USF Turns 70

Celebrating 70 years of USF's rich history and vibrant campus life, where tradition meets innovation under the open skies. As you get older, anniversaries and milestones hit you differently. I don't know why. I don't regret anything in my life, but I do feel nostalgic sometimes. The other day, driving to work, I learned that the University of South Florida is celebrating 70 years this year. That surprised me, because the first founding class attended in 1960, so the 70th anniversary is actually a few years off. I attended USF from 1987 to 1990. I didn't graduate; I would have...

Star Trek: Outposts Unknown PC Game

“Star Trek: Outposts Unknown - Official Announcement Trailer - IGN To boldly go… and build in Star Trek: Outposts Unknown. Check out the Star Trek: Outposts Unknown announcement trailer for this upcoming narrative-driven outpost builder game set in the Star Trek universe. Build complex research facilities through the mysterious X’Lehari System. Explore strange new worlds, guide your crew through dangerous encounters, and uncover a cosmic force threatening all life in the system. Set alongside the era of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, your journey will take you across hostile environments, abandoned ships, ancient ruins, and a fragile civilization in desperate...

🍿 Watched Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Ghost War (2026) on Prime Video

⚠️ SPOILER WARNING: MILD SPOILERS Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan: Ghost War (2026) brings intense espionage and action as Jack Ryan and his team navigate a deadly covert conflict in a high-stakes battle for global security. My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐½ (3.5/5 stars) I agree with the other reviews. I loved the whole cast. John Krasinski does a fantastic job as the lead, and he works well as a replacement for Harrison Ford in this whole new series. The problem was the format: as a movie it felt rushed and the story couldn’t properly develop. This would have benefited from another season or...

Who's the Real Loser?

“Why Gen X is the real loser generation Don’t cry for millennials or Gen Z. Save your pity for those in their 50s — @daily-reads-TheEconomist on mastodon via Daily Reads” I am a Gen Xer, and I do not consider myself part of a loser generation. I do think my generation came up during a time when the family was under assault from companies, the economy, and a culture that made it harder and harder for one parent to stay home. I know my mother and father resisted that pressure for as long as they could. My mother was a...

AI Isn't Black and White

People of all ages and backgrounds come together outdoors, connecting ideas and technology to illuminate the diverse and collaborative nature of AI innovation. Okay, this will probably sound controversial, but that's not my intent. I'm just sharing my thoughts because AI is everywhere right now, especially on social media and in blog posts. These views range from fairly neutral:1 • Manton Reece • Tom Casavant • Paul Thurrott • Richard Campbell To fairly positive, with the idea that you need to learn or use AI because... • Jim Mitchell • Numeric Citizen • Leo Laporte • Hey Loura • Ricardo...

Parsley, Pot Roast, and Changing Tastes

“Why 1980s Meals Were Always Garnished With Parsley - Food Republic From steak dinners to bowls of soup, 1980s restaurants topped nearly every dish with a sprig of parsley. But why was this garnish so ubiquitous? — Food Republic (@foodrepublic.bsky.social) on bluesky (source)” I saw this Bluesky post come across my timeline because I follow Food Republic, and it got my attention. When I was a kid and teenager, I did not like parsley. But now, in my 50s, I actually do not mind it. I started using it after following some recipes from Chef Jean-Pierre, who has a YouTube...

I came across this hilarious YouTube short from a British TV show. I think the British have some great TV, and this one had me rolling on the floor laughing. Enjoy! [YouTube Video]

🍿 Watched Nobody (2021)

⚠️ SPOILER WARNING: MILD SPOILERS My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5 stars) Highly, highly unbelievable yet very entertaining. Great cast. If you want to kill about two hours and are after a fun, fast-paced movie, this delivers. It’s not profound, but it does exactly what it sets out to do, entertain. This product uses the TMDb API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDb

Loura's Website Magic

If you ever want to see a master craftswoman at website design and theming, then you must stop over at Hey Loura! She is also in my BlogRoll. Her latest creation is spectacular and pirate-themed. She keeps outdoing herself each time she updates. I love her work and wish I could do, or get an AI to do, what she does. I have tried. I am still working on a 4th of July theme, but I can't get it to see my vision. Anyways, great job, Loura! I can't wait to see what you come up with next.

Memes Connect Us, I Guess

I usually watch BGT (Britain's Got Talent) clips on YouTube because the British often have really interesting acts. One I liked was the Glantaf Boys Choir from Wales. They were excellent, and it made me wonder why we don't have this kind of all-male boy choir here. We do have choruses and choirs, but they are almost always mixed. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's a different cultural tradition and it's special to see and hear an all-male choir perform. What really caught my attention, though, was KSI. I had never heard of him until this year's BGT, but...

