Is he ever there?
Funny, you would think he would be all over the news.
I mean, he does want to be president, no?
Trump, for all he is, knows how to suck the air out of the room.
It is amazing that the rest of the world still doesn’t know what to do with him.
He drives them nuts.
That greasy fucker is a walking fire hazard.
I saw a clip of Newsome lambasting Trump for “politicizing” the fires. The money shot of the clip was when asked what he was going to do about the lack of water in the hydrants, he said locals will figure it out.
That’s some leadership there, Gavin. If a R said that shit it would be the top headline. But it was Newsome so hardly anyone will ever see it.
George Newsome hates Cali people.
He came down to LA to deflect the blame.
THICC Thursday After Dark.
https://archive.is/W4FV7/5a0de8fbe13f775abc551a9998800bcc3e13f7ec.jpg
NSFW.
https://archive.is/CXdZg/a687e53d4d7e968c845cef41dfa0b7e67953aa41.jpg
NSFW.
https://archive.is/IjavG/f8e5b6897b6b0d17908324ea6f3ca683be319156.jpg
NSFW.
https://archive.is/Nwty9/2561f8b37434f678c2629ec04263eb61d14118d9.jpg
NSFW.
I wonder about those weird socks that don’t cover the toes.
https://archive.is/uAj5W/07e999282d9f23faaca68515e39be6dabd0b3a13.jpg
NSFW.
Those are a dancers leg warmers.
I’d start fires with a couple of em
So do most Glibs
Was for Gustave. Jesus tap dancing Christ, Word press sucks balls why stop putting a reply button next to threaded comment after three nested ones, I fall for that shit every time, mother fuckers!
Pardon my French.
Was riffing on the GWB line.
But you’re not wrong.
I wouldn’t call any of them thicc.
Jay is driving his rebuilt Chrysler jet car.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9yUv3uObQ4
Leno is a first class car-guy. That is awesome.
I’d say first class guy.
Mel Gibson would be fantastic to have a heavy night out a
*night out at a bar…I blame WP
Oh and Rogan is nearing Art Bell status. Which isn’t a dig.
If Joe Rogan didn’t ask Mel anything about the Jews, he’s a coward.
Local Fox channel in LA is hammering away on the homeless situation and them starting fires.
It’s an ongoing issue. Corolla talks about the regular fires started in the Malibu Hills by homeless people, per the local firemen.
I’m surprised a mainstream network is allowed to talk about that.
I still think it’s mostly power lines and and not clearing dead wood.
An “all of the above” situation, I suspect.
Another reoccurring Corolla rant is why doesn’t CA spend a fraction of the billions they’ve wasted on the high speed rail to nowhere on burying the power lines in conduits?
Like clockwork, high winds result in downed power lines which cause fires.
Underground lines at a much high cost, slower to fix, and more susceptible to damage in an earthquake. Good thing CA doesn’t have those.
Pretty sure the tech for underground power lines could definitely be handled in an earthquake safe manner for a LOT less than the cost of the choo choo to nowhere.
Alternatively, replacing the ancient creosote treated wood utility poles with reinforced steel ie. Japan, would be an option.
Enough higher cost to offset the damage done by the fires?
California is suffering from a complete lack of Firsters. Firsters are famously great fire stoppers. Not fighters. Stoppers Don’t need no water. Don’t need to rake no leaves. Just First against fire, and baby…the First wins.
You make a good point.
Coach Franklin does it again; squanders 10 point lead to lose by 3.
Eeee! Thank you for these. Perhaps some disagreement with your take that the film “focuses on the freedom of the individual and the prison society and governments create for us with rules and obligations.”
From the wiki: “Noah Oskow of Unseen Japan felt that the film criticizes Japan’s weak government bureaucracy like its predecessor, Shin Godzilla, which was a meditation on ruinous government inaction and gridlock,” specifically re: the 2011 earthquake/tsunami.
