What is a Draxui?

A Draxui is a cross between a human and a dragon. Not by the human's choice. 
These beings were created by a dragon, known as Ravnor.

They're evil beings that enslave humans to mine for an element needed to maintain their power. Without it, they revert to human form. 

I had A.I come up with what they look like. 

These characters will soon be staring in my New Novel "A Land of Fear and Fire"

Younger Man in Semi-Draxui Form

More Mature man in Semi Draxui Form

Female Draxui in Semi-Draxui Form

The main character who is simply a human

Full Draxui Form. 

In this Form they can Fly. 

Fallout is Different and Unique from other post-apocalyptic shows, and that’s why I really enjoyed it.

In Fallout, nuclear bombs are dropped. The Earth is turned into a wasteland. In the first scene, the setting looks like the 1950s because of the styles and cars, and music. Yet this is an alternate history story. It's really 2077. We see the characters at a child's birthday party. They see a mushroom cloud and run for their lives.

Then the story jumps ahead to the year 2296. Some people are now living in vaults while others struggle to survive on the surface.

Yes, it sounds depressing. That’s one reason I’m not into post-apocalyptic shows where most of the characters get killed off. I see these shows as something that could happen in real life, something I don’t want to ever see.  However, I like this show because it's different.

For one, none of the main characters have been killed off. Fallout also has some humor in it, and it works. It helps ease the bleakness of it all. The vintage hits they play (from the 40s and 50s) are ironically funny. For example, I’ve heard the song: “I don’t want to set the world on fire.”  And “Orange colored sky." As you can see by the song titles, they tie into something they were never meant to tie into. Just listening to words with a pleasant tone makes me laugh. It’s sort of like a moment where the producers are giving you an ironic/not so serious moment. 

Lucy lives in an underground vault with a community of other people who wear blue uniforms with the number 33 on their backs. Their goal is to someday repopulate the planet when radiation levels are low enough. This means having babies. Lucy is excited she has been chosen to get married and have a baby. 

When things go wrong, Lucy makes the decision to go outside and into a world she knows little about. Like the other vault dwellers, she’s innocent to the outside world. Her people have laws, values and ethics while those on the outside have no laws or morals. To some extent, this is some of the humor. She’s the perfect main character because through her we learn about this world as well. 

I also find the anti-hero cowboy character interesting. Cooper Howard. He was a normal human, but is now what they call a Ghoul. In many ways, he’s the opposite of Lucy. At first, you see him as if he’s an unkillable monster, but slowly you learn more about him and his past. Of course, I want to know how he became that way. This is the classic way to do an anti-hero. You can’t go wrong with it. 

In the finale, Lucy discovers brutal answers to things she had no idea about. Some of these truths came across as twists. Lucy struggled to comprehend it all because she'd believed in so many lies. The finale was spot on because it answered questions, while leaving enough for more.

If you’re wondering what to watch next, try Fall Out on Amazon Prime. 

Abraham Lincoln/Ulysses Grant and Their Roller Coaster Lives.

Lincoln, Grant and George Washington demonstrate what happens when you refuse to give up in three documentaries currently on Amazon Prime.  

Abraham Lincoln's life was rough. If you ever look closely at pictures of him, you can tell that being president took a big toll on him. Yes, presidents seem to age faster than normal. Lincoln had a good reason. States were leaving the union and a horrible war began. 

Before becoming president, he started out poor. His mother died when he was still young. His father sort of raised him on a farm in the middle of no where. Abe was interested in getting an education, but his father had no interest in it. They had nothing in common and didn't get along. 

He ran for President once and lost. This caused him to become depressed at times, but somehow he pulled himself together and ran again. 

When he was elected, he had to hide because many people wanted to assassinate him. The south didn't like him, of course, because they didn't want to give up slavery. Lincoln was not an abolitionist at the time, but he opposed the expansion of slavery, which the South saw as a threat. As the war went on, Lincoln became more determined to end slavery, which made him a target. 

I can't say too much more without giving out spoilers, but in general, he was always struggling with something. He showed a lot of patience. Inch by inch, he put an end to the war. No wonder he is famous and widely admired today. Sadly, his life was cut short just as he finally put the country back together. He never got to see anything beyond it. 

Ulysses S. Grant also grew up poor. Other kids made fun of his name, but one thing made him happy. He loved horses and became an amazing rider. This led to him joining the military.  

Drinking was common in the military at that time. Grant resorted to drinking when he was bored or missing his family. One time he ended up too drunk and was forced to resign. He ended up a farmer struggling to make ends meet because, other than being in the military, he had no other skills. The farm didn't do well. He was often desperate and hungry.  

Yet, through everything, he ends up back in the military and becomes a general. He even meets with Lincoln and becomes one of his most trusted men. Grant had to witness horrific battles and fields covered in dead bodies. All the while, chain smoking cigars. The South was tough and stubborn, but so was Grant. People overlooked his bad habits because they needed him to win the war. 

As for George Washington, he certainly was a noble person. Yet, he came from an era that was brutal. I knew he had great military success, but I didn’t know how harsh he had to be with disobedient soldiers. At times, he ordered his own soldiers to be whipped for being lazy. Deserters could be shot. Another time, some soldiers were doubting him and trying to rebel. He had the leader of the rebellion shot by his own followers. If they didn’t shoot him, they were going to be executed.

Originally, he was hired by the British military who taught him how to handle disobedience. Although, they didn't treat him very well. They looked down on Americans, finding them crude and backward. That's one thing that led to Washington wanting independence.

