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⭐9/10 This is the follow-up to Lonesome Dove which I would say is firmly on my all-time list now. I know this book is not considered on the level of that one, and I think with that expectation, this one is super enjoyable. It's not quite the behemoth that Lonesome Dove is, but it's certainly a chunker and yet I felt I was able to read through it pretty steadily. This again is a slow-burn, but whenever I'm reading I'm fully absorbed and not looking for anything else to read. It's fully immersive, detailed, and while the prose often seem plain, the book can strike you with some beautiful writing.  This one takes place 20 or so years after Lonesome where we catch up with our characters, and after the events of the first book, many are looking for meaning or ways to continue on. The main plot of this book is that they are looking to track down a bandit essentially for bounty money, so I guess in retrospect it's kinda more your classic western, though it ...

⭐9/10 "Glass House. White Ferrari. Live for New Year's Eve. Sloppy steaks at Truffoni's. Big rare cut of meat with water dumped all over it, water splashing around the table, makes the night so much more fun. After the club go to Truffoni's for sloppy steaks. They'd say 'no sloppy steaks' but they can't stop you from ordering a steak and a glass of water, before you knew it we were dumping that water on those steaks, the waiters were coming to try and snatch em up, we had to eat as fast as we could. Oh I miss those nights - I was a peice of shit though."  Proooobably my favorite season, though again, hard to give a season a 10 when there are so many gags where I'm stonefaced. But man, I have completely fallen in love with this show. I quote it constantly, and everything reminds me of it. Talking about my triples of the Barracuda, Roadrunner and Nova. Saying "gimme dat" at the dinner table. Pulling hair up but not out. Also...

⭐ 5/10 For my first review I decided that I would start off with a tremendously average book by Brandon Sanderson, namely, Mistborn. I will try my best at not coming across as wildly pretentious in this review but I make no promises. Essentially, this book is a heist story set in a fantasy world ruled by a vicious, authoritarian god known as the Lord Ruler. In this world, people are segregated into two castes, the Skaa, and the Nobleman. We could spend a very long time going through the specifics of what is all involved in being in each of these two castes but the basics are that the Nobleman are the upper class, serving the Lord Ruler by being the pillars that stabilize the economy, and the Skaa are a slave population who carry out the painful (often deadly) labour to support the general industry of the world. Being a Skaa means harsh labour, intensive poverty, and random, mandatory executions perpetrated by the henchmen of the Lord Ruler known as Inquisitors. That being said, life a...

⭐8/10 This is now the third book I've read by Schreier about video game development. They are all great, and Schreier is a wonderful writer, and these books never fail to have wild stories and interesting insights. Like the others, I ran through them in a few days and although it's never something I'm dying to read, I always find them engaging enough to want to listen to on audio during my commutes.  I'm not sure why the development of video games fascinates me so much. I don't plan on ever making one, and there are art forms I am more invested in. But I don't think any art form combines so many elements, and are seldom as chaotic as this. This book in particular is about the wild ups and downs of this industry, often about developers attempting to rebound after misfortune strikes. One theme, for instance, tracks the different games that grew out of the studio that made BioShock after it suddenly fell apart. It's always jarring seeing the interac...

⭐ 9/10 This was an awesome sports movie! A semi-true story of a young kid who is amazing at chess, but its actually more about the parents and the competitive toxic nature of a sports parent. The kid here is super sweet and kind, and loves chess, but doesn't like the idea of making other kids sad when he beats them. Meanwhile the dad is pouring all his time and energy in to his son's chess career, but its pretty nuanced. He's not a bad dad I don't think, but he has this stand-out line where its clear his son being this good at something is what is driving him, giving his son all the tools to go as far as he can in this thing that he is dominant at. He's certainly not portrayed to be as crazy as the other chess parents, but he obviously has a moment where he snaps and becomes like them. Completely predictable but it all lands because of good writing and performances. If I had a single gripe its that they don't show the chess board enough! They film the games rea...

