Interesting article about American airships. Educational more than eye-opening.
Black Lightning: This new WB show had an excellent opening episode. The politics of race and Black Lives Matter was a strong element throughout the show, and while some may find that heavy handed, I think these issues should stay in the national dialogue until something is done to correct them. I thought Luke Cage was covered some of this well, but ultimately bad plotting brought that show down, not the politics of race.
Star Wars: I haven’t watched any of the recent movies, not because I’m boycotting them but because I’m not as interested in them as I was a kid. I was 14 or 15 when the first one came out, and it was a mind-blowing cultural super phenomena. It was something new, and as a teen I ate it up. But, 1977 is a long time ago, and I just don’t feel it anymore. Additionally, the fan rancor surrounding the new movies is off putting. I didn’t let the internet hate around the Justice League movie keep me from seeing it and loving it, but for Star Wars it did.
The Scribbler: This is a little known movie from 2014 on Netflix that was surprisingly good, delightfully dark, and very well written. I really enjoyed it. It’s a gem worth searching out.
Superman: So, he’s back to his more iconic costume with the red shorts. Whatever.
Personal: I have not watched nearly as much television on the computer lately because I have been obsessed with writing. A vampires vs. metaheroes story I was writing as a short story for an anthology looks like its actually on its way to becoming a novel. I used to love vampire fiction, so the guts of this story were already lined up in my subconscious and ready to go, apparently.
Personal 2: Benita got me a longbow for Christmas, and I am looking forward to warmer weather so I can go and start playing with it. I don’t hunt, and I have no desire to shot or kill any living thing, but I do love medieval history, and the longbow was key to many great battles (Crecy, Agincourt, etc.) The medieval connection is why I wanted a long bow, not a modern compound bow of some sort.
Sidenote: Arrows are expensive.
Personal 3: About three weeks back I began a campaign to lose weight. I’ve battled obesity most of my adult life, and I was ready to make a change. I should have been ready decades ago, but that’s a story of its own. Anyway, I got a Fitbit and I signed up for My Fitness Pal. It was interesting to find out that I had been eating about 4K to 6K or more calories a day, and had been for years. So, I dropped all processed sugary stuff cold turkey, and brought myself down to a 2400 calory per day goal. The weight so far has slowly been coming off. 9 pounds so far. Maybe by tomorrow I’ll make the first 10 lb. goal. Anyway, I began at 286 lbs, I weight 277 now, and my long term goal is in the 230 to 200 lb range. Weight loss so far has been about 3 lbs per week, which I know is painfully slow, but I believe consistency will win the race.
Side Effect 1: Without all the processed food and sugar, my energy level is up a little bit, and my mind is clearer. That ranks as downright awesome in my book.
Personal 4: 2018 is looking to be my greatest year as a creator yet. I am thrilled with the literary and artistic projects I have underway right now, have great projects lined up, and I am deeply satisfied with the jobs, the process, and ongoing results. After being miserable all those years, I feel almost guilty enjoying it all now and. Happiness is a fragile thing, but right now I am choosing to embrace it and enjoy the ride. Right now does not seem like a struggle or desperate, and I am so grateful for that.