1. I’ve often longed for a Professor Kingsfield-style class of fiction writing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qx22TyCge7w&t=12s&ab_channel=TheIowaStateBarAssociation 2. At work today, someone brought up the African Shoebill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93xRBQHPfWs&ab_channel=AnimalTales Add it to the list of things that ought to be too ridiculous to really exist. 3. Reading lately has included Generation Y: The New Lost Generation, a collection of essays … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Generation Y and Then Some
Music
Thoughts on ‘Sing’
The other day I checked out Sing, Illumination’s 2016 animated jukebox musical about anthropomorphic animals trying to save a koala’s theater. Overall, I found it pretty enjoyable. It’s probably not going to be a favorite, but it was fun, uplifting, and made some good use of its premise. The story: Buster Moon is the owner … Continue reading Thoughts on ‘Sing’
Low-Effort Blogging: The Statler Brothers
The Statler Brothers were not actually brothers named 'Statler'; two of them were brothers named 'Reid' (Harold and Don), while the others weren't related. The name came from a tissue box. But, from what I can gather, they're one of the more revered groups in Gospel and classic Country music. In any case, I really … Continue reading Low-Effort Blogging: The Statler Brothers
‘Rama’ Soundtrack
Gather 'round children, and I will tell you a tale. In 1973, author Arthur C. Clark came out with Rendezvous with Rama, about an encounter with an enormous alien ship. It was followed in 1989 with a sequel Rama II, about the second encounter with the ship. In 1997, the two books were adapted into … Continue reading ‘Rama’ Soundtrack
The Unkillable Soldier
"He was shot in the face, head, stomach, ankle, leg, hip, and ear; was blinded in his left eye; survived two plane crashes; tunnelled out of a prisoner-of-war camp; and tore off his own fingers when a doctor declined to amputate them. Describing his experiences in the First World War, he wrote, "Frankly I had … Continue reading The Unkillable Soldier
Second and Third Render: Those Nights
So, after being pretty pleased with how the first render came out, I decided to try to tackle creating a specific image that I had in mind (rather than messing about and seeing what came out). This ended up requiring two renders, one for the left, one for the right, and of course the creation … Continue reading Second and Third Render: Those Nights
The Last Battle
5th of May, 1945, saw one of the last (and strangest) battle of the Second World War in Europe, where American troops, Wehrmacht soldiers, a defecting SS officer, and one tank named 'Jenny' defended a Medieval Austrian castle full of French political prisoners against an assault by SS troops. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwfJsKfCnaM This video provides a fascinating … Continue reading The Last Battle
Saturday Music: Skillet
I'm not musically inclined, so I'm not really qualified to discuss the objective musical quality of any band. My criteria for music that I like is a purely subjective enjoyment and / or that it sparks some creative juices or gives a good emotional charge. The result is that I only rarely get attached to … Continue reading Saturday Music: Skillet
The Mikado
I am rapidly becoming a full-bore Gilbert and Sullivan fan. Their plays are some of those works, like the writings of Shakespeare, Pope, and Dickens, that really show off the English language to its full power of rhythm, sound, and turns of meaning. As well, of course, of being set to absolutely beautiful music. I … Continue reading The Mikado
A Song for Our Time
Yet I can't think why... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm4VR439pZQ&ab_channel=UnclaimedFr8
Serpent's Den 