"Colossal" - recommended (with a reservation)

This movie has been categorized as "black comedy sci-fi", which seems reasonably appropriate.  It's not a new movie (2017) but was new to me last night, and this morning I decided to share some thoughts.

Most science fiction requires some "suspension of disbelief" in order for the viewer or reader to "enter" and enjoy the story.  Conventional storylines may require your rational hemisphere to accept time travel, faster-than-light vehicles, aliens who speak English, or hybrid humanoid synths; once you do that, you're "good to go."

For this movie the required suspension of disbelief is evident in the trailer embedded above.   Anne Hathaway is excellent in her lead role as a young woman who is simultaneously a Seoul-crushing monster.

My one reservation regarding enjoying the movie is in regard to Jason Sudeikis' character.  "Colossal" was released in 2016, four years before Sudeikis emerged as "Ted Lasso" in the recurring TV series.   If you start the movie (as I did) with a mindset that Ted Lasso is flirting with Anne Hathaway in a rom-com, then you will need to make major readjustments, because his character has a major (and dominating) dark side evident in the closing scenes.  There is also implied commentary on the potentially detrimental effects of alcohol consumption.

But if you like Anne Hathaway, you might give this one a try.  The Rotten Tomatoes score is 82%, with professional reviewers bouncing all over the place from "unmissable" to "incomprehensible."  Your thoughts/memories are welcome in the Comments.

Comprehensive longread on war negotiations

An "explainer" column today in Al Jazeera provides detailed insight into the ongoing negotiations.  I won't excerpt here; those interested can browse the various sections at the link.

Adjustable light bulbs

I was today years old when I discovered that there are adjustable light bulbs.   Had to replace some of the bulbs in several ceiling cans.  Got to Target without checking what type of bulbs (warm vs. cool) were in the other cans, and discovered that now you can buy multipurpose bulbs and then adjust them at home.

The older I get the more I find myself echoing my 97-year old late mother's phrase of awe and admiration:  "This modern world..."

Your tax money at work

From the June 2026 issue of Harper's Magazine.  I will defer comments, but I suspect readers will have some thoughts.

Dandelion bonsai

It was not until my adult retirement years that I began to understand that dandelions are perennials.  I have harvested some really deep-rooted ones in the loose soil of a backyard tomato patch (I even pondered entering one such plant into a state fair ag competition).  And it was not until yesterday that I discovered that they can be used for bonsai-type art.

I found enough other material online to be reassured that the image above isn't pure AI.  Whether it is true "bonsai" can be argued; you can read about such viewpoints at Reddit and via the Google AI.

Three-year-old plays the piano

Via The Music Man.  Note this is done entirely by memory without looking at any sheet music.  I think I was eight years old before I could stumble my way through "Für Elise" (which I have just learned is one of two melodies played on Taiwan garbage trucks to alert residents of their presence).

Hormuz update

Found on Facebook.  The company's website does not mention this event, but I did find this report from two days ago, which cites the Financial Times and Reuters (to which I don't subscribe).

Greek maritime security company Marisks said the Acheloos and Kavomaleas were struck at about the same time, as they transited the US-facilitated southern Hormuz corridor.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said two ​tankers “exploded” and were immobilised after ​attempting what it called unsafe southern route through the strait, Reuters reported.

Those who care about the ocean and the environment will be pleased to read that the supertanker was empty: "The tanker had been scheduled to load more than 500,000 barrels of oil in the Middle East Gulf."

I found this in Jerusalem Post

MK Moshe Saada (Likud) said on Thursday that "an attack against Iran is approaching," during an interview with Channel 14 News.

Saada's comments were made against the backdrop of growing tensions between the United States and Iran, and assessments that an escalation could occur in the coming days.

During the interview, while discussing Iran and the possibility of further escalation, Saada said, “We all know that we are approaching an attack on Iran, perhaps even as early as this weekend; those are the assessments.”

The channel quickly presented the remarks under the headline, “MK Moshe Saada’s slip of the tongue.” However, this was not the first time Saada had publicly addressed the possibility of an imminent attack.

Over the past week, he suggested on several occasions that, in his assessment, military action could take place within days. His remarks therefore appeared to be deliberate rather than an accidental disclosure.