Moon Views, Earth Love

I have been watching the Artemis II mission off and on. I saw these pictures on the NASA website, and here are a few that I really like. They definitely got me thinking. I have always been fascinated by space and the Heavens. I would like to go to space, but not like we do today. If I went, I would want it to be on a Star Trek type shuttle or ship. Our spacecraft, much like our planes, are little more than thin tin cans. Looking at these pictures really affected me. The Moon is very dead and very...

Birthday Thoughts on a Country at a Crossroads

At a pivotal crossroads, a nation contemplates its future between the pursuit of wealth and industry or the call to civic duty and democratic engagement. I turn 57 this month, and with everything going on in the world, it almost feels like an afterthought. This year feels worse, more doom and gloom than others. I am not entirely sure why, but it is not just politics. The economy has been rough too, with gas prices staying high, in my case over $4.25 a gallon, along with rising costs across the board and ongoing tech hardware shortages. It all adds to...

🍿Watched Civil War (2024)

⚠️ SPOILER WARNING: FULL SPOILERS In Civil War (2024), the iconic torch of liberty becomes a battleground as soldiers clash atop its flame, symbolizing the fierce struggle for freedom amid chaos. My Rating: ½ (0.5/5 stars) The movie stunk, and it stunk so bad I kept watching only for the action at the end. It made no sense to me. Why were we in a civil war? Seems more like a feel-good piece for the press. There were undertones of innuendo but no reason was given, nothing clear was given. It was basically like the viewer came in the middle...

History Made April 1, 2026 Artemis II Launched!

History was made today. The kind of history that will be written about and studied for years to come, and I was able to capture it from my backyard. Artemis II successfully launched with a crew of four and is heading to the Moon. Not as great, magnificent, or universe changing as what we will celebrate this Sunday with Easter and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, not even close. But still amazing. Here is what I get to see from my house on the other side of the coast of Florida. Not as amazing as being there, but still awesome....

🍿 Watched Chief of Station (2024)

⚠️ SPOILER WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS My Rating: ⭐⭐½ (2.5/5 stars) The cast has done good work in other films, but not here. They were probably paid, but the story was terrible. Calling it a 2.5 felt generous. In my view, there was nothing redeeming about this movie. This product uses the TMDb API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDb: https://www.themoviedb.org

Exploring Stardock's Clairvoyance

A man joyfully adjusts settings on a futuristic interface labeled Analyzing, exploring the possibilities of Stardock's Clairvoyance technology in a cozy, modern workspace. I have been trying out a new app from Stardock called Clairvoyance. It is a nice AI interface that is very powerful and lets you use API keys to interact with large language models and do all kinds of things. It also takes a privacy-first approach and is a bit more user friendly than some other tools I have tried. I will say this has been very compelling and interesting to use. I honestly cannot believe it...

Mike Elgan Nails It

“https://elgan.com/why-you-should-love-blogs-now-more-than-ever Why you should love blogs now more than ever , Mike Elgan (@MikeElgan@mastodon.social) on sharkey (source)” I saw Mike's post in my timeline, and it's referenced above. While I know some people hate AI with a passion, I agree that AI content has, for the most part, made the internet harder to enjoy. I agree with his post wholeheartedly, and maybe it will bring blogs - and hearing from people on blogs - back into the spotlight. There was a time when most blogs looked quaint and personal, reflecting the owner's personality not only in their words but in...

My Blogging Platform Odyssey

A lone traveler embarks on a journey through a vibrant valley of blogging platforms, seeking the perfect path to share their voice and stories with the world. Okay, it has been one year since I joined Micro.blog and Scribbles.page, and just over a year since I joined Write.as. I thought I would review all three services with a clear winner, a hard can't wait for my subscription to end and won't be renewing, and a dark horse. I joined all three within months of each other looking to get rid of my InMotionHosting web host and get away from WordPress....

Political Disillusionment

“⚠️ Warning: Political Rant” Okay, this is one of the few politically related posts I make each year because politics are so divisive. So here’s your warning: if you’d rather not read political commentary, feel free to stop here. The recent armed action against Iran has me conflicted. I believe it's more of a distraction and a pretext than a genuine strategic necessity. While the issues we face in America come from the neglect of both parties, Trump seems to be using these problems to his advantage. This situation should have been addressed years ago when Iran first began developing...

Better Health, Bigger To-Do List

A cluttered desk overflowing with DVDs, game controllers, and a computer setup highlights the challenge of balancing a busy to-do list with the pursuit of better health and productivity. I haven't blogged lately for several reasons. I have been feeling much better from my Obstructive Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (I have blogged extensively about it in several past posts). I will just say my Camzyos and Metoprolol 200 mg ER twice daily seems to be working. I am sleeping at night and I hardly feel my heart symptoms anymore. The only lingering negative is a high heart rate most of the time,...