https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/index.htmlShort ReviewsenenKevin C. WongCopyright 2020, Kevin C. Wong2026-05-22T12:00:00-07:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Thu, 2 Jan 2020 00:15:43 -0800Kevin C. WongReviews2026-05-13T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-05-13-a-female-student-arrives-at-the-imperial-college-2021.html#unique-entry-id-1057https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-05-13-a-female-student-arrives-at-the-imperial-college-2021.html#unique-entry-id-1057A Female Student Arrives at the Imperial College is a Chinese drama-romance set in ancient times and running 30 45-minute episodes. Sang Qi (Zhao Lu Si, who I've seen in many series and I like her performances), a noble's daughter, is the first female student ever at the Imperial College and has to deal with the usual bullying for violating social norms. Two people on her side are childhood friend Zhuo Wen Yuan (Ren Hao), who is also the top student, and vice principal Yan Yun Zhi (Xu Kai Cheng), who promised Sang Qi's brother he'd help her though he does so secretly and in bullying way.

The romance is between these three. Once Sang Qi starts to realize Yan Yun Zhi is actually helping her she starts to develop an affection for him. Similarly Yan Yun Zhi interacting with Sang Qi all the time leads him to fall for her (which leads to one theme for the OPFOR -- if the people attracted to the two leads split them apart and then force them to be around them through enforced marriage love will develop because of constant close proximity). Meanwhile Zhuo Wen Yuan has always secretly loved Sang Qi so he starts competing with Yan Yun Zhi and it's kind of obvious why but Sang Qi is quite oblivious to Zhuo Wen Yuan's feelings for her.

Besides the romance the main drama is a smuggling ring that Yan Yun Zhi, helping the investigating authorities, is trying to crack. But every time he gets close the villains get away or something else happens and half of it is because Zhuo Wen Yuan's family secretly runs the smuggling ring (or they're the senior partner to the public-facing rebels who do the all the dirty work). Zhuo Wen Yuan is sort of heir presumptive so doesn't lead the ring but as the series goes on he takes more and more control bringing him into conflict with mom because he's getting distracted trying to win Sang Qi's love.

I really liked the beginning of the series which is more based in the college and college life (half way through they graduate and become junior officials). Here it shows off Sang Qi as a tough intelligent woman who cleverly avoids bullying attempt and eventually wins over at least some of the student body. Meanwhile she's also sparring with Yan Yun Zhi and although probably comes off a bit worse she holds her own. I think that kind of goes away in the second half of the series and Sang Qi is much more often a victim that needs to be rescued and I kind of disliked that part.

Also with thirty episodes and only one villain group it's always "you defeated a minor boss but there's a bigger boss next up the chain" and there's an inordinate amount of "I'm the only witness so what I say is true" even if there was another witness but he's dead now so what he said doesn't count. The last few episodes I was just waiting for it to be over.

Overall I don't regret watching this series as it's quite good at times but not consistently good to bring it above average.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-05-11T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-05-11-the-rise-of-major-league-soccer-2025.html#unique-entry-id-1054https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-05-11-the-rise-of-major-league-soccer-2025.html#unique-entry-id-1054The Rise of Major League Soccer: Building a Global Giant by scholars Rick Burton and Norm O'Reilly is really a book about why business people should invest in MLS either directly, partnerships, or ad support.

The authors sort of cover the history of MLS from the 1994 FIFA World Cup which was held in the USA, through the founding of the MLS in 1996, through almost folding in 2010 or so, to its partnership with Apple, Lionel Messi, and the coming World Cup in 2026.

Chapters

1. Conquering the World: The Rise of MLS
2. Soccer is Big Business: So is MLS
3. Don Garber: Growth-Oriented Leadership
4. How MLS Altered the Failure Trend in North America
5. How the 1994 FIFA World Cup Shaped MLS
6. MLS and David Beckham: Why an Englishman's Arrival Tipped the Scales
7. MLS in Miami: How Lionel Messi made Inter Miami a Global Brand
8. MLS Expansion: The When, Where, and Why of MLS Growth
9. COPA 2024, FIFA Club World Cup 2025, FIFA World Cup 2026, and the LA 2028 Summer Olympics: What They Will Mean to MLS
10. MLS: The Diversity Advantage
11. How Toronto Became an MLS Stronghold
12. Ted Lasso, Ryan Reynolds, and EA Sports F: How Celebrities and Video Games Continue Lifting MLS
13. Tech Cities, Tech Teams, Tech Stadiums: How Technology is Reshaping MLS's Relevance
14. Predicting MLS's Future

As you can see from the chapter titles this is not very chronological and is mostly about why MLS is still a growth sport that is now the 5th major sport in the USA and may possibly catch up and be top 4 or even top 3.

The chapters are short and all include one or two Expert opinions or anecdotes that run several pages. I think I read the whole thing in about six hours over three days so it was interesting enough to kind of keep at it.

Still this is not a book for fans so I wouldn't recommend it.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-05-08T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-05-08-spot-reviews-05-08-26.html#unique-entry-id-1055https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-05-08-spot-reviews-05-08-26.html#unique-entry-id-1055Vivy: Flourite Eye's Song (2021) [/] Science fiction AI robot anime story with 13 half-hour episodes. Vivy (voiced in English by Cristina Vee) is the first independent AI robot -- there are other robots and humanity depends on many many robots but they are all simpler AIs controlled by a central computer whereas Vivy can think for herself.

All she wants to do is sing and make people happy. But she meets Matsumoto (Max Mittelman), a robot from 100 years in the future when all the robots rose up and wiped out humanity. Matsumoto is tasked with stopping that and he needs Vivy's help as she's the only robot that survived 100 years. Although reluctant Vivy decides to help on and off over the next hundred years because saving humanity means she can sing to people and make them happy.

Good animation and the jumps forward in time are interesting at first since Matsumoto can tell Vivy how history is changing. Also Vivy meets more and more advanced robots who don't seem quite as human as her. Not sure I really like the ending or at least how the crisis is finally resolved.

Puzzles & Dragons Story (2023) [/] Apple Arcade. Sort of a linear story fantasy RPG. Collect characters and level them up. Each room is like three combats. Each fight is your team vs multiple monsters using a match-3 mechanism to attack and trigger your powers. Not that interesting a game without exploring, interacting with NPCs, and solving puzzles or doing quests.

Sonic Dream Team (2023) [-]. Apple Arcade. 3d adventure game where you control Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends. The levels are Sonic-like in that some parts are speed and reflexes but other parts are more platform exploration with Sonic mechanics. I found it unplayable though maybe with a controller. Good graphics though.

Napoleon Journal #17 (2000) [/] This is a special issue of the quarterly full-color magazine and is meant to introduce new people to the Age of Napoleon. A history of the age from before the fall of the Bourbons to Napoleon's second abdication with asides about science, culture, food, fashion, etc. A look at the major powers and a brief look at all of Napoleon's battles (just broken down into how many fought on each side and what their casualties were). The level of detail is less than I'd like and for the most part it glosses over battles. If it were a book I wouldn't keep it in my library and as a magazine less so but it's a good attempt for a small circulation magazine and it does have a lot of photos and illustrations... Oh actually this is the last issue of the magazine before it went under. You can order a DVD of all back issues on their web site.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-05-06T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-05-06-unveil-jadewind-2026.html#unique-entry-id-1056https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-05-06-unveil-jadewind-2026.html#unique-entry-id-1056Unveil: Jadewind is a Chinese historical drama running 34 45-minute episodes. Set in ancient China this is kind of like a procedural crime drama (mostly murders). Fuchang County Princess Li Pei Yi (Bai Lu) is one of the top investigators in the Palace Investigative Bureau. She is beautiful, an excellent warrior, and rather reckless as the first case shows when she uses a heart stopping pill to feign death and winds up buried alive (luckily a shallow grave and she cleverly manages to send up a signal for the rest of her team).

Early on she has to enlist the aid of the Astronomical Bureau who send deputy director Xiao Huai Jin (Wang Xing Yue) who manages to stay the rest of the series because so many clues have astronomical origins, either directly -- like knowing where the moon was at the time of a murder -- or indirectly -- like knowing that mirrors can focus dim moonlight to bright enough that it looks like a lantern.

A certain sort of romance develops between the two. But also secrets. Li Pei Yi's family was murdered fifteen years ago (the official reason is dad went mad and killed everyone then himself) and she's been looking for the real culprits since. Turns out Xiao Huai Jin knew her when she was a kid and helped her survive that night but she doesn't remember and he does. As Li Pei Yi gets closer to her family's true killers (it does seem to be layer upon layer to get to the head boss) she also starts to figure out she and Xiao Huai Jin's common past.

But although there is a romance subplot this is mostly a stylish crime solving in ancient China show with a good number of cases, each going two or three episodes and often one case leads to the next. Sets and costuming are nice and the fight sequences are well done. The crimes are quite ingenious at times and it's a good thing Li Pei Yi is great at smelling out herbs and poisons and examining bodies, whereas Xiao Huai Jin is great at looking at a scene and seeing what's out of place.

Good series and very entertaining.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-05-04T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-05-04-nba-2k24-arcade-edition-2023.html#unique-entry-id-1053https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-05-04-nba-2k24-arcade-edition-2023.html#unique-entry-id-1053NBA 2K24 Arcade Edition is I guess maybe a slightly cut-down version of NBA 2K24 for mobile devices. This is a pro basketball game based on the NBA with real player names and likenesses.

Game Modes

• Play Now - for an instant game
• My Career - create a player then go from the playgrounds to the big leagues
• The Greatest - play one of the great players or form one of the great teams
• The Association - play a full season where you can manage game strategy and trade players

Normal game play on an iPad is not easy even with UI on easy. I'm not sure I'd be good with a controller in any case. As usual you control the player with the ball and when you pass you control that player. On defense you control the closest defender and I guess you can switch to other players.

I just played The Association and played games with Simulcast which means it's an automated game and you have an overhead X's and O's view so you see these circles moving around (each circle has the player's last name, face and position) and the ball being passed and shot. More importantly perhaps you have crowd sounds and sportscaster comments (they use real sportscaster personalities and there is a lot of varied audio commentary and a lot is stitched together but you don't really notice that). It is like listening to an NBA on the radio while looking at a real-time X's and O's display.

With The Association you can play all the games, or Simulcast, or even just get the result of each game and concentrate on coaching and player personnel.

This is a fun distraction game even though mostly not my type of game.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-05-01T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-05-01-spot-reviews-05-01-26.html#unique-entry-id-1052https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-05-01-spot-reviews-05-01-26.html#unique-entry-id-1052War Machine (2026) [/] A group of Ranger-candidates on their final test (a week long mission in the wilderness) encounter an alien mecha that starts hunting them down. With no live ammo it's mostly running away and trying to stay ahead of the two-legged mech. Alan Ritchson plays the grizzled Army sergeant with a bad knee who's on his third try to join the Rangers. He's a loner but was given command of the candidates and the stress of the mission finally brings out the leader in him. The movie ends with a patriotic Starship Troopers style "let's go fight the alien invasion" which I guess sets up follow-on movies because it turns out thousands of mechs landed all over the Earth. The action is pretty good and the mech is fairly cool and quite scary in a couple of scenes when it's right there with the candidates (I guess it's a couple of stories tall).

Delicious - Miracle of Life+ (2023) [/] Sort of a Diner Dash restaurant sim plus a family story. You play mom Emily who runs a big kitchen that serves customers over-the-counter, on two dining tables, and one cooking lessons table. Customers come in and give you their orders and you tap on stuff to assemble the order, tap to deliver the order, tap to take their money, tap to clean a table. Some dishes require cooking so you tap on the stove to cook and refill up to six items. Some things require a timing thing where a meter goes back and forth and you tap to stop the meter on the green area. There is some strategy is timing such as making a counter customer wait to pay a bit so you can get two payments in a row. I've played a few levels and nothing really new in terms of gameplay.

But there is a story. Emily and her husband Patrick want to make a baby which they were having trouble with but then she becomes pregnant and so we go through that story. The game starts with a three or four minute prelude and there are often one to two minute intermissions to tell more story with the characters moving around and saying dialog (better than a wall of text). I like that the characters make comical expressions in the intermissions which gives them life.

It's a cute story well told to go along with proven gameplay.

The normal version is $15 in-app to unlock the full game. There is also a GameHouse subscription if you love their games, though it is a lot more expensive than Apple Arcade.

Disney Dreamlight Valley (2023) [-] Apple Arcade version -- the game is available on other platforms. You are sucked into a fairly land plagued by Night Thorns that rob memories. Merlin is there for the tutorial and to activate your powers that allow you to destroy Night Thorns. Do quests and free the various Disney characters... On my iPad Air M3 the game is a bit laggy and you don't any settings to reduce graphics. More annoying -- although you can customize your looks you can't customize your name so it keeps using my full name (that it got from Apple Game Center I guess). Both those things don't make it a game I want to keep playing.

La Petite Camille, Millbrae - Beef Stew with Rice Com Bo Kho [-] Got this from delivery. Soup container + small white rice container. You kind of need a bowl to mix it in. Tastes fine though a bit plain; a little light on the stew flavors. I remember the pho place near my Union City house had good beef stew pho. Would not get again if I remember... I see previously I loved the garlic noodles and with the catfish fillet it's quite good. Hopefully I remember next time.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-04-29T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-04-29-dear-hongrang-2025.html#unique-entry-id-1048https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-04-29-dear-hongrang-2025.html#unique-entry-id-1048Dear Hongrang is a South Korean drama-romance running 11 hour-long episodes.

Jae-yi (Jo Bo-ah - Tail of the Nine Tailed, 2020; Military Prosecutor Doberman, 2022; Destined With You, 2023) is the "cursed" daughter of a prominent merchant clan. Her brother Hong-rang disappeared when they were both kids and after 15 years there have been many impostors but no Hong-rang. Until one day Hong-rang (Lee Jae-wook - Alchemy of Souls, 2022/2023) appears and seems to fit all the physical marks but claims amnesia and Jae-yi instinctively knows it's not Hong-rang.

Jae-yi's adopted brother Mu-jin (Jung Ga-ram) agrees though on the other hand it's in Mu-jin's best interest that Hong-rang be fake as he would then become the heir presumptive over Mu-jin. As the three do battle socially there's also a bigger battle between Merchant head Shim Yeol-guk (Park Byung-eun), who favors Mu-jin, and his wife Min Yeon-ui (Uhm Ji-won), who favors her returned son Hong-rang and whose family owns the merchant house (Yeol-guk married into the family so even though he's the head of house he's not head of the clan).

Besides Shim Yeol-guk and Min Yeon-ui there are two other factions (with warriors and there are a lot of fights and dying in this series). Hong-rang has a secret patron with ninja-like warriors and they're set on taking over the Min Merchant house. Prince Han Pyeong (Kim Jae-wook - Her Private Life, 2019; male lead's older brother in Melo Movie, 2025) is a bit mad and obsessed with painting and has the royal army and is nominally allied with Shim Yeol-guk.

With four factions it does get confusing as to who is fighting who in a particular fight scene especially when it starts out as two factions and then a third joins in. The romance that occurs is very hurried to the point it's not as believable as usual (I guess with 11 episodes something had to be shortened). The ending is kind of a rough bloodbath and nobody wins.

Jo Bo-ah is pretty and good. The costumes are sets are good. Fight scenes are fine. Wasn't crazy about the complicated plot made worse because it's telling a story in 2/3rds the usual episodes. So overall this is not a series I recommend.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-04-27T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-04-27-battleground-ukraine-2024.html#unique-entry-id-1050https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-04-27-battleground-ukraine-2024.html#unique-entry-id-1050Battleground Ukraine covers the history of Ukraine from its independence in 1991 to about the end of 2023 after the war with Russia has been going on for almost two years. Author Adrian Karatnycky has been working for political think tanks and NGOs and mostly covering Ukraine since independence with lots of traveling and talking to political leaders from all sides.

Each chapter covers one presidency from Leonid Kravchuk who led the country before there was a real constitution to current president Volodymyr Zelensky who gets two chapters, one before the war and one since the war. The overall picture is a country that was divided between Ukrainian and Russian supporters with the two ethnic groups being mostly separate in the west and east of the country. Early government was full of corruption and privatization of state industries led to a powerful oligarchy who controlled large parts of the legislature by supporting their candidates. Some presidents tried to reform government and the economy with mixed success.

But all the presidents were pretty much part of the system either in the old Soviet hierarchy or new oligarchs who kind of liked government the way it was. Volodymyr Zelensky is different since he was a political comedian with a television show and large following who got elected to president by being appealing in social media and promising change. Although his presidency started fairly rocky because he didn't really have a plan and did things by feel and he found out rapid change is hard even if you get a large number of inexperienced legislatives elected on your party platform. But war changed that and he rallied the country and with something immediate and specific to focus on he's become an effective president.

Similarly Russia's actions helped unite Ukraine. First by taking Crimea and then the invasion a decade later. Part of it is absorbing Russophobe territories they increased the percentage of Ukrainianists but also showing their aggression they put the fear into the rest of the Russophobes so now the citizens have solidified into a Ukrainian people. Whether Ukraine is ultimately successful in reclaiming its lost territories or not depends a lot on Western aid and that is the ongoing story the book ends on.