⭐ 9/10 I'll start out by saying that this show is still excellent, but I would say a slight step down this season. Episode are getting too long, and in some cases there is good reason, but it feels a bit bloated at times with so many characters to keep up with. I've always thought this show is about the disciples and not Jesus, and that makes it exciting when Jesus shows up and is doing his thing. But we are getting far enough along that I want to see us move in the Jesus direction, and less in the made up stories of the disciples. That said I think they do a great job of giving these disciples back stories that make sense with what we know about them, and make them great examples of what following Jesus was and is like. I love how they say things we think as modern viewers and followers, and I feel like I have a better understanding of each of them as people because of this series. I just know Simon denying Jesus or Thomas doubting is going to be incredibly emotional because ...

⭐ 6.5/10 What is going on with this show? They took something that felt so tight and dynamic with lots of pace and the last 2 seasons have been a dull bore where there are 5 episode spans where it feels like nothing happens. How long does Carmy go not saying how he feels? How many times do we see Sydney see a docusign email and not sign it? It's actually insane. I've heard the creator said he had 3 seasons of story, which might be all you need to know, and now they are making a 5th season? Terrible. The first couple episodes in this season someone says "Every second counts" basically every scene and its the most ironic thing ever how the show is just wasting our time. No forward momentum at all. The show is completely in love with its characters and the vibe of the show and Chicago, there are so many random pairings of characters just chatting and they think we should eat it up because they swear a bunch and say goofy things and Chicago is a nice backdrop. Do these p...

⭐ 7/10 These last two seasons have been slow to get through because its just not that great anymore. Kudos for them to ending the show as it was hitting peak popularity, but it was clearly running out of gas. It became clear at some point that there needed to be a chance to get this family out of this town and then we could see how much they have all truly grown, but I think the rich people stuck in a small town gag was gettign tiresome. Definitely laughing less, and also getting frustrated at a lack of character growth. Moira and David especially. Can someone tell me why Patrick likes David at all? He's annoying and spoiled and ungrateful and while their dynamic isn't bad I just don't know why they are together. Patrick can do better. I've always loved John, and its nice to see him get a chance to be successful again. And in my mind the MVP of the show is clearly Alexis! She changes the most in all the best ways, and kind of has the arc I expected for the full family,...

⭐10/10 Sometimes I get into a mood where I want to watch an all-time great with the expectation of feeling completely moved, and that it the worst way to go into a movie. Building up the expectation of feeling something is a great way to feel underwhelmed. But that's exactly the expectation I had going into this movie, and yet when I say felt something...  This movie is pretty much the saddest movie ever made. I kinda knew that going in, but I was struck rather by the beauty than the sadness. It is a movie about a teenage boy and his little sister surviving the American attack on Japan during WWII, and all the terrible, terrible hardships they suffer. But in the midst of all of that, you have these beautiful, tender moments of a kid doing his best, and a young girl not quite old enough to appreciate the horrors around her. It is heartbreaking, and while you know this movie is going for tears, it never feels inauthentic or contrived.  One aspect that stood out to me...

⭐7/10 This is a quintessential summer movie that I watched a decade ago and thought it was not bad, but then Beans tricked me into watching it again because he said it was a 10. So I watched it again, and yeah, I was right the first time. It's not bad.  I love summer movies, I love coming-of-age indie movies, I love a lot of the actors in here. This movie is funny, especially Bellagio and Patrick's parents. The premise is cool, if not a little silly. It's good! I think a funny thing about this movie is that I was totally taking the parent's side this time. Clearly the kids are the problem! Nick Offerman is a little gruff, but what would I be like if my child was annoying? Anyways, that's all my thoughts. Good movie, not a great one. Sorry Beans. 

⭐8/10 Going back to start the show from the top. I mean, as always it's impossible to put a score on this show, but I do think this one didn't quite achieve the highs of the other season while still having plenty of eye-rollers. Still, some sketches absolutely killed me.  My favorite sketches: The crying airplane baby The babysitter was late The door opens both ways It's a chunky! Game Night was a great non-Tim Robinsons sketch. Nachos is an all-timer for me. I also loved the skeleton song which I've had in my head for days.  Anyways, that all probably means nothing to nobody, but yeah, this show good. Going back through these sketches makes me want to give a higher score. I've also found each sketch better upon rewatch. I'll watch these till the end of time. 

