Month: August 2026

The Gentlemen (2019) – A Movie Review

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“The Gentlemen” is an English crime drama/comedy directed by Guy Ritchie with a cast of thousands that includes three actors that Americans would recognize; Matthew McConaughey as Mickey Pearson a drug kingpin, Colin Farrell as “The Coach” and Hugh Grant as Fletcher.

This movie has a plot that is as convoluted as one of those mazes they put on the back of kid’s menus at a fast-food restaurant.  I won’t even attempt to provide a complete summary of the story line.  Suffice it to say that the action revolves around Fletcher attempting to blackmail Mickey over a series of catastrophic setbacks in an upcoming sale of Mickey’s enormous drug operation to one of his rivals.  The deal sets in motion a Rube Goldbergian chain reaction of thefts, murders, accidental deaths and just plain criminal idiocy that easily fills out the movie’s 113-minute run time.

If I wanted to compare it to a more well-known American film in the same genre I’d point to Pulp Fiction.  I think the most entertaining aspect of the movie is Colin Farrell’s performance as “The Coach.”  He’s a working-class Brit who trains street kids to be boxers.  His dialect is close to impenetrable to American ears but he is genuinely a hoot during the relatively short amount of screen time he gets.

Alright, so is this movie any good?  Yeah, it’s pretty good.  It’s not great but it’s entertaining.  It has a little bit of trouble trying to decide if it’s a crime film or a comedy so it ends up somewhere in the middle.  And like Pulp Fiction, the whole thing is way over the top.  It’s probably a little overly complicated and the ending is somewhat bizarre but I would give it a solid B rating.  But I will say that British movies are a little bit of an acquired taste for some Americans.  So, your milage may vary.

02AUG2026 – Quote of the Day

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Had we lived, I should have had a tale to tell of the hardihood, endurance, and courage of my companions which would have stirred the heart of every Englishman. These rough notes and our dead bodies must tell the tale, but surely, surely, a great rich country like ours will see that those who are dependent on us are properly provided for.

Journal, 29 March 1912; final words, quoted in Scott’s Last Expedition (1913) (South Pole)

Robert Falcon Scott

Guest Contributor – Tregonsee – 01AUG2026 – The Pastramification of Life

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I worked at a Deli/Sandwich shop for two summers in college. We sold a variety of Sandwiches. Our mainstay was Pastrami on Rye (with Mustard). We also had Corned beef . Both were kept in a steam table so they were cut and served hot. I don’t imagine modern health laws would allow it, thogh I’m pretty certain the meats were above the safe serve temperature. We also would make ruebens (side note: DO NOT try to get a reuben at an actual kosher delicatessen, The presence of beef and cheese makes it instantly unkosher) using the corned beef, swiss and some sauerkraut on the grill. We stopped making them as almost no one ordered them even in the early ’80s and keeping decent sauerkraut on hand was a pain (once opened it has a tendency to get REALLY nasty after sitting a week in a fridge even in glass). We also made subs of various sorts (Grinders in CT talk, perhaps in deference to actual subs in Groton CT?) with fresh cut deli meats ( Mostly Italians made with Genoa, Capicolla and Bolgna the actual Mortadella being rather pricey). I could of course produce grilled cheese or grilled ham and cheese.

If you like pastrami, there is a little trick I learned from a local Bagel Shop. Take a good-quality pastrami (E.g. Boar’s Head Point Cut, Do you have Stop & Shop in Dunwich, they usually carry it, though the price will make your wallet scream) sliced medium to thin. Place about 1/4 lb per sandwich in a microwave safe bowl sort of scattered so there is some space inbetween slices (just pile it, don’t leave it flat like it comes from the deli). Sprinkle with water (just a bit) and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave for 60-90 seconds (more for more sandwiches). Remove bowl from microwave and remove plastic wrap (CAUTION!! the steam coming up from the pastrami WILL burn you, and you’ll want tongs to handle the meat). Place the meat on your bread of choice with condiments (Preferred is Pumpernickel Rye with a little splash of Dijon style mustard), Cheese placed on the meat will likely melt, I’m not a fan of cheese (and cheese is not a fan of me in most cases). Corned beef will work too, making a Reuben is straightforward with the heated corned beef and is left as an exercise to the reader.

Very good approximation to a decent deli sandwich with meat taken from a steam table (trust me I know 🙂 ). Tends to be a bit drier but still better than pastrami cold, which is, well, kind of bleagh,