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The Farthest Shore

Mon, 02 Nov 2026 00:00:00 +0000

And so we continue on our wonderful journey through the islands of Earthsea.

I do not care what comes after; I have seen the dragons on the wind of morning.

Once again, we have a dramatic change of character/scope. This time at least, we do have Ged, now Archmage, but our main character is instead the young prince Arren. Why? No idea! Where did our Tenar go? Well, she’s referenced, but only barely.

A Day at Beasley's

Sun, 25 Oct 2026 21:38:07 +0000

A chance to check out the apple orchard, all ready for fall

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A few days in Denver

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A work trip and a chance to see a bit of nature (and a bit of city) in downtown Denver.

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Doctor Who: Season 8

Thu, 22 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

And away we go!

Suddenly, Twelve! Capaldi is such a different feeling doctor from either Ten or Eleven. It’s really jarring to get into, but as his seasons go on, I really do think he’s right up there with all of them for bests.

And at least to tide us over, we still have Clara–now finally past her arc as the Impossible Girl.

Overall, this is quite the solid season. There are a few gems and I do love the building mystery and eventual reveals around Missy. It’s not as huge a season arc as we’ve had, but it’s still a solid one.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Sun, 18 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Peter Parker: Hi. My name is Peter Parker. You don’t remember me, but we used to know each other. Something bad was gonna happen, and the only way to stop it was to make everyone forget about me. Because I’m not just Peter Parker. I’m Spider-Man. And sometimes Spider-Man has to do the hard thing, even if it breaks Peter Parker’s heart.

So here we are. Dealing with the fallout of Spider-Man: No Way Home. The world knows who Spider-Man is, but no one remember Peter Parker. What could possibly go wrong?

For All Mankind: Season 5

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

It’s easy to start a war, but it’s almost impossible to stop one.

Here we go again! A whole new season, another decade or so into the future; this time after a new release, not back to back with previous seasons.

This series kicks off well after the capture (and kidnapping) of the Goldilocks asteroid. Happy Valley is thriving. A whole new Baldwin (Kelly’s son Alex) is taking the stage–although Ed is still kicking along, ever older. Everything seems to be going so well…

Experimenting with Exposures

Fri, 16 Oct 2026 09:58:45 +0000

A new meta album about playing with moving or changing settings during a long exposure.

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Startide Rising

Thu, 15 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The propensity of Earthlings to get into trouble, and to learn thereby, was the reason my owners agreed to this mad venture – although no one expected such a chain of unusual calamities as befell this ship. Your talents were underrated.

On we go, decades (centuries?) after the events of Sundiver. We continue in this universe of uplift–where every species in the galaxy was ‘Uplifted’ by another, brought to a seat on the galactic stage. Except, perhaps, humanity. The other way around though, we do have humanity uplifting two species of our own: chimps and dolphins.

Indiana Dunes 2026

Wed, 07 Oct 2026 16:22:36 +0000

We finally made it! After the tornado/storm damage earlier this year. It’s a bit later in the year, but amazing weather. A great place to spend a few fall days.

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Aladdin

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Aladdin. One of the beloved Disney classics of the 90s and easily in my top 3 of that era. It’s just such a fun movie. A rags to riches story, a magical genie, wishes, lies, a big showdown, and great musical numbers all along.

Characterwise, Aladdin is a lot of fun. He’s got his ‘heart of gold’ but that doesn’t mean he’s not without his flaws–or the movie would just be boring. Jafar is a delightfully menacing villain. He’s not evil for the sake of being evil, he’s evil for the sake of power, which makes it all the better. And Iago makes a hilarious foil to him.

Sundiver

Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

One part a book about ‘uplift’. The idea of taking a pre-sapient species and ‘uplifting’ them to join you on the galactic stage. And the idea that every alien species out there is part of a giant branching tree of uplifted species–except perhaps for those few we aren’t. Like… humanity?

One part a book about a spaceship that can survive a dive into the sun. Who knows what wild and crazy things will we find there?

Doctor Who: Season 7

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Another season! There are a number of weak ones in this season, but oh man the highs are high. Especially the finale and transition to Season 8. Oh, I’m looking forward to that!

minor spoilers It’s quite a season for the last we see of the Ponds and Eleven's last run. Not to mention the introduction (several times!) of Clara . Oh, and a multi-doctor story! with Ten, Eleven, and the War Doctor! .

Quite a season.

Onward!

The House of Hades

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

To say this series keeps escalating is putting it mildly.

What start a tale of demigods has already grown to include the gods, Titans, and giants, but it just keeps getting bigger and bigger.