⭐7.5/10 This is a duologue-less animated movie about a cat and his (her?) friends trying to survive an apocalyptic flood. It's unique in that these animals are not anthropomorphic but still the main characters, and they mostly act like animals do. The world is also mostly normal, but there are a few hints at some interesting alternative universe things.  This is a classic example of a movie I liked but wished I loved. It is absolutely gorgeous, with beautiful animation and some wonderful music. The animals are super cute and it's easy to cheer for them, and there is also a bit of a tear-jerking moment at the end. Still, I found I didn't feel anything too strongly throughout and even felt a bit bored at times. I mean, it didn't help that the dogs in my home were going absolutely ballistic the entire movie because the animals are very animal-like, but through the barking I found myself not super invested.  So that's mostly my review. A nice movie with cute...

⭐9/10 This is a 2006 documentary about a group of friends who became Ohio basketball phenoms in the early 2000s. Of course that group included LeBron James, the greatest high school basketball player of all time.  I had seen this documentary before, but after reading There's Always This Year, it was time to revisit it. It's an interesting one in that it was made so long ago that LeBron was not yet LeBron, even if he was already the best player alive, and yet he's still the NBAs central figure two decades later. Of course this documentary isn't about LeBron alone, but by the end he is clearly the main character.  I love this doc. It didn't get rave reviews, and I'm not totally sure why because I think it's essentially perfect. It's an underdog story in that these were all pretty poor kids, mostly from the projects, and they became best friends and stayed together through the years. They are all pretty funny and entertaining, and it's so, s...

⭐8/10 This is a semi-autobiographical story of the author growing up in Columbus, written in poetic-prose, kinda going back and forth in time and touching on a few different themes. This style very much didn't appeal to me, and I was super skeptical to start, but I was completely won over by the end. This book won a million awards, but what attracted me to it is that it's sorta about basketball, but also the author grew up in Ohio at the same time as LeBron James, so he has a personal connection to the LeBron story. But beyond that, this book is just a story about the places that make you and the connections you have with them.  I'm not especially connected to my community, or at least not like the author is, but I have tons of nostalgia for basketball stories from that era (this book is what got me started on this early 2000s nostalgia trip). I know I romanticize those underdog stories of guys making it out of the projects, but the way the author describes thos...

⭐9/10 This is a book is subtitled Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma. It is a book I mostly read to be better at my job, but also it's just a very important book for anyone to read to better understand how our brain operates, and how trauma changes that. I once read a tweet that was something like, we'll know society has healed when The Body Keeps the Score is no longer a bestseller. We live in strange times, and this book is ever relevant.  I mean, this book has a million points, but I feel like one of my major takeaways is that trauma shifts our brain to always operate like we're in danger, and we come up with trauma responses to lots of normal stimuli. These are points I make to my clients, and even that simple understanding goes a long way. Having this understanding has certainly helped even in my own life that is mostly trauma-free, but it's also helped to have meaningful conversations and get a better understanding of why people act the way ...

⭐6/10 It's embarrassing to admit, but this was the movie I was looking forward to the most this year. I say I love these movies, but really I only like 1 movie out of 6. And yet I always have faith that the next one will be better. This time they had bigger names, including Gareth Edwards who I have a ton of faith in despite never actually making a great movie. But I love his style, and surely by now they've come up with a better idea than having the main characters going back to Jurassic Park before everything goes wrong.  Nope. That's the plot of the movie. I remember this being hinted at in the trailers and thinking like, this must be misdirection, surely they can't do it again. They did it again. And in some instances I'm even willing to forgive that if the movie is dumb and self aware, but this movie is not that. There are actually some hints of some new ideas, that the dinosaurs have kinda taken over the land along the equator, and that governments...

⭐9/10 The prequel to what is now one of my favorite movies. This is the origin story of Furiosa, and while I don't think she really needed an origin story, and while I don't think this world necessarily needs to be filled in, I do think this is just another opportunity to shoot a bunch of stunts and explosions in the Australian outback, and for that you will always have my attention.  This movie is awesome. It is maybe a little less end-to-end pure-adenaline, but there is still plenty of action. And in lieu of that action, you get some nice story moments. Again, I loved in the first that there are no story moments, and you just get bits along the way, but I will admit that I was caught up in this world and wanted to know more. I loved the idea of the 3 cities that trade the only 3 commodies needed: food/water, bullets, and guzzoline. Of course this doesn't make any sense, and when this movie starts making sense is when I turn it off.  But there are nice moments,...

