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In the 90s, it wasn’t uncommon to have a mini tube TV - often with a built-in VCR - right on the kitchen counter. In 2025, if I want to watch something while working in the kitchen, it’s on my phone propped up on an upside-down pizza box spacer. Is this really the future we were promised?
One day in late September, when I was going into work after teaching class, I saw a cat walking near the new visitor center. I got out to try to get close enough to see if it had a collar or anything, but it went into a drain pipe before I could get to it. I sent an email out about the sighting just in case it was sighted again or needed help.
Several weeks later, two colleagues separately sighted the cat again, and one was able to actually catch it and took it home. It was a large white and brown tomcat with a white triangle on his face like my Adrian and tabby stripes on his forehead like, well, my Tabby. My colleague wasn't able to keep him long-term, but put him up in her study until either the original owner - if there was one - was found, or someone else adopted him. Her husband took the cat to the vet to see if he had a microchip, which turned up negative.
I actually came very close to taking him myself. He seemed like a sweet boy and, at first, I thought it might be a good idea - I've often regretted that Tabby doesn't have another cat that actually wants to do things with her, and while I wasn't so sure about Adrian, I thought that maybe having a third would at least distract Tabby from annoyting her, and maybe she'd even be friends with him too.
But when I got home, I realized it probably wouldn't be a great idea. Looking at the space I have available, it definitely works for two cats, but three would probably be a crowd. Then, while exercising that night, Adrian hissed and swiped at Tabby, and I thought - if she still does this occasionally (not as much as she used to, but still occasionally) with a cat that she's lived with for several years, how will she react to a new face? Adrian was, and in many ways, still very much is a nervous alley cat, and I wouldn't want to add stress to her. And on her part, Tabby too can be a little diva sometimes and can get jealous if she feels Adrian is getting attention and she isn't.
Later that night, I was on the couch watching TV or gaming a little before bed, and Tabby came and laid down on my left and across my lap and then Adrian came up and laid down on my right, and I wondered... if there is a third one, where's the room for them?
So, I came to my senses and realized that as much as I wanted to help this cat, I wouldn't want to put either him or my girls in a bad situation, and have to possibly rehome him again. It wouldn't be fair to anyone involved.
Fortunately, after a week or so my colleague's husband actually found a listing for this cat on an area lost pets board, and was able to reunite him with his original - very grateful - owners, who didn't expect to see him again. He was actually from across the river - apparently, in the town he came from there has been a bizarre wave of pets being kidnapped and dumped elsewhere, and that's how he ended up at my workplace.
As it turns out, his name is Thomas.
This really kind of made my month. Happy to have had at least some small role in saving him (the original sighting and email), though of course the lion's share of credit has to go to my colleague for catching him and putting him up temporarily. I'm certainly glad we were able to get him out of the wild before it gets too much colder. And, selfishly, I'm glad that I don't have to feel guilty for not taking him in.
Good luck, Thomas, I'm glad you're safe and warm in your real home.
Several weeks later, two colleagues separately sighted the cat again, and one was able to actually catch it and took it home. It was a large white and brown tomcat with a white triangle on his face like my Adrian and tabby stripes on his forehead like, well, my Tabby. My colleague wasn't able to keep him long-term, but put him up in her study until either the original owner - if there was one - was found, or someone else adopted him. Her husband took the cat to the vet to see if he had a microchip, which turned up negative.
I actually came very close to taking him myself. He seemed like a sweet boy and, at first, I thought it might be a good idea - I've often regretted that Tabby doesn't have another cat that actually wants to do things with her, and while I wasn't so sure about Adrian, I thought that maybe having a third would at least distract Tabby from annoyting her, and maybe she'd even be friends with him too.
But when I got home, I realized it probably wouldn't be a great idea. Looking at the space I have available, it definitely works for two cats, but three would probably be a crowd. Then, while exercising that night, Adrian hissed and swiped at Tabby, and I thought - if she still does this occasionally (not as much as she used to, but still occasionally) with a cat that she's lived with for several years, how will she react to a new face? Adrian was, and in many ways, still very much is a nervous alley cat, and I wouldn't want to add stress to her. And on her part, Tabby too can be a little diva sometimes and can get jealous if she feels Adrian is getting attention and she isn't.
Later that night, I was on the couch watching TV or gaming a little before bed, and Tabby came and laid down on my left and across my lap and then Adrian came up and laid down on my right, and I wondered... if there is a third one, where's the room for them?
So, I came to my senses and realized that as much as I wanted to help this cat, I wouldn't want to put either him or my girls in a bad situation, and have to possibly rehome him again. It wouldn't be fair to anyone involved.
Fortunately, after a week or so my colleague's husband actually found a listing for this cat on an area lost pets board, and was able to reunite him with his original - very grateful - owners, who didn't expect to see him again. He was actually from across the river - apparently, in the town he came from there has been a bizarre wave of pets being kidnapped and dumped elsewhere, and that's how he ended up at my workplace.
As it turns out, his name is Thomas.
This really kind of made my month. Happy to have had at least some small role in saving him (the original sighting and email), though of course the lion's share of credit has to go to my colleague for catching him and putting him up temporarily. I'm certainly glad we were able to get him out of the wild before it gets too much colder. And, selfishly, I'm glad that I don't have to feel guilty for not taking him in.
Good luck, Thomas, I'm glad you're safe and warm in your real home.
On the 24th anniversary of 9/11
Sep. 12th, 2025 08:38 pm[Originally posted on my Facebook, 9/11/25]
I took this photo of the NYC skyline from Liberty Island with my photography-class Pentax camera during an 11th grade field trip in 1999. When developing that roll of film, I somehow messed up the chemicals and part of the film got stuck to itself, and the result was this rather ghostly effect.
Only a few years later that would take on a new poignancy. I can still see everything from that morning so crystal-clear even 24 years later, down to the bagel I was eating for breakfast. Before going to class - it was only days into my first semester at Columbia-Greene - I’d turned on my TV over breakfast and saw every channel covering the story after the first plane hit, and the talking heads saying that at that point they could only assume that it was a tragic accident - and then going silent as the second plane hit and it became instantly clear that it wasn’t.
