In December 2021, Jim Jones and A. Ron Hubbard wrote and commissioned their own very own fanfic audio-drama, A Very Belter Christmas. Set in The Expanse universe, it is a professional production with talented voice actors and is a must-listen for all fans of The Expanse. Very little knowledge about the books or show isContinue reading “A Very Belter Christmas – The Expanse/Christmas Mashup You didn’t Know You Wanted”
Author Archives: Pat W
A Very Tolkien Christmas
In this spirit of the season, I am rereading Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien. If anyone needs gift ideas for Tolkien fans in their life, they’ll appreciate this. It’s a beautiful book full of handwritten letters and illustrations all done by Tolkien. For more than twenty years, he wrote individualized letters to hisContinue reading “A Very Tolkien Christmas”
Chapter 1: Parents’ educational technology
In high school, my mom used a slide rule in some of her math classes. She claimed televisions were never used in any classes. Some students had access to typewriters at home to complete reports and big projects; the school also had a few typewriters. She had access to erasable typewriter paper (which I hadContinue reading “Chapter 1: Parents’ educational technology”
Celtic Christmas Cheer
The Celtic Christmas Podcast hosted by Marc Gunn is one of my favorite holiday traditions. Every year I download a bunch of episodes to play while setting up decorations and wrapping presents. I’ve got nothing else to say other than anyone who enjoys Christmas and isn’t listening to the Celtic Christmas Podcast is missing out.Continue reading “Celtic Christmas Cheer”
An Unearned Heel-Turn? Loki S01E04
An adventure needs conflict and conflict often means bad guys. Over the past few episodes Loki set up the Time Variance Authority as a potentially evil organization and then came out swinging in episode four. Good bureaucracies don’t kidnap young girls and drag them in front of a judge to be deleted from the timeline.Continue reading “An Unearned Heel-Turn? Loki S01E04”
Chri$tma$ Tree$
One of the all-time best episodes of Planet Money is when the hosts decided to buy a few trees at auction and try to sell in NYC. Episodes like this make Planet Money so great. How often has anyone really thought about how Christmas trees get from tree farms to living rooms? Planet Money isContinue reading “Chri$tma$ Tree$”
Unmasking the Sopranos
This is not timely at all. The Sopranos debuted more than two decades ago and mask wearing due to COVID-19 is a less contentious issue in 2022. But I had a dream last night where I was at a bar discussing with a friend which of Tony Soprano’s associates would be pro-mask or anti-mask. ThankfullyContinue reading “Unmasking the Sopranos”
So Hitler was right? – Loki S01E01
Isn’t that the idea posited by the Time Variance Authority in the first episode of Loki? The timeline has happened because it is the timeline that is supposed to happen and if things go off the timeline the TVA travels back in time to get things back on track. Hitler was they first thing IContinue reading “So Hitler was right? – Loki S01E01”
What makes a good name drop? – Batman Beyond S02E23
Fair warning, Season 2, Episode 23 of Batman Beyond, Sentries of the Last Cosmos is not a great episode. The plot is pretty dumb, the set-pieces uninspired, and the animation weak. But it has one thing going for it; two name drops. There is a reference to Jar-Jar Binks and another to Philip K. Dick.Continue reading “What makes a good name drop? – Batman Beyond S02E23”
Cheering for Change – Welcome to Wrexham 3 & 4
Episodes three and four of Welcome to Wrexham are all about change, literally and more literally. One reason English is so fun is that change can mean money or bringing in new choices. Episode three follows the money and episode four comes through as breath of fresh air. Both episodes spoke to me as aContinue reading “Cheering for Change – Welcome to Wrexham 3 & 4”
The Keasy Depot 