⭐8.5/10 I would consider myself a huge Tim Robinson fan despite never actually sitting down to watch his stuff. I have seen at least a part of most of his sketches online, but every time I show Jess she mostly just rolls her eyes and so I hadn't been able to convince her to watch with me. But we were just flipping around one day and I put this on, and these seasons are so short that I tricked her into watching an entire season...  She came around. Of course she did! I mean just look at him, it's impossible to not find this guy funny. I fully admit that these sketches are so absurd that you are either struggling to breathe through laughter, or else watching stonefaced for 5 minutes, and there is seldom anything in between. Of course the nice thing about sketches is that if you don't find them funny, they are over soon.  Some highlights are the Driving Crooner, the bachelor, the drive thru, the t-shirt twin, "Amanda, don't tell Randall he's interestin...

⭐ 7.5/10 This movie is good not great, but also a lot of fun. I don't really care about F1, and this is basically a commercial for the "sport". The filmmaking is the major takeaway here, with incredible footage of these races with real people in the cars. The attention to detail shows, and the lack of CGI is refreshing. Same people that mad Top Gun: Maverick, and that movie was solid! The major difference is that I could feel my heart racing in that movie, with a sense of stakes and more gripping storyline. Both are 90s action movies with simple plots and satisfying non-controversial story moments, and that can be fun! I don't want to be a downer, since I genuinely had a fun time watching this, I just don't think I will ever think about it again after writing this review. Acting was fine, story was fine, the racing was phenomenal. I love that they spent a ton of money on this, but I was also wondering the whole time how this whole sport is so opulent. Who pays fo...

⭐ 6.3/10 This is book 5 of a planned 10 book series, but the series is split in to two major arcs, with this being the conclusion of the first. It has been a long time coming, with the first two being some of my favourite fantasy works. My faith in Sanderson has withered since those first two, coming desperately close to shattering. I have been waiting years for this book to restore my love for this universe he is building, but 80% of this book was a disappointment. I'll get the main gripe out of the way first. I really like in the first two how its people with issues that get powers. Everyone is fighting their own internal battle, and leveling up in their journey equals leveling up their powers. Kind of a cool concept, with intent and expression of that intent unlocking magic. Okay its corny to say out loud, but I thought it was unique and resulted in some great sequences. Well five 1300 pages books in and all characters are still fighting the exact same demons. It feels like no ...

⭐ 8.5/10 Nathan Fielder remains my favourite comedian, and I will watch everything he makes. The first season of this show hit highs I don't think will ever be repeated, a perfect distillation of all his comedy up until that point, but with moments that made me emotional. The final episode of Nathan Fielder is still his magnum opus, but the Rehearsal is an evolution on what is happening in that episode, which itself was an evolution on the rest of the themes in Nathan For You. This season didn't quite hit the same highs, but it is bolder and in some ways even crazier. Nathan tackles a single issue throughout this season, which is aviation safety, and getting pilots and co-pilots to have better relationships, since his theory is that is what causes all these disasters. It took some funny twists and turns, like the pilot-judged singing competition, the awkward pilots he manages to pull in to this, and the miracle over the Mojave. That last episode didn't really move me or fe...

⭐6/10 This is a romcom from 2021 about two Indian-Americans who were set up on a date by their parents, and they are opposites so it's a disaster, but then they are forced to quarantine together because COVID is breaking out. It is a very by-the-book romcom with no surprises or really anything that sets it apart besides the leads being Indian. It was Jess's choice, so not really something I was excited about, and nothing really changed my mind while I watched.  This movie is so indie that it starts to feel like a parody of indie movies, and I admit that my mind drifted to the millions of skits by the "insufferable indie lead" girl online. I can't say that it was really a negative for me, but was definitely kinda distracting. The opening song is the exact song you'd expect in a movie like this.  The bigger problem, though, was that I felt the relationship was totally unconvincing and all these standard milestones felt unearned. These two didn't ...