Biggs' Zone

A Geek's Cogitations, Conjectures and other Cortical Experiences

Book Review: Proven Guilty (Dresden Files Book 8)

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On June 1, 2020

In Book Review, Fantasy

Proven Guilty (The Dresden Files, #8)Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher
My rating: [rating=4]
(Click here to go to Goodreads.)

The previous Dresden book (Dead Beat) was so good that it’s difficult to follow up a book like that. Personally I thought Proven Guilty struggled with that a little bit, but it doesn’t lack in it’s usual Harry Dresden charm. There is a lot of character development in this book and perhaps that is it’s ultimate purpose.

The story of this book felt a little underwhelming. In fact when someone asked me what this book was about I struggled to remember. Granted that’s not saying much because 1) I don’t have a great memory to begin with and 2) I’m also reading The Swarm at the same time. While the books are polar opposites I still had to remember that “Victor” and “Imala” are not characters in this book. Be that as it may, this is definitely not a book you want to skip (if skipping books is your thing).

Short Synopsis/Biggs’ Review

The daughter of Harry’s best friend, Michael, gets herself into trouble and Harry comes to her rescue. Michael is away so Harry has to work with Michael’s wife, so that’s an interesting dynamic since she doesn’t really care for Harry. I’d say that the best part of the book is the end when Harry has a new responsibility that, if this were Star Wars, all Jedi Master’s ultimately take on. There are a couple of surprises that do help redeem the dark and languid tone of this book.

Despite the slow plot it never, once, occurred to me to stop reading. I still enjoyed it and I will read it again (when I do my Dresden Files re-read). There is character development that is pivotal to the remaining books in the franchise and that alone makes this book worth reading.

View all my reviews

diablo3-reading“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
– Dr. Seuss

 

Star Wars Month Wrap-Up

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On May 31, 2020

In Star Wars

Star Wars month wrap-upToday is the last day of Star Wars month. May 31st doesn’t have any coincidental Star Wars parallels. In fact the 25th was pretty much the last Star Wars themed day for the month. Some folks have tried to come up with a theme every day of the month. It’s a valiant effort but the vast majority of them are a stretch.

One of the suggestions for May 31st I found interesting. If you wanted to commemorate the day I suppose watching Return of the Jedi or Rise of Skywalker makes sense. Your preference. Personally I’m watching Rise of Skywalker as that’s, currently, the final chapter in the Star Wars universe. So for the Star Wars month wrap-up, how did I fare with my goals?

The 11-Movie Re-Watch

The most appropriate goal for the month is watching all the movies. There are 9 movies in the Skywalker Saga and 2 spin-off films. The combined runtime of all 11 movies is approximately 25 hours. The order in which you watch the movies is your choice. Personally I chose chronological order (as opposed to theatrical release order).

This year was particularly special as my daughter insisted on watching all 11 movies with me. If there is one positive thing I could take away from this covid ordeal its that we got to watch these movies together. Under normal circumstances she would have been at school or daycare. We did not watch the Clone Wars movie that introduces the animated series. I feel like I probably should have included that.

This year was the first time she saw Revenge of the Sith (my personal favorite of the prequel trilogy). I hadn’t shown that to her previously because it’s pretty dark. In fact I even warned her that the movie doesn’t really have a happy ending. She did not like how evil and cruel Anakin becomes. When the movie was over her exact words were “I am never watching that movie again!” I was amused but not terribly surprised.

Series and Soundtracks

I finished watching The Clone Wars series, which wasn’t all that difficult. I was caught up to Season 7 prior to its release and I was watching each new episode as it came out. Dave Filoni did an amazing job wrapping up that series. On the other hand, I did not finish watching Rebels. In fact I only made it through two seasons, which is surprising. Rebels is, by far, my favorite of the animated series. Since I haven’t finished Rebels, that means I did not watch Star Wars Resistence either.

I only watched one episode, so far, of the Disney Gallery series on The Mandalorian. The first episode was really good, I just prioritized the movies and Rebels above this docuseries. If you’ve watched all, or any of it, please let me know your thoughts. I’ll probably try to finish everything else first and then finish watching it. Before Season 2 comes out in the fall, I will re-watch The Mandalorian.

As a final homage to the Star Wars franchise, I managed to listen to all 11 soundtracks while jogging this month. I really wish there was a consolidated album for The Mandalorian music. I found a great Spotify playlist which is essentially what I want in a non-streaming format.

I admit, while March and April seemed to drag on because of the state of the world right now, May seemed a little less “doom and gloom”. I owe it to my love of this great franchise to get me through these crazy times.

Also, coincidentally I started playing Star Wars: The Old Republic again this month. One of those Bob Ross “happy accidents”.

/MTFBWY

The Force. It calls to you. Just let it in.