I found this to be an interesting book as I knew very little about Ukraine beforehand. It's interesting how conflicting forces each corrupt have kind of cancelled out to end up with a more democratic Ukraine than you'd think. And this without Western help as we have a "you reform first then we'll help your burning country" which makes it really hard for a democracy to form.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-04-24T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-04-24-spot-reviews-04-24-26.html#unique-entry-id-1049https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-04-24-spot-reviews-04-24-26.html#unique-entry-id-1049Tehran s3 (2025) [+] Mossad agent Tamar (Niv Sultan) is stuck in Tehran and is now being hunted by both her Mossad superiors to the Iran secret police. Her only assets are Faraz (Shaun Toub), head of the secret police department hunter her but she can blackmail him, and her ability to win friends, even deep cover Mossad agent The Owl (Sasson Gabai) tasked with eliminating her. This season she has a reprieve because UN nuclear inspector Eric Peterson (Hugh Laurie) is arrested by the Iranians and Tamar discovers the Iranians have smuggled all the components to build a nuclear bomb... As usual this remains a high drama series with perhaps one too many plot twists (one of the bad guys turns out to be another undercover agent).

Hey Sensei, Don't You Know? (2019) [/] Japanese light romantic comedy based on manga. Six half-hour episodes. Mousy manga artist Hana Aoi (Fumika Baba) meets handsome hairstylist Riichi Kido (Eiji Akaso) who turns her into a beauty and then starts dating her because he likes her work ethic and personality. While her manga improves now that she has a real relationship to base it on (this is her first relationship) she has lots of insecurities about being a good girlfriend worthy of Riichi especially since popular actress Nanase Hoshino (Honoka Yahagi) is also after Riichi... I guess this is an ok series but it's very light and short and somewhat uninteresting at time but I suppose I'm not the target audience.

Hello Kitty Island Adventure (2023) [/] Kids-level exploration/interaction game. You're on a resort island with Hello Kitty and her friends. Wander around doing tasks, making friends, crafting stuff. It's described as a cozy adventure so I guess it's on easy mode. The graphics are nice and the character dialogs are fairly distinct though I didn't recognize anyone other than Hello Kitty itself. A bit too simple for me but it looks quite playable.

Bonchon, San Mateo [/] Christopher got a bunch of takeout and we ate it maybe an hour later. Wings of four flavors. Seasoned french fries. Wasn't really distinctive -- like what'd get from a buffalo wings place. They also have Korean Fried Chicken so maybe that's better.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-04-22T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-04-22-project-hail-mary-2026.html#unique-entry-id-1051https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-04-22-project-hail-mary-2026.html#unique-entry-id-1051Project Hail Mary is a science fiction film based on Andy Weir's novel (Weir also wrote The Martian).

The movie timeline pretty much starts today or very soon but it does start in media res about 5+ years later. A man wakes up with no memory in an enclosed man-made environment that turns out to be a spaceship with two other astronauts (who are both dead having died on the five year journey under induced coma).

Eventually he remembers he's Dr Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) and in flashbacks throughout the movie we learn the background plot and how he got there: The Sun is being eaten by some space amoebas (Astrophage -- sun eaters) which will cause catastrophic temperature drop on Earth in about three decades. Turns out all nearby stars are also going through this phenomena except for one, Tau Ceti, 11+ light years away. So Earth's government built a space ship (powered by astrophage which doesn't break the laws of physics but is orders of magnitude more efficient than any other Earth fuel source -- it's neat that the astrophage is jetted out the front which hits a parabolic shield that pushes the ship forward which I guess works because the astrophage is constantly accelerating, without expelling anything, once it starts so pushing out at the start is much less force than when it hits the shield).

Now Dr Grace has arrived at Tau Ceti and he finds another ship there, which then proceeds to make first contact with him (with some neat communication methods). He meets Rocky (eventually voiced via Rocky-language-to-speech synthesizer by James Ortiz), a sort of small rock-like being who is also the only survivor of his 24-being crew, here to save his world from the astrophage. Together they have to work together to figure out how the astrophage in Tau Ceti isn't eating the star...

Kind of like The Martian this is an engineering heavy film (science too I guess but there so much about building and gadgeteer-ing that it's more engineering). Unlike The Martian now we have two very different beings finding a way to both communicate and work together and become friends. I did end up with a few questions about what was going on but I guess the book would explain that better and the film is already 2-1/2 hours (it did have a somewhat Lord of the Rings endless ending that you could have cut off 30 minutes and just did a little voice-over "and then we each went home and saved out peoples").

It's a good film with lots of action parts, lots of cool science and engineering, and cute buddy comedy vibe.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-04-20T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-04-20-dont-fool-me-beauties-2025.html#unique-entry-id-1047https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-04-20-dont-fool-me-beauties-2025.html#unique-entry-id-1047Don't Fool Me, Beauties! is a Korean FMV Dating Sim from Storytaco. FMV (Full Motion Video) means filmed actors and dating sim means you're trying to form positive relationships.

You are Han Bin, a jobless young man whose parents finally kick him out of their home and force him to find a job. He finds one at a seaside resort hotel, Treebit, which is currently failing. With low occupancy rate the workforce gets their own rooms to stay at the hotel which gives you an excuse for being there 24x7.

As you go through your days you meet and interact with four women:

• Ga-eun, CEO of the hotel, who is under pressure from management to make the hotel profitable and from her grandfather to get married.
• Ah-young, your senior staffworker who's there to show you the ropes and also has a secret live-streaming hobby.
• Bit-na, Instagram influencer, kind of stranded at the hotel when her manager quits after a dispute.
• Ji-woo, your childhood friend and web comic illustrator, you haven't seen her in a decade she suddenly shows up to reconnect.
• The Manager, your immediate manager and the only male NPC. Although not a traditional partner there are like four or five choices that if you get them all right you end up with him.

Everything having been pre-filmed by necessity the gameplay is mostly choose-your-own-adventure style. You get some amount of video and then it stops and you get two, usually three, sometimes more choices. Some choices will increase your favor with one of the women (and there is a visual and audio confirmation so you don't have to guess). Less often are choices that decrease your favor (again with visual and audio confirmation). A very few choices end up with a Bad End. The choices are sometimes obvious, often not all that obvious, and sometimes didn't make sense to me but that was rare.

When you get to the end you get to choose which woman to end up with though you can only choose ones where you have enough favor and I think at best that's two of them (and probably not Bit-na and Ji-woo since several branches you interact with one or the other). The final 10-15 minute conversation you get two to four choices. If you get them all right you get a Happy Ending (and this time there are no audio/visual confirmations to indicate you made the best choice) which apparently is marriage. If not you get a Normal Ending which is bf/gf relationship. And one or two choices give you a Bad Ending (which means you don't even end up with the woman).

Once you've seen a video and start the next section you can stop and go to the chapter screen then choose a decision point to play over again. When you watch a scene for the first time you can only pause and go to the chapter screen but on re-watch you can skip back and forward or skip to the choice selection. The chapter screen tells you exactly which path you've taken and gives you a clue that some paths lead to sub-trees rather than going back to the main path.

As you play the game you get video and picture rewards, most are scenes from the game but some are different scenes like a scene with a character and you're not around (otherwise you're always around in every scene so everything is your POV).

The story is fairly simplistic and the situations are not that great. This is not a K-Drama and I've seen dating sims with more interesting characters and gameplay. But using real women is rather nice -- they're attractive (they're all Instagram models) and maybe not the best actresses but POV you're talking to them in closeup or close proximity so kind of intimate that way. This is a PG-rated story so no nudity or even suggested sex.

Playing it through takes 3 to 4 hours. Six chapters at about half an hour each plus the ending sequence. I did go back and go through every branch to get 100% on all the chapters and endings and Steam says I spent 20-1/2 hours playing (probably much less since I was also filling out a spreadsheet with the various paths).

This was my first FMV Dating Sim and I found it entertaining. I can't tell if this was a good or bad example of an FMV Dating Sim but I think I'd recommend it.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-04-17T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-04-17-spot-reviews-04-17-26.html#unique-entry-id-1044https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-04-17-spot-reviews-04-17-26.html#unique-entry-id-1044Wonder Pets: In the City (2024) [/] Children's education show on Apple TV. Our heroes are three pets: Izzy the Guinea Pig (Victoria Scola-Giampapa), Tate the Snake (Christopher Sean Cooper Jr.), and Zuri the Bunny (Vanessa Huszár). By day they're pets in a kindergarten. But after school they get calls from around the world -- animals in trouble that need their help. They put on their capes and use their flying toy vehicle to go help their brethren.

Educational in that every animal in trouble is at a place so there's a bit of explanation about what the animal is and its habitat. Also before they leave there's usually a bit of trouble they have to solve and that solution applies to helping the animal. Solutions are simple like "work together", or "don't help but support each other", or "dealing with frustration".

The animation is collage-like as if photos are cut out of magazines and put together. There are lots of song numbers from their intro to their solution song to traveling song and ending song. The hero pets are voiced by kids and I guess the singing is too. Each episode has two 10-minute segments. It is kind of barely watchable for adults but I've seen worse.

Lucy (2014) [-] I watched this late 2015 and gave it 3/5. Watched it again because I was bored and it's worse than I remembered. Way too much stuff about how using more and more of your brain would give you superpowers and the asides to explain it with the funny little videos are quite annoying even if Morgan Freeman is doing the narration. Not one of Scarlett Johansson's better roles as once Lucy starts activating her brain she becomes rather emotionless. The few action sequences are ok though I didn't like the last fight scene as it got a bit bonkers. I hope I don't get the urge to try watching this again.

Cut the Rope 3 [/] Seems like a simpler version of Cut the Rope for Apple Arcade. Go to a random world and do three mini-levels to collect a creature which I guess eventually another random world. Each mini level you cut the ropes to get a little guy to his dad waiting below and if you can get the little guy to collect 1 to 3 starts that'd be great too. Besides rope cutting there is a grappling hook and a cannon and probably more stuff. I remember playing Cut the Rope and that's quite hard getting three stars whereas this one seems rather easy though I guess it gets harder.

Star Trek: Nero (2009) [/] This four issue series fills in the 25-year gap between when Nero arrived in the Kelvin universe and when Spock arrived as seen in the movie. It's not as interesting as Countdown because there's less going on. It's mostly stuck in Rura Penthe for almost 25 years. I did like the detour to visit V'ger or a version of V'ger before it returned to Earth.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-04-15T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-04-15-stand-or-fall-2023.html#unique-entry-id-1046https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-04-15-stand-or-fall-2023.html#unique-entry-id-1046Stand or Fall is a Chinese romance-drama running 32 45-minute episodes.

Guan Wen (Qin Lan -- The Rational Life, 2021) is a Business Development Director at fashion brand TL when she is forced out by her new boss. She gets a commitment to be hired by a small mall to head their Business Development department. Ding Ning (Wang Yang) is a rising corporate executive of a conglomerate but his boss sees him as a dangerous rival and so has Ding Ning sent to manage the same small mall that Guan Wen will work for. Turns out they were college sweethearts but she broke up with him for obscure reasons.

Ding Ning is forced to hire Guan Wen and makes it hard for her to do her job (Business Development at a mall is getting companies to open stores there and existing companies to renew for more money). But Guan Wen is rather ruthless doing her job (and one reason she was forced out previously is because she's not a good team player) and as she continues to succeed and work with Ding Ning he realizes he's never gotten over her, changes his heart and decides to win her back.

Meanwhile Guan Wen's two best friends also have their own fairly developed subplots.

Jing Zhi Qiu (Alina Zhang) is a former rising actress who quit, got married to Wang Li Ren (Zhang Duo), and is now a housewife and mother. Her first plot is her husband's pretty assistant is trying to romance him and subtly sabotaging their marriage. After that's done Jing Zhi Qiu realizes she's kind of lost her identity and decide to secretly enroll in a celebrity talent contest with her husband finding out.

Chen Xuan Xuan (Liu Yun) is younger than the other two with a long-time boyfriend Lin Hao (Shawn Wei). She's been dedicated to supporting him and outwardly he's the perfect boyfriend but there are enough audience hints that something is up with him and it's more obvious that his aunt and sister are quite greedy. Meanwhile Chen Xuan Xuan opens up a coffee shop (at Guan Wen's mall) and it becomes a success after she recruits graduate student He Yi Fei (Lawrence Wong) who is both handsome and a great barista. He Yi Fei develops feeling for Xuan Xuan though she doesn't notice because of her boyfriend.

The main romance has two good leads and suitably dramatic. The two other subplots are their own stories and complement the main plot (mostly contrasting the relationships of the three women to their men). All three women are independent and strong (Xuan Xuan a bit less so at first but once crisis hits she becomes determined) and the heroines of their own stories.

Overall very nice series and I quite enjoyed it. MyDramaList indicates there will be a second season (the first season has a good standalone ending no plots left dangling).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-04-13T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-04-13-knotwords-plus-2023.html#unique-entry-id-1045https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-04-13-knotwords-plus-2023.html#unique-entry-id-1045Knotwords+ is an Apple Arcade word game Zach Gage who's done several excellent word/puzzle games.

Take a crossword puzzle. Remove the clues. Split up the puzzle into two to a dozen or so letter sections, not necessarily in a line. In each section you know the letters to put in. Now fill in the letters and make sure every horizontal and vertical line has a valid word.

As you do these puzzles patterns become second-hand. SP is often in that order unless at the end of a word (SH is similar). Similarly many words in ING or ED (and Knotwords has a propensity of pluralizing words so lots of words ending with S). H and M seemed to be used a lot in two-letter words especially when they're adjacent so you often might see EH as a word with the H making a second word like HO or HI.

Each month there are 60 puzzles, 30 normal and 30 tricky. You have hints which I think start at three. A solved puzzle gives you another hint up to a maximum of 6. Using a hint on a line gives you the dictionary definition of the word in the solved puzzle (note that for the most part you can solve puzzles with any words that fit).

Some puzzles are variations. Themed puzzles have several words that fit the theme (themes like weather, animals, plants, good qualities, bad qualities) and you can't get hints for those words. Twist puzzles have numbers on the left and top sides and the numbers tell you how many vowels are in that whole line. Vowels-start puzzles start out with all vowels set.

Besides the monthly puzzles there are three daily puzzles. They start out easy at the beginning of the week and get fairly large at the end of the week. Similarly the monthly puzzles start out easy and get bigger and a littler harder later on.

I found this to be a fairly addictive game.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-04-10T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-04-10-spot-reviews-04-10-26.html#unique-entry-id-1041https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-04-10-spot-reviews-04-10-26.html#unique-entry-id-1041Highest 2 Lowest (2025) [/] Music mogul David King (Denzel Washington) wants to buy back control of the label he started but after his son Trey (Aubrey Joseph) is kidnapped he might have to use that money to pay the ransom. Complication when it turns out that it's Trey's friend Kyle (Elijah Wright) -- son of his driver/assistant/good friend Paul Christopher (Jeffrey Wright) -- and now the conundrum is choosing to save his company or a non-relative... Better movie than I expected with a lot of stuff filmed in the streets of New York City.

Jeopardy! World Tour+ (2023) [/] It's an abbreviated form of Jeopardy with three categories each with three questions. You do that twice with the second time the questions are worth double. Then there is Final Jeopardy question. You alternate picking questions and only you can answer -- there is a timer and three choices. You are "playing" against other people who are actually not picking from your board -- they each have their own question board which means the game can just replay their scoring. Jeopardy is not one of the better quiz shows but it works with a good host and personable contestants neither of which this game has.

Star Trek: Countdown (2009) [+] I reviewed this comic book series when it came out and thought it was average. Re-read it and now I think it's pretty good. Star Trek (2009) movie script writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman did the story so this comic book story does seamlessly integrate and leads right into the movie and fills in some gaps that may have been mentioned in the movie but were not elaborated upon. This is the story of how Spock with the help of the TNG characters saved the main universe but let Romulus be destroyed hence leading Nero on his quest for vengeance with an advanced-tech ship.

Big Al's, Milpitas, CA [/] I guess this is a more family friendly version of Dave & Buster's. Restaurant, bar, video games, bowling. Went here after gaming with my friends. Food is about what you'd expect and the games had a selection which kids could play even though they were not kids games.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-04-08T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-04-08-can-this-love-be-translated-2026.html#unique-entry-id-1043https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-04-08-can-this-love-be-translated-2026.html#unique-entry-id-1043Can This Love Be Translated? is a South Korean romance series running 12 hour-long episodes.

In a touristy town in Korea translator Joo Jo-jin (Kim Seon-ho, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha - 2021) ends up helping Cha Mu-hee (Go Youn-jung, Alchemy of Souls p2 - 2023) confront a Japanese ramen shop owner who is having an affair with her boyfriend though it turns out Mu-hee was the other woman.

Years pass and now Cha Mu-hee has is filming, starring in a horror film. Joo Jo-jin is in town and thinks about visiting her but Mu-hee gets into an accident and ends up in a coma. A few months later she wakes up having become famous for her role in the film (and because she was in a coma) as the zombie killer (a killer who is a zombie) Do Ra-mi.

With her new-found fame Cha Mu-hee is recruited into a reality romance show shot in multiple countries and her counterpart is Japanese relatively famous actor Hiro Kurosawa (Fukushi Sota) who actually doesn't think much of Mu-hee seeing her as a B-list actor. Naturally with multiple countries and two co-stars who can't talk to each other they need an interpreter and it turns out to be Joo Jo-jin.

There is a slow romance that develops between Jo-jin and Mu-hee but it's kind of mostly on Mu-hee's side because he is very matter of fact yet very private and doesn't say what he actually feels. There's also Hiro Kurosawa as a possible love interest but that never seems credible. Neither is the other love rival, one of the show producers, Shin Ji-seon (Lee E-dam) who is Jo-jin's fiancée but secretly she and Jo-jin have sort of been in love without the other knowing it.

Half way through the series I really like this complication: turns out Mu-hee has a split personality. Do Ra-mi is her assertive and crazy side willing to do the things she's afraid to do. Once Joo Jo-jin finds out he tries to help Do Ra-mi (or is a blackmailed a bit to spend time with her) and meanwhile Mu-hee doesn't remember. It's an interesting twist.

