John K.

We're almost there! Help take this project over the top if you can. Short fiction by me, @yesthatstevengrant.bsky.social, @kradec.bsky.social and many more. Edited by the great @bobgreenberger.bsky.social.

www.kickstarter.com/projects/661...

There are some loose ends that might have been addressed, but I wonder if they are being left to the second season. Which I hope the series will get; there are still three more books to adapt!

Down Cemetery Road 1x08: "What Will Survive": Despite all the changes, the season (?) finale lands roughly in the same place as the source material. At least it retained one of the moments I was most anticipating! #DownCemeteryRoad

Today’s commuting pick:

David Bowie: hours… (1999)

From the Brilliant Adventure box set. After stretching in diverse directions through much of the 90s, this felt a bit more “safe”, though it is still pretty good and melodic.

#DavidBowie

There are plenty of callbacks to previous episodes and stories, but it never overwhelms the thrust of the narrative.

Star Trek: Identity Theft by Greg Cox: For the 60th anniversary of Star Trek, we get a novel set (mostly) during the movie era, focusing on Chekov. For those of us who felt like Chekov never got the character exploration he deserved over the years, this is a fun adventure. #StarTrek #CoSoBooks

Today’s commuting pick:

Jason Bieler and the Baron Von Bielski Orchestra: The Baroness Sessions (2025)

Bieler reworks some of his songs for a female voice and it works so well!

#JasonBieler

Even so, the existing version works pretty well. As does the exploration of Lyta's poor treatment. Imagine if the command staff, especially Sheridan, had been more kind.

Babylon 5 4x14: "Moments of Transition": It's too bad the Minbari Civil War was so truncated; it would have been interesting to see a fuller version. Similarly, the lead-up to Sheridan's decision to take up arms was supposed to be longer. #Babylon5

Provocative, yes, but not nearly the war it could be. Even Kate has to realize how much worse it could get.

The War Between the Land and the Sea 1x02: "Plastic Apocalypse": To be honest, not unlike Barclay, I think Salt has valid points. Sure, it is highly disruptive, but it's hard not to have a measure of sympathy. All that said, this isn't much of a war so far, despite how certain actions are described.

My biggest issue is the release strategy; to remain unspoiled, I had no choice but to sail the high seas. Thanks, Disney!

The War Between the Land and the Sea 1x01: "Homo Aqua": I can definitely see the comparisons with certain storylines from Torchwood. This feels like it could fit into a similar mold. This first episode of the mini-series has me intrigued, though it is a very slow and deliberate setup.

YouTube video by Rush - Topic Virtuality (2004 Remaster)

"Virtuality", Rush

youtu.be/4H2_fQ8xWCM?...

#Rush

Movie you’ve watched more than six times with a gif. Hard mode: no Stars (Wars nor Trek), LOTR, or Marvel, Disney Animated or Pixar.

The second half is far less effective, as the military's real plans come into focus. Besides being a clunky commentary on the current political climate, it's also a ridiculously stupid plan.

IT: Welcome to Derry 1x07: "The Black Spot": I've said it before, the most chilling evil in this series is not Pennywise. It's the humans. And we see that play out over the first half of the episode. #ITWelcomeToDerry

Today’s commuting pick:

Dream Theater: Quarantieme: Live a Paris (2025)

Starting out with the first disc today.

#DreamTheater

But this is a grim episode on that account. Though aspects of the final act were satisfying, in a sense.

Spartacus: House of Ashur 1x02: "Forsaken": I find it interesting how the writers can so quickly have the audience wanting Ashur, previously a reviled villain, to succeed. Part of that is wanting those around him to get a win, but people want to see the underdog prevail. #SpartacusHouseOfAshur

I've been a loyal user of TV Time to track my shows for years but I am getting really tired of how often the app doesn't work...

Congrats to Inter Miami and Messi on a big win in the MLS Cup! They are not my team, but it's been fun following them this season. #MLS #MLSCup

Rewards from: @cdanabbott.bsky.social, @dattico.bsky.social, Beth Cato, Russ Colchamiro, @kradec.bsky.social, Michael Jan Friedman, Esther Freisner, @paulkupperberg.bsky.social, @alisakwitney.bsky.social, @gryphonrose.bsky.social, Hildy Silverman, @astralcolt.bsky.social, & me.

It brought back all of the fun elements I remember from the original and pushed many of the same boundaries. I'll be keeping up with this one.

Spartacus: House of Ashur 1x01: "Dominus": I was on the fence about this extension of the Spartacus franchise. I loved the original show, but this seemed like an unnecessary follow-up. To my surprise, after an awkward setup scene, this worked fairly well for me. #SpartacusHouseOfAshur

YouTube video by Brendon Snyder What Just Dropped? - New Albums Released December 5, 2025

I ordered the CD version of the Depeche Mode release; it should be good for future work commutes!

Donald Trump just removed Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Juneteenth from the list of free entry days at national parks.

They are being replaced with Trump’s birthday.

Wednesday: affordability is a con job
Thursday: here's new floor plans for a golden ballroom expansion

Now playing:

Rush: Test for Echo (1996)

#Music #Rush

The USPS posting a NINE BILLION DOLLAR LOSS!!! sounds terrible. Certainly worse than if you said "USPS costs thirty dollars per person per year" even though that means the same thing and more accurately describes a government service