Biggs' Zone

A Geek's Cogitations, Conjectures and other Cortical Experiences

Category: General Cogitation Page 9 of 40

Thank You Peter Mayhew

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On May 7, 2019

In General Cogitation

Why do I find it so difficult to talk about the passing of a man I never knew but who was also a huge part of my life? Last week we lost our favorite Wookie. Peter Mayhew portrayed our beloved Chewbacca through 40 years and 5 movies. Chewie was more than a character to Peter, he was apart of who he was (much like C-3PO is to Anthony Daniels, except maybe not quite as eccentric). It’s so easy to forget that the actors are not as immortal as the characters they have brought to life. While the characters will live on forever losing someone like Peter Mayhew (or Carrie Fisher and Kenny Baker) still feels like you lost an awesome family member whom you never met. It feels trite but suffice it to say, thank you Peter Mayhew; thank you for making Chewie real for us.

My Favorite Chewbacca Moment

Chewbacca is probably the most beloved character in the Star Wars franchise and among the best characters in the history of film. It’s hard to choose a favorite moment because Chewie has so many of them. Peter portrayed Chewie in five of the Skywalker Saga films (Revenge of the Sith, A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens). If I have to pick a favorite moment and, given that my favorite movie of the saga is Empire Strikes Back, then it’s when Luke is preparing to leave and bids Han and Chewie farewell, Chewie suddenly hugs Luke. It always brings a smile to my face.

Remembering Peter Mayhew

Click to enlargeI have been to two Celebration events, 2002 and this year (2019); and at both events I saw Peter Mayhew, but just in passing. In 2002 he was walking around the convention floor, on his way to his autograph session. He would stop occasionally to take pictures with fans, always with the same goofy smirk you often see in all his convention photos. I regret never signing up for a picture or autograph. The picture on the left is one I took as I was passing by his autograph session. My daughter tells me he turned and smiled at her before we walked away.

https://twitter.com/HamillHimself/status/1124093358798929920?s=20

As you can see the actors that knew him well had wonderful things to say about Peter. A “gentle giant” that loved his work, loved the franchise and loved his fans. It’s sucks saying good-bye but, as Luke said, “Nobody’s ever really gone”.

Thank you Peter Mayhew and May the Force Be With You.

Breathe. Just breathe. Now reach out.

FYI I’m Off Social Media Until Easter

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On March 11, 2019

In General Cogitation

Some folks may have noticed I’m not posting that much on Facebook and Twitter. I’m not sick. I’m not in protest. I’m taking a break from all social media. I thought about saying something in a tweet or a wall post but then that would be using social media. Therefore, to avoid the dilemma, a brief blog post would suffice since WordPress auto-posts to Twitter and Facebook. In fact anything you see on either of my feeds will be generated posts.

I’m not gone permanently; at least I don’t think I am. In my 2019 intentions post I mentioned I would be trying to use social media less because it causes too much stress. Facebook and Twitter are toxic and I hope to feel more relieved by late April that it’s no longer something I feel compelled to check. I seek nobody’s approval and that’s all social media is. Everyone behaves like children seeking attention and approval by behaving badly.

In the meantime I can get my news the old-fashioned way. Google. I’ll see you all in a few weeks. Until then you can email me, text me, or (heaven forbid) call me.

/cheers

“When I was a kid, it was a huge insult to be a geek. Now it’s a point of pride in a weird way.” – J.J. Abrams

The Internet is an Experiment in Anarchy

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On February 4, 2019

In General Cogitation, Random Cogitations

I’m on a Criminal Minds binge. There is an interesting episode called “The Internet is Forever” near the end of Season 5. If you are unfamiliar with the show, each episode begins and ends with a quote from some philosopher or influential mind. The closing quote in this episode suggests that the Internet is an experiment in anarchy. Here is the full text of the quote:

“The Internet is the first thing that humanity has built that humanity doesn’t understand, the largest experiment in anarchy that we have ever had.” – Eric Schmidt

Yes, ironically that quote is from Eric Schmidt, the CEO of Google (aka. Alphabet Inc). It is so profoundly accurate it sparks many thoughts of just how much anarchy the Internet is creating. I decided on this topic on the 25th of January and since that day I witness nearly daily examples. It’s equal parts frightening and uncanny.

The Internet has Made Us All Sociopaths

I wish I could say I am exaggerating. Surely there are not daily examples of Internet induced anarchy. How often is there a story on the news where someone’s behavior was the result of a post on social media? How many suicides or suicide attempts are the result of cyber bullying? If you don’t want to think about it then how about a couple of examples. Tide Pods. The cinnamon challenge. The Bird Box challenge. People are lemmings! Yes, people did stupid things in the 80’s and 90’s, before Facebook, but it wasn’t as widespread. The consequences were more prolific because it made the news.