Overall a fairly nice romantic series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-04-06T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-04-05-cypher-007-2023.html#unique-entry-id-1042https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-04-05-cypher-007-2023.html#unique-entry-id-1042Cypher 007 is a stealth game based on the James Bond 007 and available on Apple Arcade. You control James Bond and you start out in your apartment and immediately attacked. The overarching through-line is that you are trapped in your mind while another consciousness has taken over your body. Re-enact missions from your past as you seek to escape the Mind Trap.

The first chapter is escaping through the London underground. There is a chapter based on Moonraker and one based on The Spy Who Loved Me. Each chapter is 10 missions, though some missions are one big boss combat or otherwise pretty short. There have been no new chapters since release so I don't think any more will be added.

It's an overhead angled perspective game. Move Bond with a thumb (movement is pretty easy) and the other thumb to control actions and items. Guards and cameras move around in set routines until they spot you. Helpfully when you're close you can see their exact viewing area and you can see how objects block their vision (and if you stand up you can see that their active viewing area increases). Guards can also hear you sneaking about or walking/running though in my experience they generally don't notice.

You can avoid guards or take them out. Sneak up behind and choke hold him (which takes time and does make a bit of noise -- many a time I start choking a guard and another guard turns and sees us. You also also have many devices:

• A weapon like a stun gun or even a laser rifle
• A stun grenade
• A watch that can stun people
• Cufflinks that can be used to set up a tripwire trap
• A mini-drone that can be used to scout, pick up objects, or explode to stun a guard

There are other devices, some non-combat like a mirror umbrella that people and cameras can't see behind so you can walk past guards that way. There are also different suits each giving you some bonus -- I like the suit that recharges electrical devices so I don't have to depend on picking up batteries, but the suit that cuts down chokehold times is also a bit nice.

Items can be upgrades using blueprints and parts you find and pick up during a mission.

In general the story is fairly well done with lots of dialogue and the levels make sense as part of the story. Chapter one is mostly underground but other chapters have outdoor areas and houses to roam. Unfortunately not every level I think can be done solely through stealth -- I wanted to not have to use weapons but one boss fight is really tough if you can't quickly take out the hordes of minions.

Once you finish the game you can replay it on hard mode and there is a challenge mode for each level. Hard mode just makes everything a bit harder and if you die you restart the level rather than restarting at a checkpoint in the level. Challenge mode is various things like doing a level very quickly.

It's a fun game even without any additional chapters. Several hours of gameplay just for the first run-through.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-04-03T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-04-03-spot-reviews-04-03-26.html#unique-entry-id-1038https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-04-03-spot-reviews-04-03-26.html#unique-entry-id-1038Love Untangled (2025) [/] South Korean teen romantic comedy film. Park Se-ri (Shin Eun-soo - Light Shop, 2024) has crazy curly hair that she's never managed properly. To win the heart of the school hunk she needs to straighten her hair and there's a new hair stylist with a magic hair straightening technique from Seoul. And that hair stylist's son is her new strange classmate Han Yoon-seok (Gong Myung). To get that hair treatment she befriends Yoon-seok and helps him out after he's injured. Naturally once she finally gets the straight hair and is ready to confess to the school hunk she starts to realize it's Yoon-seok whom she's attracted to... It's a nice enough movie.

Downwell+ (2023) [/] Rogue-like arcade shooting/jumping game with 2-bit graphics (with some red elements). Controls are left, right, jump/fire. You are going down a well that has platforms to land on and creatures to shoot or stomp. Pick up items and try to make it to the bottom shaft (which leads you to the next level). It's simple but well executed and vaguely nostalgic (though I don't know why).

Crossword Jam+ (2023) [-] Apple Arcade word game. There is a dial with four or more letters. Form words using the letters of the dial without repeating letters. There is also a crossword but your words automatically go into the crossword so the crossword is only for giving you clues for a word (if it's a valid word but not in the crossword that's bonus points). Not a particularly exciting game as the combination of the two (dial and crossword) makes it maybe too easy.

Vampirella vs The Superpowers TPB (2024) [/] Vampirella and sidekick Dyna Might go undercover in Plural 1948 (alternate Earth where the world wars were fought by natural and chemically-enabled supers) to find a drug kingpin dealing in illegal elixirs -- drugs that give people temporary super powers. This is part of the continuity where Vampirella joins The Superpowers Project (composed of public domain Golden Age heroes) which I find a bit confusing as Dynamite is also publishing comics with other versions of Vampirella. I like this story because it is somewhat noir-ish.

]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-04-01T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-04-01-formula-1-drive-to-survive-s8-2026.html#unique-entry-id-1040https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-04-01-formula-1-drive-to-survive-s8-2026.html#unique-entry-id-1040F1 Drive to Survive is a Netflix documentary series where each season follows the behind the scenes of a Formula 1 race year. Season 8 is on Apple TV and it covers the 2025 season.

The series is filmed in the year with interviews during the year and then is put together in time to air just before the next F1 season (in F1 one season ends and a couple months later the next season begins). So all the final results are known before they air the Drive to Survive season.

Each episode seems to have a theme. Episode one focused on the six rookie drivers in 2025 (out of a field of 20 drivers). There was one episode about Fernando Alonso who is the oldest driver. The last couple of episodes focused on the three drivers vying for the championship (though it was really one driver and two with a slight chance if the first driver had disaster strike which actually happened in the second to last race).

Interviews with drivers and owners and one commentator. I've heard there's a bit of re-enactment since the film crews are not there for every big moment.

I guess my biggest issue is that there is no through-line with respect to the racers. Episode one focuses on the new drivers but after that episode you might see something on one or two but by the end of the series you don't know how they did. Same for Fernando Alonso. It's a little different for the teams since the series tends to focus more on the two three or four teams so that seems a bit more of a story.

Overall I found the season ok. I suppose since there are a low number of personalities and it's mostly the same people one year to the next it kind of builds up as you watch more seasons. I don't think I'll bother to watch previous seasons on Netflix.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-03-30T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-03-30-streamer-chess-sets.html#unique-entry-id-1039https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-03-30-streamer-chess-sets.html#unique-entry-id-1039High Gloss Spanish Veneered Chess Board ($190 on sale) + Silver and Black Chess Pieces ($70).

It's a big wood chess board with Botez signature on one corner. The deluxe pieces are weighted and fit comfortably on the board. For some reason the silver pieces feel underweight -- i guess because they're not actually metal.

This board came out 3+ years ago and this after a long time in development as Alexandra tried out various manufacturers and materials.


Anna Cramling Edition Chess Set ($150)

Another wooden board though not a glossy coating like the Botez board. There is a stylized AC monogram. About half the area of the Botez board and although it comes with pieces they do feel a bit light. I guess the Botez set is more tournament size and piece weight and Anna's set is more personal.

It comes in a nice box with two compartments to hold the pieces which are also in cloth bags.

I remember people complaining about the price but Anna has the cheapest set of the three and it's quite nice. Good chess sets are not cheap.


Neochess x Nemo Special Edition Chess Set ($495)

Nemo took like a year designing the board (though not the pieces). It's a wood board and Chinese themed: red and black squares with two gold dragons + jade and black colored pieces. A little Neochess x Nemo logo on opposite sides of the board. The board is a bit bigger than Anna's and the squares go edge to edge (Anna's has a-h, 1-8 on two sides to help beginners); as such the squares are almost as big as the Botez board.

The pieces are as tall as the Botez ones with a slightly smaller base so they fit comfortably. You could use the Botez pieces on Nemo's board though the big pieces are a bit too large for the squares. Piece weight is very slightly less than Botez pieces.

The box has a styrofoam container so each piece is in its own nook.


Botez board is big and shiny and not really transportable. Suitable for setting up on a coffee table and leaving it out. Anna and Nemo have more portable sets especially since they each have a box, but still too big to fit in my backpacks -- maybe in a big hiking/camping backpack.

I like bigger and heavier pieces so I'd rank Anna's set at #3. I think I'd go with Nemo's set at #1 because it's carry-able while still having big pieces. So final rankings:

1. Nemo Chess Set
2. Botez Wood Chess Set (they also have a rubber flex pad board)
3. Anna Cramling Chess Set

]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-03-27T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-03-27-spot-reviews-03-27-26.html#unique-entry-id-1037https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-03-27-spot-reviews-03-27-26.html#unique-entry-id-1037The Last of the Sea Women (2024) [/] Documentary film about the haenyeo -- Korean women (used to be men but the work was too hard for them) living in Jeju island (and apparently Geoje island) who make their living free diving harvesting the coastal ocean floor. From a height of 30k in the 1960's there are about 4k now in Jeju and predominantly 60+ years old. We meet a couple of 30-something Geoje island haenyeo who have a YouTube channel promoting their livelihood and why it's beautiful. A big chunk is devoted to their fight to prevent Japan from releasing irradiated water from the Fukushima power plant that had a meltdown. Although the last is important I feel that was a lot of time not devoted to the haenyeo themselves and their ways. By the way I reviewed the K-drama Welcome to Samdal-ri which features haenyeos.

Mini Stopwatch - Minimal Timer (2025) [+] A free macOS menu bar stopwatch. Click and it starts, click and it stops, double click and it rests. There are a few more features if you upgrade to pro for $8 but what it has is all I need.

Stopwatch˚ (2024) [/] A free stopwatch app for iPhone/iPad. The default view has folders and multiple timers and annoyingly often has a rate me which I've done and still it comes up the next time. There's a second tab which is just one stopwatch in a UI very similar to Apple Clock's stopwatch tab. I think the only difference is Stopwatch wants you to confirm when you reset the timer. I only use the second tab and one stopwatch (I use Mini Stopwatch as a second stopwatch that runs on my Mac).

Rice-a-Roni Thai Curry Chicken [-] Rice + vermicelli. This one is red curry and a little sweet. Easy to make though I guess the flavor is a bit too subtle for me. And I'm not as much of a fan of sweet entrées. I guess I want a more spicy curry. Probably will skip in the future.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-03-25T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-03-25-eternity-2025.html#unique-entry-id-1036https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-03-25-eternity-2025.html#unique-entry-id-1036Eternity is an Apple TV romantic comedy set in the afterlife. At the age of 70-something Larry (Miles Teller) chokes on a pretzel and dies and ends up in the afterlife which turns out to be an underground train-station-slash-hotel. His AC (afterlife coordinator) Anna (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) tells him that after you die you get to choose the Eternity you'll spend in. As such there are many worlds and many sales people trying to get newly dead to choose their right Eternity (a fair amount of humor comes from the various Eternities, like Jane Austen World or Smoker's World, and there are lots of posters that the camera pans by but are not otherwise noted).

Larry though wants to wait for his wife Joan (Elizabeth Olsen) so they can choose an Eternity together. He meets a bartender, Luke (Callum Turner), who is also waiting and that Larry can do the same by getting some sort of job in the afterlife. But later Anna finally convinces Larry to choose an Eternity and if Joan later shows up there then it's Fate. Just in time Joan shows up having died a decade-plus later (I guess time works different in the afterlife).

Great! Larry and Joan are reunited but complication when it turns out Luke is Joan's first husband, a dashing World War II soldier who died overseas. Larry on the other hand seems a bit like a schmuck who caught her on the rebound and from the glimpses we've seen so far maybe not the happiest of marriages. So now Joan has to choose who to live Eternity with (the guys flat out reject Joan's suggestion that all three could share an Eternity) and the next part is her going a date with each where Larry comes off second best.

Eventually Joan chooses Luke and they go off to their Eternity. (Oh I forgot to mention once you go into an Eternity you can't ever come back and if you do they catch you and you end up in Limbo forever.) Joan and Luke have a great time for a couple of weeks then Joan starts to miss Larry. I also forgot that they showed each Eternity has a museum where you can see your past as if watching a play. Joan starts going to the museum every day to relieve her life with Larry and we start to see he was actually a good guy and good to Joan.

Joan decides to come back to afterlife and find Larry even though she'll probably fail and end up in Limbo...

It's a small budget film ($12M which seems low considering the sets and effects) and a nice story. Elizabeth Olsen is good. Miles Teller can be suitably uncharming and charming. Callum Turner pulls off the clean-cut 1940's male. The ending is satisfying. Kind of like with Fly Me to the Moon the concept I wasn't sure of but it turned out well.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-03-23T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-03-23-on-the-grid-2025.html#unique-entry-id-1035https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-03-23-on-the-grid-2025.html#unique-entry-id-1035On the Grid: Life Behind the Scenes of Formula 1 is a book by Formula 1 reporter Luke Smith. It combines interviews done during 2023 along with his experiences probably in 2023 and 2024. There is a bit about Lewis Hamilton leaving his team at the end of the 2024 season (which ends in December) and going to Ferrari so that's as far as the book covers.

Chapters

1. Smoke and Mirrors - About testing cars and misleading the competition.
2. The Billionaire Boys' Club - About the drivers and how one goes from minor competitions all the way to F1 and how expensive it is (tens to low hundreds of thousands per year going up as kid drivers graduate from level to level) until you can get sponsors
3. Off the Grid - Anecdote of an F1 team member who left and started a business and how F1 teams helped during COVID-19
4. Champagne Problems - Monaco and how it's an uninteresting F1 race (because it's an old track with less passing) yet is so prestigious with the rich; also about the champagne used in F1 podium celebrations and how it was switched to some other alcoholic drink.
5. Our Deadly Passion, Our Terrible Joy - Recent deaths in F1 and how it has affected drivers
6. Track Runner - Designing race tracks with a closer look at COTA (the track near Austin, TX)
7. Fantastic Fans - Fans and podcasts
8. "Stick to Sports" - Women drivers in the various leagues under F1 with mention of F1 Academy the all-women league. Also women in the F1 workforce.
9. The Race for Change - Mostly about F1's work to reduce its carbon footprint, which predominantly comes from travel/shipping to 24 race locations around the world.
10. Checkered Flag - Hobbies of F1 drivers but also their love of racing.

The writing style is about daily newspaper level. Easy to read and not scholarly.

It started slow but I really liked the book as it shows a bunch of stuff that I don't see during an F1 race broadcast. Even though I'm new to F1 and have watched two races and not sure of all the rules this was still an interesting book -- it's not a book that you need to know F1 to appreciate.

Overall a good read and great to pair with watching F1 on Apple TV.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-03-20T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-03-20-spot-reviews-03-20-26.html#unique-entry-id-1034https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-03-20-spot-reviews-03-20-26.html#unique-entry-id-1034Babylon 5 s1 (1994) [/] I rewatched this on Tubi (important note, Tubi has the pilot The Gathering at the end of the season so watch that first). I remember this was very good tv CGI at the time, a bit revolutionary, but now it does look quite bad. The stories and acting are still fine. Season one builds up the universe and sets up things for future seasons and it's good that J. Michael Straczynski plotted it out so that any character could leave between seasons which happened when Commander Jeffrey Sinclair (Michael O'Hare) had to leave for undisclosed reasons at the time but after his death Straczynski said it was because O'Hare was suffering from mental illness.

Melo Movie (2025) [-] South Korean drama/romance of ten hour-long episodes. Movie lover, bit-part actor, and later film critic Ko Gyeom (Choi Woo-shik) falls for film production crew and later movie director Kim Mu-bee (Park Bo-young; Oh My Ghost, 2015; Doom at Your Service, 2021) and relentlessly pursues her in a way that's quite annoying. They both/will have tragedies in their lives and part of their growth is coming to terms with those tragedies. It's actually kind of a depressing series as even the B-plot between Gyeom's friends -- composer Hong Si-jun (Lee Jun-young) and writer Son Ju-a (Jeon So-nee) -- is about their breakup, meeting again and working together seven years later, and Si-jun finally coming to terms that he and Ju-a are really over... Overall this is a rare K-drama miss.

Junkworld TD (2023) [/] Apple Arcade post-apocalyptic tower defense game. You have towers to place and upgrade. You have a hero with special powers. You have a limited number of minions to place (many maps have multiple routes and your hero can't cover everywhere). Nice graphics and gameplay. Played four levels. Kind of fairly typical for a TD game but a nice theme as so many other TD games are fantasy or less serious.

Project Superpowers Omnibus v1: Dawn of Heroes (2018) [/] Using a lot of Golden Age public domain heroes this series by Jim Krueger and Alex Ross explores a modern day world where all the WW2 heroes disappeared eventually letting the behind-the-scenes shadowy Supremacy essentially take over the world. Now the heroes have returned finding themselves changed and painted as terrorists as they try to free America which has become a rather Fascist state... Really good art. Interesting story. Way too many characters. Some of the more popular characters get their own Dynamite series or interact with the larger Dynamite properties.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-03-18T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-03-18-chief-of-war-s1-2025.html#unique-entry-id-1033https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-03-18-chief-of-war-s1-2025.html#unique-entry-id-1033Chief of War is a historical drama centering on the unification of Hawaii under King Kamehameha. Season one is on Apple TV and runs nine 45-minute episodes (three of the episodes seem longer but have about 10 minutes of documentary interviews with cast and crew).

Jason Momoa plays Ka'iana, former Chief of War of Maui, who is currently an outcast living on Kaua'i with his brothers Namake (Te Kohe Tuhaka) and Nāhi (Siua Ikaleʻo), and Ka'iana's his wife(?) Kupuohi (Te Ao o Hinepehinga) and her sister Heke (Mainei Kinimaka).

King Kahekili of Maui (Temuera Morrison) lures Ka'iana back to lead his army against O'ahu because they are planning on invading Maui. Unfortunately it was a deception, the O'ahuans are friendly and peaceful and it's a slaughter and their young king is executed leaving King Kahekili in control of two of the four kingdoms.

Once again Ka'iana flees. Due to mishap he gets separated from the rest and ends up rescuing Kaʻahumanu (Luciane Buchanan), a princess of Hawaiʻi. She ends up leaving for Hawaiʻi with Ka'iana's group while Ka'iana himself ends up on a passing merchant ship and spends over a year on this ship as it travels around the Pacific.

