It’s Saturday, hooray. Thinking about streaming a movie tonight? If so, this site may be for you:
Let’s check out my options. Hmm, lots of maybes, some no thanks, but wait, what’s this? Deadpool?
Yes, please!
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Archive for the ‘Entertainment’ Category
Movie Night
Posted in Entertainment, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, genre fiction, inspiration, movies, RyanReynoldsForTheWin, tech tools on July 16, 2022| Leave a Comment »
Just Press Play
Posted in Entertainment, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, family, history, inspiration, music on June 20, 2022| Leave a Comment »
As a bonus Father’s Day gift, today I’m featuring a podcast I know he’ll like.
A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs
In it, Andrew Hickey discusses the history and culture of rock & roll as seen through 500 songs. He’s up to episode 150.
If you prefer to consume your media via the written word, each episode includes a transcript. I also found myself somewhat at a loss as to which, what and where, so (being me) I made an episode list with links. (If an index already exists, I didn’t see it.)
Note: I built the list by translating episode titles into URLs in Excel and haven’t tested every link, but hopefully they’ll get you to where you’re going.
Enjoy!
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Lewis Hamilton and Me
Posted in Entertainment, Likes, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, Formula One, inspiration, role models, Thoughts on May 7, 2022| Leave a Comment »
I am new to Formula One, or really, to any sport fandom. I tend to get emotional about the things I care about, and I have done my level best to avoid the crushing sense of disappointment one feels when one wants something deeply, and does not get it. Elections are hard for me. Wanting things in general can be a challenge, and investing in outcomes over which I have no influence? Rough.
Which is why it’s a big deal for me to join Team Hamilton. He’s worth it.
Why? It’s not the winning. Ok, not only the winning. And it’s not just the fact that he reminds me of my favorite brother. It’s excellence. Hamilton is good at what he does, yes, but he has taken to winning while retaining a sense of the larger picture.
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Again, I’m new to the sport so it’s possible that I missed more formative, brasher years, but since I’ve been watching what I see is this: support for his team, especially those who are often unsung, support for worthy causes, good sportsmanship, and generally using his platform and profile for good.
Lewis is a 7-time world champion, of course, tied with Michael Schumacher to be the winningest F1 driver ever, but he also acts like it.
As I dipped my toe into the F1 waters last year, Mr Man asked what I thought of the up-and-coming driver Verstappen. “Meh,” I said. “Why?” he asked. “He looks like he could win the championship.” True, I said, but I like Lewis. He is considerate to reporters and kind to fans, doesn’t project the sense of entitlement that some drivers wear like a second suit, rarely says “I” in interviews, makes a point to thank the team back at the factory, has succeeded despite not (like so many other drivers) being born to the sport, and is outspoken on human rights and other social issues. His rainbow helmet was a thing of beauty and likely did more to promote rights awareness than a year’s worth of articles.
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This year’s F1 car changes have put Mercedes at a distinct disadvantage. Unless they get those problems sorted, Hamilton may never win that next championship, the one that would break the tie for first and put him at the very top.
This year his helmet carries a quote from Maya Angelou: “Still, I rise.”
And now I’m realizing what so many fans before me have: Despite the possibility, nay, likelihood, of disappointment, I’ll root for him anyway.*
His vision of excellence is worth it.
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* I’m not the only one. I spotted Michelle Obama and George Lucas in the Mercedes garage today.
May the Fourth
Posted in Entertainment, Holidays, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2022, #Maythe4thBeWithYou, hope, music, Star Wars Day on May 4, 2022| Leave a Comment »
There is a lot of trouble in the world right now, but we are not helpless. We are not hopeless. And if there’s any better way to remember that today than Star Wars, I don’t know it. Just thinking of the theme song raises my spirits. Here’s to building a better future.
For motivation, check out this piece on the history of John Williams’ rousing theme:
Behind The Song: “Star Wars Theme” by John Williams – American Songwriter
And then, of course, there’s our scrappy band of Rebels.
“Would it help if I got out and pushed?”
— Princess Leia
Always.
May the Force be with us.
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Today’s Fun Link Roundup
Posted in Entertainment, Likes, Science!, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, creativity, fun, inspiration, interesting, internet, Thoughts, wackiness ensuing on November 17, 2021| Leave a Comment »
I accumulate a lot of links. Work links, sure, but on my way to the data mines I often come across fun, interesting, obscure or downright delightful corners of the web. They inform me when I need a bit of learning with lunch, cheer me up when the news is too newsy, and otherwise remind me that the internet, like the world, is not 100% terrible.
What sort of links? I’m so glad you asked:)
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Look Up! An Introduction to Identifying Raptors in Flight
- Helpful, although I’ll probably continue to just say “hawk!” every time I see something predatory with wings. My bird enthusiast father’s reply is always (honestly, can he really be right all the time?*) “turkey vulture.” Just once I wish he’d say “dragon.”
* The answer is yes.
20 of the Best History Podcasts to Help Us Actually Learn From the Past
- History is cool.
Honest Government Ad | Carbon Capture & Storage – YouTube
- Is there swearing? There is. It’s warranted.