 

Covid Containment – By The Numbers

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On May 27, 2020

In General Cogitation

So we’re at day … I don’t know, 70-something. Honestly, I’ve stopped counting. In fact, I’ve turned a deaf ear to nearly everything covid related mentioned in the news. I do appreciate that the local news station is now calling the update segment “The Recovery” after so many weeks of “The Coronavirus”. I keep scrolling past anything that appears doom and gloom on social media. There are too many people out there that are suddenly virologists and biology pundits. It’s sickening (pun intended). I hate to break it to you, but …

A MEME IS NOT AN ACCURATE SOURCE OF VIRUS INFORMATION!!!!

There are memes that I see often stating that less than 0.1% of the population has been infected. This is why you can’t trust memes. I am not a biologist nor a virologist but I do know how to do basic math (and a Google search). As of May 23rd:

  • There are approximately 1.8 million confirmed cases in the US (I saw this number on a local FOX affiliate station).
  • As of 2019, there are approximately 328 million Americans (Google search).
  • BY THE NUMBERS that’s 0.54% (1.8 / 328 x 100)! Granted that is still less than 1% but keep in mind, that’s confirmed cases.

Unless every single person is getting tested (which is impossible) then the only number you can use is the approximate confirmed cases. It wouldn’t surprise me if there are asymptomatic people walking around. Statistically speaking, there are probably 100’s of thousands more people with the virus that are not showing signs. My wild ass guess is that we’re probably closer to about 1% of the population with the virus. Thus enters the mask debate.

The Masks We Wear

Am I advocating that we should all be wearing masks? Not really. In the spirit of full disclosure, I’ve only worn a mask twice during all of lockdown (as of the date of this post). My reason for not wearing a mask is simply that I didn’t want to. If a place, such as CostCo, requires patrons to wear a mask, then I will wear one in compliance with store policy. When I finally get my hair cut, I’ll wear a mask in compliance with store policy. However, I’ve never worn one when I’ve gone to Kroger. I’ve only worn it once when I’ve gone to Target.

On the other hand, I rarely leave the house without a mask. I carry it with me. If the place looks rather crowded or I know I’ll be going somewhere that requires it, then I have a mask to put on. Mask, or no mask, I will practice proper distancing and try not to touch my face (or sneeze, or cough). I’m not sick nor have I ever felt sick the entire time we’ve been locked down. The same goes for everyone living in my house. I rarely left the house (other than to go jogging) for about 6 weeks of the lockdown so I doubt I was ever near sick people. I have a fairly robust immune system so the biggest threat I pose is that I could be one of those asymptomatic people. Then again, nobody I’ve been around has shown symptoms after the fact.

If I’m an insensitive prick because I don’t wear one 100% of the time, I’m OK with that. I’ll still sleep at night. The opinions of other people mean very little to me (after all opinions are like assholes, everyone has one and they all stink). If only 1% of the population actually has the virus, I’m willing to play the odds. So wear a mask or don’t wear a mask, it doesn’t matter to me. I’m not going to scoff those that wear a mask nor am I going to make a fuss if someplace requires it.

Maybe this rant is just the cabin fever talking.

Be that as it may. One thing I will make abundantly clear. THIS WILL NOT BE THE NEW NORM! All of this is just temporary, preventative measures. A year or two from now we will romanticize how we all survived the “Pandemic of 2020” (while shaking hands and hugging).

/MTFBWY

duke-nukem-sm If zombies attack the world, everyone will run and hide. Except for us gamers, of course. We’ve been waiting for this all our lives!

 

Happy Geek Pride/Towel/Memorial Day

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On May 25, 2020

In Geek Culture, Star Wars

Geeks everywhere salute those that paid the ultimate price for our freedom

Geek Pride Day (also known as Towel Day) is the closing bookend for this geek filled holiday month. This is the second biggest geek holiday in May. Geek Pride Day is the anniversary of the release of the first Star Wars film (A New Hope) and Towel Day (in honor of Douglas Adams, author of the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy). However this day has become more meaningful than the coinciding of those two events.

An important reminder, that today is also Memorial Day and the celebration of Memorial Day should be paramount. After all, if it weren’t for those that made the ultimate sacrifice we wouldn’t have the freedom to express our “geekery”.

After remembering the fallen, this day can also be a reminder to all of us that we shouldn’t be ashamed of being a geek. If Stan Lee taught us anything its that we should be proud and embrace it. I know most of us were probably picked on in school. We were probably often labeled a geek or nerd because we were smarter than most. It was a moniker of shame, a negative connotation for those that were studious and socially inclined. But not anymore.

The meaning has changed.

Now geek is a moniker held in high esteem. In some way or another, we are all geeks about something. You could use geek interchangeably with enthusiast or expert. It doesn’t have to be Star Wars, or comic books, or video games. You could be a geek about cars, a fishing geek, sports geek, fitness geek. It isn’t just about intellectual pursuits anymore. It’s just about loving something that makes you happy.

