I went and saw 'Argylle' at the theater the other day. Despite an impressive cast and some clever twists here and there, it was utterly forgettable. If you want to see it, I'd recommend saving your money and just waiting for it to hit a streaming platform near you.

Honestly. Henry Cavill used to feel like an actor with promise, but the more movies the man is in, the more I realize he's just a pretty, rather plastic, performer. He doesn't really seem to have much range, but, by God, he's got a chin you could crack walnuts on.

I am feeling weirdly melancholic tonight and I'm not sure what's triggered it. Perhaps it was the weather? We had a line of storms sweep through the area earlier this evening. Maybe all those negative and positive ions has knocked something out of synch in my brain.

Or maybe I'm just spending too much time alone.

Normally, I'm quite happy to be alone. I've spent most of my life alone. My happy place is my bedroom with the door shut, the fan on, sprawled on my bed, mucking about on my laptop.

But lately...

I don't know what I want anymore. Nothing seems to appeal to me or, if I'm honest, leave me feeling fulfilled. I still go into the Store on the weekends, still do the job, still squire Paul around, but it all just feels like theater sometimes. Like I'm not living a life, just kind of going through the motions.

Just typing that made my entire body break out into itchiness. That's probably a pretty good indicator that I need to say it, to give it voice.

But my sense of dissatisfaction doesn't end there. I haven't written anything for publication in over five years. Nothing I write feels "right." I usually get three pages into a story and trash it. Sometimes, I'll make it as far as eight pages and then I'll delete it all and put the laptop away and wonder why I even try anymore?

Right now, I just feel like I'm wrapped in plastic. I can't touch the world and the world can't touch me.

Ugh.
I'm so tired of counting added sugar and sodium and checking for oxalate content in foods.
I'm tempted to go back on a keto-centric diet, but I tried that before all this began and it fucked me up. Even before the oxalate ban on nuts and nut products, my experience with the keto diet made it so that I couldn't eat nuts for ages without getting belly ache.
But I'm tempted, because it eliminates almost all plant-based foods, and oxalates are only found in plants.
But, a keto-centric diet would be way too salty, unless I wanted to cook. EVERY. DAMN. NIGHT.
Ugh
So, no thanks.

THERE WILL BE SPOILERS BELOW SO CONTINUE READING AT YOUR OWN RISK.

So, I read the X-Men: Hellfire Gala book today. It's the start of the Fall of X storyline, and, well, it was a thing.

I like the fact that Orchis is being presented as a clever enemy, able to use strategy against the mutants.

Their strike on the Hellfire Gala was layered, but felt a little too pat.

Juggernaut went toe-to-toe with Nimrod, and got his ass handed to him which has been happening far too often recently.

Jean and Iceman die, but since we know that they're getting their own books in the near future, their deaths have no meaning or impact. The new X-team was wiped out almost instantly, as well, and I'm curious to see what ramifications that will have for the future. Especially Cannonball's death, as his wife is a member of the Shi'ar Imperial Guard. Izzy is gonna be soooo pissed.

It's interesting to see Wilson Fisk thrown into the mix. Like the X-Men, he's a hunted fugitive, and he'll probably be able to bring elements and resources into play that neither Orchis nor the X-Men have considered. Also, I'm hoping we'll see a return of Fisk as the brilliant, amoral mastermind that he is.

Xavier, as always, turns out to be a greater liability to his dream than an assett. He marches almost all of Earth's mutants through the Krakoan gates to an unknown fate, just to save innocent humans. The pragmatic part of me would have let Modok send his murder-signal. At least then they wouldn't have that noose tied around their necks.

And the Stark Sentinels. Oy vey. Where to even begin? Sentinels enhanced with Tony Stark's Iron Man armor. Stark has been in contact with the X-Men and he didn't give them workarounds and vulnerabilities to his technology? Is his ego that big? Oh wait. We're talking Tony Stark here, so of course, it's that big.

And poor Firestar. Coopted by Jean into infiltrating Orchis, now feared and hated by all the mutants who don't realize she's a double-agent. When Jean resurrects, she's gonna have some serious explaining to do.

All in all, the book was a busy, busy read. But was it good?
Eh.
It was okay.
I'll admit it was nice to see the mutants get their comeuppance, but their defeat just feels a little too pat, a little too easy.
With a host of new x-books coming out, the only ones I intend to read are X-Men Red and the Uncanny Spider-Man. I might glance at the Uncanny Avengers, but that's gonna be a hard sell for me.

Tonight, I've been in a sci-fi mood so I watched Battle Angel Alita and Bounty Killers. About the only thing they have in common, besides being sci-fi, is that they're both set in dystopian worlds that survived wars. The first, based on the anime,is more high-tech, of course, with advanced cybernetics and floating cities, while the later is more grim and gritty, with lots of exploding heads and such.
They're both fun movies, and I enjoyed them, although it would be nice if someone did a sci-fi movie, set in a utopian future, where eveything turns out okay.
It would be a nice change of pace, at least.