Eventually, he was tasked with putting together an army with Americans who tended to be undisciplined and needing a lot of training. Then he had to face a massive, intimidating British army. In one scene, he went to a harbor and saw hundreds of British ships heading his way. His expression said, "How am I going to fight them with THESE men?"

He didn't do well at first, and in one harsh winter his men nearly starved to death. Overtime, we know he succeeded. George stands out in history because of how he fought for an independent America. It wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for him. 

Overall, these documentaries kept me interested, showing how these men over came so much, including their lives. It could be fiction, but even better, it’s real life.  

 

Cobra Kai Final Episodes are Awesome!

While I love fantasy and science fiction, I also like a wide variety of shows.  I've watched all the seasons of Cobra Kai.  I enjoyed the final episodes (on Netflix.) It starts out a little slow with some backstory about what the characters have been doing. I enjoyed it. Some times you need to slow down and do some reflection. By the third episode, things really kick into gear. I don’t want to give anything away, but there are just some shockers that happen. I also like the way they review the past of Daniel and Johnny. The way they tie it all together works well. 

If you have never seen this show, it would be good watch the first Karate Kid movie (1984) where Daniel and Johnny fight each other for the first time. Cobra Kai picks up where Daniel and Johnny are now middle-aged adults who start their dojos up again. A lot of the story involves their own kids and also other kids who join the dojos. Like the Karate Kid movie, the main character kids learn karate to protect themselves from bullying. Also, the series involves the former sensi's of Johnny. John Kreese and Terry Silver, both awesome bad guys. 

Critically speaking, if I had to say anything negative about the series is that sometimes they seemed to throw in a fight scene, just to have a fight scene. Perhaps to fill in a slow moment or to give the fans what they want. 

In the final season, Terry Silver becomes more hate-able than ever. He sinks to new lows, which makes for a great story.  Johnny Lawrence has been one of my favorite characters throughout the series, even though he started out as a bad guy. In season one, he is a loser who drinks too much and sleeps on the floor of his tiny apartment. He doesn't like his life and wants to do more, so he starts up Cobra Kai again. Much to Daniel's horror. I know a great character arc when I see one, and Johnny's story really hooked me. He steps up in the climax. The ending does not disappoint. 

I might go back and watch the last season all over again.

Beneath a Scarlet Sky and other things.

Just when you think I'm never posting to my blog again, here it is.....

I've been working on a Fantasy/Romance Novel called "A Land of Fear and Fire" It's about a young lady who wants to free her people who are enslaves by half-dragon, half human corrupted beings. Her people are forced to mine for an element that gives the half-breeds power. Without it, they return to human form. I have the draft finished and now I'm working on the sequel. I hope to have both published sometime next year. 

I recently finished reading a book called "Beneath a Scarlet Sky" By Mark Sullivan. It's about an Italian young man during WW2 who ends up being a driver for a Nazi general. At first he doesn't want to do this, but it ends up being perfect for spying and sending the resistance information. What made this book really good is the fact that it's a true story. The main character, Pino, had an amazing life. I think this story could be a great series.  

 
For just .99 cents, I recently took an online class called "Copy Writing for Social Media."  The class was on the website Domestika, which offers creative classes at low prices. You can choose from crafts, writing, fashion, web/app design, culinary, photograph and much more. Copy Writing, which is basically writing for ads, looks easy on the surface, but it's really not. Copy Writers do a lot of research before writing a few lines or a coming up with ideas for a 30 second commercial. It was fun trying to come up with a tag line and a blurb for social media.   

Lastly, I have finished painting two rooms in my house. The kitchen was the hardest to paint because of the cabinets. In the small, bed room I had to remove one wall of wall paper and a boarder. Wall paper is a real pain. It's hard work, and I also look it as exercise, except you get something out of it. My goal is to redecorate every room in the house, but I'm taking a break for the holidays. 

Have a great week!

Two Great Shows. All the Light We Cannot See and The Darkest Hour.

I recently watched a short series on Netflix called “All the Light We Cannot See.” It’s based on the novel by Anthony Doerr. The setting is WW2 mostly in France, but also some scenes are in Germany. The Germans are losing the war. The Americans are bombing them out in France.

Werner is a young man who is talented with radios. He built his own radio while in an orphanage. He often listed to someone called the "professor" who talked about education subjects. It was illegal to listen to foreign broadcasts, but Werner couldn't stop listening to the professor who talked about other things, and the not war. Werner found this to be an escape. He almost got shot for listening to that frequency, but because of his talent, he was sent to an elite German boarding school. There he learned more skills with radios and frequencies. As the Nazi's are losing the war, they want him to find foreign frequencies in France so they can shut down the French Resistance.

However, he discovers Marie, a blind French girl who is broadcasting on a frequency he used to listen to when he was in the orphanage. The same frequency the Professor used to be on. Instead, Marie is working with the French Resistance. She is sending code to the Americans of where to bomb. He knows this, but he still cannot report her. Werner cares too much about about her. Just like the professor, he becomes obsessed with listening to her. This blind girl is really amazing. Her other senses are so strong, she’s capable of a lot. 

Another good movie is “The Darkest Hour” It’s about Winston Churchill during WW2 when British troops are stuck in France, and the Nazi's are about to invade England. Gary Oldman plays plays Winston Churchill. He is so good in this role that I forgot at times this is not really Winston. 

