The premise is in the title, and the movie embraces every bit of its stupid, but what I found really surprising was how well each character was written and flushed out within all the dumb fun.

Chris Pine carries this rather straight-forward popcorn movie. Not quite as great as I expected after all the hype, but still worth the watch.

Classic Wes Anderson movie (Royal Tenenbaums, The Grand Budapest Hotel, etc) where all the characters say exactly what they feel with as much deadpan as the camera can capture.

Watched this one on Halloween night and got way more than I expected. A tongue-and-cheek slasher like the original Scream with some time travel.

By far my favorite TV show of the year. Weird, eccentric, oddly geniune and reflective.

I missed the first season last year, but the second (and now final) season aired late in 2023. A rich nobleman forsakes his position in society to become a (rather terrible) pirate and eventually gets mentored by a bored Blackbeard played by Taika Waititi (director of some great comedies like Jojo Rabbit and What We Do in the Shadows).

Second season brings us back to Welsh football (soccer) with more stories about the town and more anguish as the team tries again for promotion.

A documentary-style fiction flashes back to tell the story of a Janis Joplin or Fleetwood Mac like band. I was halfway through the series before I realized Riley Keough is Elvis' real-life granddaughter.

An election year is a good time to seek guidance on making our arguments less painful and useless. The first step is agreeing on what you're arguing about and whether it's a fact, a judgement, or a course of action?

The first book in The Expanse series and the basis of a rather good TV series of the same name. It follows the politics and power struggle between Earth (old world power), Mars (militaristic outpost), and the Belt (industrial work horse) with a dash of sci-fi mystery to keep it from getting stale.

Examines the suprisingly complicated and nuanced nature of ownership which (in my humble opinion) is one of the most critical questions for the 21st century. Is it even right for ChatGPT to give a summary of this book and tell its best examples of ownership (click the ChatGPT icon below)?

The final book in the Three Body Problem trilogy, soon to be a Netflix series. It goes into almost obnoxious depth pursuing all types of strange (but possible?) applications of physics across thousands of years. It was also interesting reading a sci-fi from China. Political problem solving is presented as a group of highly educated experts solving a math-like equation ... not exactly how the west portrays government decision-making.

My top played artist of 2023 on Spotify. A supurb mix of retro and electric.

My top played artist of 2020 and 2021 still going strong. Lots of bass and beats.

A mix of beach vibes music and much bigger guitar music. I wish they'd tour again.

I eat their chicken and veggie plate multiple times a month.

Filipino spot and newly minted Michelin recommended restaurant. Chicken Adobo is great.

Casual Indian with an online menu so large it requires a search bar. Get the Gobi Manchurian.