Running Commentary 1/30/2023
BattleBots (S7E4), The Bad Batch (S2E5), At Home by Bill Bryson, Spaghetti Bruciati, White-winged Crossbill
Latest
Jan
30
I'm not a Midwesterner; No One Is
The Midwest isn't a thing, not really. Moreover, the Midwesterner isn't a person. The term "Midwest" refers to land truly part of three different regions...
14 min read
Jan
21
Television Review | Andor (Season 1)
I don't want every future Star Wars show to be like Andor, but I do want every future Star Wars show to have the same level of effort for excellence that Andor had. Andor is the present high water mark for Star Wars television, arguably for Star Wars generally, so I award the first season 10/10
16 min read
Jan
05
Television Review | Tales of the Jedi
An enjoyable watch that will go over well with fans of The Clone Wars. Makes me want an entire Dooku series more than ever. The show itself is just okay, seeming like streaming catalog filler. 6/10
10 min read
Sep
20
Television Review | Obi-Wan Kenobi
This show is sort of a reverse Solo, a television series that should have been a movie. If you’ve avoided the show due to bad word-of-mouth, I’d say give it a watch, expecting something a little small-scale but which builds every episode toward a satisfying finale. 7/10
5 min read
Mar
29
Television Review | The Book of Boba Fett (Season 1)
Good, not great, but good. Treats the main character as a character, against the obvious direction such a show might take.
4 min read
Jan
19
Film Review | Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Producers: Marvel Studios
Runtime: 132 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG-13
EE Critic Score: 7/10
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the
9 min read
Oct
13
Film Review | Black Widow
Black Widow succeeds in showcasing the title character while telling its own compelling story. It's not the best MCU film, but it's exciting and never collapses under the weight of detailing a known character's backstory.
9 min read
Sep
28
How to play Bismarck Whist
I'm posting this in the interest of cultural preservation. Bismarck is a type of
whist played by three independent players,
3 min read
Aug
07
A Proposal for the International Olympic Committee
Imagine, for a start, that the two goals in a football are placed not at either end of an open field, but instead at either end of a region more like a golf course.
4 min read
Jun
03
Book Review | Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good
This book works well as the middle chapter. It follows from the previous volume smoothly, it points toward an interesting third book, and the story of Thrawn, et al, racing to prevent a civil war between the Chiss is more than enough to justify Greater Good in it’s own right.
3 min read
Apr
30
Thirty Years of Thrawn
Heir to the Empire, the first appearance of Thrawn, was published thirty years ago today. Since then, he's been in books, comics, and animation. Thrawn isn't heroic, he isn't even terribly ethical, but he is a weirdly selfless evil that makes him respectable, where the Emperor was contemptible.
33 min read
Apr
09
Book Review | Star Wars: Victory's Price
This book, and this trilogy, is the best thing to come out of Star Wars in some time. You should read it. It's well worth your time, even if you aren't much of a Star Wars fan.
6 min read
Mar
17
Book Review | Star Wars: Into the Dark
A well-told story about the Jedi at their peak, which is what the High Republic era promises. I'd recommend it even if you haven't read the earlier books.
7 min read
Feb
20
Among the Birds of the Mitten
Experiences in birding throughout lower Michigan, with a title adapted from John Muir.
26 min read
Feb
09
Book Review | Star Wars: Light of the Jedi
While I read this without ever feeling like I should quit mid-way through, I have no real desire to read it ever again. Its strength, and its purpose, really, is in its world-building. By itself, that's not enough to make a good book.
10 min read