The main conflict is that others in parliament want to enter into peace talks with Germany. Mainly because they don’t think they can win. Winston (the new prime minister) doesn’t agree. He's steadfastly against it. This causes him a mountain of stress because they pressure him to do the peace talks or step down.

Several in parliament are terrified that if they don't try to talk peace with Hitler, they will be destroyed. At some point, Winston almost agrees with them. He goes to his secretary and tries to write a letter to Hitler, but he finds himself unable to find the words. He can’t finish the letter. Then he feels like the walls are closing in on him. 

Instead, he writes a speech about why they should fight. One thing he said stands out to me. “Do you want to see a swastika over Buckingham palace?” 

And…yeah that was a wake up call. I found it admirable how Winston stood up to so much pressure from those around him.

The Rings of Power

Recently, I decided to subscribe to Amazon Prime again to save on shipping costs. It seemed to be worth it at the time. I still think so because the packages have been coming fast. Usually the next day. One item I bought came the same day I ordered it. Only about five hours later. I was so impressed. 

Then I browsed the shows and movies only to find "The Rings of Power" I love the Lord of the Rings Series, so I gave it a try. This series takes place in the distance past, well before the The Hobbit. At first, I found it interesting but also hard to get hooked into it. The reason being is that there are so many characters all separate from each other. Some of which have come together by the end of the series. There is also a lot of mystery about what is going on. 

This series has the same elements as the movies such as beautiful landscapes, castles, villages, elfs, dwarfs, orcs, hobbits and innocent humans living off the land. Although the humans have had to deal with orcs in the past. All of this contrasts when evil is released, leaving behind a scorched, barren land. 

It starts out with one young female elf is not convinced Middle Earth is safe from Sauron who is supposed to be dead, but there is no solid proof. She is told to leave Middle Earth and accept that all is well. At first, she starts to leave, but changes her mind and sneaks back. She faces a lot of opposition from the humans she wants to save, followed by battles with orcs. These orcs are, not only ugly and vicious, they are also much stronger than humans. I found out that they are they a corrupt race of elves bred that way by the Dark Lord Morgoth. The people don't want to depend on elves perhaps for this very reason, but they come to realize they have no choice. 

As the series went on, I finally became hooked. It's the classic good -vs- evil story. The hookish part is that no matter how beat down those on the good side become, they continue to get back up to fight again. 

For those who have watched the movies, you will find out more about the origin of Gandolf and Hobbits. I've never read the books by J.R.R. Tolkien, but this series makes me wonder (if I find the time) I should read them all. Movies and shows never fully capture everything. For sure, I will watch season two starting this August.

The Crown. (A series I didn't think I would like)

I don't remember why I decided to watch "The Crown" but somehow I tried the first episode and I started to find it interesting. There isn't a lot of action in this show, but there is a lot of conflict. I would consider this a historical/psychological drama. The main character is Queen Elizabeth. It starts when she is young. Her father, King George has lung cancer because of smoking. When her father dies, Elizabeth becomes queen. 

The Crown is about protecting the Crown and therefore the royal family. It's about their struggle to continue as the royalty of England. They live with the possibility that someday, they won't be needed. Queen Elizabeth says that having a monarchy provides their country stability, unlike the prime ministers that come and go. Her view is that England just wouldn't be right without kings and queens.  

This series shows how keeping The Crown comes with a price. Yes, they're rich, elevated above everyone and are waited on hand and foot, but they pay a price for it. First, they're held to a much higher standard than regular people. They're not supposed to the have problems, divorces, affairs and imperfections. After all, they are made rich just for being in the royal blood line. Secondly, they often have to deal with the media and being in the public eye. 

The series starts a little before Queen Elizabeth is crowned and ends about the time Prince William is dating Kate Middleton. Most of us know there have been many problems during that time span. Mostly with their relationships and divorces. Even Queen Elizabeth had a lot of problems with Phillip early in their marriage. 

Her sister Margaret was in love with Peter, an older man who had been divorced. He worked for the royal family. They wanted to get married, but this was against the church. A royal wasn't supposed to marry a divorced person. Queen Elizabeth wanted to give Margaret permission, but her advisors and the church kept talking her out of it. Elizabeth is always very cautious with any decision, so she never let her sister marry Peter. All in an effort to protect their image. Margaret had the option to leave the royal family and get married, but she never did. Instead, Peter married someone else while Margaret unraveled into a life of smoking, drinking and eventually marrying someone who was already cheating on her with men and women. 

Elizabeth loved her sister, but most of the family were often irritated with Princess Margaret because she was a continual risk for bad press. The family was and is a target for the paparazzi and tabloids. So the royal family is on guard to prevent scandals or whatever news story that would taint their image of being perfect. While I knew that The Crown is about being perfect, I never fully knew the struggle to do so. Scandals pay good money. People love to see the elevated crash and burn. 

Charles was in love with Camilla, but she was married. So they pressured him into marrying Diana, even though he wasn't in love with her. She was too young for him and they had nothing in common. If anything in this show, Diana seems to annoy him. He became jealous of her popularity, and took it out on her. Often times, I really hated this version of Charles. 

Throughout the series, I often changed how I felt about characters. The young Queen Elizabeth was more likeable than the older one. Her days as queen seemed to make her hard and often cold as if she lacked feelings of any kind. Although sometimes she still had moments of compassion. Charles became more likeable toward the end of the series where he sometimes struggled to raise his sons alone. 

In general, actors, celebrities, and anyone in the public eye...those people do have a higher rate of divorce. The stress of the media and trying to maintain an image adds to the risk of divorce for anyone. 