Later, not knowing what else to do, I went to the college, listening to the radio coverage in my Plymouth Reliant over the CD stereo I’d had that old crate retrofitted with. Of course, by the time I got there classes had been cancelled, but with nothing else to do I wandered into the welcome center in the main building, where someone had wheeled a TV cart in and students and staff were gathered to watch. I don’t remember much conversation - it was mostly still stunned silence. And that’s where memory of the day finally gets fuzzy; I don’t really remember how long I was there or even really remember the drive back or what happened at home that day. But the day up to that point is one I’ll never forget.
This past week, I flashed back to that morning a bit while walking through that same welcome center in that same main building on the way to teach my own class. Of course, the cart with the tube TV isn’t there anymore, but otherwise the room - and building in general - has barely changed in the near quarter-century that’s passed.
Just about every semester I’ve taught, I pose the question to my class, “why do we study history?” And almost invariably - and expectedly - the first response is a student paraphrasing the old George Santayana line about "...so we aren’t doomed to repeat it.”
On that day, 24 years ago, the world was changed forever - and in most ways, not for the better. But I can only hope that the future does not refuse to change, and in some small way, I can only hope to make some small contribution towards making that possible.
And that, ultimately, is why I teach history.
2024 Book List
Jan. 10th, 2025 03:04 pmBeat last year by 18 books, and nearly doubled my goal for the year (40) as well. A number of graphic novels helped with that, as well as some audiobooks (notably the rereads of the Bernard Cornwell books).
-The 2000 Year Old Man in the Year 2000: The Book - Mel Brooks & Carl Reiner
-The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession - Michael Finkel
-Atari Classics: Swordquest - Roy Thomas, Gerry Conway, George Perez & Dick Giordano
-Autopsy for a Cosmonaut - Jacob Hay & John M. Keshishian, M.D.
-Bart Simpson’s Guide to Life - Matt Groening, et.al.
-Batman: Arkham Asylum - A Serious House on Serious Earth - Grant Morrison & Dave McKean
-Batman: Gotham by Gaslight - Brian Augustyn & Mike Mignola
-Batman: Master of the Future - Brian Augustyn & Eduardo Barreto
-Batman: The Dark Knight Returns - Frank Miller with Klaus Janson & Lynn Varley
-Batman: The Long Halloween - Jeph Loeb & Tim Sale
-Batman: Year One - Frank Miller & David Mazzucchelli with Richmond Lewis
-The Best of H.P. Lovecraft - H.P. Lovecraft
-The Black Arrow - Robert Louis Stevenson
-Blacksad: They All Fall Down, Part Two - Juan Diaz Canales & Juanjo Guarnido (trans. Diana Schutz & Brandon Kander)
-Blues - John Hersey
-Bored of the Rings: A Parody of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings - Henry N. Beard & Douglas C. Kenney
-The Box: An Oral History of Television, 1929-1961 - Jeff Kisseloff
-Butler of Butler St. - Reed Seifer & Chris Burnside
-Camelot 3000 - Mike W. Barr & Brian Bolland
-A Canticle for Leibowitz - Walter M. Miller Jr.
-Cell 2455, Death Row: A Condemned Man’s Own Story - Caryl Chessman
-The Comic Book Story of Professional Wrestling - Aubrey Sitterson & Chris Moreno
-Curious Myths of the Middle Ages - Sabine Baring-Gould
-Dinotopia: A Land Apart from Time (Dinotopia #1) - James Gurney*
-Enemy of God (Warlord Chronicles #2) - Bernard Cornwell*
-Excalibur (Warlord Chronicles #3) - Bernard Cornwell*
-The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings #1) - J.R.R. Tolkein
-Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive: I II III IV V VI, Volume 1 - Square Enix
-Fish Men Fear… SHARK! - Jerry Greenberg & Idaz Greenberg
-The Forgotten Network: DuMont and the Birth of American Television - David Weinstein
-Here Is New York - E.B. White
-Hiroshima - John Hersey
-The Hobbit: Or There and Back Again (The Lord of the Rings #0) - J.R.R. Tolkien
-Home Sweet Hole: A Folio of “Feasible Fantasy” Floor Plans - Lynn Dean
-The Illustrated Al: The Songs of “Weird Al” Yankovic - “Weird Al” Yankovic, et. al.