So today we salute:

  • First and foremost, the fallen! (Many of them were geeks too)
  • The Star Wars fans
  • The Trekkies
  • The book worms
  • The comic book nerds
  • The computer geeks
  • The gamers
  • The whatever-your-hobby-is geeks
  • The whatever-interests-you geeks

Never be ashamed of your heart or your mind!

/MTFBWY

“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

40th Anniversary of Empire Strikes Back

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On May 21, 2020

In Movies, Star Wars

Today is the 40th Anniversary of Empire Strikes Back in the US. One could argue that the 20th is the official anniversary since that’s the day it was released in the UK. Regardless, The Empire Strikes Back is widely considered the most popular fan favorite. To be honest I don’t entirely know why.

It does have one of the biggest bombshells in cinematic history (at the time) when it’s revealed Darth Vader is Luke’s father. I always like to point out that the most quoted line from Star Wars is actually misquoted. Vader never actually says “Luke, I am your father”; he says “No! I am your father!”. To be fair it’s also my favorite movie for reasons I can’t fully explain. It is the movie when the Imperial March is introduced, probably the most iconic track in all of cinema.

It Parallel’s The Last Jedi

I’m going to catch a lot of flak for that statement. The Last Jedi caught a lot of undeserving negative press. Be that as it may, during my 11-film re-watch I noticed some similarities. In each the to-be Jedi are trained by an old, cantankerous, disillusioned or eccentric Jedi Master. Including sage Yoda advice we can all use in our everyday lives (“The greatest teacher, failure is”). There is also the shocking parentage revelations. Granted Rey’s perceived lineage isn’t as surprising as Luke’s (although the Rise of Skywalker makes up for that).

In both movies the good guys don’t really win, in fact the bad guys dominate the narrative of the whole movie; and in the end the good guys barely escape. The bad guy still bargains with the good guy to join forces to “rule the galaxy”. I think the biggest coincidence is that the “bland” review The Last Jedi received is the same review the New York Times gave The Empire Strikes Back back in 1980. In a few years it will be everyone’s favorite too.

So if you’re not watching all the movies this month, at least pop in Empire Strikes Back for its 40th anniversary.

/MTFBWY

Breathe. Just breathe. Now reach out.

Trading My Sword for a Lightsaber

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On May 19, 2020

In Gaming, SWTOR, World of Warcraft

This is going to be a surprising announcement for some of you folks. In about a month my WoW subscription is scheduled to renew for six months. After nearly 15 years of consecutively renewing, I’m thinking about letting it lapse. My amazing raid team has completed the final Ahead of the Curve achievement for this expansion. Blizzard’s recent earnings call suggests that the next expansion isn’t due out until quarter four of 2020. So we are at an impasse.

What Are We Going To Do Now?

Anth Resting at the Garrison

We don’t have the numbers (nor the spirit) to attempt the Mythic raids in the current expansion. We’re working on raid achievements for the current content (and even a couple from previous expansion). However that isn’t 3+ months worth of work. I know I have my weekly mount farming and reputation grinding, which are my common end-of-expansion tasks. All of my base alts are at max level, I have a new one that is nearly there. I could probably finish the Rajani and Uldum Accord reputations in a week or two, if I diligently complete the daily quests.

It doesn’t make economical sense to spend $15 a month for 3 months simply to grind four raids and handful of world bosses for mounts with a < 1% drop rate. It’s a lot of monotonous work for very little to gain. So I think Anth is going to hang up his sword a shield and take a little rest in his garrison. He deserves it after saving Azeroth (again) from an olde god (again).

It’s Just Temporary

I pre-ordered Shadowlands so I am, by no means, leaving the game permanently. In fact as soon as the pre-patch goes live, I plan to activate my subscription again. The only uncertainty is the date of the pre-patch. My estimation, which is just a wild ass guess, is somewhere around August or September. Obviously I need something to do to pass the time between the expiration and the pre-patch. So I’m trading my sword in for a lightsaber.

Darth Haruun

My Sith Juggernaut – Darth Haruun

I started playing Star Wars The Old Republic (SWTOR) way back in the beta. I continued playing it for a few months after it went live. I had to turn off my subscription because it wasn’t economical to have both a WoW subscription and SWTOR subscription (it’s always about the $$$). Most of my friends were still playing WoW so that’s the subscription I chose to keep.

I’m basking in the glory that, for the moment, my daughter likes Star Wars. We’ve also been introducing her to video games, including WoW and we thought she would like SWTOR where she can make her own Jedi. She enjoys the fact that she can make a character that looks like Ahsoka. Therefore I’m temporarily returning to SWTOR for a couple of months during the summer.

So rest assured, Azeroth, Anth will pick up his sword and shield again to defend her, again, against the Jailer. Until then I am literally and figuratively “going to the Dark Side”.

/MTFBWY

You don’t know the power of the dark side.

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