Anyway, I learned some history from this show and enjoyed the psychological aspect. I recommend this series. There are six seasons and no plans for a seventh. However, there might be a prequel. 

How the Tractor Messed with My Mind.

Yes, it's lawn mowing season again. Every year involves a tune up of the riding lawn mower. Last year, it had started up first try after winter. Probably because the battery was new. This year I'd hoped for the same thing, but no, it didn't start. I don't have a battery charger, so I was going to buy one. Instead, my brother offered to bring his over. I also bought new blades that now cost $100. Double in price compared to last year. 
My brother put the new blades on while the battery was charging. 

Three hours later, it still wouldn't start. Brother realized there was corrosion on the metal that connects the wires to the battery. He cleaned it off with sandpaper and bingo, the tractor started. 

I mowed for a few days and noticed the engine sort of surged when idling. I didn't like the sound of it. Then one day, I go out there and it won't start again. I tried several times, but it didn't even turning over. I charged the battery again. Still nothing. I started to consider having it picked up for service and looked for places who do that sort of work. Because of the high cost of everything, I lingered on if I should have my brother or son look at again. After much strain, I decided to let my son look at it. 

A few rainy days passed. He comes over and started it immediately. Come to find out the knob that turns on the blades was engaged. Oh the humiliation! The tractor won't start with the blades engaged because it's a safety feature. I know better than that. It was all so embarrassing. I cringed at myself for several hours unable to understand how I could make such a mistake. As for the surging, it doesn't do it anymore. My son said the choke lever was a bit sticky and that could've been it.

Then I had an epiphany. I haven't had an epiphany in a long time, so it was pretty cool. In my current job, I often help people with computer problems. Most of them are pretty easy. Such as a bad battery, a bad cord, computer needs rebooted to run updates, a bad plug, an app needs to be reset. You know, simple stuff. I'm also good at helping people with software even if I'm not familiar with it. I often had wondered why people don't they see these simple things? I come in, make the fix and they call me a guru. I'm not really. 

That's when it came to me. I somehow got it in my mind that the tractor had a bigger issue because of the surging, but that's not the only reason. I'm also not as at ease with engines. I don't have the experience of the men in my life, so the tractor intimidated me. The same way some people are intimidated by computers. Like me with the tractor, they think the computer has a bigger issue. They're not looking for the simple thing. 

There is also a fear factor involved. People need their computers to do their job, so when a glitch happens some start to anticipate long delays in work being completed while I.T. figures it out. With the tractor, I anticipated a delay in cutting fast growing spring grass. At the time, the house was for sale and I needed things to look good. 

While I've known people sometimes miss the simple answer to a problem, I now have a new level of understanding of how it can happen. Especially since it happened to me.   

Good Vibes From the Solar Eclipse.

When I first heard that a Solar Eclipse was coming, I wasn't in a hurry to see it. Since I live in Michigan, it would probably be too cloudy. Plus, it was only going to be a 98% eclipse at my location. Besides, it's simply the shadow of the moon, moving in like a cloud. 

Then the day came.  I was listening to the radio and that's all they were talking about. They kept saying how this is a rare event, and somehow it was sunny out. I found a map on the NASA website tracking the eclipse. It was pretty good because you could enter your location and it would show an image of how much of the moon was covering the sun. So with all the hoopla, I started becoming more interested. My plan was to look out the window at 3:14 to see just how dark it might be. As the time came closer, more and more people were talking about it and asking questions like "when is it?"  I was able to tell them the current percentage of coverage and the peak time thanks to the NASA map. But...I did not have the glasses. 

It felt like a party was breaking out, and people started gathering by a window. They had the glasses and were sharing them. Next thing I know, I'm looking at it with the glasses on. It really was amazing. Some patients wanted to see and they were even putting the glasses on them. 

Then some friends told me to come outside with them, and they had the glasses, so of course I came. Doctors, nurses, some patients and many others all gathered outside. As the moon approached, it started to get colder and darker outside...of course. Car and street lights came on. I was freezing but refused to budge. Thanks to friends, I was able to see the eclipse at 3:14 pm, which I greatly appreciated. 

In those few minutes, it was like we were all united. All those good vibes left an impression on me. It kind of gave me some sort of natural high. I felt like I was on cloud nine the rest of the day.  

What made this special is that so many came together to watch a rare event caused entirely by nature. Other than to watch, humans have nothing to do with it. If only these moments of unity could happen more often. I'm also wondering if this means I need a vacation. 

In this video, scroll up to 2:30 pm to view the complete eclipse in Ohio.
  

I leave you with this photo of the eclipse as I stood outside the hospital. I took this by raising up my phone while not looking, which was awkward. As you can see, the camera wasn't capable of capturing it at all. If you look at the clouds, you can see that something is happening. 

Dune Part Two Recommended!

Dune Part Two finally got me to go to the movies. Part of the reason is that it also has good reviews. 83% on Rotten Tomatoes. I've read the book and have seen the first Dune movie as well. So I know the story. For me, that's a bit of a draw back because I know what's going to happen. However, I didn't know how they would go about it in this movie. The acting, special effects, etc are all better in this movie. Probably over a year ago, I watched Part 1 on MAX. I didn't feel the need to go back and watch Part 1 again, but some people might find it useful. 

Anyway, I found this to be the best version of Dune as a movie. I liked the balance between action and dialogue. I like the way they did the character arc of Paul. It stood out more in this version. He changes a lot, step by step, through the tragedy of losing his father and so much more. 