-The Invisible Man - H.G. Wells
-Jonathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach*
-Just a Shot Away: Peace, Love, and Tragedy with the Rolling Stones at Altamont - Saul Austerlitz
-Killer Show: The Station Nightclub Fire, America’s Deadliest Rock Concert - John Barylick
-The Last Kingdom (Saxon Stories #1) - Bernard Cornwell*
-The Lathe of Heaven - Ursula K. Le Guin*
-Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
-The Moonshine War - Elmore Leonard
-More Balls Than Strikes: 120 Years of Baseball in New York’s Hudson Valley - Charlie Tiano
-More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark - Alvin Schwartz
-Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous & Obscure (Revised & Expanded Edition) - ed. Rachel Fershleiset & Larry Smith
-Pizza and Taco: Wrestling Mania! (Pizza and Taco #7) - Stephen Shaskan
-Quest for a King: Searching for the Real King Arthur - Catherine M. Andronik
-Rachel DuMont; A Brave Little Maid of the Revolution: A True Story of the Burning of Kingston; for Girls and Boys, and Older People - Mary Westbrook van Deusen
-The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings #3) - J.R.R. Tolkien
-Roadways - Jeff Lang & Ted Slampyak
-The Romance of Tristan and Iseult - Joseph Bédier (trans. Hillaire Belloc)
-The Saga of Gunnlaug the Worm-Tongue and Raven the Skald - Unknown (trans. William Morris & Eiríkr Magnússon)
-Scary Stories 3: More Tales to Chill Your Bones - Alvin Schwartz
-Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark - Alvin Schwartz*
-Shemp!: The Biography of the Three Stooges’ Shemp Howard, the Face of Film Comedy - Burt Kearns
-Shirtless Bear-Fighter! - Jody LeHeup, Sebastian Girner & Nil Vendrell
-Shirtless Bear-Fighter! 2 - Jody LeHeup, Sebastian Girner & Nil Vendrell
-So, You Want to Be a Wrestling Promoter? - Ric Drasin with Bruce Dwight Collins
-Squad - Maggie Tokuda-Hall & Lisa Sterle
-Stooges Among Us - ed. Lon Davis & Debra Davis
-Strange Red Cow: and Other Curious Classified Ads from the Past - Sara Bader
-Super Mario Adventures - Kentaro Takekuma & Charlie Nozawa
-The Sweet Science - A.J. Liebling
-Swordquest: RealWorld - Chad Bowers, Chris Sims & Ghostwriter X
-Swords of Rome Vol. 1: The Conquerors - Jean Dufaux & Phillippe Delaby (trans. Elena Magistro)
-Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin - Lost Years - Kevin Eastman & Tom Waltz
-Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Collection Vol. 4 - Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird & Jim Lawson
-Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Ultimate Collection Vol. 5 - Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird & Jim Lawson
-Ten from Infinity - Ivar Jorgensen (Paul W. Fairman)
-The Thief of Always - Clive Barker
-Thinner - Richard Bachman (Stephen King)
-The Time Machine - H.G. Wells*
-The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings #2) - J.R.R. Tolkien
-The Waste Land and Other Poems - T.S Eliot
-Welcome to Night Vale (Night Vale #1) - Joseph Fink & Jeffrey Cranor
-Wild Minds: The Artists and Rivalries that Inspired the Golden Age of Animation - Reid Mitenbuler
-The Winter King (Warlord Chronicles #1) - Bernard Cornwell*
*Re-read
Total books: 78
New year, new me. Maybe. Sorta. Not so much.
I can say that out of all the years I've lived through, 2024 was certainly one of them. Can't say I'm optimistic about the new one either.
Anyway. I'm hoping that in the coming year I'll use this site a little more, at least for more than just the occasional Friday Five post.
In the next day or two I'll put up my 2024 reading list, in which I nearly doubled my goal. So there's that to look forward to at least.
Carry on.
I can say that out of all the years I've lived through, 2024 was certainly one of them. Can't say I'm optimistic about the new one either.
Anyway. I'm hoping that in the coming year I'll use this site a little more, at least for more than just the occasional Friday Five post.
In the next day or two I'll put up my 2024 reading list, in which I nearly doubled my goal. So there's that to look forward to at least.
Carry on.
Friday Five 11/15/24
Nov. 15th, 2024 03:46 pm1. What is your favourite food?
Pizza.
2. What is your favourite food preparation method?
Cooking, by default, since i haven't gotten too much into baking yet (I'm still pretty much a novice at all of it). I'm probably best at seasoning.
3. What is your favourite cuisine or style of cooking?
To eat, Italian, Mexican, Indian, general American mutt... for cooking, many of my best work so far have been pizzas and soups.
4. Do you have any dietary restrictions and if so what are they?
No meat.
5. If you could introduce the whole world to one ingredient to improve their culinary experience, what would that be and why?
Dill is great for more than just pickles. I use it on home fries to add some extra savory depth.
Pizza.
2. What is your favourite food preparation method?
Cooking, by default, since i haven't gotten too much into baking yet (I'm still pretty much a novice at all of it). I'm probably best at seasoning.
3. What is your favourite cuisine or style of cooking?
To eat, Italian, Mexican, Indian, general American mutt... for cooking, many of my best work so far have been pizzas and soups.
4. Do you have any dietary restrictions and if so what are they?
No meat.
5. If you could introduce the whole world to one ingredient to improve their culinary experience, what would that be and why?
Dill is great for more than just pickles. I use it on home fries to add some extra savory depth.
Friday Five 8/30/24
Aug. 30th, 2024 10:12 pmHaven't done one of these - or used this journal at all - in awhile. I'll try to do a regular entry soon.
1. Do you believe that music can have a direct effect on your life?
I'll say yes, of course, although I'm having trouble thinking of a specific example and a specific way it affected me. Plenty of cases where a song becomes associated with a specific event, place or time though.
2. What is your current favorite song?
I don't really have a single current favorite song. But I have been playing Sea of Stars and the boss theme ("Encounter Elite!") has been creeping into my head a lot.
3. What's the one song from junior high that you can still rattle off all the words to?
I used to be able to do all of Blues Traveler's "Hook," including all of that almost rap-like third verse, and in a pinch I probably still could. I mean, there's probably more than a few, really.
4. Did you have a prom song? Don't be embarrassed, we all did it.
"Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica.
5. Do you and your significant other have a "song" that you share?
No S/O currently, and I didn't really have an official "our song" with the last one. Maybe that was part of the problem.
If I were in a situation to have an "our song" and I got to pick, Strawbs' "Grace Darling" (probably the acoustic Cousins/Willoughby duo version specifically) would be my top pick, with alternates including the Penguin's "Earth Angel," Steve Winwood's "Higher Love" and Belinda Carlisle's "Heaven is a Place on Earth." Or maybe - heh - Michael Bolton's "Can I Touch You... There?"
1. Do you believe that music can have a direct effect on your life?
I'll say yes, of course, although I'm having trouble thinking of a specific example and a specific way it affected me. Plenty of cases where a song becomes associated with a specific event, place or time though.
2. What is your current favorite song?
I don't really have a single current favorite song. But I have been playing Sea of Stars and the boss theme ("Encounter Elite!") has been creeping into my head a lot.
3. What's the one song from junior high that you can still rattle off all the words to?
I used to be able to do all of Blues Traveler's "Hook," including all of that almost rap-like third verse, and in a pinch I probably still could. I mean, there's probably more than a few, really.
4. Did you have a prom song? Don't be embarrassed, we all did it.
"Nothing Else Matters" by Metallica.
5. Do you and your significant other have a "song" that you share?
No S/O currently, and I didn't really have an official "our song" with the last one. Maybe that was part of the problem.
