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Movie Review: Mars Express

Mars Express A pair of private investigators travel between Earth and Mars to probe into the disappearance of a college student and her roommate, who have been jailbreaking androids from their constraining moral programming. This was a French film, which I suppose means something. I was ready to dislike this because a movie about advanced Movie Review: Mars Express

Wednesday Humpday Midday Music: “Rosekranz” from SaGa Frontier 2

I watched part of a playthrough of this game a while back, back before playthrough videos on Youtube got obnoxious with overediting and spastic commentary. I was initially attracted by the watercolor portrait artwork and the hand-drawn, diagonal gameplay backgrounds, and the story was unique enough to bother paying attention. The soundtrack, written by Masashi Wednesday Humpday Midday Music: “Rosekranz” from SaGa Frontier 2

Movie Review: Divergent

Divergent In a highly-structured, post-apocalyptic Chicago, a young woman hides her “divergent” gift when she joins the peacekeeping Dauntless faction. Let’s get the negative stuff out of the way. Without knowing the books at all—which are in my library, yet to be read—I would be fine with the story: a paint-by-numbers dystopian teen sci-fi action Movie Review: Divergent

Photos: Pittsburgh, June 2024

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

Made for Each Other

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: Book Versus Film

“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

“He’s good at what he does”

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”

Acting Against Type in Blade Runner 2049

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

Photo: Silver Street, Pittsburgh

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

Mauler on the Fallout Series

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

Recipe: Bubblegum Chia Seed Pudding

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

Youtube Channel Idea: Decorative Forensic Facial Reconstruction

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

That Blade Runner Monologue

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

Wednesday Humpday Midday Music: “Hepatica (KOS-MOS)” from Xenosaga III

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

Photos: Spicebush Trail Hike, Part 2

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