This time around, we have two plots. In one, five of the seven still battling their way across the Mediterranean and fighting for their lives the whole way. Hazel in particular steps up a lot of this book–which, it’s the Hades one, so it makes sense.

The Tombs of Atuan

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Freedom is a heavy load, a great and strange burden for the spirit to undertake. It is not easy. It is not a gift given, but a choice made, and the choice may be a hard one. The road goes upward towards the light; but the laden traveler may never reach the end of it.

The Tombs of Atuan starts with the tale of a young girl. She was born as the old Arha died, taken from her family once she survived to the age of five, and raised as the newest in a long line of reborn priestess of dark, mostly forgotten gods.

Fair Lights

Sat, 19 Sep 2026 12:44:58 +0000

Long exposures at the country fair!

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A Parade of Horribles

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Hazards: Well, we have the hail and the gatekeeper monster, whatever that might be. But I’d suggest that our biggest hazard is the fact that this bucket has to be driven by a cat this time.

And we’re back into the universe of Dungeon Crawler Carl!

On one side, we have floor ten and it’s full on Wacky Races style. We have crawlers (and now NPCs) given random cars (or giant living mounts)–Carl and Donut for example get a food truck (spoilers). And then they have to race. Just get to the finish line.

A week near Myrtle Beach

Sun, 13 Sep 2026 13:48:52 +0000

A family trip to the beach–and a lot of birds. Also a few other fun pictures. But mostly birds.

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The Mark of Athena

Tue, 08 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

“And,” Annabeth continued, “it reminds me how long we’ve known each other. We were twelve, Percy. Can you believe that?”
“No, he admitted. “So…you knew you liked me from that moment?”
She smirked. “I hated you at first. You annoyed me. Then I tolerated you for a few years. Then—”
“Okay, fine.”
…

The one about Athena/Annabeth.

We have the crew of the Argo II on their way to where it all began in Rome/Greece. And if that wasn’t enough, Annabeth has been given the titular Mark of Athena. And when anyone in universe hears about this, there are gasps and sideeyes, so you know that’s not going to be anything good.

Twelve Months

Sat, 05 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What is this? New Dresden Files?! Count me in!

Twelve Months takes place in the year (heh) after Peace Talks and Battle Ground. And in a lot of ways, it’s a book about healing and moving on. Which, after the absolute mess that Battle Ground made of Chicago in general and Dresden in particular?

“A wizard is never late,” I muttered. “He arrives as soon as he’s dealt with his PTSD.”

Minions

Fri, 28 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Scarlett Overkill: Work for me, and all this will be yours: respect, power…
Stuart the Minion: Banana!
Scarlett Overkill: …Banana!

The kids have been obsessed with Despicable Me recently, so of course we’d have to get back to the Minions.

On the surface, this is a movie that makes a lot of sense (take the cute little guys that were a breakout hit in Despicable Me and give them their own movie) and at the same time… no sense at all (for the same reason).

There Is No Antimemetics Division

Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the Antimemetics Division. No, this is not you first day.

So… basically SCP Foundation fanfic gone solo?

Which makes it sound so much worse than it is. It’s really an absolutely bundle of fascinating ideas, a nice heap of existential dread, and an at times rough/how in the world are we getting out of this one plot.

I enjoyed it.

In a nutshell, we have a mysterious secret society that is dealing with the supernatural and just plain unexplainable parts of the world.

Strange Practice

Thu, 20 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Whatever you’re into is some fascinatingly weird shit.

It’s always interesting what jobs the point of view of an urban fantasy book has. In the Dresden Files, we start out with a Private Investigator. In the Mercy Thompson books, a mechanic. In Rivers of London, a cop.

In Strange Practice, we have a doctor (of the supernatural).

“You are not humans," she said at last, “but you are people . All of you. The ghouls, the mummies, the sanguivores, the weres, the banshees, the wights, the bogeys, everyone who comes to me for help, everyone who trusts me to provide it. You are all people , and you deserve to to be able to seek and receive that care without putting yourselves in jeopardy. What I do is necessary, and while it isn’t in the slightest bit easy, it is also the thing I want to do more than anything else in the world.”

The Fantastic Four: First Steps

Mon, 17 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

How many Fantastic Four movies is that, just since 200? Four?

I think I’ve actually seen them all. One even had a sequel And I’m not sure I can remember anything from any of them really.

This one has a nice cast, a fun, well done retro-futuristic aesthetic, found family, and some future/world building potential. It’s not the best MCU movie by any standard, but I think it might just be the best Fantastic Four film.