If I were in a situation to have an "our song" and I got to pick, Strawbs' "Grace Darling" (probably the acoustic Cousins/Willoughby duo version specifically) would be my top pick, with alternates including the Penguin's "Earth Angel," Steve Winwood's "Higher Love" and Belinda Carlisle's "Heaven is a Place on Earth." Or maybe - heh - Michael Bolton's "Can I Touch You... There?"
Friday Five 6/14
Jun. 14th, 2024 10:22 pm1. What is the oldest object you own?
Not counting, like, rocks or something, I have both volumes of the book Adventures of Roderick Random published in the 1790s, so that'd probably take it. For *my* oldest possession... Oldest in at least semi-regular use... the main keychain that my Kramer-esque set of keys is built on is supposedly made from a WWII (presumably surplus) gunstrap, and I have a stereoscope viewer from the turn of the 20th century. But I have other passive objects older than that too - some 19th-century books, an 1860s "Boss Tweed" bank, etc.
2. What object have you owned the longest?
If it counts as an object, I have a philodendron plant that's as old as I am. I'm sure there are still some early-childhood toys lurking around somewhere too. My oldest in at least semi-regular use... maybe my Blues Traveler shirt that I've had since 1994?
3. What is the newest object you own?
I got a Kung Fu Tea Princess Peach collectible can and cup that I'd ordered from eBay today, both of which will end up in my game room (after the tea is drank), so I guess that's it by default.
4. Who is your oldest living relative?
Not actually sure. There's very few of us left, so on both sides of the family it may just be my mom's generation.
5. Who is your youngest living relative?
Also not sure. I know I have some cousins that have kids but I don't know exact ages.
Not counting, like, rocks or something, I have both volumes of the book Adventures of Roderick Random published in the 1790s, so that'd probably take it. For *my* oldest possession... Oldest in at least semi-regular use... the main keychain that my Kramer-esque set of keys is built on is supposedly made from a WWII (presumably surplus) gunstrap, and I have a stereoscope viewer from the turn of the 20th century. But I have other passive objects older than that too - some 19th-century books, an 1860s "Boss Tweed" bank, etc.
2. What object have you owned the longest?
If it counts as an object, I have a philodendron plant that's as old as I am. I'm sure there are still some early-childhood toys lurking around somewhere too. My oldest in at least semi-regular use... maybe my Blues Traveler shirt that I've had since 1994?
3. What is the newest object you own?
I got a Kung Fu Tea Princess Peach collectible can and cup that I'd ordered from eBay today, both of which will end up in my game room (after the tea is drank), so I guess that's it by default.
4. Who is your oldest living relative?
Not actually sure. There's very few of us left, so on both sides of the family it may just be my mom's generation.
5. Who is your youngest living relative?
Also not sure. I know I have some cousins that have kids but I don't know exact ages.
Friday Five 5/10/24
May. 10th, 2024 10:03 pm1) What are your five favorite birds?
Crows are cool, what with their intelligence and all. Penguins for the flightless category. I guess owls and woodpeckers for the interesting noises. Ducks. And honorable mention for chickens; not to eat but for their entertainment value (probably my favorite interview clip of Werner Herzog is this one of him talking about chickens).
2) What are your five favorite pet-type animals?
Based on pets I've had: cats for the standard #1 - have had three total over the years (two currently). At various points in my youth I also had goldfish and hamsters. I haven't had them, but for the other two slots ferrets and guinea pigs (or capybaras!).
3) What are your five favorite wild animals that live in your locale?
Chipmunks - two years ago I had a chipmunk family living under my front walk. Eventually all but one (the mother?) left the hole, but the one that stayed behind I was able to eventually get to eat peanuts out of my hand. I saw her(?) briefly last spring but then she disappeared. I miss her. Anyway, for the rest I also love watching the squirrels. Foxes, deer (as long as they aren't in the road) and beavers.
4) What are your five favorite zoo animals that you always want to visit?
Assuming it's an ethical zoo, I don't think I would really pick favorites. They're all interesting.
5) What are your five favorite cryptids that may or may not be extinct, may or may not exist in this world?
The yeti (and his North American cousin, the sasquatch). Fresno Nightcrawlers for my dark-horse pick (who wouldn't love a giant walking pair of pants?). The jackalope (unless it's still voiced by Dave Coulier). And a few of my local New York boys: Champ (the Lake Champlain version of Nessie) and the NYC sewer alligators.
Crows are cool, what with their intelligence and all. Penguins for the flightless category. I guess owls and woodpeckers for the interesting noises. Ducks. And honorable mention for chickens; not to eat but for their entertainment value (probably my favorite interview clip of Werner Herzog is this one of him talking about chickens).
2) What are your five favorite pet-type animals?
Based on pets I've had: cats for the standard #1 - have had three total over the years (two currently). At various points in my youth I also had goldfish and hamsters. I haven't had them, but for the other two slots ferrets and guinea pigs (or capybaras!).
3) What are your five favorite wild animals that live in your locale?
Chipmunks - two years ago I had a chipmunk family living under my front walk. Eventually all but one (the mother?) left the hole, but the one that stayed behind I was able to eventually get to eat peanuts out of my hand. I saw her(?) briefly last spring but then she disappeared. I miss her. Anyway, for the rest I also love watching the squirrels. Foxes, deer (as long as they aren't in the road) and beavers.
4) What are your five favorite zoo animals that you always want to visit?
Assuming it's an ethical zoo, I don't think I would really pick favorites. They're all interesting.
5) What are your five favorite cryptids that may or may not be extinct, may or may not exist in this world?
The yeti (and his North American cousin, the sasquatch). Fresno Nightcrawlers for my dark-horse pick (who wouldn't love a giant walking pair of pants?). The jackalope (unless it's still voiced by Dave Coulier). And a few of my local New York boys: Champ (the Lake Champlain version of Nessie) and the NYC sewer alligators.
And yet still more excellent band names
Apr. 23rd, 2024 10:41 amWithout context etc.