Another thing that stood out more to me is the influence of the Bene Gesserit. These women have weaved their way into all the Houses. They are behind the scenes controlling everything. Every House has their own Bene Gesserit as a kind of counselor because they have some ability to see the future, and they can also tell when someone is lying. Their focus is mainly on House Atreides and the terrible House Harkonnen. Each House competes for control over the desert planet with the valuable spice. Meanwhile, the Bene Gesserit's main goal is to breed a man who can be one of them and become the ruler of the universe. They will do whatever it takes. This includes wiping out the Atredies who they feel are too weak. I should also mention that one of their powers is the ability to control men sexually. So in general, they're highly controversially as to whether they are bad or good.

It also stood out to me how Dune has elements of fantasy. The leader of each house is like a king with a prince or princess. They are looked up to as royalty. "Yes, my Lord! Yes, my Duke, Sire, etc." Like other fantasies, the Houses compete with each other for power. They also fight with long knives, even though they have advanced technology. 

Dune as a movie, still struggles getting across this huge world and story, but it's an improvement over previous versions. At the end, some things were left unresolved. I wanted more, and I can only think they left it this way because more is coming. If so, this will go into the story beyond what I remember from reading Dune Messiah years ago. Below is the best trailer I could find. 

Alone: A Reality Show about Survival.

Alone is a series where 10 people are dropped off into the wilderness to survive. The person to stay there the longest wins 500K. I watched the first two seasons and both times the contestants are dropped off on Vancouver Island (Near Seattle) several miles from each other. Too far to ever find each other.  

They're allowed to bring some survival supplies like tools, knifes, nets, tarps, rope, etc. Vancouver Island is a difficult place to survive. It's a northern rain forest. It's cold, sometimes freezing and always wet. The people that do this challenge are trained in survival, some have been in the military and yet they struggle to start a fire. The forest is dense and wet, making it hard to set up a shelter. Plus it has bears, wolves and cougars. One unique thing about this show is that the people are really alone. There is no camera crew. They have to set up cameras to record their journey. 

Each person has a radio. They can "tap out" at any time. Then a boat or a helicopter will come pick them up. In the first few days (for season 1 and 2,) a few people tap out right away. They are scared off by the predators or it turned out to be harder than they thought. 

I haven't watched many reality shows, but for those that I have watched, I can see how people get hooked into them. Once I get to know the characters, I tend to want to know who's going to win. Many of them talk about why they entered the contest. Usually it involves helping their family. So then I find myself caring about the cast. It can be fun to try and predict who will drop out next. 

For food, most of them rely on fish or crabs, but as the days go on winter starts to come. It gets harder and harder to get food. The sea is rougher, the wind is fierce. They struggle with hunger and then the loneliness gets worse. It all contributes to a mental struggle.  

The last few struggle to fight the temptation to tap out. Some of them describe it as fighting against their brain that keeps telling them to tap out. I think that is a survival instinct in itself and is part of the sub-conscious mind. Then the conscious mind fights back because they want the money. What makes it even tougher, is that no one knows how many people are left. So they have no idea how much longer they need to stay. There was one person who tapped out that surprised me because he was doing well. However, the loneliness got to him. In Season 2, the winner went about 60 days. 

Also in Season 2 there there was one woman who I really admired. Nicole made it as the 4th remaining person. She was almost always pleasant on camera. Her survival skills really impressed me. She knew what plants she could eat. It was obvious how much she loved nature. For awhile, she was thriving until seals started stealing fish from her net. But in general, she seemed to blend in with nature and often demonstrated patience, rather than a blur of expletives. 

This show also demonstrated to me how much people need each other. Often times, one of them would say "why am I doing this?"  Of course, they had a good reason to do it as in the money, but the loneliness made them question it. It seems we need other people to give us purpose. Many of them made statements that they appreciated their spouse and families more than ever. That they wouldn't take them for granted anymore. It seems it gave them new perspectives on many things. 

I started watching this for writing research purposes because some of my characters are going to have to survive in the wilderness. However, it seems I've learned some other things as well. 

 

Loki Season Two

Recently, I finished watching Loki Season 2 on Disney+. All this time travel tends to be confusing for someone like me who doesn't closely keep up with all the super heroes or read the comics. I'm more of a casual superhero fan. I've always found Loki to be some sort of anti-hero. Is he bad or is he good? Season 2 starts out after Sylvie has killed "He who remains." This causes all the time strands to multiple and spin out of control. The TVA strains to contain it and is on the verge of destruction. Loki wants to save the TVA, but he's uncontrollably jumping around in time from the past, present and future and to different locations in time. They call this time slipping. He always ends up with one friend or another that he met because of the TVA. Mostly, Mobius and Sylvie. At one point, a character called OB helps him get some stability, but it doesn't last.  Loki has a lot of trouble in his attempt to correct things.

 
To simplify this story, it's really about the people at the TVA. They found out they're all variants, and deep down they want a life away from the TVA. Then you have Loki who is kind of like a lost soul. He's always wanted to be a king because according to him he was raised to be one, but now it's as if he doesn't know who he is supposed to be.

I think to some extent some people identify with Loki's plight. Especially if you weren't the favored child in a family. Your brother or sister always came first. It wasn't fair, so when Loki gives Thor a hard time it can be oddly enjoyable sometimes. 

