A ginko tree on Forbes Avenue and Smithfield Street: The Citizens Bank Tower on William Penn Place, taken from PNC Plaza. On the middle right is the old Kaufmann’s building, with a basketball court on the roof. Bottom right is the Warner Theatre sign, which I believe has been there since 1918: Fifth Avenue Place/Highmark … Photos: Pittsburgh, June 2024
Labyrinth An irresponsible teenage girl is whisked away to another land to solve the labyrinth and rescue her baby brother from the Goblin King. A childhood staple of mine, but not nearly as much as one of the other weirdo Jim Henson 19980s movies, The Dark Crystal. I want to say maybe Labyrinth was geared … Sci-fi and Fantasy Movies and Series Reviews, Part 47
I was asked by a friend what I thought of the video on this page: Heavenly Fire – The John 10:10 Project. On the whole, I like what it says, despite the American evangelical bent of what’s expressed there. The explanation of the sun’s and Earth’s magnetic fields and how they interact is accurate, as … Made for Each Other
“Aragorn: tall, dark, ruggedly handsome, dangerous, brooding, of a royal bloodline, good with horses, a natural leader, slightly superhuman. He’s just like Jay!*” I missed the The Lord of the Rings trilogy the first time around in the theaters, in the early aughts. I was too single-mindedly involved with music and making websites at the … Aragorn: Book Versus Film
I’ve heard it a few times before, in the context of musical talent: “he’s good at what he does.” It’s applicable to other performative arts as well. It’s said when you want to admit someone is talented, but the subject in question isn’t talented in the manner in which you’d like them to be. I … “He’s good at what he does”
I took Daughter of Jay to the Sonic Temple Fest in Columbus, OH as a graduation present. The fest ran for four days, from Thursday and through the weekend. Her target was Evanescence, who only played Thursday, and passes for even one day were pretty pricey…so Thursday it is. I don’t think I could endure … Videos: P.O.D., Evanescence, The Ghost Inside
The thought occurred to me recently that a lot of the characters in Blade Runner 2049 act strongly against their profession while simultaneously maintaining that profession. Or, they act or are in circumstances that contradict their character in the previous movie. I don’t know how much merit there is in these observations. I suppose in … Acting Against Type in Blade Runner 2049
That’s it. That’s the whole street, in one photo. This is facing west on Sandusky Street, after getting off the Andy Warhol Bridge, and on the opposite end is Vulcan Way. The gray wall on the left belongs to the Burns White building. Burns White is a law firm that moved out of that building … Photo: Silver Street, Pittsburgh
Behold! The Plumber’s Hammer. I wanted to say this was the best weapon out of all possible weapons, including even the ranged ones, but let’s not go that far yet. Note the goal stated in this post’s title. It’s assumed that your main objective is to survive the zombie apocalypse, as opposed to going out … I Made the Best Melee Weapon to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse
I watched most of the first episode, not quite on purpose. I knew the writers were playing with atomic bombs like plastic toys when the detonation in the beginning failed to get the attention of the partygoers simply because they weren’t looking directly at it. The light from a bomb going off would be filling … Mauler on the Fallout Series
Ingredients 3 tbsp chia seeds 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream or 2% milk 1 capful of vanilla extract 1 capful of lemon extract 1/2 tsp powdered Stevia (around 12 drops of the liquid version) A few berries Directions 1. Combine everything into a container and mix 2. Let sit for at least 15 minutes 3. … Recipe: Bubblegum Chia Seed Pudding
Go get it.
Someone should do this. We’ve all seen forensic facial reconstruction artistry—it’s not really referred to as an art but one could easily peg it as such—for human remains, especially for prehistoric or non-modern-man/hominid species types. Why not transfer that skill to decorative skulls, like ones made for Halloween costumes or year-round decorations (people do that) … Youtube Channel Idea: Decorative Forensic Facial Reconstruction
I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. Time to die. I always liked it. It wasn’t overwrought or overacted, and it was a … That Blade Runner Monologue
This was written, as was the entire Xenosaga III soundtrack, by Yuki Kajiura, who appears to be as prolific as Yoko Kanno in terms of soundtrack work. It’s a rather pretty song, and at first listen the pulsing electronic percussion starting up at 2:48 feels out of place for something so “natural” sounding. After hearing … Wednesday Humpday Midday Music: “Hepatica (KOS-MOS)” from Xenosaga III
A little over three years ago, we walked the same trail. Last Saturday afternoon was breezy and clear, in the mid-50s, and the trail was a little muddy from the storms the past week or so. My AllTrails app wasn’t cooperating for some reason, so I grabbed the rather low-resolution map from the park website. … Photos: Spicebush Trail Hike, Part 2
The Hobbit (1977) A hobbit is recruited by a wizard and thirteen dwarves to steal back the dwarves’ stolen treasure from the dragon Smaug. Any cinematic treatment of what’s probably the greatest children’s book ever written isn’t going to live up to the source material, but I will say this dated, all-animated version is much … Sci-fi and Fantasy Movies and Series Reviews, Part 46
May the waters spill as they glorify You. May the stones crack and crumble as they praise You. May the skies rend like threadbare garments as they honor You. May the galaxies spin and spend their flames as they bow down to You. May the cosmos return to the impenetrable chaos of the dark depths … Poem: Whither Creation
Taken at various stages. We had a lot of cloud coverage that broke up a bit in the afternoon, but I think the shots where clouds were involved added a nice effect. These aren’t very good, but I am glad to have at least something. My daughter used a pair of the eclipse glasses we … Photos: April 2024 Solar Eclipse
True to my plan early in 2023, I’m now listed as a UX Master on Nielsen Norman Groups’ certification page. Earlier this week I finished my last course and passed the last exam, and I think I owe it to myself to take a break from formal learning for a while. It can wreak havoc … UX Master Certification