At the same time, Channel 13 News reporter Michael Shemesh reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office was furious over Saada’s comments on Channel 14. According to the report, the Prime Minister’s Office viewed the remarks seriously.

That was posted at 2223 today Jerusalem time, which was less than an hour ago.

I have seen similar suggestions on Al Jazeera and on unreliable Facebook pages.  To see it being openly discussed in Israeli media is another matter altogether, and very worrying, because Trump has been saying that he will decide soon whether to escalate further because of the involvement of the Houthis.  IMO putting "boots on the ground" would be catastrophic.

AI is the new Photoshop

It wasn't that long ago that Photoshop was the top-of-the-line image-altering program.  The new AI technology has left the crude tools of Photoshop in the dust.  The image above was posted on Facebook with a request: "Could you fabulous and talented artists put my friend's mom doing activities or things she'd never want her mom to do?"  I've embedded below just four of the dozens of clever and skillful images posted on the thread. 

"The Hermit of Treig"

Yesterday evening I was looking for some distraction from doomscrolling the internet.  While wandering around I found the above movie on Amazon Prime (free with ads).  The sparse Wikipedia entry described it as a Scottish documentary portrait of an elderly man who has lived for 40 years "off the grid" in a log cabin in the Highlands.  The film has received multiple audience awards at festivals and was the Best Single Documentary at the 2022 British Academy Scotland Awards.

Worth a try I thought.  In a bad mood because of the obligatory introductory ads on Prime, I at first became frustrated with the film's slow progression and started to click the fast-forward a few times.  But then the story started to fill out with some historical context about the earlier life of this remarkable man wandering the Yukon.  Within half an hour I was totally absorbed, and by the end I deemed it to be worth recommending to others.

The film will not be for everyone.  If someone is Gen Z with a vibrant social and digital life, the appeal of this man's story will be severely muted or absent.  For me there was a very strong resonance since I am older than he is and have always treasured time spent in the woods (but I cringed every time I saw him carrying his firewood over irregular rocky ground without even a proper walking stick).  I am pleased to offer a "spoiler" by reporting that he is very much alive and well at the end of the film (and today).

My local library system did not have a DVD of this movie, but I did find that he has written a book (The way of the hermit : my incredible 40 years living in the wilderness, by Ken Smith).

Upcoming BBC series on evolution

 Very much looking forward to this.  Premieres October 14, 2026 on PBS (NOVA) in the USA.

Was the sign designed like this on purpose ?

A challenge

I've been enjoying the cryptic puzzles in Harper's for decades.  After you figure out the cleverly-constructed clues, entering the answer often involves another step, as in this case.

I've not embedded the entire puzzle, because blogging ethics standards on TYWKIWDBI are to drive readers to the source, not steal from the source.  If any wordsmiths out there would like to tackle this very challenging grid, the full puzzle is available in the August issue of Harper's Magazine, available online or in your local library.

Trinket trade boxes

Bloomington nurse and mom Roze Mulen poses with her trinket trade box, where people can swap figurines and toys. 

(Roze Mulen/Provided)

The trinket trade is taking root thanks in part to America’s trending obsession with blind boxes. The Asian retail craze drives shoppers to gamble on purchases of collectible toys and figurines. But buyers don’t know which item is in the box until they open it.

Roze Mulen, a nurse and mom in Bloomington, said her office is packed full of trinkets, including duplicates she’s unknowingly bought in blind boxes. After scrolling on TikTok and seeing people across the country start trinket swaps, she decided to bring the idea to the Twin Cities suburbs...

Trinket trade boxes have lately been popping up across the Twin Cities and in the suburbs especially, as parents and artists like Ross aim to add more whimsy to their residential streets and subdivisions sometimes known for their sameness.

“I wanted to build an interactive community-wide art piece where everyone gets to feel that childhood magic,” Ross said. “It’s not just about trading items. It’s about trading moments of joy.”

Buying boxes of unknown products on the internet seems to me a chancy proposition, but moments of joy are in short supply these days, so if this variant of the Little Free Library does bring joy to others, good for them.  More info at the Star Tribune.