Although I often found it confusing, I ended up liking Loki Season 2. Mainly because of the finale where Loki seems to find himself.  

I also watched "Assembled" it's about the making of Loki Season 2. My biggest take away from it for me was the creative ability of everyone that put this together. The sets, the costumes, and how to film scenes. All amazing! It would be like a dream come true to work on something like that, but....I'm back my regular life on Monday.  

The Art of Gift Giving.

This time of year everyone is scrambling to get their Christmas shopping done. So here I am with some tips that work for me. 

First, I always start right after Thanksgiving. This is because it gives me more time to carefully consider gifts. Plus, I'm also the cook of the family with no time for last minute panic shopping. At this point, the shopping is done and I'm thinking about the food. 

Sometimes even throughout the year, if I happen to come across something that would make a good gift for a certain person, I put it on my  Amazon wish list. When I start to look for gifts, I just check the wish list and consider the gift. This doesn't mean I necessarily buy it on Amazon, but a wish list can be a way to save ideas. 

To me, the most important thing is what goes in the gift bag. Not the gift bag or box itself. So, I get all my wrapping supplies at the dollar store. It's so much cheaper than anywhere else. I'm also not embarrassed to admit that I reuse gift bags if they are still in good condition. I call it recycling. 

This year I ended up buying most gifts on Amazon. This is because I've had to do a lot of things around the house because most likely I will be selling it in January. Or at least trying to sell it. For the busy person, one can't beat Amazon for the convivence. Just be sure to check the delivery date. I accidentally ordered something that wouldn't be here until after Christmas, and ended up cancelling it. 

One of the things I enjoy most is giving that surprise gift where I didn't ask the person what they wanted. I spend a lot of time thinking about that person. Their hobbies, their likes and dislikes. I also tend to go for practical things I know they need. At work, I gave someone a desk fan because she frequently complained of being too hot. The fan solved the problem. She says it's the gift she uses the most, and to me that's a win. I also like to look for unique gifts that the person probably doesn't have. One time I came across a common gift. A coffee mug. However, these were unique because they had a design on them that changed when the cup was hot. The design went from black and white to color. You can see them here. I gave those as gifts to a couple people. But of course, make sure the person drinks something hot on a regular basis or it won't get much use. In general, the most important thing is putting thought into the gift. Then the fun part is when they really love it. 

However, sometimes it's a struggle to buy for that hard to buy for person. My Dad tended to be one of those people. There is nothing wrong with asking, "What do you want for Christmas?" One thing that I do with my kids is I simply ask them for a list of what they want and then buy from the list. That way everyone's happy. 

Happy Holidays! 

Selling on Facebook Market Place.

I don't sell things too often online, but recently I made a sale on Facebook Market Place. A couple of other times I have used Ebay, but that was years ago. I sold a 16 foot aluminum ramp that was originally purchased at Lowes. The app is really easy to use. Probably easier if you have smart phone, but I have looked at and edited my ad using both phone and laptop. There were a few little difficulties though. For the ramp, I got a lot of responses. They started coming within a couple of hours of posting. Someone from about 50 miles south of me said he was going to drive out this afternoon. I wanted to put the ad on pending. For some reason, the pending button is hard to find, but I found it. 

Then a few hours later, the customer says that he found out he doesn't need the ramp because his loved one is going on hospice. So, okay, no problem. Then I go through all this searching to un-pend the Ad, and I eventually find it and do so. 
All day Sunday, things went silent. I looked at the ad again and a post ad button came up. So I was like do I need to repost it since I had it on pending? Is this why I'm not getting any responses? So I pressed the button that evening. 

First thing Monday morning, I was getting more messages starting at 5 a.m. I thought posting it again did the trick. So I was juggling getting ready for work and responding to customers. This continued into my day at work. The person I work with was on vacation, so I had double the work. This made it harder to respond. I had wanted to sell it over the weekend, and now it was dragging out. Several people would ask questions about the ramp that were on the product page. "How long is the ramp?" So, I'm thinking "Read the post, damn it!"  So of course, I didn't say that. 

Around noon, Facebook sent a notification. "This might be a duplicate listing." Sure enough there were two postings, and I've concluded that it happened when I pressed the "post ad button." Oddly the new ad said "Out of Stock." Why would it say that? Keep in mind, that I consider myself to be tech savvy. People at work come to me with their computer/software problems, and I solve them. 

So I deleted the the duplicate ad, and one conversation I was having disappeared. I had no way to contact the person that apparently was connected to the duplicate ad. 

However, I had another person wanting to come out buy the ramp. Once again, I put it on pending and thank goodness the messages stopped. That evening they came and bought it. Over all, I think FB Market Place is great. There are lots of customers and overall it's not that difficult. It just needs some tweaking. I plan to use it again because I have to move and moving means getting rid of things. 

Nursing Homes Need Help.

I haven't been able to post in a long time because of my Dad's decline in health. He passed September 23rd. In that time, I have been busy with hospitals, rehabs, a nursing home and finally hospice. 

It started when he lost the ability to stand up and walk with a walker. This made it really hard for me to take care of him. I work full time, and took care of him after work. He had caregivers during the day for the last five years. My daughter filled in when she was available. This saved him money, however, after five years he was running out of of money. I told him "If you can walk again, I can take you home on Sundays."  So this motivated him. He went to rehab and regained the ability to walk again with a walker. When someone is 87 years old, they don't really try too hard to figure out why someone can't walk, so I never found out. 