During that time Ka'iana learns Western ways and how to shoot a gun. With a shipment of guns he returns to Hawaiʻi and reunites with his group who are under the protection of Chief Kamehameha (Kaina Makua), ruler of one of the six districts of Hawaiʻi. Kamehameha's uncle recently took the throne but the old King granted Chief of War to Kamehameha which results in a power struggle. Kamehameha wants peace but King Keōua (Cliff Curtis) can't stand any competition to his rule.

There's some interaction with another white man merchant ship though this one more mercenary and ruthless than the one that took in Ka'iana. After a historical massacre perpetrated by the bad white men the last couple of episodes leads up to and covers the epic battle between King Keōua and Chief Kamehameha's armies in the Black Desert (volcanic fields) and the volcano erupts during the battle.

Oh, I forgot that Ka'iana also brings to Hawaiʻi his friend Tony (James Udom), a freed slave and good with guns. There's also John Young (Benjamin Hoetjes) from the first merchant ship who was accidentally left behind. In the year since he's been teaching English to Chief Kamehameha's people so by the time Ka'iana returns there's a fair amount of English. It's 100% native Hawaiian speech and after that still like 2/3rds Hawaiian speech which is pretty cool.

A lot of the cast are Hawaiians. A lot of filming in Hawaii including the Black Desert.

It's a pretty good series with lots of drama and action, and a lot of bloody action at that. Season one covers a lot but there's still King Kahekili for the next season and I guess it would go three seasons full run though at this point season two hasn't been greenlit. Still, season one has a satisfying arc to it and is worth watching whether or not there are further seasons.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-03-16T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-03-16-run-the-card-game-2020.html#unique-entry-id-1031https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-03-16-run-the-card-game-2020.html#unique-entry-id-1031RUN! is a fun simple card game from Haven Hurst Press. The concept is you and your friends running away from an angry bear and is usual in the saying, the slowest person gets eaten.

Each player starts with three cards, most of whom have a number (-2 to +7) but some are special (copy another card or steal a card or trade cards and so on). On your turn you can take the top card from either the draw pile or discard pile then you discard a card. At that point you can yell "Run!" and everyone else gets a final turn. Oh, if someone draws the bear card it's immediately a "Run!" situation.

Player with the lowest score loses a life and when you lose three lives you're out.

The rounds go fairly quick especially with more players I think: if your initial draw is fairly good just "Run!" since you're unlikely to die. With four players the second game took us about half an hour so it plays fast.

It's a simple enough game that my 10-year old nephew was competitive with adults and it's not a kids game so at least it's entertaining for a while to adults (and I suppose could make a great drinking game).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-03-13T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-03-13-spot-reviews-03-13-26.html#unique-entry-id-1030https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-03-13-spot-reviews-03-13-26.html#unique-entry-id-1030The Old Guard 2 (2025) [/] "Andy" Andromache (Charlize Theron) is back leading a team of immortal mercenaries. At the end of the last movie she had been turned mortal but that's kind of quickly restored but at least that plot device is the big motivation of the big villain Discord (Uma Thurman), the First Immortal? Also Discord brings back Andy's great love Qu`ynh (Veronica Ngô) who is resentful that Andy gave up searching for her 500 years ago... Has some good action scenes but ends in a cliffhanger with the story half done so I wouldn't recommend this movie until part 3 comes out, if it ever does.

Messi's World Cup: The Rise of a Legend (2024) [+] Documentary in four 45-minute parts. The main framework is Argentina's 2022 World Cup run with one episode mostly devoted to each of two group play games, the quarter finals game vs Netherlands, and the final vs France. Besides lots of interview footage with the players (during and afterwards) there is stuff Lionel Messi's origins, career, previous World Cup disappointments, and what he means to the Argentine people. I really liked the four featured games as the narration and editing is good to make them exciting.

Japanese Rural Life Adventure (2023) [/] Apple Arcade game. JRPG 8-bit graphics game where you go to an abandoned Japanese countryside home, fix it up and plant crops and maybe there are actual adventures. But it seems to be mostly doing routing things in a JRPG way. For example you get a quest to clean the bedroom, but you need materials and you go to the storehouse and find them, then walk back and do the cleaning task. Definitely its own relaxing vibe, if you can stand it.

Ming Tasty, Sunnyvale [/] Cheap Chinese food restaurant. We had one of the family meals, soup + 3 entrees with rice extra. That was enough food for four people and a kid and it came out to $60. Food is pretty average so that's good enough.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-03-11T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-03-11-reverse-4-you.html#unique-entry-id-1029https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-03-11-reverse-4-you.html#unique-entry-id-1029Reverse 4 You is a Thai romance drama running eight 40-minute episodes.

Older sister Jattawa (Mae Methakarn Anektanasuwan) is a college student with the power to pause or turn back time up to 10 minutes. Her younger sister Vivi (Manao Natnicha Polsombat) gets visions of the future but only as it relates to Jattawa.

Vivi tells Jattawa she will meet her great love but it turns out to be campus bully Four (Christine Gulasatree Michalsky) so it must be wrong especially since Jattawa has had a couple of bad run-ins with Four. But it turns out Four is actually attracted to Jattawa and Jattawa pays more attention she realizes Four is not as bad as she seems.

There are a couple of complications: Four's inheritance is threatened by her evil step mom and half brother who may not actually be her father's son, and later Jattawa dreams that Vivi will die but when she stops one another possible death pops up. But with eight episodes the complications are rather shallow and really so is the romance.

Overall entertaining but not engrossing.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-03-09T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-03-09-retro-goal-plus-2023.html#unique-entry-id-1028https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-03-09-retro-goal-plus-2023.html#unique-entry-id-1028Retro Goal+ is the Apple Arcade version of Retro Goal. Like for Retro Bowl you are a new coach put in charge of a struggling soccer team. In Retro Bowl you only have NFL-equivalent teams to choose from but here you can choose a country then a league then a specific city -- I assume all the cities are there but not the club names.

Your team is a representative best six players and players have Speed, Agility, Reflexes, Handling, and Condition. They also have Age, Morale, an optional Trait, Value, and XP Level. You can borrow players and I assume lend out players. I don't think there's a salary cap but you only have so much money though you're earning some after each game.

You can set up your formation and place your star players and choose the tactics (balance, all out defend, attack wing, etc.). You can change these settings in the middle of a game.

You have three facilities to improve: Stadium (bigger stadiums have bigger box office receipts ceiling), Training, Youth Academy. Up to two assistant coaches.

Gameplay during a game is key moments. A key moment starts where you have the ball. You can pass the ball and as soon as the pass starts you control the receiver. If the other team gets the ball you can switch control to the closest player and try to get the ball back. It's not quite frantic action -- speed slows down to a crawl when you're setting up a kick. If you lose control of the ball eventually the moment ends and the game goes to the next moment, so in general you're doing like half a dozen moments for a full game.

It's a flavorful and accessible version of soccer action plus management. Unfortunately unlike Retro Bowl there is no auto-play mode so you have to play out each game so a season can take a long time to play. For me I don't particularly want to play out each game so eventually this game is a pass for me.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-03-06T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-03-06-spot-reviews-03-06-26.html#unique-entry-id-1027https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-03-06-spot-reviews-03-06-26.html#unique-entry-id-1027Slow Horses s5 (2025) [/] Another season another pretty much self-contained scenario of this dark comedy domestic spy series (and the first episode starts out with a mass shooting event so it's pretty dark). I kind of like how the bad guys keep changing the game until finally Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) outsmarts them. The final shootout River Cartwright (Jack Lowden), Shirley Dander (Aimee-Ffion Edwards), and J.K. Cole (Tom Brooke) is pretty neat and shows off their characters fairly well.

Samba de Amigo: Party-To-Go (2023) [/] Apple Arcade rhythm-based music game. Kind of requires having your iPad on a stable surface so you can use both hands freely. As usual lots of combinations of moves and there are 40 songs and a story mode to give your gameplay more meaning. Seems ok but I'm very bad at these games so it's a pass.

My Talking Angela 2+ (2023) [/] Apple Arcade version which removes the in app purchases. Angela 2 is a female cat and all you seem to do is dress her and style her hair and face. There are some activities you can have her do (dancing, baking, martial arts according to the description) but I didn't get that far. It's a kid's game and I guess a companion to My Talking Tom which is more boy's focused.

The Greatest Adventure TPB (2018) [/] A 9-issue comic book story features the characters and worlds of Edgar Rice Burroughs. A group of adventurers led by Tarzan chase after the bad guys to Pellucidar (hollow Earth), Mars, and Venus to stop him from assembling the ultimate weapon... Lots of characters and most may have a line or two. It's a suitably pulp-y story and quite bloody.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-03-04T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-03-04-shine-on-me-2025.html#unique-entry-id-1025https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-03-04-shine-on-me-2025.html#unique-entry-id-1025Shine on Me is a Chinese romance with light drama running 36 45-minute episodes.

In college Nie Xiguang (Zhao Jinmai) pines for fellow student Zhuang Xu (Lai Weiming) but backs off when she finds out Xiguang's roommate Ye Rong (Bai Bingke) is Xu's childhood friend and also pines for him. Due to a misunderstanding and not talking to each other Xu does like Xiguang and thinks she likes him but then she suddenly breaks it off inexplicable (to him) and disappears on an European vacation.

After graduation Nie Xiguang gets a job at a solar panel manufacturing company that her mom and dad own (they are divorced) and she starts at the bottom without revealing her parentage. Meanwhile new manager Lin Yusen (Song Weilong -- male lead in Find Yourself, 2020) arrives. Very handsome bachelor but starts picking on Xiguang criticizing her work and giving her extra work. But her uncomplaining toiling and suffering slowly changes his heart.

Later on there is this complicated back story of why Lin Yusen at first fell in love with Nie Xiguang at first sight, then later hated her after an accident that crippled his left hand and caused to leave neurosurgery. Once again it turns out to be a lot of sorrow going on for years because Lin Yusen never confronted Nie Xiguang to clear things up and that final secret is revealed in the last third of the series.

Zhuang Xu keeps reappearing, pining for Nie Xiguang, yet never actually talking to her to find out she's still single and once he makes his move it's too late as she's with Lin Yusen and she totally rips him apart because he never came forward when she was in trouble with Ye Rong and he never made his feelings clear to her when she did to him at least once.

There is no corresponding love rival that pines for Lin Yusen. There aren't really another other romantic subplots -- neither lead character has a strong best friend with their own subplots. I guess to make up for it Nie Xiguang parents and aunt and uncle have subplots mostly because her father is a bit of a dick and the father's current girlfriend and her daughter are minor villains though inexpertly used.

I guess the biggest problem with this series is that there is little drama. The obstacles are easily overcome and the bad guys are not very capable. Also other than the two leads everyone else's plots feel unfinished and rather brief. Another downside is that there are times with lots of monologuing where the series is promoting Chinese solar panels and solar industry as something that will be the best in the world if not now then soon. Propaganda that is a bit more jarring than usual.

On the positive side the two leads are amazingly photogenic and cute and the love story works fairly well. I quite enjoyed watching almost all the series (the last two episodes are bit wrapping up as they accomplish their last big goals, get married, and we see 5 and 15 years into the future which I guess is nice but the story has lost all momentum so those episodes seem to drag a bit).

I recommend this series and there are two or three other Zhao Jinmai romance series I think I'll watch.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-03-02T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-03-02-mothership-deluxe-set-2023.html#unique-entry-id-1026https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-03-02-mothership-deluxe-set-2023.html#unique-entry-id-1026Mothership Deluxe Set physical components.

It's a sturdy box with embossed graphics and just big enough to fit all components. The underside product info is actually a separate sheet which unfortunately since it's sized to the bottom of the box doesn't quite fit inside the box.

Opening the box there is a little sheet advertising the Mothership Companion mobile app (character creator and dice roller, though also a subscription for Pro features), a heavy cardboard 3-pane landscape screen, a sheet of about 30 punch out counters (there are standup bases in the box), and a foldout double-sided map -- one side is a colony ship and the other is some sort of space contact tracker or space movement tracker.

Underneath those there are the various books flanked by two empty solid boxes with ribbon-attached flip tops (the boxes are attached to the main box so it is a deluxe treatment). Box A is a bit larger and can hold all the counters (the two monster counters are quite large). Box B is smaller and contains 5d10 and the stand up bases.

In the middle are the core books:

• Mothership: Player's Survival Guide (44 pages including cover) - PC book
• Mothership: Warden's Operation Manual (60 pages including cover) - GM book
• Mothership: Ship Breaker's Toolkit (44 pages including cover) - starships
• Mothership: Unconfirmed Contact Reports (56 pages including cover) - monsters

and adventure books:

• M1: Dead Planet (48 pages including cover) - PCs are trapped on a dead planet that is not so dead
• M2: A Pound of Flesh (52 pages including cover) - a detailed space station with three plots to run
• M3: Gradient Descent (64 pages including cover) - an abandoned android factory where the androids run amok
• M4: Another Bug Hunt (44 pages including cover) - four interconnected introductory scenarios

All books are digest size (about half normal sheet of paper). Printed on good quality paper with cardstock covers. The modules have a bit of spot color and the rulebooks are gray scale (though the monster book also has spot color).

Overall the boxed set is a premium production. I like that it has enough adventures to run for about a dozen sessions which makes this a self-contained campaign-in-a-box.

By the way, it's best to buy from Tuesday Night Games directly as you can get both physical box and PDFs for the same price as the physical box alone from a retail store.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-02-27T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-02-27-spot-reviews-02-27-26.html#unique-entry-id-1022https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-02-27-spot-reviews-02-27-26.html#unique-entry-id-1022The Great Doctor #1.1 to #1.10 (2012) [-] Korean drama-romance. Modern day plastic surgeon Yoo Eun-soo (Kim Hee-sun) is abducted by Captain Choi Young (Lee Min-ho) and ends up in Goryo-era Korea (which is the dynasty before Joseon). The weak Goruo king is being oppressed by a much stronger vassal and uses "Heavenly Doctor" Yoo Eun-soo to prop up his legitimacy but she quickly finds herself being manipulated by everyone and is mostly a whiny foil who occasionally gets agency when medicine is involved (though they do limit her knowledge as she doesn't know ancient herbs or physician methods). This is a fairly low-budget production -- kind of soap opera-ish. I found it a bit grating and after ten episodes (of 24) decided I should concentrate on finishing another Korean series instead. In 10 episodes we only get a hint that Choi Young is developing feelings for Eun-soo and maybe vice versa so the romance is slow paced or perhaps a minor component.

finity. (2023) [/] A neat Apple Arcade puzzle game. 4x4 grid where you are trying to do match 3 by scrolling a line sideways or up and down (it's a loop so if a square goes off one side it appears on the other side). The complication is that every square has a number that counts down after each move. If the square hits 0 it freezes in certain ways, like that square can only be scrolled sideways OR up and down, or even can't be scrolled at all. So you have to plan ahead to get rid of squares with low numbers. Nice graphics and polish, designed for iPhone screens.

Kingdoms: Merge & Build (2023) [-] Apple Arcade game. Game play is that there is a grid with stuff. Match two items (they don't have to be next to each other) to merge them into the next item in the chain. Continue until you get the items needed for the level. There's the usual match 3 sort of obstacles and I suppose power-ups. I've seen this game mechanic in another game and didn't like it there either.

Bush's Best Rustic Tuscany Chickpeas [/] "in a tomato and olive oil sauce". Actually because of the sauce it tastes quite alright even though I'm not a fan of whole chickpeas (quite ok with hummus though).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-02-25T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2025-02-25-the-avengers-s4-1965.html#unique-entry-id-1024https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2025-02-25-the-avengers-s4-1965.html#unique-entry-id-1024The Avengers. It's 26 50-minute black and white episodes.

John Steed (Patrick Macnee) and Emma Peel (Diana Rigg) work for an unnamed Ministry investigating cases throughout England (don't recall any Scotland episodes) and usually the cases involve national stakes like foreign agents infiltrating a sleepy seaside town, or businessmen trying to take over the government, or protecting a visiting head of state who takes a liking to Emma Peel.

The duo together or separately investigate, talk to people, find clues, figure out what's going on, then stop it. Steed is a Ministry agent who served in World War II and though he can fight he's more the British upper class socialite. Peel is a civilian specialist (not in the Ministry), has several PhDs, knows various unarmed fighting styles, and often seems to do more physical fighting than Steed. Both are quite good at improvising and taking on a role at an instant.

From the get go (Emma Peel's character is new starting in season 4 and only lasts another season) they have a friendly familiarity often trading quips and double entendres. Also lots of puns especially about whatever current situation they find themselves in. Emma Peel is also a bit of an eye candy character sometimes wearing a leather suit or being quite dressed down.

The chemistry is quite good. The missions are varied, often spy thriller, often have a fair amount of humor and funny moments (and every ending has them talking a bit in closeup then pan out to see what weird vehicle or conveyance they are riding to their next mission).

Overall pretty interesting. You can watch on Prime Video for free -- season 4 and season 6 are available. Season 5 is the first one in color and season 6 replaces Emma Peel.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-02-23T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-02-23-hero-wars.html#unique-entry-id-1023https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-02-23-hero-wars.html#unique-entry-id-1023Hero Wars is a browser-based (and mobile though it works really well on browser with low overhead) free to play fantasy game. You collect heroes and upgrade them, go through a 15-chapter campaign, and have lots of other activities to do. Pretty cartoon graphics and a combat system that pretty much runs itself.

There are lots of heroes and multiple areas to improve each:

• Level up with experience
• Evolve when you collect enough shards
• Equip six items then promote
• Four skills to unlock and improve
• Different skins: each with a special bonus that you can level up
• Glyphs - not sure what that is as it requires guild membership
• Gift of the Elements - like Glyphs these bonuses come from guild membership
• Artifacts: special items you find, equip, level up

Every category has its own currency and often its own mini-game to get that currency.

