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
A few things came to my attention after I posted the review of Dune Part 2 here. I mentioned that a nomadic desert culture like the Fremen should take from inspiration from real-world. This analysis of the costuming of Dune Part 2 suggest that this was the case, and Bedouins specifically were mentioned. Another video … Dune Part 2 Follow Up
Dune: Part Two With the House Atreides defeated on Arrakis, Paul Atreides and Lady Jessica work to win the favor of the native Fremen to push back against the Harkonnens. I liked this even more than Part One, if that were possible, because I think the runtime here is a little more justified. Part One … Sci-fi and Fantasy Movies and Series Reviews, Part 45
Walking around after dinner with some colleagues from work, heading southeast towards Liberty Avenue. Fun way to light up an otherwise dimly-lit alleyway. That building looming rather ominously in the background is the Centre City Tower. The exterior is rather bland, but its interior is nice. Your browser does not support the video tag. Otherwise, … Video: Overhead Lights at Garrison Place, Pittsburgh
Despite there being a ton of vendors at the World of Oddities Expo, I didn’t get as many pictures as I’ve done with other conventions. It was far less costume-based, so I was left with more or less taking photos of things that were for sale. Not necessarily bad, but it can be limiting and … Photos: World of Oddities Expo 2024, Pittsburgh
The best subversions in stories aren’t overbearing, or rely on jerking the viewer/reader around with cheap plot twists. Effective subversion—usually called one of the forms of irony—are more subtle and respectful of the audience’s intelligence. In this clip from The Ballad of Buster Scruggs anthology, the subversion is simple and easy to spot: The surface … How to Subvert Expectations in a Story
Every new idea or workaround is called a “hack” nowadays, even if it’s a technique that doesn’t involve technology. Some of the hacks listed in this “100 Home Hacks That Will Improve Your Life” could be considered engineering 101 hacks, but really they are just weird ideas that solve a problem or make something easier. … An Actual Hack
Item 1: I have new links to donwload Pale Blue Scratch and Bored in the Breakroom on the About + Books + Subscribe page for free. A few more online retailers. Item 2: My friend Graham, under the name Silent Music, put out a new album, called Taciturn Headphonetics. I have no idea how to … New Book Links and an Album
Even though HTML 4.0 specs were released after these sites were published, they still could be called HTML 4.0-era sites simply because it was the longest-running version of HTML before HTML 5 came around. The coding conventions, as well as the general aesthetic and subject matter, are often associated referred to using the 4.0 descriptor, … Long-Running HTML 4.0 Websites
Years ago, I had found garudoh’s YouTube channel, where he published videos of game soundtrack medleys. From that channel I found Supradarky‘s original account before he got nuked, where he had posted this song. I put a lot of Supradarky’s tracks on my iPod to listen to at work, and as I named the files … Wednesday Humpday Midday Song: “Yewbell (Balmy Breeze)” from Arc the Lad IV: Twilight of the Spirits
Ingredients 1/2 cup 2% milk 1/2 heavy whipping cream 2 tablespoons Optimum Nutrition Double Rich Chocolate protein powder (or whatever flavor) 1 tsp butter 1 tbsp cream cheese 1 tbsp peanut butter (sugar free) 1 tbsp chia seeds 1/8 tsp cinnamon 1/8 tsp cloves 1/8 tsp nutmeg Stevia/sweetener to taste Directions 1. Put all of … Recipe: Spicy Keto Porridge
I’m calling on Jill to get in here because this song has an accordion front and center. Some interesting time signature play here. The beginning is in 7/8, then a few bars of 4/4 before the verse (instrumentals can have verses and choruses, you know), and continuing into the verse. There’s a weird kind of … Wednesday Humpday Midday Song: “Clap and Walk” from Ragnarok Online 2
Over here.
I haven’t posted one of these in a while, so I thought I start again with one of my favorites from the Halo franchise. This plays right at the beginning of the game, with Master Chief’s AI doing the great voiceover, which if I recall correctly, was a new element for the Halo narratives. At … Wednesday Humpday Midday Song: “Luck” from Halo 3