Unfortunately anarchy has become the social norm; and I blame Social Media. Everyone feels so indemnified by the facelessness of Twitter and even Facebook (ironic, I know). We’ve all become sociopaths because we post things on the various forms of social media with a complete lack of conscious. People don’t care who they harm, all they care about is what’s trending. A perfect example is this “Fyre Festival” thing that Hulu has been advertising. It shows just how dangerous social media can be. I don’t think Billy McFarland is a criminal, I think it’s hilarious that those people got what they deserved.

The Internet is now the digital mountain top from which people scream their opinions thinking the rest of us care. I admit that some people do care and many agree. However, what makes it absolutely absurd are the people who are trying to promote tolerance and inclusion are first to demonize anyone that disagrees with them. You can’t preach inclusion but ostracize anyone that disagrees. This is as much of an example of cognitive dissonance as this entire blog post (yes, I’m fully aware of what I’ve done). I’ll openly admit that joining Facebook and Twitter has turned me into a sociopath. In retrospect, I should have avoided them completely.

/cheers

minions_icon

I could accomplish so much more if I only had minions!

 

RTotD: Once A LEGO Fan, Always A LEGO Fan

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On January 15, 2019

In General Cogitation, Random Cogitations

Lego has a very humble origin story. They began with a carpenter in Denmark in 1932; The Lego Group formed in 1934 and they have been producing the iconic interlocking bricks since 1949. Of course that was long before I was born. Regardless, Lego is a timeless toy that is spanning generations. I grew up on Lego and now my kids are growing up on Lego. The funny thing is, even as an adult I still collect Lego sets. I have many friends that still collect Lego sets. So once you’re a Lego fan, you’re always a Lego fan.

Obviously as an adult in his late 30’s, I’m not constructing Lego sets for the purpose of post-construction entertainment. The sets I collect are mostly Star Wars themed and they sit on a shelf for display. The task of assembling is a perfect way to relieve stress and collect my thoughts. It has also become something I do with my daughter on the weekends.

Lego is clearly something you never outgrow; even as you age you just learn to appreciate them differently. There has to be a study out there that proves building Lego sets has some kind of positive cognitive impact. If there isn’t one, then someone should start one. When “adulting” has you in a death spiral, I’m glad Lego is there to straighten you out.

The things that go through my mind when I’m alone with nothing but my thoughts for entertainment is dangerous. Some might even say eccentric. Consider this your warning about today’s Random Thought of the Day

 

Biggs Zone – 2018 Year In Review

By

On January 1, 2019

In General Cogitation, Year in Review

It is now 18 years after the dreaded Y2K scare. I wonder if there is anyone still hiding in their bunkers. While the Y2K date issue was a valid bug in most software, it would never have caused the catastrophe the fear-mongers were predicting. Be that as it may, 2018 is over and another year is in the books. Most of us are still here but its hard to tell if any of us still like each other. Lots of people still have a hard time seeing past party boundaries and misguided political correctness. I’m going to cover a lot of the usual retrospective topics, I might throw in a couple of new items. So with that said, time for the 2018 Year in Review.

Notable Celebrity Deaths

I know this is rather macabre but I like to take this opportunity to talk about the celebrities we lost this year. I have two reasons for doing this. The important reason being to honor their memory. These people brought joy and entertainment to our lives, we owe them some homage. The other reason is merely for acknowledgement. There have been times in the past when I did not know a celebrity has passed away (e.g. when Leslie Nielsen died).

I’m only going to mention those in the entertainment industry. While I believe any person in political office definitely deserves recognition, I avoid making any political statements or allude to political leaning. Therefore I avoid mentioning specific names so as to not show favoritism toward any one political party. I will say that I appreciate their valuable service to our country and that I hope their actions were driven by their heart and values and not by kickbacks or constituent persuasion.

Celebrity Deaths: TV

John Mahoney as Martin Crane

Jerry Van Dyke (86) is widely known for his role as Luther in Coach. He was also the younger brother of legendary actor Dick Van Dyke. I didn’t watch a lot of Coach but Luther was hilarious, much like Jerry himself. Going from brother’s to father’s, I was really sad to learn about the passing of John Mahoney (77). My all time favorite show is Frasier and John Mahoney was Martin Crane, the crotchety father of Niles and Frasier. One of the most surprising facts about John Mahoney that blew my mind, he was born in the UK, he should have had an accent very similar to Daphne Moon in Frasier. Speaking of great shows from the past, Night Court was a fantastic show from the mid-80s with the honorable Harry Stone portrayed by Harry Anderson (65) who left us too soon from a stroke.