Shaved Gorilla Invasion
The Slow Parade of EyesShaved Gorilla Invasion
Rowdy Roddy and the Pipers
Bag of Victorian Heads
Easy-Do Rib-Hugger
Boogerboy Boris
Ass Stance
Riptide of Cheese
Bro Party Massacre III
Brutalist Candy Cane
Brutalist Candy Cane
Another writing contest
Apr. 20th, 2024 03:07 pmI decided to try another writing contest, after not getting through round 1 of the last one but getting some decent (and a little not-so-decent) feedback on the 250-word microfiction challenge. This time it was another through NYC Midnight, the 100-word challenge.
Having such a small word limit is definitely an interesting challenge, especially for somebody just testing the waters of fiction writing. It really makes you think about what words are really necessary and how to be economical with what you write. Some of my favorite types of fiction styles fall into categories along the lines of realism (dirty and otherwise) and minimalism (Mark Twain, Stephen Crane, Raymond Carver, Breece D'J Pancake, etc.) and it's a style I'd like to try cultivating myself, and I think this kind of thing will be an aid.
I got an odd set of prompts - "fairy tale and/or fantasy" as genre, "patrolling" as action and "under" as word-to-use - but I think I came up with something decent. We'll see how it does.
Having such a small word limit is definitely an interesting challenge, especially for somebody just testing the waters of fiction writing. It really makes you think about what words are really necessary and how to be economical with what you write. Some of my favorite types of fiction styles fall into categories along the lines of realism (dirty and otherwise) and minimalism (Mark Twain, Stephen Crane, Raymond Carver, Breece D'J Pancake, etc.) and it's a style I'd like to try cultivating myself, and I think this kind of thing will be an aid.
I got an odd set of prompts - "fairy tale and/or fantasy" as genre, "patrolling" as action and "under" as word-to-use - but I think I came up with something decent. We'll see how it does.
I've had the same alarm clock for more than half of my life - closer to three quarters of it, in fact. As I recall, it was given to me by my grandmother when I was... I don't know, 11? 12? 13? At any rate, it's carried me through high school, college, grad school, every job I've ever had. From my bedroom at home, through various apartments, now to my own house.
It's nothing fancy. Just a little Spartus digital from the early '90s or so. Nothing fancy; just a clock with an alarm, no radio or anything like that. But it's served me well all this time, and never failed, unless I forgot to turn the alarm on, or the power went out.
Well, this morning I managed to knock my clock off the little shelf I set up for it above my night stand. The front fascia came off and the board the buttons on top connect to dislodged. The clock part itself still works fine, but the alarm on/off switch doesn't, and I'm not sure about the snooze and time/alarm set buttons. I attempted to fix it but wasn't able to quite get it working right.
It probably could be fixed fully, and I might just try to do that sometime as a quickie small-electronics-repair practice project, so I'll keep it around. I don't think I could bring myself to toss it out anyway. So if I ever fix it, it can maybe find a new home in my home office, or I could take it to work for my desk there.
For now, though, I ordered a new clock, which should come Monday (I'll just have to rely on my phone until then, and of course the striped gremlin that usually wakes me up before the alarm anyway nowadays). The new one should, frankly, be a lot better, as it has a phone charging pad and a bluetooth speaker built in, so I can consolidate space on my little shelf by not having to keep my existing charging pad and speaker on it (the speaker can go to the living room).
But pour one out for my little Spartus, and its nearly thirty years of impeccable service. It might seem like a silly thing to put this much though into, and it probably is, but it's been a constant for so long, I think I will miss it.
It's nothing fancy. Just a little Spartus digital from the early '90s or so. Nothing fancy; just a clock with an alarm, no radio or anything like that. But it's served me well all this time, and never failed, unless I forgot to turn the alarm on, or the power went out.
Well, this morning I managed to knock my clock off the little shelf I set up for it above my night stand. The front fascia came off and the board the buttons on top connect to dislodged. The clock part itself still works fine, but the alarm on/off switch doesn't, and I'm not sure about the snooze and time/alarm set buttons. I attempted to fix it but wasn't able to quite get it working right.
It probably could be fixed fully, and I might just try to do that sometime as a quickie small-electronics-repair practice project, so I'll keep it around. I don't think I could bring myself to toss it out anyway. So if I ever fix it, it can maybe find a new home in my home office, or I could take it to work for my desk there.
For now, though, I ordered a new clock, which should come Monday (I'll just have to rely on my phone until then, and of course the striped gremlin that usually wakes me up before the alarm anyway nowadays). The new one should, frankly, be a lot better, as it has a phone charging pad and a bluetooth speaker built in, so I can consolidate space on my little shelf by not having to keep my existing charging pad and speaker on it (the speaker can go to the living room).
But pour one out for my little Spartus, and its nearly thirty years of impeccable service. It might seem like a silly thing to put this much though into, and it probably is, but it's been a constant for so long, I think I will miss it.
Friday Five 4/12
Apr. 12th, 2024 04:43 pm1. Have you seen a solar eclipse? Total, Partial, Annular? When and where?
Yes. I mean, this past Monday's partial. I saw it from my back porch.
2. Have you seen a lunar eclipse? Full? Partial? When and where?
I'm sure I have, but I don't know any specific dates offhand.
3. Have you seen a comet? Which one? When and where?
Yes, Hale-Bopp in '97. Seen from home.
4. Have you seen a nova or supernova? When and where?
I don't think so.
5. Have you seen a meteor shower? Which one, when and where?
Leonids, whenever they happen.
Yes. I mean, this past Monday's partial. I saw it from my back porch.
2. Have you seen a lunar eclipse? Full? Partial? When and where?
I'm sure I have, but I don't know any specific dates offhand.
3. Have you seen a comet? Which one? When and where?
Yes, Hale-Bopp in '97. Seen from home.
4. Have you seen a nova or supernova? When and where?
I don't think so.
5. Have you seen a meteor shower? Which one, when and where?
Leonids, whenever they happen.
Friday Five 3/29
Mar. 30th, 2024 09:48 amLate again, but in my defense, this time it wasn't posted till 11:59 PM Friday.
1. Rice or potatoes?
Potatoes. Rice has its uses as a side or ingredient, but potatoes can potentially become the main course. Also, I like the taste better.
2. Fish or red meat?
Neither.