The main tasks are done with a group of five heroes. Heroes are categorized by front line, mid line, back line and their role (tank, healer, mage, support, warrior, and others). In general pick a balanced team and you can do everything. Some quests require specific heroes or are tricky and you'll need a combination of heroes. And there's an Arena where you might need specific combinations to beat some teams. (One feature this game lacks is preset teams)

During combats your heroes fight automatically. They slowly generate energy for their ultimate and when full you click to activate that ultimate. But other than activating an ultimate you have no control.

As I mentioned lots of different activities besides the Campaign quests:

• Airship - Expeditions: send a team of five heroes on a timed adventure (a few minutes to a few hours), these heroes can still be used elsewhere. Expeditions are where you get Artifact materials.
• Soul Atrium: summon new heroes
• Outland: Harder quests that require specific heroes.
• Tower: Resets daily, travel up the tower defeating enemies, select tower powerups, getting tower rewards.
• Arena: PvP combat

Like any other free-to-play game they will constantly entice you to spend money. The costs seem less than other games or maybe they start out lower to hook you in. But even basic things have costs: x5 combat speed (you can do x1.5 for free) or instant win for 3-star completed quests. It means that playing this for free it's a fair slog doing quests until you run out of energy (you get a lot of energy in dailies and their promo page).

Overall I think it's a typical game for this genre with nothing that makes it significantly better than others (for example, Raid: Shadow Legends). They do advertise this game heavily everywhere and the ads do show this puzzle bit of gameplay that you only do at the end of each chapter so fifteen puzzles.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-02-20T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-02-20-spot-reviews-02-20-26.html#unique-entry-id-1019https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-02-20-spot-reviews-02-20-26.html#unique-entry-id-1019My Holo Love (2020) [/] South Korean romance drama with 12 1-hour episodes. Office worker Han So-yeon (Ko Sung-hee) ends up with a pair of experimental holo glasses that project an AI companion, Holo (Yoon Hyun-min). As Han So-yeon keeps working with Holo she starts to develop feelings for him which gets more complicated when Holo's developer Ko Nan-do (also Yoon Hyun-min) tracks her down. A twist is that Han So-yeon has face blindness so can't tell people apart by their faces -- but she can see Holo just fine and also Ko Nan-do (because they have met before in childhood). There's a murder mystery and possible physical danger for Han So-yeon which gives a reason for Ko Nan-do to hang around her and eventually fall for her... Kind of an average story but still entertaining.

Nekograms+ (2023) [/] Cat cafe-themed puzzle game. On a square grid there are single to three-square-long cats, cushions (of 1 to 3 squares) and obstacles. Cats can be moved left and right. Cushions up and down. Make sure every cat has a cushion underneath it. A bit like that parking cars puzzle game where the sequence is important since cars can't go over each other -- same here with the cushions (can't overlap) and cats (also can't overlap) with the obstacles which can be pushed around.

Barbarella/Dejah Thoris TPB (2019) [/] Collects the 4-issue limited series. Barbarella and Dejah Thoris are transported to a water world where the inhabitants are losing a war against interstellar invaders. I like this neat science fiction story where time and time travel is a major element and there is a mystery as to what is really going on that is revealed in issue 4. And there's a small kiss at the end so that's really nice since there's a fair amount of flirting and innuendo throughout the series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-02-18T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-02-18-my-sunshine-2015.html#unique-entry-id-1021https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-02-18-my-sunshine-2015.html#unique-entry-id-1021My Sunshine is a Chinese romance drama running 32 45-minute episodes. After six years in the USA photographer Zhao Mosheng (Tiffany Tang, The Princess Weiyoung, 2016) where she gets a job at a fashion magazine and soon comes to the attention of her college love He Yichen (Wallace Chung) whom she left behind unexpectedly (though for reasons explained in bits as the series progresses).

At first He Yichen is rather harsh to Zhao Mosheng as he believes she's the one who abandoned him. Even though she believes he's the one who broke up with her she's too passive to bring it up so most of their friends believe she was the one who broke his heart. Near the beginning there are two or three episodes devoted to their college romance with Janice Wu and Luo Yunxi playing the two characters (weirdly the last episode or two has the two reminiscing and recreating several of the scenes this time with Tiffany Tang and Wallace Chung playing their college personas).

Zhao Mosheng slowly wins back her friends as she reveals to them what happened from her perspective. Her best friend in college, now model Xiao Xiao (Mi Lu) and also client to lawyer He Yichen, becomes a big ally. There is also a romance subplot between Xiao Xiao and Zhao Mosheng's co-worker Lu Yuanfeng (Yang Le) but he's in love with He Yichen's "sister" He Yimei (Jian Renzi) who is in turn in love with He Yichen (he was taken in by He Yimei's family when his parents died hence he's always seen her as his sister).

Zhao Mosheng goes through phases. She's kind of dowdy looking and very passive in the beginning. As she gains more confidence she first cuts her hair and starts wearing better clothes and finally gets a makeover and fashionable clothes and becomes an equal to He Yichen.

The series starts slowly and is an upward climb. It kind of peaks a few episodes early so the last three or four are mostly filler to tie up subplots and then reminisce a lot. Still I mostly enjoyed this series and is worth watching.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-02-16T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-02-16-lose-it.html#unique-entry-id-1020https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-02-16-lose-it.html#unique-entry-id-1020Calorie Counter apps and apparently settled on Nutritionix Track, which I don't really remember so must have stopped using it soon after. I've been using Lose It! for 1051 days and it's an acceptable app.

My notes back then were:

+ One window for everything eaten today.
+ Daily calorie intake by week.
- In-UI Ads, including motion ads.
- $30 yearly fee to remove ads.

Time and inflation marches on and it's now $80 per year to remove ads and unlock advanced features. Without a subscription the main view shows a banner ad and sometimes a bigger rectangular ad and also will do a full screen ad (and here is where you get ads for some really suspicious apps and services).

Lose It! has a large database of foods, probably mostly user entered. There is a lack of asian foods and of course the spelling of asian foods are quite varied so adding those is tougher. It keeps track of your previous entries and you can search just those so if you have the specific entry you like you can easily reuse (though you can't delete entries).

Also you can search by meal then add the whole meal (and unselect specific items but changing quantities you have to edit after the meal is added). You can also add by recipe, which I've never used. That suggests you can add recipes but I only see a way to do it from the add recipes page.

I don't use any of the insights or history tracking. It's mostly for tracking things so I get a sense of what I'm eating. It does sometimes try to give me an insight like "you eat less when this specific food is eaten". I think my point is that even minimally tracking meals and not learning anything is better than not tracking at all.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-02-13T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-02-13-spot-reviews-02-13-26.html#unique-entry-id-1016https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-02-13-spot-reviews-02-13-26.html#unique-entry-id-1016Cinderella Closet (2024) [-] 6-episode Japanese half-hour comedy-romance based on a manga. College student Fukunaga Haruka (Osaki Ichika) befriends cross-dressing hair stylist Kamiyama Hikaru (Matsumoto Leo) who agrees to help her land her crush Kurotaki Keisuke (Hachimura Rintaro) but Hikaru quickly starts to develop feelings for Haruka... It's a light comedy style and a really quick series so hard to develop an attachment to any of the characters. Probably more of a pass than a should watch.

LEGO DUPLO World+ (2023) [/] Apple Arcade version (the regular version has a monthly or yearly subscription). 50 mini activities for toddlers with parental support -- many activities have parental suggestions for what to discuss with kids. UI is forgiving: if you're assembling an object the Duplo pieces align themselves or if you do it wrong there is a gentle animation of removing the piece.

Trader Joe's Gluten Free Tagliatelle Pasta [/] This is $2.50 for 8.8 ounces. On the positive side it's pretty good and made with corn and rice flour so somewhat like rice noodles. On the other hand because it's like rice noodles you have to serve it out quickly otherwise it kind of sticks into this hard-to-separate noodle pile. From TJ's description: "the long, ribbon-like noodles are wider and slightly thinner than fettuccine". I have had better Tagliatelle though I don't remember the brand which is why this one is a [/].
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-02-11T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-02-11-king-the-kand-2023.html#unique-entry-id-1018https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-02-11-king-the-kand-2023.html#unique-entry-id-1018King the Land is a South Korean romance drama set in modern day Seoul. Cheon Sa-Rang (Im Yoon-ah -- Bon Appétit, Your Majesty, 2025; Big Mouth, 2022; second female lead in The K2, 2016) achieves her dream of working at King Hotel luxury resort and immediately annoys the chairman's idle son Gu Won (Lee Jun-ho) because he hates fake smiles.

Luckily he leaves for the UK to attend college and doesn't return for six years by this point Cheon Sa-rang has just won her second MVP award for best hostess. That gets her promoted to King the Land, the top floor of the hotel which caters to the top 1% of society. There she runs again into Gu Won who is the new head manager of King the Land.

Through several happenstances they are thrown together with other people and by themselves. Gu Won starts to see Cheon Sa-rang as a valuable employee who truly cares about customer experience while she starts to learn that Gu Won cares more about the hotel and its employees than he lets on. Meanwhile Gu Won is low-key battling his older half-sister Gu Hwa-ran (Kim Seon-young) who is president of the King Group conglomerate.

Their romance is fairly uncomplicated in terms of challenges. They need to keep it secret but when it comes out doesn't really hurt them even from Gu Hwa-ran (who once she loses the big battle threatens to make a comeback but that plot kind of dies). Cheon Sa-rang has a loser boyfriend who I forgot about. She breaks up with him but he is still insistent until Gu Won shows up. Gu Won has an arranged marriage introduced late in the season but that's like two or three episodes and the other woman, although daughter of a powerful family, never actually attacks Cheon Sa-rang and or make difficulties for Gu Won.

To compensate there are some subplots. Cheon Sa-rang's best friends Oh Pyung-hwa (Go Won-hee) and Kang Da-eul (Kim Ga-eun) both work for King Group, Oh Pyung-hwa as a flight attendant and Kang Da-eul as a duty-free store top saleswoman. They are both kind of bullied by their managers who are following unwritten company policy and showing that King Group president Gu Hwa-ran doesn't care about her employees which contrasts with Gu Won's attitude. Oh Pyung-hwa has a small romance subplot with a fellow flight attendant whilst Kang Da-eul subplot is her deadbeat husband so that she both works hard at work and at home.

Gu Won has his long-time assistant and friend Noh Sang-sik (Ahn Se-ha) but the character is mostly a bit comedic and has no subplots. Gu Won's other subplots similarly light. A mother he's been searching for who shows up unexpectedly towards the end and they have a talk and that's it. A father, the chairman, who puts one significant obstacle when he banishes Cheon Sa-rang to a distant and failing King Group hotel but she comes back and stands up to him and he respects her for it.

There is so little conflict that the final two episodes are mostly filler of Cheon Sa-rang and Gu Won being together and growing professionally. It does lead to a stress-free pleasant ending though a bit hard to pay attention for me.

Overall a good series. For Im Yoon-ah I preferred Bon Appétit, Your Majesty for the great food porn and higher level of danger and stakes.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-02-09T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-02-09-elvira-comics-2021-24.html#unique-entry-id-1017https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-02-09-elvira-comics-2021-24.html#unique-entry-id-1017Elvira, Mistress of the Dark trade paperbacks in the Humble Bundle Dynamite Comics collection I recently bought.

Elvira Meets Vincent Price (2021) - 5 issues. Elvira teams up with the ghost of Vincent Price to stop a Cleopatra-themed Elvira copycat from raising the god Amun-Ra.

Elvira in Monsterland (2023) - 5 issues. Vlad the vampire is going into old monster films and recruiting the monsters into his army. Elvira chases after him and we get so many movie references (for legal issues they rarely use the actual movie and character names but similar sounding and often pun-filled names).

Elvira Meets H.P. Lovecraft (2024) - 5 issues. Elvira hates it but she must team up with racist and misogynist H.P. Lovecraft to recover the real Necronomicon before Nyarlathotep does. Lots of Mythos references including a one-on-one with Great Cthulhu himself!

David Avallone does all the writing. I like the humor and references. Lots of puns which normally I don't like unless they're in theme and these puns are very much themed. Elvira manages to be a forceful character even though she's only a girl with a sharp tongue and voluptuous figure. With Vincent Price and H.P. Lovecraft she has two ghosts helping her and in Monsterland she has a magic dagger but it's often down to kicking people in the nards, yoinking things, and running away fast.

Juan Samu draws Vincent Price and Kewber Baal draws the other two series. Both artists draw a lot of detail. Characters in the way background are recognizable doing funny things. Elvira has lots of facial expressions, mostly of disbelief ("you gotta be kidding me") or sarcasm or side-eyes. And of course she's always showing her legs and cleavage (and is maybe once out of her trademark costume), but it's rarely referred to unless there's a joke or tactical advantage.

I wasn't expecting but these comics were great reads.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-02-06T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-02-06-spot-reviews-02-06-26.html#unique-entry-id-1013https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-02-06-spot-reviews-02-06-26.html#unique-entry-id-1013Apple My Love (2024) [/] A Thai LGBT romance series of six 45-minute episodes. Kris (Ormsin Supitcha Limsommut) has had a crush on local tv newscaster Karn (Folk Sutima Korkiatvanich) and her dreams come true when Karn comes to work for the Internet media startup that Kris also works at. Romance blossoms but is threatened when a video of them kissing gets out, which damages Karn's celebrity reputation. There's also Karn's former ex-boyfriend who wants her back and has the influence to pressure their small company, though this thread dies quickly. It's a pleasant series with attractive characters though kind of lacks deep emotions.

The Ultimatum: Choices NETFLIX (2024) [-] This is an XO Games production and they also did Single's Inferno which I loved. Based on the Netflix show, a bunch of couples are brought together to see if they're right for each other or not. Everyone has to choose someone else to live with for three weeks and then choose if they want to marry their original partner or their new love. Unfortunately I didn't find any of the other characters appealing. Also this game has some long load times so unlike other XO Games this one seems to be rather server dependent.

On Wargaming (2019) [/] Matthew B Caffrey's paper subtitled "How Wargames Have Shaped History and How They May Shape the Future". The focus is more on wargames used in the military and how wargaming has given militaries an edge historically and how they can help today. It's 400+ pages so a lot of information. I like the history part as he goes from wargaming beginnings and through the various eras and splits them up concentrating on different countries and for the USA our different military branches. Lots of footnotes so a wealth of more material to find if you want to read more.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-02-04T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-02-04-tale-of-the-nine-tailed-2020.html#unique-entry-id-1015https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-02-04-tale-of-the-nine-tailed-2020.html#unique-entry-id-1015Tale of the Nine Tailed is a South Korean urban fantasy drama/romance set in modern times.

Lee Yeon (Lee Dong-wook, male lead in Touch Your Heart, 2019) is a nine-tailed fox and a former mountain spirit (there are four powerful mountain spirits each responsible for a fairly large area I assume). He's been around since the Joseon era (Korean kingdom era) and since that time he's been searching for the reincarnation of his lost love.

Lee Yeon is tracked down by reality show producer Nam Ji-ah (Jo Bo-ah, female lead in Military Prosecutor Doberman, 2022, and Destined With You, 2023) who turns out to look exactly like Lee Yeon's lost Yi Ah-eum. Except she's not because Ah-eum has a Fox Marble that he gave her and Ji-ah does not. He did save Ji-ah as a kid and turns out she's been looking for him ever since.

Ji-ah enlists Yeon to find her parents who disappeared 21 years ago. To do that he reveals the hidden fantasy world that co-exists with the human world. And in time Yeon discovers that Ji-ah is Ah-eum but that she also has an evil snake spirit inside her. The snake spirit was banished by Yeon when Ah-eum died but now it's back and wants Yeon's body or lacking it wants to burn the world down...

This is a fairly high end production with good special effects as there is a lot of magic stuff happening. For the most part an interesting story with a couple of subplots -- Lee Yeon's brother Lee Rang (Kim Bum) who kind of wants to kill him for past wrongs; and Lee Yeon's assistant Goo Shin-joo (Hwang Hee) falling in love with Lee Rang's assistant Ki Yu-ri (Kim Yong-ji). I didn't love the ending because it's a bit too deux ex machina.

Overall though, sort of a typical good Korean drama with a lot of romance.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-02-02T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-02-02-retro-bowl-plus-2023.html#unique-entry-id-1014https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-02-02-retro-bowl-plus-2023.html#unique-entry-id-1014Retro Bowl+ is the Apple Arcade version of the pixel-graphics NFL-like management game Retro Bowl. You have been hired as the new head coach of a (random team) and you're goal is to do well enough to be hired by a better team and so on until you finally get to your (pre-chosen) favorite team and lead it to the Retro Bowl Championship.

You start the new season with a three-round draft. Players have 1 to 5 stars as their current level and you have a dozen-plus scouting actions which you can use to drill into specific players and see their potential stars and max stats. During the draft you can also trade out players for draft picks -- so if I'm drafting a good QB I can trade out my current QB to get another draft pick.

Your team has 10 players (the game notes these are above average players and other positions have average players -- in my experience even a 1-star player is better than average). If you are overstocked in a position then the extras don't play on game day (though you can platoon them and alternate starts). In general it's better to have everyone playing as injuries are not that frequent -- I see one to three (of 1 to 4 weeks each) per season.

Each game can be played manually or in simulation. Two minute quarters and at least in simulation it's relating the 3rd down play and either you move the ball forward for another set of downs or it's 4th down. You might go for it on 4th down, try for a long FG, throw a Hail Mary as time expires, or go for two-point conversions. In simulation your coaches determine that and sometimes it doesn't make sense to me for the situation but I haven't played with good coaches (you have an offensive and defensive coach of 1 to 5 stars). In the end the game scores are fairly in-line with what you see for the NFL.

