Until recently I mostly eschewed podcasts. I only listen to the local NPR radio station as part of my morning alarm or driving somewhere.[1] Podcasts were often how I listened to the whole episode for something that was interesting. I did not really subscribe so much as list them and occasionally check for something. A…
Star Wars: Catalyst: A Rogue One Novel by James Luceno My rating: 3 of 5 stars Rogue One is a prequel to A New Hope. Catalyst is a filler book tying together the events of Revenge of the Sith movie with Rogue One. I have not yet seen the upcoming movie, but the given what…
I will try not to spoil Westworld but no guarantees. So the premise of the show and movies is there is a park with androids who become dangerous. Part of the fun is determining whether this is because of an accident, systemic problems, or sabotage. Essentially this is the kind of story that motivated Isaac Asimov…
Why is there a llama in the ‘Marco Polo’ Geico commercial? byu/cosmic-jive inNoStupidQuestions Noticed a llama in a commercial and was confused because Marco Polo did not go to South America. Googled “Marco Polo llama” and found a Reddit discussion on the topic. Lots of people saying the same as I was thinking. Eventually, I…
White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son by Tim Wise My rating: 5 of 5 stars Back in college, I was part of an anti-racism group. We worked with a local group and took their People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond. Tim mentioned them near the end of the book, which made…
Apparently Kickstarter has decided I fit the profile of someone who wants the perfect bag. They may not be wrong. One reason why I love winter is I can justify wearing a coat. My favorite coat has a gallon in pocket space. I can carry ALL THE CRAP. Phone, novel, notebook, pens, change, receipts, camera, chargers, headphones,…
Robot Visions by Isaac Asimov My rating: 3 of 5 stars I enjoyed the Asimov’s essays about robots, computers, and cyborgs. They are well done. The short stories at the front of the book are the same stories published in other books. There are a few new ones. So, if you do not mind re-reading…
Loving Day by Mat Johnson My rating: 4 of 5 stars A satirical jab at identity. Like so main character and many supporting ones, I am mixed. Am I black? According to One Drop laws, absolutely yes. According to some black people, yes. According to other black people, not enough. There are similar mixed messages…
Crash Go The Chariots: An Alternative To “Chariots Of The Gods”? by Clifford A. Wilson My rating: 2 of 5 stars Wilson challenges the evidence presented in Chariots of The Gods. As scary as Chariots was, Crash seems to fall on its face in similar ways. Ad hominems and non-sequiturs abound. At the end, it…