3. Salad or cooked vegetables?
Generally, I'm not adverse to salads - I have them as a side often enough - but cooked is usually more enjoyable.
4. Cake or ice cream?
Tough one. Especially since I haven't had much of either in a long time. If forced to pick, cake for special occasions, ice cream otherwise. But ultimately my answer would have to borrow from Tommy Dreamer's immortal words: "I'll take 'em both, I'm hardcore!"
5. Water, soft drink, wine, beer, or hard alcohol?
They all have their place. Wine is the one I'm least into, although I do love a glass of port now and then. And I actually haven't had anything alcoholic, and only a small handful of sodas since starting my current health regime. I drink seltzer more than anything.
I work like I drink: alone, but with a monkey watching me.
1. Rice or potatoes?
Potatoes. Rice has its uses as a side or ingredient, but potatoes can potentially become the main course. Also, I like the taste better.
2. Fish or red meat?
Neither.
3. Salad or cooked vegetables?
Generally, I'm not adverse to salads - I have them as a side often enough - but cooked is usually more enjoyable.
4. Cake or ice cream?
Tough one. Especially since I haven't had much of either in a long time. If forced to pick, cake for special occasions, ice cream otherwise. But ultimately my answer would have to borrow from Tommy Dreamer's immortal words: "I'll take 'em both, I'm hardcore!"
5. Water, soft drink, wine, beer, or hard alcohol?
They all have their place. Wine is the one I'm least into, although I do love a glass of port now and then. And I actually haven't had anything alcoholic, and only a small handful of sodas since starting my current health regime. I drink seltzer more than anything.
I work like I drink: alone, but with a monkey watching me.
Friday Five 3/22/24
Mar. 22nd, 2024 09:23 pm1. What is your native language?
'Murican English
2. Do you speak any other languages? Which ones?
I still have enough schoolboy Spanish left that while I can't do direct translations, and I dare not try to actually speak it, I can usually at least get the gist of it in written form.
3. How difficult is it for you to learn or understand new languages?
In high school it was actually pretty easy; I actually skipped a year of Spanish (I went from Conversational to Spanish 2, doing Spanish 1 as worksheets over the summer). In college, though, I did a semester of French and really struggled with it, so I think I lost most of my language absorption ability by that point. I do at least still remember one French phrase from the old Muzzy commercial: "Je suis le jeune fille!"
4. If you were going to study a new foreign language, which would you want to learn?
French, Italian and/or German to supplement my art history, or Japanese so I can play Japanese games that never got English translations, and . Not necessarily in that order.
5. How are you at reading subtitles in foreign films?
Er, perfectly fine. That doesn't really seem like a particularly difficult skill. I do certainly prefer subtitles to dubbing, if that's what the question is getting at.
'Murican English
2. Do you speak any other languages? Which ones?
I still have enough schoolboy Spanish left that while I can't do direct translations, and I dare not try to actually speak it, I can usually at least get the gist of it in written form.
3. How difficult is it for you to learn or understand new languages?
In high school it was actually pretty easy; I actually skipped a year of Spanish (I went from Conversational to Spanish 2, doing Spanish 1 as worksheets over the summer). In college, though, I did a semester of French and really struggled with it, so I think I lost most of my language absorption ability by that point. I do at least still remember one French phrase from the old Muzzy commercial: "Je suis le jeune fille!"
4. If you were going to study a new foreign language, which would you want to learn?
French, Italian and/or German to supplement my art history, or Japanese so I can play Japanese games that never got English translations, and . Not necessarily in that order.
5. How are you at reading subtitles in foreign films?
Er, perfectly fine. That doesn't really seem like a particularly difficult skill. I do certainly prefer subtitles to dubbing, if that's what the question is getting at.
Crossed off the current FF1 playthrough. I ended up going through the Sky Temple twice, due to limited inventory space, to make sure I got all the chests I wanted, and then did the same with the Temple of the Fiends, going through once to get the chests and, theoretically, to clear out the bosses (the latter ended up not working as I forgot that the Fiend rematches respawn, at least in the NES version) and then a second time to take down Chaos. That got my levels up quite a bit, and all four characters ended at level 30. Chaos didn't give too many issues; I began the fight by having my black wizard (Kram) cast Fast on my knight (Jery) and ninja (Gerg), while my white wizard (Lain) cast Inv2 on the party via the White Shirt. Then just had Jery and Gerg attack continuously with Excalibur and the Masamune respectively, Kram cast Nuke and Lain heal as needed or use the Thor Hammer to fill in a Lit2 or two. Chaos went down within the first three rounds, as Kram only hit two Nukes (on which he had three charges).
As a side note, my characters' names were a bit butchered by the four-letter limit, but as you might guess they're supposed to be Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer. When I get to FF3 I plan to name the four characters in that Moe, Larry, Curly and Shemp.
So, next time I play FF1 - whenever that might be - it'll be the Pixel Remaster.
I also started FF2, which I've never played much of outside the first few minutes on the Final Fantasy Origins version. The leveling system is a bit odd to get used to, with skills leveling individually with use rather than a standard RPG system - it could probably best be described as a "Stop Hitting Yourself" system - but I'm not completely disliking it so far. I'm not too far yet; I spent the first bit just increasing some of my character's skills and HP levels, but am far enough to have picked up the first temporary fourth character (Minwu).
Separately, I've also been playing Blacksad: Under the Skin. It has some technical issues - at least the Switch version does - including a lot of texture display issues, a few crashes, etc. - and while the character models look very good and on-model from the comics, and the voice acting is good, the lip sync is particularly bad. But it generally plays like an old-school adventure game, with maybe a dash of L.A. Noire thrown in, which is always a good thing for me, and it's especially saved by the writing, which is excellent. I got into the comics last year and have read all of the Blacksad books up to They All Fall Down Pt. 1, and Under the Skin is on par - so far (and I'm probably at least halfway through, maybe more) it's just a really good Blacksad story, which is especially impressive considering the comic creators were just "consultants" and not the primary writers of it. I'm looking forward to seeing how the case resolves.