A win increases fan popularity and a loss decreases it. Winning and losing also affects team and individual happiness (really unhappy players become toxic to the team). There is a news conference after the game where you have two choices to distribute a good or bad event (praise a player or the fans? blame a player or the refs?) Before the next game there is a random event which sometimes gives you a similar choice and sometimes doesn't and is just an effect.

After a game you get a Coaching Credit (CC) or two, more if you win and your fan base is really happy. CC can be used to get free agents, hire new coaches, or improve facilities (re-resigning a player with an expiring contract costs 0 CC, though re-signing a coach does cost CC, maybe because players have a salary and you have a salary cap to manage). For facilities you have stadium (fans are happier and are as unhappy about losing), training facility (XP bonuses to players), and rehab facilities (players don't get hurt as much or if hurt are out less weeks). Facilities go from 0 to 10 and each level costs that many CC.

The league is realistic in that all the NFL cities are there (cities with two teams have an N and an A team, e.g. Los Angeles A for the team in Conference A). Getting into the playoffs is the same as in the NFL and the playoff format is the same too. You can play/sim every playoff game or skip and it tells you who won the Retro Bowl.

I'm finding this to be a very fun game. There is enough complexity for casual play (I've tried one or two PC manager-type games and they are way too complicated for me). A game can be simulated in less then five minutes (or you can hit the skip button four times and finish it in 5 seconds), so a full season is a couple of hours if you're watching the simulated games. And you gradually improve the team year to year which makes drafting important and trading out aging stars important.

Overall a pretty good game and I never played the games manually which I guess it's its own sort of fun. I don't want to do that because I'm afraid you can just play the video game well and the players don't matter much so the coaching infrastructure doesn't matter much.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-01-30T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-01-30-spot-reviews-01-30-26.html#unique-entry-id-1011https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-01-30-spot-reviews-01-30-26.html#unique-entry-id-1011The Great Flood (2025) [/] South Korean action/apocalypse movie set a few decades in the future. As sudden flooding threatens her city researcher Gu An-na (Kim Da-mi) and her son Ja-in (Kwon Eun-seong) have to escape up 30 floors pas the panicked residents of her rather large apartment building. She is helped by a corporate security guard Son Hee-jo (Park Hae-soo) sent to evacuate her via helicopter, but apparently only she and not her son... The first half of the movie is fairly exciting with some nice CGI of flooding and huge waves rushing in. Then the second plot twist and the second half could have been done better I guess -- it didn't seem quite that satisfying as the first half.

Ridiculous Fishing EX (2023) [/] Apple Arcade version of Ridiculous Fishing. Simple three part gameplay. First you cast a line which goes down and rotate device to move fishing lure left and right and avoid all fish. Once you hit a fish or get to the end of your line it starts going up and now you rotate device to catch fish on your lure. Once the fish reach the top they're flung high into the air and now you tap fish to shoot them for money with rarer fish giving you more money. Afterwards you can buy stuff at the store (longer fishing line, better weapons, special lures, cosmetic items). If you catch all the fish types the game gets harder. Not a game with a lot of depth but makes good use of device rotation.

Star's End (2017) [-] Science fiction novel by Cassandra Rose Clarke. Esme Coromina is heiress to a multi-planet conglomerate built on genetically engineered warriors sold to anyone who can afford them. While she plans to reform the company after she takes over her dying father asks her to convince her three estranged younger sisters to visit him one last time. As she goes about this task the story keeps flashing back to her childhood and how her relationship with her sisters crashed and burned... More of a character story I guess. I read 80-odd pages and got bored. I then read this review which convinced me this story wasn't for me.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-01-28T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-01-28-eternal-love-2017.html#unique-entry-id-1012https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-01-28-eternal-love-2017.html#unique-entry-id-1012Eternal Love is a Chinese ancient fantasy romance series running 58 45-minute episodes. The main plot is the thousands-year-long romance between Queen of the Fox Tribe Bai Qian (Yang Mi) and Crown Prince of the Nine Heavens Ye Hua (Mark Chao).

In the first part a young and adventurous Bai Qian disguises herself as a young man, Si Yin, and becomes the 17th disciple of God of War Mo Yuan (Mark Chao in a dual role). She becomes quite attached to Mo Yuan and he to her (as a high god he automatically knew she was a woman). But their happy times ends when Ghost Tribe Lord Qing Cang (Lian Yiming) leads an uprising and Mo Yuan has to sacrifice his soul to imprison Qing Cang for 70 thousand years. Si Yin steals Mo Yuan's body and brings him to Fox Tribe's special regeneration cave where she hopes his soul will eventually reform and return to his body.

70 thousand years later Bai Qian is betrothed to one the Nine Heaven princes but she manages to foil that plan since she's still waiting for Mo Yuan to return. She is then betrothed to the young Crown Prince Ye Hua. Before they can meet though Bai Qian reseals Qing Cang but as she seals him he strikes her, flinging her to the mortal world where she is a mortal amnesiac and lives on a haunted mountain.

Ye Hua happens to save the moral Bai Qian but is injured as a black snake which Bai Qian poorly nurses back to health. Ye Hua becomes enamored with the mortal girl and tries to win her heart by posing as a mortal mercenary who saves her and names her (because she forgot her name) Su Su. They live happily together and even after she finds out he's the Crown Prince of the Nine Heavens she is willing to follow him to heaven and live with him (and they married as mortals already).

But in heaven the machinations of Su Jin (Huang Mengying), Ye Hua's childhood "friend" and now sole consort, first alienate Su Su then implicate her in various crimes and offenses against heaven. Thinking that even Ye Hua has abandoned her Su Su commits suicide by jumping into the gate to the mortal world but some kinsmen find her broken body and bring her back to Fox Tribe lands to recuperate (in this 20+ year period Bai Qian was officially doing "self reflection" even though Fox Tribe leaders couldn't find her). Ye Hua is left with their son A Li (Hummer Zhang).

Now we're back to Ye Hua and Bai Qian being betrothed to each other. They manage to not quite meet for many episodes for them (and other people) to notice that Bai Qian looks just like Su Su and for her to see that Ye Hua looks like Mo Yuan (and to be fair everyone in heaven knew Ye Hua was the spitting image of Mo Yuan but using magic knew it was a different soul -- later we learn that Ye Hua is Mo Yuan's twin brother but for reasons wasn't born until recently).

Even after they meet and start falling in love Bai Qian is half-convinced he only loves her because Bai Qian looks like his lost love (and by this point Ye Hua knows they're the same person but doesn't think he can convince her of that fact). In episode 56 or 57 Ye Hua sacrifices himself to save the Nine Heavens. Bai Qian is disconsolate for an episode and more (about 300 years). Then miraculously his soul is reformed (thousands of years early due to Mo Yuan's help), he wakes up, and he and Bai Qian have a happy ending. (There are a couple of other romantic subplots that don't end up happy due to Fate and class differences so there's a mix of good and bad at the end.)

The first part is amusing gender bending as even Ghost Princess Yan Zhi (Dai Si) falls for Yi Sin but it's not really developed. Then there's the middle part where Bai Qian and Ye Hua keep managing to not meet each other (or at least meet but not see each other's faces) which is frustratingly amusing for me. The latter middle part where Ye Hua slowly wins Bai Qian's heart is fairly nice. The ending is not bad -- I've seen worse.

Overall a pretty good series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-01-26T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-01-26-singles-inferno-netflix-2025.html#unique-entry-id-1009https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-01-26-singles-inferno-netflix-2025.html#unique-entry-id-1009Single's Inferno is a romance/dating sim based on Netflix's Single's Inferno Korean tv show. A group of single people looking for love are put on a desert island (with amenities as this is not a survival show). They can talk to each other but can't reveal their age or occupation (which I guess must be an important dating thing in Korean culture). There are challenges and activities and I think each night two people get to go to Paradise, which is a high-end hotel on the mainland, where they can reveal all to each other and form a deeper connection.

In this game (I haven't watched the tv show) there are surprises involving a second Inferno island with a separate group of singles. People keep getting switch between islands which sets up new dynamics and the first time you are sent there it's interesting as there is a group of singles who know each other but don't know you. And there are also two or three new singles introduced one at a time.

The gameplay is reading dialog between characters and sometimes you get to choose one of three actions. Sometimes it's obvious that an action will increase or decrease romance between you and the other character and sometimes it's hard to tell. Sometimes you have to choice between two or more people/groups as to who you like more or who you want to do an activity with or who you go to Paradise with.

Every character has a romance bar that and you see the current bar at the end of each chapter and if the bar increased or decreased. In general getting most of the characters to max is pretty easy as it only takes a few romance choices to get their bar to maximum, though even then some characters are not romance-able and instead the romance bar is more of a friendship bar.

In the end each character choosing someone else to be their "One" and if two people choose each other they get to leave the island together. Weirdly at this point it the romance bar doesn't seem to matter as most everyone will choose you as their "One" so you get free choice as to whom to leave the island with.

I played Too Hot To Handle which is a similar sort of game and based on another Netflix show. On the positive side THTH each character has both romance and friendship stats so you can form a bestie relationship with one of several characters. And THTH has probably sexier graphics of the characters.

But Single's Inferno was a better experience to me. THTH characters are rather shallowly-developed and the game play is all about whether you hook up or not. Single's Inferno some of the characters have quite detailed back stories (and the frenemies arc between you and a surprise addition is rather epic) and the characters for the most part behave quite distinct. I went from forming a bond with one character to slowly moving to another character until finally I had a difficult choice as to which of the two to pick.

Single's Inferno also has three commentators, two previous participants and a celebrity commentator. The camera often cuts to them discussing what just happened or they'll have comments as you go through a dialog between characters. The commentary adds to the atmosphere as they elaborate on issues and consequences and are a good way of embellishing the story without a narrator or having the contestants keep talking all the time.

Overall this is a really good story app and I had a great experience playing it.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-01-23T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-01-23-spot-reviews-01-23-26.html#unique-entry-id-1006https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-01-23-spot-reviews-01-23-26.html#unique-entry-id-1006Vagabond (2019) [-] Spy-action thriller. After his nephew is killed in a plane crash, stuntman Cha Dal-Geon (Lee Seung-gi) is determined to find out what really happened and starts to uncover a multi-layered conspiracy. He gets help from low-level Korean National Intelligence Service analyst Go Hae-ri (Bae Suzy) who is in over her head but sees this as a way to promotion and job stability.

This took me a couple of sessions to watch. The first eight episodes then a long break then the last ten. Especially the first few episodes there are some very long action sequences involving Dal-Geon. Also too many plot twists as to who is the real bad guy. Finally a non-ending maybe setting up a sequel series should there be one but I don't see anything in Wikipedia and now it's six years later.

I watched this for Bae Suzy and she magnetic when she's on screen but everyone other than Dal-Geon is a secondary character and Hae-ri is the top secondary character. Overall a disappointing series. Although I do appreciate the bad girls casting: Moon Jeong-hee as Jessica Lee, power lobbyist and one of the Big Bads; Park Ah-in as Lily, assassin with an attitude; and Ryu Won as Mickey, administrative assistant with gun and spec ops skills.

Millionaire Trivia: TV Game+ (2023) [/] Who Wants to be a Millionaire quiz show. At base it's you vs another global player answering quiz questions that get harder as you get closer to the $1M prize. Vs is nice since it can be asynchronous -- the computer only needs to know other player's level, the quiz id, and when the other player got a wrong answer.

I like how they did the experts. You collect expert cards (and duplicates allow you to level up that expert) and experts are good at one or more categories. Then when you call on an expert the screen shows all your experts and their confidence on this question. I'm not sure expert knowledge is that specific -- I got William Shakespeare card but I don't think he'd be better at Shakespeare questions than another expert with the same rarity can category skill level.

But other than collecting experts it's still Who Wants to be a Millionaire which I don't find that interesting.

Echo Journal [/] Echo (Educational Community for HOA Homeowners) is a non-profit aimed at educating homeowners who live in an HOA and HOA board members. They have a quarterly journal which anybody can download. Besides all the ads (kind of useful actually since they're services specifically for HOAs) there is one or two educational articles (although many are split up into 1 to 3 parts). I feel most of the advice is common sense but some things are new to me so it's a useful journal to at least scan through.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-01-21T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-01-21-hi-bye-mama-2020.html#unique-entry-id-1008https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-01-21-hi-bye-mama-2020.html#unique-entry-id-1008Hi Bye, Mama! is a South Korean bittersweet drama starring Kim Tae-hee as Cha Yu-ri, a mother who died at childbirth and has been haunting her daughter for five years. She is given a second chance when she comes back to life for 49 days. At first her shaman friend Mi Dong-daek (Yoon Sa-bong) thinks that this is Cha Yu-ri's chance to regain a life cut short by a car accident -- if she can reclaim her position as wife to Cho Gang-hwa (Lee Kyu-hyung) and mother to Cho Seo-woo (Seo Woo-jin).

Except that after an intense period of grief Cho Gang-hwa married Oh Min-jung (Go Bo-gyeol). At first glance Oh Min-jung seems a bit distant from Cho Seo-woo and in turn Cho Gang-hwa is a bit distant from his wife. But deeper down they do love each other which Cha Yu-ri knew all along which is why she doesn't want to break up a marriage for her selfish reasons.

Instead Cha Yu-ri wants to protect Cho Seo-woo because the little girl can see ghosts and this is due to Cha Yu-ri hanging around her all the time. Cha Yu-ri gets work at the child care and proceeds to drive off the ghosts. Although Cha Yu-ri tries to stay hidden from people who know her she often forgets so first she's spotted by her best Go Hyun-jung (Shin Dong-mi), then later her ex-husband, and finally her mom Jeon Eun-sook (Kim Mi-kyung).

So now Cha Yu-ri is fully back among the living and even befriends Oh Min-jung, who thinks Cha Yu-ri is a dead-ringer for her husband's deceased wife. The rest of the series is Cha Yu-ri revealing to everyone, one at a time, that her time is limited and she's not sticking around so it kind of becomes a long goodbye. But it's only in the last episode that Cha Yu-ri finally accepts her fate and is fine moving on to heaven, the series ending with a short bit 10+ years later showing a happy teen Cho Seo-woo (Park Jung-yeon) enjoying a moment in the park with her parents...

I mostly liked this series though it does get a bit sad with lots of crying. I like the cameo by Kim Seul-gi replaying her Oh My Ghost character Shin Soon-ae. Overall an above average series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-01-19T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/6280601ae45188e70f6bd37c2a4df8b2-1007.html#unique-entry-id-1007https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/6280601ae45188e70f6bd37c2a4df8b2-1007.html#unique-entry-id-1007Slay the Spire+ is the Apple Arcade version of Slay the Spire, a roguelike deckbuilder from 2019.

In the game you travel a point to point map with crisscrossing paths. Each node shows the type of encounter:

• Monster - most nodes are common monster encounters
• Elite - some nodes are an elite monster, adds an artifact reward
• Rest - some nodes are rest areas where you can recover 25-30% of hit points (in general hp are rarely healed otherwise), or instead you can upgrade a card of your choosing (all cards can be upgraded once)
• Merchant - some nodes have a merchant with a random collection of cards to buy, one of the cards at a discount, two cards are higher cost special cards
• Unknown - some nodes are unknown and can be any of the above

Combat is turn-based with card actions. You have a draw pile of cards and three action points. Draw your cards then play them. Usually it's attack one or more enemies (usually one enemy and maybe five max), block which adds to your current shield (e.g. a 10-point enemy attack reduces your shield by 10; shields reset to 0 at the start of your turn), power which is an ongoing effect (e.g. poison 2 on all enemies at start of turn, or the first discard of your turn you draw a replacement card), skill which does some kind of effect like draw more cards or buff/debuff.

There is very little randomness outside card draw. Attacks do a set amount of damage, blocks add a set amount of shield, there is no die-rolling. There are effects that are random: a poison bottle that bounces around hits three or four enemies randomly so can hit one enemy multiple times; or if you're confused your card action point costs are randomized (cards cost 0 to 3 points to use and there are effects that can give you more action points). Similarly if enemies have multiple types of actions the current one they've chosen seems random (and for the most part you know what each enemy is doing).

There are four classes that play quite different and have their own set of cards. Fighter that is mostly attack or block cards; Elementalist that conjures energy orbs that do something at the end of each turn; Poisoner that has lots of poison cards (poison does damage at the start of an enemy's turn then it's value goes down 1); the last one I haven't played yet.

After each Monster/Elite battle you get a choice of 1 of 3 random cards and each character has different builds you can specialize. For example I had an Elementalist but instead of energy orbs I ended up concentrating on this 0 cost claw attack and effects like remove all discarded claw attacks and add them to your hand, or increase strength for more claw attack damage. With a good draw I could do a lot of claw attacks.

A game is traveling through three maps with a Boss fight at the end of each map. After the final Boss fight you get a score, though I'm not sure how scoring works. The score is also added to that characters running score total which unlocks new cards.

Besides the normal game mode there is a Daily Challenge where you play a set character and there are three environment rules (e.g. whenever you Rest you heal 100% but lose 5 max hp so try to find another way of healing). The Daily Challenge has a global high score and your score also contributes to unlocking stuff for that character.

There is a Custom which is like Daily but you can set the environmental effects. Normal game mode you can play Ascension difficulty where it gets more difficult as you win more games. You can also set the game run's seed so I guess if you play with friends you can all have the same randomness.

A full run takes a couple of hours. Since each combat is short the urge to do one more combat is strong and I've started a game at 0100 or 0200 and ended up going to sleep much later. Graphics and sound are good.