Next, he went to a nursing home for more therapy and from there he would transition into a long-term bed. Then I had to apply for Medicaid for him. This was one of the most stressful things in my life. They want all sorts of documents to prove that all assets have been depleted. Years ago we put the house in a trust, so it was protected. I also had recently prepaid for cremation. This had to be an irrevocable contract and I needed a a document for proof that I couldn't cash it in.  

I was warned that the nursing home charges $425 a day, so you better be covered. It often seemed like I was constantly finding documents, sighing papers and jumping through hoops. However, I felt relief when I turned in the stack of papers with the Medicaid application. 

Meanwhile, the nursing home was terrible. The rooms were too small (shared with another patient) I could barely even turn around in there. It was just enough room for a bed and a wheel chair. It was comparable in size to a walk in closet. This bothered my Dad and he would complain because his roommates side was bigger. However, I would point out that he had the window. 

I tried to help him make the best of it, but sometimes when I would visit, my Dad would be sitting in his wheel chair with a shirt on and a brief. No pants! His shoes went missing and nobody cared. I never did get them back. The bathroom stank, even when it appeared clean. It had no ventilation at all. The entire place had a musty blend of crap and urine. That smell tended to permeate everything. 

My Dad needed blood work at least once a month to determine if he needed an injection of "ProCrit" This was to boost his red blood cells. Usually, I would take him to the lab at his doctor's office, but someone at the nursing home said they could do it. I had to ask about ten times for them to do this and fax it to his doctor. This put him behind on those injections.  

I've heard so many stories of neglect in nursing homes these days. They all have staffing problems, but it's simply not acceptable. These nursing homes need to be made accountable. The price is outrageous for the little that they do. Where is all this money going? There has to be a better way of taking care of the elderly. It's just so horribly wrong. 

I did things to try and keep his spirits up while working full time and gathering documents. I would go there and take Dad out in the "Garden" It was an unimpressive patch of shaggy grass with some elevated flower boxes. I also took him out to eat on Saturdays and home for dinner on Sunday. I did this to keep his spirits up. I visited almost every day. One day, he was crabby and complaining about an unmade bed and how it wasn't fair his side of the room was smaller. The next time I came, I happened to bring him candy fish. He chowed them down, and I noticed how his mood was so much better. With this realization, I always had a treat ready in case of a bad mood. 

Then one Saturday it seemed like my Dad had a cold. He sounded congested. I had them test him for Covid, but it was negative. Even worse, once again he couldn't stand up. He ended up in the ER with heart failure. I told him he wouldn't have to go back to that place. Dad nodded because he knew what was happening. He preferred resting in peace, rather than go back there.  

Why I liked Star Trek Picard Season 3

I finally finished watching Star Trek Picard Season 3. It took me some time to even want to try it because I did not like Season 2. However, I started to become curious about all the old cast coming together. Turns out I really enjoyed it. If I had to give it stars, I would give it 5 stars. Not that I didn't notice a few questionable things, but overall I thought it had some brilliant moments. Here are the reasons I liked it. (Without giving away too many spoilers)

1. Plenty of star ship battles. Most of the characters are on a federation ship fighting an overpowering enemy ship. Star Trek is just better when their ship is involved. In some ways, the ship is a character that should always be included.  

2. Every episode is full of all kinds of conflict.
    A. Conflict with the Federation.
    B. Conflict with each other. Picard and Riker are even yelling at each other because they can't agree on how to keep their ship from being destroyed. Picard is also furious with Beverly for not telling him about their son.
    C. Conflict with what seems like a new, mysterious, powerful alien race. In a unique ship we haven't seen before.
    D. They end most episodes with an unresolved major problem. Even when you think they can rest…no they can’t.

3. A lot of mystery. They have an enemy they don't understand. Picard's son, Jack Crusher is surrounded in mystery. It made me want to keep watching, and these mysteries are answered by the end of the series.

4. The original cast is back and interesting because of their personal issues. Picard wants to have a relationship with his son, but Jack isn't all that interested. Riker is having marriage problems with Denna. Seven of Nine is a number one to a Captain that is obnoxious. She finds it hard to obey him if she thinks he's making a mistake. Raffi has been a character that tends to be wishy washy. However, in this season she teams up with Warf. He toughens her up. I liked seeing her progress. They find Data in a space station that is a security facility, only to discover that he is compromised. 

5. Big stakes. The fate of humans and humanoids are in grave danger everywhere throughout the galaxy.

6. Bits of humor here and there.

7. Creative moments that I don't want to spoil for anyone.

8. The potential for more with Jack Crusher, Seven, Raffi and Geordi's daughters. I really hope they get their own series. 

One thing about Star Trek is that you can't give up on it. Sometimes they produce movies or shows that just aren't very good. Yet, it always seems that they bounce back with something great. If you haven't seen it, give Picard Season 3 a try.

Why I liked the Mandalorian Season 3

I finally finished watching Season 3 of the Mandalorian. At first, it just didn't seem as good as the other seasons. The plot wandered a bit. The Mandalorian has been less serialized than other series tend to be, so what should we expect? Mando has always gone off on side missions, but it didn't seem to matter. The protection of Grogu always held the plot together in past seasons.

While I ended up liking season three, I wasn't as hooked as before. This caused me to take a long pause before the last two episodes. Here are some reasons why.

