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An end of week recap “If the real world were a book, it would never find a publisher. Overlong, detailed to the point of distraction-and ultimately, without a major resolution.” – Jasper Fforde (born 11th January 1961) This is a post in which I summarise books read, reviewed and currently on my TBR shelf. In addition to a variety of literary titbits, I look ahead to forthcoming publications, see what …

Vengeance Most Fowl was the best thing on TV over Christmas, and I'm fascinated with how it is made. So, here we find out.

Boy on Carousel, Trail of Lights – Austin, Texas We are jumping back to the 2024 Trail of Lights for a few posts to show you how well the Leica D-Lux 8 performed at this outdoor event at night. I featured two of these images and much more in my monthly magazine coverage, which you can read for free. I zoomed in to the maximum 75mm equivalent as I saw …

In The Wall Street Journal this week, I interviewed actress Julia Stiles for my House Call column in the Mansion section (go here). She grew up in a loft in Manhattan's SoHo district, and her mom was and is a ceramic artist and novelist. Julia is most famous for her co-starring role in the Bourne film series. Now she has directed Wish You Were Here, a romantic drama film due …

Ingrid Fetell Lee with the wisdom in her email newsletter: Progress is the tangible evidence that we’re moving closer to our goals. We’ve been conditioned to measure success in terms of progress… Growth is a subterranean shift, not what you made or did, but a change in who you are. It’s hard to measure, harder to describe. And it’s deceptive because in a growth moment, everything might look the same, …

Tommy Henriksen– I See The Sun Cherry Poppin' Daddies– So Long Toots Sonichrome– Honey Please Block – Rhinoceros Dishwalla– Pretty Babies Everclear– I Will Buy You A New Life R.E.M.– It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine) Squirrel Nut Zippers– Trou Macacq Flying Neutrinos– Mr. Zoot Suit Perry Como– It's A Good Day Randy Newman– Political Science Celeste Prince– A Little Belief Steve …

S I remember starting my novel-reading journey in school. Sidney Sheldon was one of my favorite author. Unfortunately, as I grow older, I realized that these genre of novels are kinda cheesy, shallow, and not really my type anymore. I re-read two of his books — Master of the Game and The Sands of Time. T The War of Art by Steven Pressfield is a popular motivational and philosophical book …

Last Friday, January 3, 2025, I got married to my fiancé. You may all applaud. We’ve been engaged since 2019, but neither of us were in much of a rush to plan an actual ceremony, not least because it’d be a lot of work to plan something appropriate that’d satisfy all the friends and family we have scattered around the country. That changed with the 2024 election. California voters did …

Here at MPorcius Fiction Log we are reading the 1978 DAW edition of the 1958 Theodore Sturgeon collection A Touch of Strange. Today we tackle the middle three stories of this printing, "A Crime for Llewellyn," "It Opens the Sky," and the title track. Hold on to your seats as the boys down in marketing are promising us three unforgettable masterpieces and, in a blurb on an abridged 1965 edition …

Since Meta (the company that owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) launched Threads as a rival to X/Twitter, there has been a healthy dose of scepticism from the fediverse community about Meta’s intentions, the company’s values and whether Threads joining the fediverse is a good thing or bad thing. oslo.town is based on Mastodon, so it’s part of the fediverse and our position on Threads thus far was to remain open. …

Hey folks, Fireside this week! I’m currently working on a post “On the Gracchi” taking a somewhat darker look at everyone’s favorite Roman reformers (though hardly the same black takedowns Alexander and Cleopatra got) , which will hopefully be ready for next week. Trustworthy Librarian Ollie helping me work on my book sorting solution, also known as “vaguely sorted piles on the floor.” I am not a well organized person, …

Once again, Creamsicle Caligula has made headlines with his wacky claims about taking over Greenland and making it a U.S. territory. And again, the mainstream media has taken the bait and focused on his cockamamie pronouncements while ignoring his outrageous plans and political appointments. However, it’s a good opportunity to talk about some of the peculiar aspects of Greenland’s place on the globe. Greenland is farther east, west, north, and …

Our ferry, Queen of Capilano, sailing in Snug Cove back in 2009 before she had her capacity increased. Got word today that BC Ferries is embarking on an initiative to renew their community engagement practices. This is important to me because I rely on BC Ferries to get to and from my home on Bowen Island to te mainland. They are a critical player in coastal life in British Columbia. …

The only thing more dangerous than wanting to save another person — a dangerous desire too often mistaken for love — is wanting to save yourself, to spare yourself the disappointment and heartbreak and loss inseparable from being a creature with hopes and longings constantly colliding with reality, with the indifference of time and chance, with the opposing hopes and longings of others. We have, of course, always invented institutions …

Nealsgadgets C02 Camping Light Specifications Introduction Torch in use Build quality LED, bezel, lens, reflector and beam Size and comparison User interface Batteries and charging Powerbank Performance Beamshots Conclusion Price Product page Specifications Brand/model Nealsgadgets C02 Camping Light LED Cool White (6000K), Warm White (2700K), Multi-colour RGB Maximum lumens 300 lm Battery Built-in 3.7V 5200mAh 18650 Onboard charging Yes (USB-C) Material Plastic Modes 5 Blinkies SOS Waterproof IPX5 Review date …