My only negative is that with a lot of cards in your hand you have to tap to see the card title then drag up to read the description if you don't have it memorized. And often if you tap on another card it thinks you are still on the same card so once or twice a run I end up using a card I only looked at but didn't intend to use then. Also in the "choose a card to discard or add" view I sometimes double tap or something and end up choosing that card when I just wanted to read the description. I guess in both cases it's a problem of trying to do things too quickly.

Anyway this is a very fun game.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-01-16T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-01-16-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-1004https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-01-16-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-1004Invisible Us (2024) [-] Japanese serious drama running six 45-minute episodes. After one of her former high school friends stabs a few people in downtown Tokyo, trashy magazine writer Nakagawa Aoi (Fukuhara Haruka, Good Morning Call - 2016) tracks down and reconnects with her other friends, the six of them being Team Float in high school. As we discover their stories (which often goes back to high school incidents where the POV shifts revealing new perspectives) we see that all six did not really achieve their dreams of life and have sort of become more invisible members of Japanese society. With Takeda Rena as one of the friends. It's a somewhat depressing series.

What the Car? (2023) [/] A humorous platformer on Apple Arcade. You have a car with legs and each level there is a twist on your movement (e.g. rockets or extra jumpy). Travel from the beginning to the end (takes like 15 to 30 seconds) as fast as possible and maybe pickup the level's secret item. It's simple enough for kids to play though getting gold star on every level is a challenge for adults.

My Drama List [+] When I want to look for specific minor actors in an Asian drama I usually go to MyDramaList. It's Cast and Credits view includes actor pictures and role name (often with an added descriptor e.g. XYZ's daughter, butler, etc.). There is usually an episode guide with episode summaries though you have to drill down into each episode. Although the show synopsis is ok Wikipedia sometimes has much more info and Wikipedia tends to have more info on show production, music and background.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-01-14T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-01-14-the-spies-who-loved-me-2022.html#unique-entry-id-1005https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-01-14-the-spies-who-loved-me-2022.html#unique-entry-id-1005The Spies Who Loved Me is a South Korean romance drama running sixteen 70-minute episodes.

Wedding dress designer Kang Ah-Reum (Yoo In-na) gets embroiled in an industrial espionage plot when her friend Sophie Ahn (Yoon So-hee) is murdered at Ahn's bachelorette party. For some reason Ah-Reum's ex-husband Jun Ji-Hoon (Eric Mun) was also there and insists on helping her out, maybe to get back together but actually because he works for Interpol Asia and is secretly investigating the case. Ji-Hoon butts heads with Ah-Reum's current husband, Derek Hyun (Lim Ju-hwan), who is a refined socialite working at the Koren Foreign Affairs office.

This is the third Yoo In-na series I've watched the last few months, after Touch Your Heart (2019) and True to Love (2023). Apparently she was also in Snowdrop (2021) but I only watched the first few episodes. She's kind of played the same sort of character in all three but she has that role nailed down. Sure it's the same character over and over again but my opinion of her keeps going up.

The series itself is entertaining. It's fairly high production value with lots of nice locations and attractive people. Park So-jin plays Ah-Reum's business partner and friend and she also was the lead's best friend in True to Love and a bigger part there than in this one. Both male leads I hadn't seen before and it's probably my viewing choices that I keep seeing the same female leads but the male leads are quite more varied.

I like that Ah-Reum is fairly skilled and assertive. She has some nice pick-up spying type skills and is willing to keep going when her investigations get dangerous even though she thinks she's basically doing it on her own. This is probably the best of her three characters I've seen simply because she holds her own skills-wise.

I enjoyed this series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-01-12T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-01-12-three-miles-down-2022.html#unique-entry-id-1001https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-01-12-three-miles-down-2022.html#unique-entry-id-1001Three Miles Down is subtitled "A novel of first contact in the tumultuous 1970s". In the waning days of Watergate as President Nixon is busy defending himself, UCLA ceanographic graduate student Jerry Stieglitz is recruited by the CIA to go aboard Howard Hughes' Glomar Explorer.

Historically that mining exploration ship was used to secretly raise the sunken Soviet submarine K-129. In this history that is a cover mission because what is next to the wreck of K-129 is an intact alien space ship which probably sunk K-129. Along with the technical difficulties of the Glomar Explorer's mission (whether it was used for K-129 or another object that deep, it was quite a technical achievement and the book goes into the difficulties in some detail) and interference from the Soviets who are suspicious, Jerry has philosophical difficulties.

Jerry is rather liberal left-leaning on a ship that is very conservative, right wing, and enthusiastically pro-Nixon (even the non-government types since the ship has a lot of civilian sea mining crew and such). Once the alien ship is recovered and some exploration is done Jerry comes to realize (actually even before then) that this is too big a discovery for the USA to hog for itself.

Once Jerry's part is done and he is sent back home he returns to his normal life, except that he did smuggle a few photographs, an act which if found out would get him terminally sanctioned by the CIA. But a couple of months later news reports start coming out about the Glomar Explorer and further events make Jerry believe that the CIA may have targeted him "just to be sure" so he runs and travels cross country from Los Angeles to Washington DC to speak with the only people who can save him, the people at the Soviet Embassy...

This is a well written story full of 1970's stuff that is either very relevant (such as Watergate, Nixon's impeachment, and President Gerald Ford now being given the alien hot potato) or stuff that is mentioned in passing like the price of gasoline or the current Dodgers and Angels teams.

Ultimately this is more of a conspiracy/thriller type story than a science fiction aliens story -- it even ends just as one of the aliens is finally awoken so we don't know if that first contact ultimately turns out good or bad. As such this is not really the kind of story I would have chosen to read but it's still a fine tale.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-01-09T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-01-09-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-1003https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-01-09-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-1003In Love and Deep Water (2023) [/] Japanese light murder-comedy-romance movie. On a cruise ship (sailing from Tokyo to the Aegean Sea) butler Ubukata Suguru (Yoshizawa Ryo) meets passenger Banjaku Chizuru (Miyazaki Aoi) who tells him that their significant others are cheating on them (well, not quite cheating from their text messages but getting there). As they try to decide what to do a murder occurs in front of the two and five other witnesses. But then body disappears so was there a murder? Especially since other than Ubukata no one admits to seeing the murder (each for their own reasons). Ubukata and Banjaku try to convince the other witnesses to testify (though in a nice twist the real murderer is a bit of a surprise unless you paid some attention). It's an entertaining movie.

Very Little Nightmares+ (2023) [+] Apple Arcade version which I guess is the same but "free". Puzzle game where you are a little girl trying to escape a horror mansion of 18 areas. Tap to move, tap to interact if you're next to a relevant object (there are no useless objects to interact with), double tap to run. Most puzzles require interacting/rearranging a few things -- perhaps switches (to open doors or turn on/off water or electricity) or furniture so you can climb up to reach things (you can't even reach the top of a table without something to climb up). Not too hard of puzzles though I did use a walkthrough four or five times. It's about 3 hours to play through.

Espostos Catering [/] We had them cater our HOA holiday party. $1200 including delivery charge for the hot food. I think enough food for 50 people though we only had 20 or so. Sliders of two types, meat balls with bbq sauce, various cheeses with bread and crackers, a few other things. Food was ok considering it had to be prepared then transported then setup and then another half hour as people arrive to eat (hot food had warmers and water trays).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-01-07T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-01-07-true-to-love-2023.html#unique-entry-id-1002https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-01-07-true-to-love-2023.html#unique-entry-id-1002True to Love is a South Korean romance drama running fourteen hour-long episodes.

Dating influencer Yeon "Deborah" Bo-ra (Yoo In-na, Touch Your Heart - 2019) has her career and heart broken after she catches almost-fiancé Noh Joo-wan (Hwang Chan-sung) cheating on her. She goes into seclusion which is inconvenient for book publisher Jinri who were pursuing her for her next book.

But after Bo-ra's sister Yeon Bo-mi (Kim Ye-ji) is scammed out of most of Bo-ra's savings Bo-ra is forced to sign with Jinri and work with prickly editor Lee Soo-hyuk (Yoon Hyun-min) who in classic K-Drama fashion she's had a couple of previous bad run-ins (and he blames her for giving advice to his former girlfriend so that she ended up breaking up with him).

As they continue to work together they start to realize the other one is not bad as they thought and actually has some good qualities. Complication when Joo-wan realizes Bo-ra is dating again and decides he wants her back even though Bo-ra is definitely over him. Also a nice romantic subplot between Soo-hyuk's best friend and business partner Han Sang-jin (Joo Sang-wook) and the young new office intern Bang Woo-ri (Hong Hwa-yeon) who becomes infatuated because of his incidental acts of kindness.

This is a nice series. Upscale locations, fashionable outfits, photogenic cast. Yoo In-na is very good even though it's a somewhat similar kind of character as in Touch Your Heart -- beautiful diva who's taken down a peg and is now recovering her balance and confidence.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-01-05T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-01-05-kuxiu-x33-pro-max-2025.html#unique-entry-id-1000https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-01-05-kuxiu-x33-pro-max-2025.html#unique-entry-id-1000X33 Pro Max ($120 regular price) is a solid metal and magnetic iPad stand. When you order it you specify which model iPad it's for since exactly fits that iPad.

The iPad snaps on magnetically and there is a cut square in the back for the camera. The stand can pivot up and down for height. The iPad attachment can be rotated for horizontal or vertical viewing. The attachment is fairly strong and you can't shake the iPad loose and detaching requires a bit of prying.

I can set it up in the bathroom or kitchen to watch a video while I'm doing stuff. Once you set the angle it's set enough that you can't accidentally move the hinge or iPad by tapping and swiping.

On my desk I can lower the stand and have my iPad in horizontal mode with the bottom touching the table. That's a nice viewing angle that complements my monitors and is easy to tap/swipe.

The stand is solid and heavier than my iPad. It does feel like it'll last years. Magnets don't wear out. I guess maybe the hinge parts might wear out such that it doesn't stay put or maybe becomes stuck.

Even though it's kind of pricey keep in mind my alternative was the closest Apple equivalent, the Magic Keyboard for $270. And I got my X33 Pro Max on sale for $73 (free shipping) and right now for New Years Sale it's $86.

Addendum: I just figured out an issue. The X33 attaches like it's a keyboard so the iPad sometimes thinks there's a keyboard connected. I've only noticed it when I backup to my Mac and the "Trust this computer" dialog wants you to enter your passcode but there is no keyboard shown. Once you disconnect the X33 the virtual keyboard shows up.

In other apps, such as Notes, the virtual keyboard is also not automatically shown but there is a menu at the bottom and you can select "Show Keyboard".
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2026-01-02T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-01-02-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-999https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2026-01-02-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-999Hotaru no Hikari: It's Only_Little Light In My Life s1 (2007) and s2 (2010) [-] Live action series of a light romantic manga. Hotaru Amemiya (Haruka Ayase) is a young professional office lady who is secretly a lazy slob at home (Himong Onna or Dried Fish Woman, which this manga coined and it became a popular term) - wearing comfy clothes and drinking beer. She ends up with a new housemate, Seichi Takang (Naohito Fujiki), who happens to be her much older manager. In the first season they eventually settle on being boyfriend/girlfriend and in the second season (set three years later) is all about whether or not they will get married... May have been better as an anime as a live action woman who is that naive, unobservant, and ADHD-like is kind of annoying rather than cute/charming. The cast was overturned in s2 with the two leads and the strongest two supporting characters -- Yamada Sachiko (Yuka Itaya) as Hotaru's older and wiser co-worker/friend and Shoji Futatsugi (Ken Yasuda) as
Seich's friend (and also fellow co-worker) -- returning.

Jet Dragon (2023) [/] "Nurturing simulator" is an apt description. You run a dragon racing team and have to manage training riders and dragons (and not exhausting them), upgrading your facilities, and actually racing in events. Races are on rails in that there is no steering so you concentrate on triggering your boost and abilities (including attacks and defenses). Pretty graphics, appropriate fantasy/medieval background music, character dialogs and maybe an actual plot. Not my kind of game in that I either want management but not control racing or just racing with minimal management.

Trader Joe's Alfredo Pasta Sauce [+] $3.50 for 16oz good for a few meals. Alfredo sauce I think you use more than Marinara or Pesto in a given meal. By itself it tastes fine but really shines with Parmesan cheese.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-12-31T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251231-marry-my-husband-2024.html#unique-entry-id-998https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251231-marry-my-husband-2024.html#unique-entry-id-998Marry My Husband is a South Korean romance-drama running sixteen 70-minute episodes.

It's 2023 and Kang Ji-won (Park Min-young: Her Private Life, 2019; When the Weather is Fine, 2020; Forecasting Love and Weather, 2022) is dying of terminal cancer. All the worse when she walks in on her husband Park Min-hwan (Lee Yi-kyung) cheating with her best friend Jeong Su-min (Song Ha-yoon) and they end up accidentally killing her.

And then Ji-won wakes up and it's 2013 with all her future memories intact. She's back as an office worker with longtime boyfriend Min-hwan and best friend Su-min also working in her office. Ji-won soon discovers that events will still happen (for example getting an injury in the same place even though she avoided the initial accident it still happens a bit later in a new accident).

One thing that's different is Yoo Ji-hyuk (Na In-woo), one of the directors at her company, who seems to show up in her life and interacts with her much more than she remembers. This is also how she discovers that fate can be transferred because he saves her from an injury that he gets instead. So Ji-won decides that to avoid her gory fate she has to get Su-min to marry Min-hwan.

Unbeknownst to Ji-won though, Ji-hyuk also came back in time and is determined to help her. He also knows that he is destined to die in a car crash which happened soon after her death in 2023 and this is a fact he does not tell her until much later so even though romance is forming between the two he is still sometimes standoffish.

This is a high quality production with lots of nice locations. There's a cool CGI sequence when Ji-won sees her 2023 memory of Seoul's buildings get unbuilt back to 2013. This is also a production where everyone is rather attractive and Ji-won going from indifferently dressed office worker to a knockout after getting styled and dressed by her new friend Yoo Hui-yeon (Choi Gyu-ri).

I do like upper class romances so I think this is my favorite Park Min-young series so far. The gimmick is interesting without giving the main characters super powers. The last episode does a fair job getting to a good ending. Overall a really good series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-12-29T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251229-the-sackhoff-show-2023.html#unique-entry-id-997https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251229-the-sackhoff-show-2023.html#unique-entry-id-997The Sackhoff Show is actress Katee Sackhoff's interview podcast that she started in mid-2023. In each episode she interviews one guest, mostly from the tv and film industry. Although she prepares for each interview and has some questions after the first one or two the conversation goes to unanticipated places and she lets it. I like that she includes her own personal experiences and thoughts so it's more of a conversation than an interview.

Initially every other episode was a discussion about the previous episode between Katee and her producer and/or her husband. Then the after show part was included at the end of each podcast. I've listened to some of the latest podcasts and it seems like the after show is now a Patreon exclusive. The show is also on YouTube -- the podcast started with videos (in a home studio) then audio only (so she could visit guests and interview them) and now back to video (since recording video conferences is now a thing).

The tone is generally positive and Katee doesn't go into politics and other divisive topics. The conversations are mostly interesting or more so and overall it's a worthwhile podcast to listen to.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-12-26T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251226-spot-reviews-12-26-25.html#unique-entry-id-996https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251226-spot-reviews-12-26-25.html#unique-entry-id-996Stick s1 (2025) [/] Apple TV golf comedy of 10 episodes in season one. Pryce Cahill (Owen Wilson) was once a promising rising star golfer who self-destructed and 15-20 years later is very washed up. But he encounters Santi Wheeler (Peter Dager), a young phenom who works as a stock boy. Cahill bets it all that he can make Wheeler into a pro golfer but as the series goes on Cahill has to deal with his own demons and Wheeler's ones. Meanwhile the two travel in a Winnebago -- with Cahill's good friend Mitts (Marc Maron) and Wheeler's mom Elena (Mariana Treviño) and later with Wheeler's slacker girlfriend Zero (Lilly Kay) -- doing the small regional golfing events... Has funny moments and dramatic moments and half-hour-ish episodes means there is no time to be boring.

TMNT Splintered Fate (2023) [+] Multiplayer roguelike using Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle characters. Venture into the sewers where it's three random rooms of minions then a random miniboss or boss. Get temporary power-ups that last for a few rooms or your run; collect dragon coins which you use between runs to buy permanent enhancements. Supports co-cop either on same iPad (need a controller) or online (create a public or private run) and up to 4 players. There's a storyline where you are trying to rescue Splinter and lots of voice acted dialog. Runs smoothly on my iPad even with touch controls. It's a fun arcade brawler.

Vampirella: Feary Tales TPB (2015) [/]. Collects the five issue series. Vampirella is trapped in a magic book and forced to live through various twisted fairy tale stories (e.g. the first issue is "Bluebeard", also the subject of the RPG Bluebeard's Bride, and "Cinderella"). Meanwhile the unseen Narrator taunts Vampirella with many puns.

This is somewhat of an homage to the old Vampirella Magazine wherein Vampirella was the narrator of various horror tales, before she eventually became an actual character in the tales. The stories are by various authors and quality varies. Overall though it's an entertaining series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-12-24T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251224-she-and-her-perfect-husband-2022.html#unique-entry-id-995https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251224-she-and-her-perfect-husband-2022.html#unique-entry-id-995She and Her Perfect Husband is a Chinese romance drama running forty 45-minute episodes.

Qin Shi (Yang Mi -- The Interpreter, 2016; Fall in Love Like a Star, 2015) is a female lawyer at one of the top firms in the country but her initial hiring and upward mobility were aided by a fake marriage to a handsome guy she found on Instagram and Photoshopped herself on his pictures. And then one day her fake husband Yang Hua (Xu Kai) shows up at a party because he was the blind date of Qin's rival Li Dai (Tang Jing Mei).

