TV, music, movies, and books we're into this week

It's been a while since I've watched a Jackie Chan movie, so I'm planning to watch The Foreigner. I wonder if he still does his own stunts. The film tells the story of businessman Quan (Chan), whose long-buried past erupts in a revenge-fueled vendetta when his daughter is taken from him. The reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are mixed, but not terrible enough for me to skip.

This is a silly movie that's one of those kinds of flicks that you really need to go into with low expectations. If you do, you'll be happy. It's a light-hearted comedy featuring Simon Pegg, who I've been a huge fan of since he starred in one of the greatest horror-comedies of all time, Shaun of the Dead.It's the story of a lovable loser who, after getting cold feet at the altar years before, has never stopped trying to make up for that bad decision and win back his former fiancé. When an opportunity to prove himself comes in the form of running a marathon, the protagonist "Dennis" goes all-in … and quickly realizes just how hard it is to train for, and more importantly, finish a marathon.In addition to Pegg, the film features great (or at least amusing) performances from Thandie Newton and Hank Azaria. If you're looking for a light comedy, you could definitely do worse than Run, Fatboy, Run.

I didn't venture out to the theater to see the new Blade Runner 2049, and although I'm kicking myself for not seeing it on the bigscreen, I'm still looking forward to watching it this weekend.2049 takes place about 30 years after the first film wraps up, with Ryan Gosling playing a new blade runner (Office K) tasked with rooting out replicants. The OG runner, played by Harrison Ford, does make an appearance and apparently plays a crucial part in the film's plot. Considering the original film is one of my favorites, I'm quite excited to see this one.

This week I've been listening to GATSBY, the latest album from Korean rapper, pH-1. This latest release builds upon his hip-hop roots, through collaborations with two established artists in the space. The title track, "Penthouse," blends pH-1's rapping style with fellow record label member, Sik-K, while "Communicate" takes it slower with soft vocals from Hoody.

I've been a Disturbed fan since the beginning and while the first album often gets all the recognition, Believe is a pretty good listen in its own right. Draiman has an incredible voice, and if this one passed you by first time around then definitely give it a go.

If you don't know who Joe Strummer is, shame on you. Seriously. You kind of suck. But that's OK. There's plenty of time to redeem yourself.Strummer is a former member of the seminal punk band The Clash. And he's the only one from that band who went on to make equally good (maybe even better) music as a solo artist, at least in my opinion. Strummer also made more great tunes with the group, Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros. My favorite album from them is easily Global a Go-Go. Its sound is reminiscent of the Clash, but more evolved and less, well … punk. But it still has clear punk-ish influence, with hints of ska and reggae.Every track on the album is great. But the standout songs are "Bummed Out City," "Johnny Appleseed," and the album's title track. Strummer was admirably banging out great music until he passed away in 2002. Fifteen years later, I still listen to The Clash often, but I go to his stuff with the Mescaleros even more frequently. Do yourself a favor and give Global a Go-Go a listen.

There's just something about The Sheepdogs that I can't get enough of. Their latest album, Changing Colours is quite lengthy, offering up 17 songs full of rock and roll that sounds like it was recorded in the '70s.Channelling bands like The Guess Who, The Allman Brothers, and even a bit of The Grateful Dead here and there, these are tunes that seems best suited for a sunny summer day. It also helps that they hail from Saskatoon — long live Canadian music.

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. GPU prices are skyrocketing at the moment due to more approachable cryptocurrencies popping up that any PC owner can begin making money with. If you've been on the fence about learning more about trading or mining, this book is a solid start to your research.

I read One Hundred Years of Solitude years ago when I was branching out into the world of literature. It's a winding tale told from many different points of view, but it's centered around a town called Macondo, founded by the patriarch of the Buendia family.Marquez was said to have Juan Rulfo's Pedro Paramo memorized front to back, and the influence is clear throughout. This is a prime example of South American mystical realism, and it's still one of my favorite books.If you don't mind flipping back and forth to the enormous family tree diagram and like a bit of poetic prose, definitely give this one a read.