As I’ve become more aware over the decades of not just art but the artists who make the art, I’ve noticed that there’s inherent baggage that comes with that knowledge that I can’t ignore. But what I find interesting is that I can separate the two with music more easily with than any other art….
Pokémon is among the top few most popular collectible card games (CCGs) in the world. Collectible card games are ever-expanding collections of cards where players normally buy whatever the game calls a starter pack–a pre-made deck that’s ready to play right out of the box–and have the option of buying booster packs beyond that. Booster…
Hearing my eleven-year-old on a phone call is equal parts cringe-worthy and hilarious. You’ll note I said “call”. Not a Zoom or FaceTime or text thread, but an old-school phone call, where you dial up someone’s number and only talk to them. Kids–strike that, anyone under 25–ask your parents about what “phone calls” are. It…
I’ve written in the past about how I love technology but the feeling isn’t mutual. Update: Nothing has changed beyond it potentially getting worse. I’m continuing to experience more dislike for my new phone (with what’s allegedly the most advanced Android OS available but which is bizarrely glitchy and rough and unintuitive compared to previous…
I’ve been mulling over what to do for a (more) ethical music streaming service for a while, largely writing about it here after already noodling on it for some time. Sadly, that shot didn’t work out too well. This week Spotify was cast into poor light yet again when podcast powerhouse Joe Rogan, who is…
I got through a sizable chunk of reading in January. Part way through, I found myself in something of a humour book kick that just kept on rolling, because why not? ReadA Confederacy of Dumptys – John LithgowThe Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet – Becky ChambersCalypso – David SedarisNew Teeth – Simon RichHits…
I heard Simon Rich interviewed on a podcast recently and they discussed this book, Rich’s most recent. It sounded right up my alley, so I immediately put it on hold at the library and finally got my hands on it. I don’t know that I’ve ever laughed so hard from reading. New Teeth is a…
I just finished it. I was hoping to have it wrapped before New Year’s Eve–new year, new project-kinda thing–but what with the usual Christmas busyness around the house plus a Covid scare requiring added family isolation time and hours spent online trying in vain to get a quality test booked before finally scoring one, plus…
Good lord, can Becky Chambers write. I mentioned late last year that Martha Wells wholly renewed my sometimes waning interest in science fiction books, and writing like Chambers accomplishes is going to keep it awake and attentive indefinitely. The story is about a mixed bag of interstellar races who work aboard a “tunnelling” space craft…
Another pretty good year for books, despite renos I’ve written about and a pandemic you may have heard of. In the chronology of how I read them, here are my top books of 2021: Zeroes is the story of what happens if some everyday, flawed people got superpowers. This particular group are known to each…