And, finally, I've played a bit (the first one and a half worlds) of the new Switch version of Mario vs. Donkey Kong. I missed out on the GBA version, which I kind of regret (I didn't even know there were already four sequels!), but I'm enjoying this - it combines gameplay elements of the original Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Junior games, Super Mario Bros. 2 (US) and even a bit of Lemmings (in the levels where you lead the minis) in a satisfying way. And it's kind of nice to see DK get to be a villain again, and to see Mario face *somebody* other than Bowser for a change. The earlier GBA and DS games in the series - at least in the minute or two of looking so far - don't seem to be going for *too* much, so I might have to pick some of them up sometime soon. And maybe they'll put out remakes of them in the future too.
As a side note, my characters' names were a bit butchered by the four-letter limit, but as you might guess they're supposed to be Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer. When I get to FF3 I plan to name the four characters in that Moe, Larry, Curly and Shemp.
So, next time I play FF1 - whenever that might be - it'll be the Pixel Remaster.
I also started FF2, which I've never played much of outside the first few minutes on the Final Fantasy Origins version. The leveling system is a bit odd to get used to, with skills leveling individually with use rather than a standard RPG system - it could probably best be described as a "Stop Hitting Yourself" system - but I'm not completely disliking it so far. I'm not too far yet; I spent the first bit just increasing some of my character's skills and HP levels, but am far enough to have picked up the first temporary fourth character (Minwu).
Separately, I've also been playing Blacksad: Under the Skin. It has some technical issues - at least the Switch version does - including a lot of texture display issues, a few crashes, etc. - and while the character models look very good and on-model from the comics, and the voice acting is good, the lip sync is particularly bad. But it generally plays like an old-school adventure game, with maybe a dash of L.A. Noire thrown in, which is always a good thing for me, and it's especially saved by the writing, which is excellent. I got into the comics last year and have read all of the Blacksad books up to They All Fall Down Pt. 1, and Under the Skin is on par - so far (and I'm probably at least halfway through, maybe more) it's just a really good Blacksad story, which is especially impressive considering the comic creators were just "consultants" and not the primary writers of it. I'm looking forward to seeing how the case resolves.
And, finally, I've played a bit (the first one and a half worlds) of the new Switch version of Mario vs. Donkey Kong. I missed out on the GBA version, which I kind of regret (I didn't even know there were already four sequels!), but I'm enjoying this - it combines gameplay elements of the original Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Junior games, Super Mario Bros. 2 (US) and even a bit of Lemmings (in the levels where you lead the minis) in a satisfying way. And it's kind of nice to see DK get to be a villain again, and to see Mario face *somebody* other than Bowser for a change. The earlier GBA and DS games in the series - at least in the minute or two of looking so far - don't seem to be going for *too* much, so I might have to pick some of them up sometime soon. And maybe they'll put out remakes of them in the future too.
Friday Five 3/15 (late)
Mar. 16th, 2024 12:30 pm1) What's normal March weather like in your area?
Variable. In general, can be anything from high 70s to blizzards.
2) Are you following any spring sports?
Just my rasslin', but that's not seasonal. (I mean, I guess spring is one of the bigger times of year for it with so many promotions running on or around WrestleMania Weekend and all.)
3) What's a summer wardrobe staple you haven't had out since last season (or if you're southern hemisphere, answer this for winter)
I'm not into fashion enough to really have seasonal wardrobes, but I do have a relatively new mesh porkpie hat that I'll probably wear more in the spring/summer.
4) What's your favorite spring break memory?
I don't remember if it was specifically on spring break - although it probably was - but one of my most memorable family vacations (early '90s, probably) was to Philadelphia. We did a lot of the standard historical stuff - Independence Hall, Freedom Trail, Liberty Bell, etc. - but the "main event" so to speak was the Three Stooges convention.
5) How do you feel about daylight savings time?
If I had my druthers, they'd just stick with it year-round. Either way the time change needs to go, but savings time matches my natural sleep pattern better.
Variable. In general, can be anything from high 70s to blizzards.
2) Are you following any spring sports?
Just my rasslin', but that's not seasonal. (I mean, I guess spring is one of the bigger times of year for it with so many promotions running on or around WrestleMania Weekend and all.)
3) What's a summer wardrobe staple you haven't had out since last season (or if you're southern hemisphere, answer this for winter)
I'm not into fashion enough to really have seasonal wardrobes, but I do have a relatively new mesh porkpie hat that I'll probably wear more in the spring/summer.
4) What's your favorite spring break memory?
I don't remember if it was specifically on spring break - although it probably was - but one of my most memorable family vacations (early '90s, probably) was to Philadelphia. We did a lot of the standard historical stuff - Independence Hall, Freedom Trail, Liberty Bell, etc. - but the "main event" so to speak was the Three Stooges convention.
5) How do you feel about daylight savings time?
If I had my druthers, they'd just stick with it year-round. Either way the time change needs to go, but savings time matches my natural sleep pattern better.
A vintage dream remembered
Mar. 12th, 2024 10:30 pmI was just thinking about a dream from several years ago. I don’t recall the exact date, but it was when I still lived in my last apartment, and was also from when I was still in the throes of my then-undiagnosed apnea, so it was one of the few non-nightmare dreams I had in that timeframe - but it was strange and memorable.
I remember that I was apparently some sort of supervillain, and was driving a vehicle that was basically a giant single wheel, and using it I guess to terrorize a city.
The last thing that happened as my rampage continued, before I woke up, was yelling what I guess was my big villainous catchphrase:
"YES! YOU CANNOT COMPREHEND MY WHEEL!"
It was the last time, to date, that I actually woke up laughing.
One inevitability down for the year
Mar. 11th, 2024 11:55 pmAlso went up to my mom's for the first time in a few weeks. In my old bedroom there I found some comic books I'd been looking for for awhile. Nothing too earth shattering - a few early Magic: The Gathering comics, the four-issue Roadways series, a Reddy Kilowatt comic from 1963, and a few other miscellaneous ones. I've never been a huge comics guy (I'm more into graphic novels now than I ever was in the past), but it's nice to have them back.