Thunderbolts*

Sun, 16 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Yelena Belova: There’s something wrong with me. An emptiness. I thought it started when my sister died, but now it feels like something bigger. Just a void. Or maybe I’m just bored.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been a little rough for a while. A few good movies, but mostly, everything mostly feels by the book.

Thunderbolts*… is a surprisingly good movie.

It could have been forgettable. More action movie/big skybeam showdown/forgettable mirror villains. It could have been Marvel’s answer to The Suicide Squad (either really).

The Son of Neptune

Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Lost Hero followed newcomer Jason Grace as he shows up at Camp Half-Blood, lacking in memories and with a touch of … Rome about him.

So of course, now in The Sons of Neptune we get the other side of the story.

Percy Jackson, also with memories missing, finds his way to Camp Jupiter instead. What if Camp Half-Blood, but Roman. And based on legion, with a much more militaristic point of view. It’s a really fascinating bit of world building–which we only had hints of in The Lost Hero–but I really do love how it expands this universe. Seeing different aspects of the gods we’ve been introduced too–and finding the ones that have no Greek counterparts.

Long Black (and White) Train (Tracks)

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 10:54:22 +0000

Yeah, I know. Something of a tortured title.

It’s fun looking at train tracks though. I had no idea that they were as irregular as they are. Variations in spacing and alignment all over the place.

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Mad Men: Season 2

Wed, 05 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I think that’s probably about enough Mad Men.

I’m still not entirely sure what people see in this show. Perhaps it’s coming from my (strong) preference for sci-fi and fantasy–worlds that really make me stretch, things that aren’t quite so real. Perhaps it’s the fact that no one in the show is really a particularly good person.

On a more positive note, I feel like more happened this season. And some of it was kind of crazy. Relationship drama in the Draper household (for good reason). Relationship drama with just about everyone else. Don just… taking off in California, with flashbacks filling in more of that backstory. Corporate drama shaking up the office politics.

Hadestown: The Musical

Tue, 04 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

♬ ♬ ♬
Way down Hadestown
Way down under the ground
♬ ♬ ♬

Hadestown is such a great show.

I first discovered the music a few years ago and listened to it almost non-stop. Then last year, I had a last minute chance to travel to New York and happened into last minute (excellent) tickets to see it on Broadway. Barely any of the original cast¹, but it’s still an awesome show.

A Wizard of Earthsea

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

You thought, as a boy, that a mage is one who can do anything. So I thought, once. So did we all. And the truth is that as a man’s real power grows and his knowledge widens, ever the way he can follow grows narrower: until at last he chooses nothing, but does only and wholly what he must do…

A Wizard of Earthsea is a relatively simple coming of age story about Ged. He starts out as a young boy, full of ideas and power, making a name for himself young. Then he takes one step too far, summons a dark being from outside of the world… and then he spends the rest of the book dealing with that.

Ocean's Twelve

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Ocean’s Eleven was great. A straight forward heist (at least in what their goal was) with enough twists about how they got it done that really drug you through the movie. All held up by an excellent (and stacked) cast and a ton of banter.

Ocean’s Twelve has pretty much the same cast, which I loved. But the heist makes so much less sense this time around. They do try to justify it (Benedict wants his money back), but it just feels a lot more disjoint. And the final twist, much less earned.

Frozen II

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Well, it’s not quite Frozen, but you know? I’m glad they really went for something ambitious!

It’s the same world. One kingdom (really one city on the coast). Sisters, one with powers and a queenship and the other with … an impressively positive attitude? Also, reindeer, a living snowmen, and now… elemental powers, mystical fog shrouded woods, and a voice calling out from … somewhere?

Olaf: I bet you’re wondering who we are and why we’re here. It’s really quite simple. It began with two sisters. One born with magical powers, and one born powerless, with her love of snowmen, infinite.

Matilda

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Matilda: Daddy, you’re a crook.
Harry Wormwood: What?
Matilda: This is illegal.
Harry Wormwood: [hands the car drill to Mikey, then walks to Matilda] You make money? Do you have a job?
Matilda: No, but don’t people need good cars? Can’t you sell good cars, Dad?
Harry Wormwood: Listen, you little wiseacre: I’m smart, you’re dumb; I’m big, you’re little; I’m right, you’re wrong, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Alaska

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 23:00:00 +0000

Twenty years later, another trip to Alaska. We met my parents (who were on a two month trip of their own) for one week. And oh, what a place for taking pictures Alaska is.

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The Fellowship of the Ring

Sun, 19 Jul 2026 20:00:00 +0000

Another long flight back? The perfect time to rewatch the Lord of the Rings.

Or perhaps just one of them–with the Extended Edition. Man those are long movies (especially in that version).

And man, I forgot just how awe inspiring those movies are.

