Rant
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Password Hygiene
I’ve been meaning to write this for a while, but I never have time. Think of this as a tutorial, rather than a rant. Today, we’re going to talk about password hygiene. Password hygiene is the process you use to keep your passwords safe. It’s just as important as brushing your teeth. Your passwords control all of your online life. You login to just about everything. Your various accounts have all kinds of information on them. Imagine how much about you someone could learn, if they read through your email. Or your Facebook account. Or your bank account. I’m not even talking about the damage that could be done. I’m…
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My Idea for House of the Dragon
With House of the Dragon Season 2 starting next week, I thought I’d share my ideas for what I would have done, if I was in charge. First, let’s tell the story of the entire house, not just the Dance. Let’s make it an anthology. Each season (for the most part) would tell a different chapter in the story. There were 17 Targaryen rulers (18 if you include Rhaenyra) spanning roughly 300 years.
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Biography: Gregor MacGregor
They say that those who don’t pay attention to history are doomed to repeat it. This may or may not have anything to do with anything that’s happening today. Con artists have always existed. If you notice similarities between our subject tonight and any other people in the world, so be it. Gregor MacGregor was a Scottish soldier and adventurer. Oh. And he also tried to pull off one of the most outlandish cons in history.
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Real to Reel: The Expanse
Finally after 8 months of “research”. The article that was the inspiration for this entire series. The Expanse. It consists of 6* books, and 6 seasons of glorious TV. The show did a great job adapting the books. There are certainly some changes, but the overall story and main plot points are the same. And no, I didn’t just decide to write this article because I wanted an excuse to reread and rewatch the story. (Hint: I totally did.) *Yes. I know there are 9 books, and a bunch of short stories, but the last three books weren’t adapted. Read the entire series. It’s really good. The last book is…
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My Neck Tie Presentation
The other day, I was the featured speaker at the annual Bow Tie Club dinner at my job. I got to give a presentation on neck ties, as well as the crazy knots I usually wear. The event was not filmed, but I received a ton of positive feedback from those who attended, so I decided to share it. Since my site is text based, you won’t get the same feeling as if you were here, but hopefully you’ll enjoy it, too. The pictures are the slides from my presentation. Enjoy.
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Intent, Interpretation, Invention
Over the decades, particularly the last decade, society has evolved. In most cases, this is good. Progress. Enlightenment. Empathy. Certainly, there are numerous cases where the opposite has happened. Who would have thought that nazis would see a resurgence. Instead, I want to focus on the positive. Don’t worry. It’s still me. This concerns how our messages are conveyed and received by our audience. Particularly the latter.
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Real to Reel: The Hunt for Red October by Tom Clancy
Welcome back to Real to Reel. Here I compare books to their live action adaptations. Last time, I compared The Count of Monte Cristo with the 2002 affront to gods and man adaptation. This time, I’m going to compare The Hunt for Red October with the 1990 film. In a way, this is the opposite of the last article. Whereas the 2002 Count of Monte Cristo was terrible, the 1990 Hunt for Red October is a great movie. Arguably better than the book.
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Diversity of Thought
Have you ever heard the phrase “like minded individuals”? I’m sure you have. It’s become a sort of buzzphrase. Anytime someone wants to join a group, they say they want to meet like minded individuals. Why do you want to go to see the sports team? “I want to meet like minded individuals.” Why do you belong to that Facebook group? “I wanted to get to know like minded individuals.” Who are you looking for on this dating website? “Sexy like minded individuals who like The Office.” When I see this, my brain automatically translates it to “closed minded individuals”.
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Real to Reel: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas
Welcome to a new recurring segment, where I will compare books to their live action adaptations. Today’s critique is on The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas vs the abomination that is the 2002 version with Guy Pierce and Jim Caviezel. Figures, since my name is Dantes, I should start with this. Now, I know that this book has been adapted 100s of times in various media. I’m focusing specifically on the 2002 atrocity. Hint: I hated this movie.
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Review: The Batman
I, as any sane person, love the character of Batman. Some Batmans are good. Some Batmans are bad. But when given the opportunity to see a Batman, I will jump at the chance. Ten years or however long it’s been since I found out that Robert Pattinson was going to be the Batman, after Ben Afflect decided to give up the cowl, I was excited. I knew that Heath Ledger’s Joker was far better than anyone expected from the dude from 10 Things I Hate About You, so I had the same attitude of optimism for the dude from Twilight. Then I heard that the Riddler would be the main…