Also made some more progress in FF1. Completed the Ice Cave and got my class change, then went to Gaia and Onrac and completed the Sea Shrine as well, which means three of my four crystals are lit now. Characters up to level 21. I think I'm getting fairly close to the end now, as I recall, and I'll play some more tomorrow, so I should be able to complete the game on my next "weekend" (if not before).
As days off go, a pretty solid one. Off to watch a Seinfeld before bed.
Current Gaming | Final Fantasy I
Mar. 10th, 2024 05:01 pm Since completing FF5 for the first time a while ago, I've decided one of my longer-term gaming goals currently is to play or replay each the rest of the first ten games as well (I can cross 4 and 6 off that list already as I went through the Pixel Remasters of those last year, and 7, which I went through two years ago after downloading it on Switch). While I have the full PR collection, I'd like to do the NES trilogy in their original forms first. I have repros of 2 and 3 along with my original FF1 cart, but figured I'd go back to the beginning and do 1 first, and I'll talk more about that below. I'll even give 8 - which I hated - another shot, along with 10, which I don't have as much aversion to as 8 but certainly have a lot of issues with, and I've never actually gotten further than disc 1 on 9, which I have a feeling I'll end up liking more than the other post-7 games.
Anyway, FF1 is the current project. I chose a team of Fighter, Thief, White Mage and Black Mage. I know the Thief is pretty bad until getting the class change, but I haven't used one in a long time (usually I've used a Black Belt in that spot, with a White Mage and either a Red or Black Mage in the third and fourth spots). On top of having two decent physical attackers, once I get the class change it should be a pretty good party in terms of magic getting distributed throughout it, since the Knight and Ninja (the Fighter and Thief's second forms) can use some White and Black magic, respectively.
It's generally gone well. My team are up to level 17, and have completed the Earth Cave and the Gurgu Volcano dungeon. I actually did the Castle of Ordeals in between those, which took a few tries as my team were only at 14 at that point, but I wanted to get the Zeus Gauntlet and Heal Staff early (and, of course, the Tail, meaning I can go straight to the class change once I have the airship). I gave the Zeus Gauntlet to my White Mage and the Heal Staff to the Black Mage, to expand the versatility of both (when used as an item, the Zeus Gauntlet casts Lit2 for free, and the Heal Staff does the same with the Heal spell).
The bosses of those last few dungeons haven't been too much trouble. The Vampire in the Earth Cave went down in one turn - he got one attack in, then took a hit from my Fighter and a Harm2 spell from the White Mage and went down. Lich and Kary put up a little more fight, but still went down fairly easily. The Ice Cave is a bit of a difficulty spike, as I recall, so we'll see how that goes. Hoping to play a bit more - maybe through the Ice Cave - tonight before Curb.
There are some annoyances in the NES version of FF1 to deal with. The biggest one is that you can only purchase items one at a time, meaning it takes forever to get a full stock of 99 Heal Potions. It's also a pain that every time somebody gets poisoned you have to reorder your party, since the one with the status effect gets sent to the back. And, of course, it's a bit of a bummer that the elemental status of weapons is bugged and doesn't work, so you don't get any damage bonus from, say, using the Ice Sword on a fire enemy. Fortunately these are all fixed in later versions, so whenever I go through the Pixel Remaster, it'll feel that much smoother.
I have already started thinking about what I want to do for my next playthrough. I'm thinking of maybe doing a somewhat magic-heavier build with a Fighter-Red Mage-White Mage-Black Mage party, but there's every chance I'll end up dropping the Black Mage for a Black Belt again.
But I'm also looking forward to getting to FF2 and FF3, since I've never really played either of those, past a bit of the beginning of FF2 on the PS1 Origins disc.
Anyway, FF1 is the current project. I chose a team of Fighter, Thief, White Mage and Black Mage. I know the Thief is pretty bad until getting the class change, but I haven't used one in a long time (usually I've used a Black Belt in that spot, with a White Mage and either a Red or Black Mage in the third and fourth spots). On top of having two decent physical attackers, once I get the class change it should be a pretty good party in terms of magic getting distributed throughout it, since the Knight and Ninja (the Fighter and Thief's second forms) can use some White and Black magic, respectively.
It's generally gone well. My team are up to level 17, and have completed the Earth Cave and the Gurgu Volcano dungeon. I actually did the Castle of Ordeals in between those, which took a few tries as my team were only at 14 at that point, but I wanted to get the Zeus Gauntlet and Heal Staff early (and, of course, the Tail, meaning I can go straight to the class change once I have the airship). I gave the Zeus Gauntlet to my White Mage and the Heal Staff to the Black Mage, to expand the versatility of both (when used as an item, the Zeus Gauntlet casts Lit2 for free, and the Heal Staff does the same with the Heal spell).
The bosses of those last few dungeons haven't been too much trouble. The Vampire in the Earth Cave went down in one turn - he got one attack in, then took a hit from my Fighter and a Harm2 spell from the White Mage and went down. Lich and Kary put up a little more fight, but still went down fairly easily. The Ice Cave is a bit of a difficulty spike, as I recall, so we'll see how that goes. Hoping to play a bit more - maybe through the Ice Cave - tonight before Curb.
There are some annoyances in the NES version of FF1 to deal with. The biggest one is that you can only purchase items one at a time, meaning it takes forever to get a full stock of 99 Heal Potions. It's also a pain that every time somebody gets poisoned you have to reorder your party, since the one with the status effect gets sent to the back. And, of course, it's a bit of a bummer that the elemental status of weapons is bugged and doesn't work, so you don't get any damage bonus from, say, using the Ice Sword on a fire enemy. Fortunately these are all fixed in later versions, so whenever I go through the Pixel Remaster, it'll feel that much smoother.
I have already started thinking about what I want to do for my next playthrough. I'm thinking of maybe doing a somewhat magic-heavier build with a Fighter-Red Mage-White Mage-Black Mage party, but there's every chance I'll end up dropping the Black Mage for a Black Belt again.
But I'm also looking forward to getting to FF2 and FF3, since I've never really played either of those, past a bit of the beginning of FF2 on the PS1 Origins disc.