It all began with the forging of the Great Rings.

It’s the tale of a little man (literally in this case) on a mission oh so very much larger than him–and even larger still; than perhaps he realizes.

Alaska Day 7 - Anchorage

Sat, 18 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Our last full day. A bit quieter. We went to a museum and a store with a chocolate fountain.

Such a great trip. I’m ready to head home.

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Alaska Day 6 - Portage Trails

Fri, 17 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Back through Portage to hike again on our way to Anchorage. We made it to Blue Ice Trail and Byron Glacier Trail. Very cool. Literally.

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Alaska Day 5 - Homer Tides

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Our one full day in Homer. We went out to the tidal flats. It wasn’t quite like I expected, but still neat. Also out to the Spit in the evening.

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Alaska Day 4 - Sealife and Festival

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

We went to the Sealife Center in Seward before the (long) drive to Homer. Along the way, we stopped in Soldotna, which happened to be having a festival. That was a fun surprise.

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Alaska Day 3 - Seward Boat Tour

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Out into the ocean. We saw a decent amount of sea life, including three humpbacks (1 calf!), puffins, and seals.

The part out on the more open ocean was so rough. Just about everyone got sick to various extents.

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Alaska Day 2 - Seward

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A hike at Exit Glacier and pictures at the marina.

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The Lost Hero

Mon, 13 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Another day, another hero.

This time around, we open with Jason. Another obvious (to the reader) demigod, hidden in plain sight. Battle reflexes, special powers, purple T-shift… ability to speak Latin…

Jason scratched his head. “You named him Festus? You know that in Latin, ‘festus’ means ‘happy’? You want us to ride off to save the world on Happy the Dragon?

Wait. What?

Oh we’re in for a ride this time.

Alaska Day 1 - Seward

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Our first day in Alaska, at a house just outside of Seward. Man. The forests and mountains and rivers and life just everywhere. It’s very pretty.

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Ocean's Eleven

Sat, 11 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

It’s been a while since I watched these movies. But hey, when you’re on a plane for five hours and they have a screen full of movies? Worth!

In a nutshell–it’s a quintessential heist movie. Gather the crew, plan the heist, deal with what goes wrong, and walk away in the end victorious. And then show the audience how in the world you actually pulled it off.

Building the crew? Great.

A Walk at Holliday Park

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Made it back to Holliday Park for probably the last time until classes begin again this fall.

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Fireworks 2026

Sun, 05 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The 3rd to the 5th. Good fun!

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The Karate Kid

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Miyagi: Wax on, wax off. Wax on, wax off.

Oh this movie. It’s a classic, but somehow I’ve never actually seen it. Right now is the second best time though, so here we go!

In a nutshell, it’s a pretty straight forward coming-of-age / underdog sports movie from the 80s. Really. Daniel moves to a new town, gets beat up, meets the girl, gets beat up some more, meets the mysterious mentor figure, learns (but doesn’t realize it), learns (but does), loses the girl, gets her back, and, in the end, wins the day.

Austin Powers in Goldmember

Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

It took a while (relatively speaking) to get to this one. And, while this one has a lot of great individual scenes, I think it’s the weakest of the series.

This time around, we’re in the 70s, with the introduction of Beyoncé’s Foxxy Cleopatra. I enjoyed her role, especially her introduction, talking (so obviously) through a third party. She seems like she’s having fun and is a good counterpoint to Austin.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Onward in Harry Potter. And still without making it back to the first.

Plotwise, this is one of my favorites. It’s an action packed story with a lot of mystery going on and a twist to the plot that (long ago) I did not see coming–and which actually pulls the last part of the story together very well. Even if, in the broader world Harry Potter lives in doesn’t make any sense.

The Martian

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

He’s stuck out there. He thinks he’s totally alone and that we all gave up on him. What kind of effect does that have on a man’s psychology?” He turned back to Venkat. “I wonder what he’s thinking right now.”

LOG ENTRY: SOL 61 How come Aquaman can control whales? They’re mammals! Makes no sense.

With the recent release of the Project Hail Mary movie, I decided to reread the Project Hail Mary book. So of course I also had to re-read The Martian (I’ll watch it at some point too!). But the last time I read it, I wasn’t writing reviews yet… so here we are!

The Last Olympian

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is it! The Last Battle¹. Kronos and his army of titans, monsters, gods, and demigods is about to reach New York City and Mount Olympus. And, because of a rampaging Titan coming across the country, the city is almost entirely undefended.

So it’s up to Percy and the demigods of Camp Half-Blood to save the day!

Oh, did I mention that Percy is about ot turn 16 in this book? And that there’s a certain prophecy all about that?