Introducing the Icelandverse – YouTube
- Look out, Zuckerberg, Iceland is coming for you.
Bohemian Catsody – A Rhapsody Parody Song for Every Cat Queen and King! – YouTube
- Since you’re already on YouTube. And like cat videos.
This man won a Guinness World Record for his tree that bears 10 types of fruit
- “Hussam Saraf says his record-breaking tree with 10 different types of fruit is a metaphor for how he sees the world. … ‘[It’s] mother nature that’s united us all together. Doesn’t really matter how different we are in colour or culture or tradition. We are one, and we can respect each other as one.’” If that’s not nice then I don’t know what is.
- Each time a user clicks on your generated link, there is a 50% chance that they will be rickrolled.
The True Story of the Blue People of Kentucky
- Genetics, man.
Photos of the world above and below the sea by David Doubilet
- Nature, man. These images are amazing.
Periodic Table of the Elements, in Pictures and Words
- How many of these have you used today?
How to Identify that Light in the Sky
- Brought to you by NASA and The League of Lost Causes, which is just about the most awesome name ever.
Scientists Create 3,000 TB Simulation of the Universe You Can Download
- I don’t have the space for this, but maybe you do?
And since I’m a baker, here’s one last link:
All You Could Ever Want to Know About a Pumpkin Slingshot
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Let’s Go To The Moon!
Posted in Entertainment, Science!, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, genre fiction, inspiration, learning@lunch, NASA, space exploration on October 12, 2021| 1 Comment »
What am I reading with lunch? How about a graphic novel about a woman, space, and a spunky little robot? App and interactivity are optional (but could be fun).
NASA – First Woman (read online, download PDF)
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Happy Star Trek Day!
Posted in Entertainment, Holidays, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, inspiration, science fiction, sff, star trek, Thoughts, yay on September 8, 2021| Leave a Comment »
It’s September 8th, and the 55th anniversary of the first airing of Star Trek: The Original Series. Now, I was always a Star Wars fan first and foremost* but Mr Man persuaded me to revisit and reassess, and I’m glad he did. The more geeky space fun, the better, as far as I’m concerned.
Want to know more, or commune with fellow Trekkies basking in the glory that is the Trekiverse? Click through for links to the annual Star Trek Day celebration:
Star Trek Day 2021: Celebrate 55 years of Trek with live panels and more tonight | Space
In closing…
(You know what I’m going to say, which also says something about the remarkable reach of this show into the global consciousness.)
Live long, and prosper.
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* The show had ended by the time I was ready for such things, and without a television even reruns were off the table. Hard to obsess over a series that you can’t watch!
Books Neverending
Posted in Entertainment, Likes, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, Applescript, creativity, Fiction, fun, inspiration, libraries, Thoughts, Writers on August 21, 2021| 1 Comment »
In my roles as a writer and as a person, I read a lot. Some books I purchase, but many I access through my local library. How great is that?*
So I just spent a non-zero amount of time writing a little AppleScript to automagically run a search in any of the four area library systems that share e-book resources.
Was it necessary? No. I could click through my library portal and into each separate library system for every book I want to check, one stodgy button at a time. Ho hum.
Does this script save time and my wrists and open up new worlds of possibilities?
Yes.
Was it fun to make?
Also yes:)
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* I love books, and I’m lucky enough to live in a society that supports public libraries. In fact, I made a modest donation to my local library the other day, and hope it helps bring just a little more literacy and knowledge and enjoyment to my city.
How to Win in Twelve Parsecs or Less
Posted in Entertainment, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, creativity, Fiction, genre fiction, inspiration, movies, sff, storytelling, writing on August 17, 2021| 1 Comment »
Does everything have to be perfect in order for a story to work? Nope.
Here’s the script and breakdown for Star Wars:
Star Wars: A New Hope Script — Screenplay Analysis and PDF Download
par·sec| ˈpärsek | (abbreviation pc) noun
a unit of distance used in astronomy, equal to about 3.26 light years (3.086 × 1013 kilometers). One parsec corresponds to the distance at which the mean radius of the earth’s orbit subtends an angle of one second of arc.
A parsec is a measurement of distance, not time. Twelve of those do not a winning Kessel Run make, but, as millions of fans (and yes, dollars) attest, no one cares. The story works.
These are the things I think about when I’m stuck on a plot point, or deep in historical or technical weeds.
Just keep going.
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Just Knuckle Up to the Keyboard
Posted in Entertainment, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2021, free fiction, genre fiction, inspiration, sff, Thoughts, Writers, writing on July 29, 2021| 1 Comment »
Here’s a heaping helping of free fiction, with a side of motivation. John Scalzi’s first novel is posted free to read on his site. It’s the web version, with each chapter its own link and charmingly antiquated page design, but the novel is fun.
After a long day of work sometimes you just want to dust yourself off, meet an alien at the corner bar, and laugh a little. At least I do:)
Scalzi refers to this as his practice novel, but it’s well written and entertaining. (If you’d rather get the full version, the book was eventually published via traditional means, so visit your favorite retailer.) It’s also a great example of what can be done if you just knuckle up to the keyboard and see what comes out.
Which I will absolutely do. Tomorrow.
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