I’d imagine criticizing the weak govt implies a stronger one is preferred, tending to weaken individual liberty. I can easily imagine a small, isolated and homogeneous country would be not only keen on strong central power, but also pretty damn good at it, particularly after getting nuked twice 80(!!) years ago. Powerful memories to pull the Collective together. I’m a tremendous fan of Japan/Korea individualizing more against what came before, and I’m mighty curious how it proceeds.
Spoiler – they scissor the vampires to death.
Notre Dame wins. As both a Hoosier born in West Virginia, and a raised-Catholic who’s never ‘felt’ religion, it’s my honor to bring you this message.
I don’t follow this league but I was half-heartedly rooting for a team from the state where my mom and stepdad were born and I have relatives. (It’s not Indiana.)
Thanks, R.J.!
I enjoyed that, although I’m confused by the ending. He’s just human now?
Yes. The whole series was about aliens coming to earth and combining with men to save the planet. So it happened again and again. The guy got to wake up and be alive and remember his experiences with the alien, who is now dead in his place.
lol NY Post bitches about pay-stream football in an article that requires a subscription.
π§βπ³π
Slum, your wife is a Bruin?
No, just happened to be staying across from UCLA for work. She went to Oxy, so she knows the area, and now works for BC, with SoCal as her territory.
Happy Friday! Have a Glibtastic day!
πβοΈππΊπ»
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6NXnxTNIWkc
πΆπΆ
Good morning, Sean!
… and Ted’S.!
Morning, glibs.
Good morning, U! How are you today?
I managed to catch up on my missing sleep, though I still woke up every two hours to glance at the clock.
Hotel breakfast is at the gastly late hour of 7am, after which I’ll be back on the road, following 81 down into virginia until I have to change highways to track back east towards my actual destination. I should arrive in North Carolina by mid afternoon. My dad is already there. I’m likely going to be incommunicado until late evening as my first visit will be immediately after I’ve checked into the hotel
The hotel may be forgiven their tardiness if the breakfast includes decent bacon.
In case you have to rush off to get ready, please have a safe rest-of-the-drive, and I hope the visit is as pleasant as possible under the circumstances.
I have not seen their offerings.
I hope it’s not carby.
They earned some forgiveness for the late open for being one of the better hotel breakfasts I’ve had. I got the meat lover’s quesadilla (bacon, sausage, ham, egg, cheddar, in a tortilla) and declined the potatos that came with it. Even if I didn’t want the carbs, I was mostly full at 3/4 of the quesadilla.
πππ― (no quesadilla emoji)
https://www.nj.com/news/2025/01/nj-police-spent-1m-on-controversial-training-despite-warnings.html
My surprised face: π
Note the assertion in the article that what makes the violence really bad is how it affects certain demographic groups.
I noted how the article didnβt even say what the training was about, just that it was dangerously unregulated and contained insults. BFD.
They canβt describe the training without spreading BadThink, RJ!
Just like how they canβt tell you what dangerous/threatening emails, etc. say.
I wonder how many multiples of that will be spent on payouts to address the “trauma”.
Which ones are the lesbians? The vampires or the killers?
Obligatory: Why not both?
suh’ fam
yo whats goody
Good morning, homey!
Just got my driveway cleared (had to pay someone) and I hear Im coming home to another 2-4″ of snow.
Oh, bother
I thought clearing the driveway was Jugsy’s job.
snow ‘cross the bottoms
California: They have a water shortage because they want to have a water shortage. They refuse to implement the obvious solutions.
They have catastrophic fires because they want the place to burn. They refuse to implement the obvious solutions.
They have power shortages because they want to have power shortages. They refuse to implement the obvious solutions.
Shall I do homeless problems? Crime problems? Immigration problems?
All of their problems are self inflicted like most of the problems individuals and groups have. They have them because they want them. California seems to have a special talent for doing that.
You mean to say, foreseeable consequences are not unintended?