Often been surprised by a movie after what a film critic said about it? Ever felt cheated out of big bucks on the recommendations of a punk 24-year-old? Or really loved the ones they panned? Well, you no longer need to feel out of step with the current movie review band. Different Drummer is for you. Read more about our take on the film world. And get ready to relive your favorite movies with the recipes that follow each review. You can find many other great recipes in Different Drummer’s own Appetite for Murder: a Mystery Lover’s Cookbook, too.
Diddly Squat Farm continues to battle the British bureaucracy, the whims of weather, the travails of falling in love with piglets and baby goats, and the brainstorms of Jeremy himself, not to mention a contest between him and his new “farm manager” Kaleb, who treats his boss as an equal now.
Read MoreOh, no! It seems film icon Clint Eastwood has gone over to the dark side, playing a very likeable octogenarian drug courier.
Read MoreIt’s Cinco de Mayo and what better side dish than Homemade Tamales from Different Drummer’s novel, The Serpent’s Tooth: A Texas Mystery , which ends with a glorious outdoor feast.
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Rattlesnakes, arrows dipped in manure, cattle rustlers, drunken rapists, tornadoes, and a group of hard-headed humans at each other’s throats. Sit back and enjoy the mayhem as you count your blessings.
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Escape from our weary world for the adventure of a lifetime. This epic Australian film from over 4 decades ago has it all. Romance, music and scenery to die for, and arguably the best and most thrilling horse chase in film history. I will never forget it, and neither did others who have seen it.
Read MoreThey finally get the story straight and the lawmen – not the thuggish criminals – are the real heroes.
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Just change the point of view and “the greatest story ever told” becomes new and fresh again. This time it is the disciples, uneducated and often lost and confused, who frame this exquisite narrative about Jesus.
Read MoreThink Father Brown time warped back about 8 centuries. Cadfael’s not a priest but a 12th century monk who solves medieval mysteries.
Read MoreKnowing that it would probably never get by the PC police today, we enjoy this film even more today; it has the delightful lure of forbidden fruit.
Read MoreThis critical and box office success has as much action as the Bond or the Furious franchises, and it was all done 6 decades ago. Along the way, in between evading trigger-happy Nazis, a hull-crushing storm at sea, and a dizzying climb up a sheer black wall made extra dangerous by the storm, the characters have time for some pretty insightful ruminations on the ethics of war.
Read MoreTruth and Illusion. You won’t always know the difference as the American Revolution comes roaring to life on screen in blood red, patriot blue, and cowardly white. Lust and loyalty, betrayal and bravery, deception and death – they are all there in a kaleidoscope of images that bleed into each other.
Read MoreProbably the most significant Holocaust film ever made, with Steven Spielberg using his directorial clout to raise awareness of one of the worst atrocities of the last century. Over a quarter of a century later, Schindler’s List is even more relevant today.
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It starts out crass and cliched, but it ends subtle and sweet. Nothing like financial ruin to mend fences between an estranged father and son – not to mention a crumbling estate in sunny Italy that just might save them both.
Read MoreFlawless, even as it shows all our human flaws right up there on the big screen. It’s enough to make you believe in true love and second chances all over again. And the Italian humor and philosophy are the icing on the cake.
Read MoreA must see for foodies. Except that this modern day Cinderella is not trying to win the prince; she is trying to win the prize.
Read MoreClick on Index to access SEARCH
Appetite for Murder: A Mystery Lover’s Cookbook
Also available here
by Kathy Borich
A tantalizing slant on cooking and crime. Relive your favorite classic detective stories and then whip up the food that caught the culprit.
"Look, you don't have to go to law school to figure out there's something very, very wrong at Lady Bird Lake," Nancy Grace says in the episode's opening of her “Austin Serial Killer Fears” episode. She even derides the police who refer to the events as “unfortunate incidents.” Yes, she is a bit over the top, and some of her guests are so called experts not really familiar with the Austin area or the specific cases, but she does have a point.
Move along everyone. There’s nothing to see here. That seems to be the escalating nonchalance citizens are getting from the Austin Police Department regarding the 12 bodies that have been found in or very near Ladybird Lake in Austin Texas in the past 22 months. The last three - one February 6th , another April 9th, and a third on April 13th have not even been identified.
Different Drummer herself has noticed the weak city response in terms of safety measures as she and her husband ride past the Rainey Area near Lady Bird Lake. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. What good are some pallid lights and a split rail fence if there are big gaps with only a sign to warn those of danger? Certainly, someone drunk, as may or may not be the case, probably would or could not read it.
Update: They are beginning to install electricty along the path for better lightning as of April 2024
February 6, 2024
“A body was found Monday, Feb. 6, 2024, in a Texas lake, the same site where other deceased individuals have been discovered in recent months, authorities said.
“At least five people have been found dead at the lake, which is a portion of the Colorado River running through downtown Austin, since last year.” –Louis Casiano, Fox News
The body is that of a woman, which differs from the previous drownings, all of which were men around age 30. As usual, the police are mum and saying there are no signs of foul play, but what else is new? –DD
Different Drummer will keep you informed as further details emerge. Below is the area where the recent body was found.
In 2023 alone, five bodies have been found in in Lady Bird Lake, and according to local reports, as many as eight in the past 10 months.
Different Drummer and her husband Gary have been biking this trail around the lake for decades. They live in the thick of it, on a quaint tree-lined street across the river from the glittering Austin Skyline.
Follow our two Cycling Sleuths chronicle where their path crosses those who did not return home to their loved ones.
Smiley Face Connection: February 2024 Update: Another Body Found
The Serpent’s Tooth: A Texas Mystery
Austin is now the trendy number one city, but back in the eighties it was more laid back – not so many skyscrapers and urban hipsters. Just outside of town, you'd be likely to run into old cowboys, ranch hands, and a diamondback or two. And just maybe – an accidental death not as accidental as it seems…
Complete with Texas Recipes for the Oktoberfest Dinner where all is revealed.
An Illustrated Introduction to Classical Horsemanship: Concepts and Skills from A to Z
by Gary Borich
A comprehensive resource in a succinct alphabetical format that brings the beginning rider through every aspect of learning to train and ride for show and trail.