Celebrity Deaths: Movies

I know several of the TV actors that passed away were also in movies, but they are better known for their TV roles. So, with that said, we start notable movie deaths with R. Lee Ermey (74). Everyone probably knows him best as Gny. Sgt. Hartman in Full Metal Jacket, I think a drill sergeant is a role he was most comfortable playing as it seemed its a role he

Mini-Me

was always playing. We had to give a heartfelt good-bye to “the Bandit“, Burt Reynolds (82) was definitely one of the “good ol’ boys” and watching old Celebrity Jeopardy videos will never be the same. Speaking of iconic roles, Verne Troyer (49) will always be known for his role as “Mini-Me” in the Austin Powers franchise. He brought a lot of joy to the role however, despite all that Verne Troyer drank himself to death. Please watch your friends for early warning signs of depression. There were far too many celebrity suicides this year and I’m sure it represents a mere sample size of the number of deaths by suicide in the country.

And Then There’s Stan Lee

I’ve already said a lot about Stan Lee. Losing him is a mighty blow to Marvel and comic book fans. X-Men is the only comic book I ever read as a kid and I’ve enjoyed all of the comics brought to the screen. Stan Lee inspired all geeks to be ourselves and fight for your dreams. He would have been 96 this past December; while nearly a century old, his legacy will live on for many centuries to come.  

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Biggs 2019 New Years Intentions

By

On January 1, 2019

In General Cogitation

Time to make those conventional New Year intentions. I wasn’t very successful in 2018; while I did make an effort to fulfill my intentions, I fell short on a few. The Reading Challenge and Professional Skills Development is where I was really lacking. The important thing is I never gave up attempting to meet my intentions, many resolutions barely survive the third week. Be that as it may, here are my 2019 New Years intentions.

Biggs Labs – Smart Home

I actually made some strides in my home automation projects and I will go into detail of that in the upcoming “Year in Review” post. Just know that Samsung really handicapped me with the sudden change to the app. I’m not really sure what the goal will be for 2019 for any of my home automation endeavors (other than fixing the bugs and issues from 2018). I know we have a few more things we want to integrate, we just haven’t purchased them yet and I’m not entirely sure I’m done with the Raspberry Pi and home automation integration. Watch for a (long overdue) Biggs Lab post in 2019.

2019 Goodreads Reading Challenge

I really dropped the ball with my 2018 Reading Challenge. I set a reasonable goal of 12 books and only (just barely) finished 9. I’m resetting that goal to 12 books again for 2019 and I have a few Dresden books in mind to help me hit that goal. I also have some Star Wars books that are going to carry over from 2018 plus a couple more I’ve added to the list for this year.

As is always my style, when I complete a book I will post a corresponding book review that you will find both on Goodreads and on Amazon.

2019 Fitness and Health Goals

This category is going to be a big focus area for me this year. Of all the areas I’ve been making intentions, this is the one where I’m most successful. I will be kicking things up a notch in 2019. Now that I have two 5k races under my belt, I think it’s time to try for the 10k this year. Granted this isn’t necessarily just my choice; I’ve been encouraging friends to run more and they, in turn, are now challenging me to run a 10k. I will also be putting a heavier emphasis on additional fitness training (i.e. strength and core workouts).

Also, a few years ago I said that when I hit 40 I’m going to stop drinking so much soda. Therefore, since 2019 is the year before I turn 40 I am going to start by reducing the amount of pop I’m drinking on a daily basis. Hopefully, by the end of the year, I will have completely stopped. I’m also going to alter my diet a bit by more than just reducing portions. I’m going to watch what else is in my food before I eat it. No, I am NOT going vegan (I’d rather castrate myself with a broken coke bottle).

Mental health is just as important as physical health and I believe there is something very toxic to my mental health in my life. Social Media. The things I see on Facebook and Twitter sometime infuriate me to the point where I say and think things that are not very nice. I need to cleanse myself of that toxicity. Therefore, I will be greatly reducing my social media footprint in 2019. I’m going to reduce how much time I spend on Facebook and Twitter; hopefully down to maybe once or twice a week. I will find out what is going on the old fashioned way, talk to people. (I know, not very introverted of me).

I’m going to stop here. I don’t want to go into the Professional Skills Development this year as I don’t know what I’m going to do in that area. It’s so volatile that I cannot accurately decide on a skill set to focus on. So with that said …

Happy New Year!!

minions_icon

I could accomplish so much more if I only had minions!

 

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