In the first chapter S3, Din Djarin (Mando) thinks it's important to follow a creed and wants to be restored to his faction. So, he asks the Armorer to restore his position. She says that since he removed his mask, he is no longer a Mandalorian (ouch!) He can only be redeemed if he bathes in the living waters of Mandalore, but nobody thinks it exists anymore. The Imperials turned Mandalore into a toxic wasteland. So finding this water does present a challenge for sure, but the end goal of being restored to his faction all over a mask, seemed a bit petty. I mean, he had to take it off in every circumstance. It's not like he did it willy-nilly. So why be a part of such a petty faction?

Also, the newness of a warrior like Din Djarin taking care of a child (Baby Yoda) has worn off a bit. Especially at first because Grogu wasn't really doing anything new or useful during any of the battles, even though we know he can.

Then chapter 19 "The Convert" tended to be the most confusing for me. It was about former imperials hiding in the New Republic. Most of the time I was thinking...where is Mando? I don't recall him being in the episode at all or maybe very little. However, when I look back on it, this Chapter might have been necessary for the viewer to see what was going on behind the scenes of these Imperials who are enemies of the Mandalorians. The ones who destroyed their home planet.

Later, Mando has discovered that the living water does exist and the atmosphere on Mandalore is breathable. Bo-Katan helps him find the living water and saves his life. She comes back with him to his faction. He is restored. Great. Then The Armorer tells Bo-Katan to take off her mask. This one really threw me. The Armorer wants to unite all factions of the Mandalorian, mask or no mask. It's the right move, but she wouldn't accept Mando for taking off his mask in life or death situations, but now it's okay?

However, I'm glad I came back for the last two episodes because I really enjoyed them. It all became about the Mandalorians uniting to take back their planet. They need each other to make it happen. This is big stakes. Bigger than masks. The Imperials don't want the Mandalorians to rise up again, let alone take back their planet. This causes a big battle for the finale. During the battle, Mando and Grogu both get put into serious danger. Grogu finally participates in the fight. So yes, I liked it and I'm glad I finished.

Something funny. The name Yoda. I think he was named that because it's so close to being the word Yoga, which is associated with meditation and concentration. Something that the Jedi have to do in order to master the force. The name Grogu sort of sounds like Guru. A person who is a master at something. This makes me wonder what the future will be for Grogu. Perhaps he will become very powerful. He's young, so there are a lot of possibilities. Is he related to Yoda? For now it's a mystery.

Man's Search for Meaning By Viktor Frankl

A while back, I kept hearing people mention the book "Man's Search for Meaning" By Viktor Frankland how it is a must read. A book written in 1946. Finally I read it, and it really did help me see things in a way I never fully realized. 

It's about a psychiatrist, Viktor Frankl who ended up in a concentration camp during WW2. It tells of how Viktor had a chance to leave, before the Nazi's came because he managed to get a passport. However, he didn't feel right about leaving his parents behind, so he stayed. At that time he didn't fully know what was going to happen.    

He was captured. Instead of being gassed, they used him for slave labor. The conditions as we know were horrible. They had to work in freezing weather without enough food, with rags for clothes and worn out shoes. Then diseases like typhus came through the camps. All the while the Nazi's beat them for every little reason. 

From Wikipedia

As a psychiatrist, he realized he was in a position to not only observe human behavior under the worst conditions, but to also experience it. He observed that some prisoners simply gave up and committed suicide or they would just lay in their bunk refusing to get up even if they were beaten. Some people just didn't want to live anymore. 

Then there were others who kept trying to survive. He found that these prisoners kept something to look forward to first in their mind. Then they would dwell on it. Sometimes they thought of things they enjoyed from the past. Viktor would think of happy times in the past with his wife. He would even imagine her talking to him. He didn't even know if she was alive (she wasn't.) Another thing is that he had been working on a book, and he looked forward to getting it published. These things kept him from not giving up. Viktor also helped other prisoners to find a purpose to help them go on. He says that even in a concentration camp one could find purpose. I can only imagine how difficult that must've been.  

The book also talks about the difficulties survivors faced. For example, all they thought about was being free, only to come home and find out they lost their spouses, children, etc. This made it difficult for survivors to find any happiness, even after being free. 

While reading this book, I thought back to times when I've had some sort of purpose and/or goal. It was in those times that I felt more alive than ever. It's when you give up on that goal, one one can fall into the rut of depression and anxiety. 

One of my goals was to have and raise kids. When I look back on those days, I feel like I'm in a happy place. Yet, nothing stays the same. I remember a time when summer was coming to an end, and I still hadn't gone anywhere the kids (now in their late teens.) They didn't want to do anything I mentioned. They were too busy with their own friends. For so long, they had been my purpose and now they preferred other people. It's a common thing for moms to feel that empty nest syndrome. I went through that for awhile, and simply told myself "Don't worry. They'll need you again. Watch and see." And that is honestly true.

There are people who reach amazing goals and become famous. Soon they realize it's a hard struggle to stay on top. This is because change is inevitable. This tends to be an unpleasant surprise for many.   

Of course, I've had the "let's write and publish a book that sells." ambition. For the first book, things were much more hopeful and exciting. Then I found out this is not easy. Sure it feels good to publish a novel, and I have some small successes here and there. I've enjoyed making other writer friends. Yet, sometimes I've thought: "Why do you keep this goal when it's so hard?" 

Then I read this book, and my question was answered. It drove home the importance of having a purpose, a goal, a dream regardless if you ever reach your goal or not.  This is because it's good for you. Without that dream, one is just existing. There is meaning in the journey, and it's a good time, whether or not you fully get to that big dream. 

And of course, read Viktor's book!