Qin Shi convinces Yang Hua to pretend to be her husband for at first three days then longer with the excuse that she will come clean to her boss. But due to family pressure Yang Hua realizes that Qin Shi can pose as his older fiancée (she's 8 to 10 years older) -- someone unsuitable to his parents so that they'll be shocked and allow him to remain single.

The two move together. While Qin Shi takes on some tough cases Yang Hua ends up helping her because he has financial expertise. The two eventually start caring for each other but Qin Shi never really acknowledges it and Yang Hua comes to see their fake relationship is an obstacle to a real relationship.

Meanwhile there's Qin Shi's ex-fiancé Tao Jun Hui (Li Ze Feng) who comes to work at the same firm. Tao's fiancée is Wu Fei (Wang Zi Xuan), a young assistant attorney at the firm and secretly the daughter of a powerful businessman. When Wu Fei comes to see Qin Shi as a rival she starts using her connections with the goal of driving Qin Shi out of the firm...

This is an elegant and nice romantic story. The last few episodes of the series are not as good though.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-12-22T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251222-amazon-prime-video.html#unique-entry-id-994https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251222-amazon-prime-video.html#unique-entry-id-994free month this year and here are some notes.

• Commercials are longer on iPad. If you subscribe to Prime you still get commercials unless you pay an extra monthly fee.
• Prime is $15 per month and no commercials is $3 per month so $18 per month which is the same as Netflix's standard plan of $18 per month... Actually you can get Prime Video alone (though how you get to it navigating Amazon web site, I couldn't figure out). It's $9 + $3 for no ads so $12 per month. Netflix ad-free is $8 per month.
• When you browse it shows programs from other streaming services which I think clutters the results. Would like those filtered out but there is no option.
• No independent volume control on Mac.
• Mac app always dims screen when paused and it shows video controls. And if there is X-Ray it also shows when paused. So if you want to examine a detail when paused it's hard to do. On iPad the overlay can be removed with a tap.
• Video quality is good but less good than Netflix,

A streaming service is not just the available content but the UI and usability. Paid Amazon Prime still feels second-tier compared to Netflix but I guess not as bad as when I initially reviewed it.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-12-19T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251219-spot-reviews-12-19-25.html#unique-entry-id-990https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251219-spot-reviews-12-19-25.html#unique-entry-id-990Love Between Fairy and Devil (2022) [-] Chinese fantasy romance drama. Orchid (Yu Shuxin/Esther Yu - Ski Into Love [2025]; Love Game in Eastern Fantasy [2024]; supporting character in Find Yourself [2020]) is a low level fairy who accidentally frees Dongfang Qingcang (Dylan Wang), the Moon Supreme and leader of the Moon Tribe. After being branded a traitor she has to live with Dongfang in the Moon Tribe lands -- he can't kill her because their souls are magically bound and she tries to reform him and thaw his emotionless heart (which turns out to be the foundation of his great powers). Along the way they start falling in love...

This is a very heavy green-screened production and the characters didn't seem all that great to me. Much like Love Game in Eastern Fantasy there are good parts, especially in the beginning and setup, but as the story goes it gets a bit boring.

My Town: Home (2023) [-] I launched this Apple Arcade game and could not figure out what was going on. It's a kid's game where a kid can interact with the various items and people in a house. Dollhouse video game is an apt description. Don't mind the concept so much as the lack of an intro for parents.

Premier Pizza, Santa Clara [+] A bit small pizza place in a mall. I only ate the meat one we got though we also got a gluten free one and a cheese pizza. These are thick pizzas with lots of bread (and the cheese pizza had loads of cheese). Lots of toppings too so quite filling. They had a couple televisions on one with basketball and one with soccer.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-12-17T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251217-f1-2025.html#unique-entry-id-992https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251217-f1-2025.html#unique-entry-id-992F1 the Movie is a racing action film that spans the course of a Formula 1 season.

After winning 24 Hours of Daytona, veteran race car driver Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) is recruited to be the lead driver of APXGP, a struggling F1 race team that half way through its second season has always finished near the bottom. Minority owner and Hayes friend Rubén Cervantes (Javier Bardem) needs the team to do better or it will be sold off.

Hayes has been in F1 before when he was a young hotshot driver but a horrific crash retired him from that sport though he continued to do all sort of other races. In addition to that checkered past Hayes also has to deal with his fellow driver Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris) -- a lot of potential but more concerned with looking good and his endorsement contracts. And the last main character is engineer Kate McKenna (Kerry Condon) who designs the cars and is a potential romantic interest.

So far a typical setup that works well just because of Brad Pitt. But the racing scenes are quite exciting. We see how much tech is behind the scenes in design, training, and during the race. The story covers 11 races and it seems like most get some coverage. Each race as has a bit of story and character development -- Hayes showing his recklessness side and his crafty side as he's quite willing to stretch the car's performance to stay competitive and to arrange for slight accidents to slow down the pace so his team can stay in the game or catch up.

There's a rivalry between Hayes and Pearce. Hayes has a no non-sense train hard, work hard, concentrate on the racing, exclude everything else which eventually gets the rest of the APXGP team behind him and brings around Pearce. Hayes and McKenna's thing is mostly tension and flirting and a culmination then a poignant goodbye because for Hayes this is a one season mercenary-type of contract and he's moving on to something different.

But the racing is the best and shot in a way that makes F1 exciting (I've seen F1 when I was younger and it always seemed more boring than NASCAR or Indy). So now I'm looking forward to watching F1 on Apple TV.

Overall a really exciting film.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-12-15T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251215-the-battle-of-goose-green-2019.html#unique-entry-id-991https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251215-the-battle-of-goose-green-2019.html#unique-entry-id-991
Chapters

1. 2 Para - an overview of the 2 Para battalion that went to the Falklands
2. Task Force Mercedes - overview of Argentine forces in the Falklands and especially at Goose Green
3. Operation Sutton - British initial landing
4. It's on - It's off - It's on again - whether or not to send a force to take Goose Green
5. Preparations - 2 Para moves south and recons Goose Green area
6. 2 Para's Plan - the complicated plan of attack, going north to south
7. The Low Pass and Burntside House - initial attack
8. Dawn at Darwin and Boca House - dawn and 2 Para way behind schedule
9. The Gorse Gully - A company attacks the left flank of the Argentine main line of defense
10. Boca House - contemporaneously with A Co., B company attacks the right flank
11. Action for the Airfield - once past the main line, the battle for the airfield
12. Action for the Schoolhouse - contemporaneously the the airfield, the battle for the nearby school house
13. The Argentines' Surrender - negotiating with the Argentines and getting them to surrender

Adkin builds upon previous works (apparently 2 Para did a good job interviewing participants after the war) and he also did more interviews in person and via letters. Although the Argentine perspective is a bit more limited it's still fairly good and a lot. Lots of quotes throughout the text.

He has lots of makes he drew himself and the maps are close to the text where they're used so there's some page flipping but less than if the maps were all at the front or back of the book. They're simple maps showing the action often with numbers to show sequence of events.

There are also photos of people and terrain.

Adkin points out some controversies. 2 Para commander, Colonel H, got himself killed leading a lone charge in the Gorse Gully. Some close Blue on Blue incidents at the airfield perhaps because the Major who took over didn't clearly spell out missions. Also the question of why send 2 Para to Goose Green because it was a diversion from the main thrust at the capital, Stanley.

There is a huge amount of friction getting 2 Para to their starting point so the actual fight they are very low on support (i.e. artillery, planes, naval gunfire) and are mostly on their own and even that rather light on their organic support (their own artillery had few shells since 2 Para had to lug everything themselves several kilometers to the start point).

I found this an interesting read. An in-depth look at a modern infantry tactical battle.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-12-12T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251212-spot-reviews-12-12-25.html#unique-entry-id-989https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251212-spot-reviews-12-12-25.html#unique-entry-id-989Sheriff Country 1.1 to 1.6 (2025) [/] Police procedural drama on CBS. Mickey Fox (Morena Baccarin) is the interim Sheriff of Edgewater County (a fictional county somewhere in Northern California I'm guessing) dealing with various crimes while running for Sheriff in the next election. Each episode tends to be a self-contained scenario but there are multi-episode plot lines (e.g. Mickey's recovering drug-addict daughter Skye [Amanda Arcuri] who is accused of murdering her boyfriend and that takes three or four episodes to resolve)... I like the concept and Baccarin playing the lead but this is kind of typical network show so far.

Octodad: Dadliest Catch+ (2023) [-] You are an octopus trying to live a human life. The game is about trying to do human things in a physics based environment where your controls are very unreliable. For example your first task is clearing a table of objects and you slide your finger to move your tentacle arm, which flops around and generally misses objets. Similarly grabbing a key and getting it to a lock is a frustrating exercise. Really not my game though possible better with a two-stick controller.

Vampi Omnibus v1 TPB (2012) [/] This is a compilation of Vampi #1/2, #1-18; Vampirella Manga 2999 Ashcan and Vampirella Manga 3000 Ashcan. The Ashcans are b/w that came before the regular series and are a different tone. Vampi the series is an anime version of Vampirella set in a cyberpunk Neo Tokyo. It's sexy and very gory and almost everyone other than Vampi ends up dead by the end of the big 18-issue arc. Good color art though the word text is often a bit off like it wasn't rendered right in PDF. I guess Vampi went 25 issues but there is no Omnibus v2 or similar.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-12-10T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251210-mobile-suit-gundam-seed-2002.html#unique-entry-id-987https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251210-mobile-suit-gundam-seed-2002.html#unique-entry-id-987Mobile Suit Gundam SEED is a 48 episode series (on Netflix, originally 50 but two were recaps and omitted) set in the future of the main timeline. There's a war between the Naturals (who are Earth-based) and the Coordinators (DNA-modified humans, all based in space colonies near Earth). Besides the Earth Alliance and ZAFT there is the neutral Orb Union which has both Earth members (based in Panama) and orbital colonies.

ZAFT raids neutral Heliopolis which was making two military items for Earth Alliance: the Archangel ship and five Gundam G mobile suits. Four Gundams are captured while the Archangel and one Gundam escape with military and civilian survivors. The survivors try to make it back to Earth Alliance territory pursued by ZAFT forces.

Kira Yamato is a teen Coordinator who was studying on Heliopolis and he gets caught up in everything because he's the only one who can effectively pilot the Gundam (even though built for Naturals to pilot a Coordinator is still 10x better). Meanwhile Kira's best friend Athrun Zala is on the ZAFT side piloting one of the captured Gundams. And once the survivors find out he's a Coordinator even his friends treat him a bit differently.

The series has cool Mecha combat. I like that all the ships are pretty much Mech carriers -- they are armed but their main offensive and defensive punch is the handful of Mecha a ship carries. Archangel does have a space fighter piloted by Mu La Flaga who is extremely good yet shows that the best human in a space fighter can barely take on an average ZAFT or two in their regular Mecha.

Animation is good. Lots of character interactions and drama. Not too much whiny kids (mostly in early episodes). I like the military detail and different units. A fair amount of politics to the point that both sides leaders are full of bad guys. More depth and a bit more mature topics than Robotech (e.g. there's a sex scene).

Overall an entertaining Mecha series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-12-08T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251208-kingdom-two-crowns-plus-2023.html#unique-entry-id-988https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251208-kingdom-two-crowns-plus-2023.html#unique-entry-id-988Kingdom Two Crowns is a side-view village building game. You are the king (or queen) on their horse. Collect coins and use them to recruit peasants, build items that an available peasant will grab and use, and upgrade walls and buildings. At night cultists attack so build walls and guard towers. Keep cutting down trees and expanding your small kingdom. Later on there are more unique things to find and this ghost that urges you on.

iPad UI is pretty easy. Slide left or right to move. When you stop at an action spot there will be empty coins and you swap down to add coins until the spot is paid or you don't have enough coins in which case they drop to the ground and you pick them up. You can swipe down at any time to drop a coin which is how you recruit people (since they move around moving to a "coin drop spot" would have been hard) and I realize if you have lots of money (your money bag only holds so many coins) you can drop them outside and a cultist will grab a coin and run off instead of attacking.

I did find the graphics a bit too 8-bit retro and with no text it was sometimes hard to tell what I'm doing. Also it bothers me I can't tell how many people I have and how they're equipped (i.e. how many builders, archers, warriors, farmers) unless I go around and count them.

You can play two players split screen (one on top and one on the bottom) though that doesn't seem like it would work in practice -- maybe if one or both players had controllers.

Kingdom Two Crowns+, the Apple Arcade version has the optional worlds unlocked so you can play in a Shogun world or a Norse world or three other worlds.

At a few minutes per day/night cycle and with several things that can only be done daily a game is sort of a slow ramp up. Cultists get more numerous and worse as time goes on but your village gets bigger and you have lots of people to do work and fighting. Physically having to move around to do things is an interesting limitation that also promotes a slower build up.

I found this to be a sort of fun game. A little too real-time for me.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-12-05T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251205-spot-reviews-12-05-25.html#unique-entry-id-986https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251205-spot-reviews-12-05-25.html#unique-entry-id-986The Family Plan 2 (2025) [/] Wholesome action-comedy sequel. Dan Morgan (Mark Wahlberg) is a former criminal with a very sordid past who reformed, got a new identity, married Jessica (Michelle Monaghan) and fathered two kids. In the first movie his secret was revealed to his family when Dan's father and his criminal organization went after him. In this movie it's Dan's half-brother Finn Clarke (Kit Harington) who is after Dan -- first to recover the Key to dad's criminal database and once Finn has control of the empire to go after Dan for revenge. The story mainly takes place in London and then Paris to give it an European flavor. This is a nice and safe family action film.@

Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance (2024) [/] 6 episode series set in the Gundam universe. During the invasion of Earth a Zeon mobile suit unit (of four Mechs) led by Captain Iria Solari (Celia Massingham) encounters the new Federation Gundam mobile suit. After her unit is wiped out she and other survivors find themselves behind enemy lines and have to make it back to their lines even as the Zeon forces retreat... Good Mecha action. I think the regular Gundam stories are told from the Gundam side so seeing them from the other side's perspective as unstoppable killing machines is kind of neat. A bit of a sad "war is hell" ending though.

Iron Marines+ (2023) [/] Iron Marines is an RTS Warcraft/Starcraft sort of game where you have a base with buildings and guns and generate units to send them out to complete the mission (e.g. kill enemy base or rescue someone). Humans vs aliens. Get XP to upgrade units. Mobile friendly in that there are few units and you don't have to jump around the map taking care of multiple battles. Nice cartoony graphics and sounds.

PPKP+ (2023) [/] A simple retro-graphics fighting game on Apple Arcade. There are only two big buttons: kick and punch. You face a bad guy and get first strike -- some bad guys take more damage from punches than kicks. Then the bad guy attacks and you can defend with a kick or punch -- if you miss you take damage, if you're early you take some damage, if you time it right you counterattack and do damage. Once you die you can refill your health to 100 (using 10 coins) which also gives you XP and eventually you level up. Later on there are upgrades but I lost interest after a few minutes since the gameplay loop is rather repetitive.

Trader Joe’s Manchego Cheese [/] Apparently they have their own branded Manchego cheese from Spain, aged 6 months. Doesn’t have the strongest flavor but does taste like Manchego. Was $15 per pound and I’m not sure if that’s a good price or not.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-12-03T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251203-the-first-frost-2025.html#unique-entry-id-985https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251203-the-first-frost-2025.html#unique-entry-id-985The First Frost is a Chinese romance-drama of 32 45-minute episodes and is based on a novel. Wen Yifan (Zhang Ruonan) is a local tv station news reporter and one day she runs into Sang Yan (Bai Jingting), her old high-school crush who she broke up with eight years ago for her own reasons. Sang Yan is still in love with Wen Yifan and although he's rather cool and aloof to her he's secretly trying to win her heart. Part of that involves moving in with her when fate burns down his apartment while her roommate moves out leaving her with an expensive lease.

As the story progresses we see that Wen Yifan has had an unfortunate life with the first episode starting off with a married neighbor trying to rape her. But throughout the series we learn that her father died then mom remarried and left her to live with her uncle and his wife while she kept going to high school and they were abusive and a relative tried to rape her and that incident left her with a broken ankle that ended her ballet dreams. And then in her first job another married man pursued her and even though she never did anything once the wife found out Wen Yifan was blamed for everything because she is pretty and unassuming.

Wen Yifan now goes through life keeping her head down and being afraid of men who try to be friendly to her. She internalizes everything so not even her best friend Zhong Siqiao (Zhang Miaoyi) knows everything. It is this shell that Sang Yan slowly cracks and peels as he finds out how bad she's had it. Even though Sang Yan had his own troubles and kept stalking Wen Yifan for years every time he finds out a secret he realizes she's had it worse.

Although it's low key depressing for much of the series it's a slow build as their relationship becomes something and she becomes more and more confident. I guess because the dark parts are revealed slowly and the recovery is also slow it feels less melodramatic and more meaningful and I found I really liked this series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-12-01T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251201-apple-keynote.html#unique-entry-id-984https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251201-apple-keynote.html#unique-entry-id-984Apple Keynote is the third of the big three Apple productivity apps. Apple Numbers I use all the time mostly for tracking things in various games I play and sometimes like a real spreadsheet with calculations. Apple Pages I use sometimes especially for stuff I want to print -- even for email if I don't write in Apple Mail I'll write it in TextWrangler and copy/paste.

I have created a slide show or two for work and done a presentation without any fancy transitions. I've used Keynote more as a diagramming/drawing to do sequence diagrams and flowcharts. But Keynote is neither a good Draw or Paint app and for publishing you are freezing the page as a JPEG or GIF and if you want to modify you have to go back to the original document. Nowadays I see the convenience of draw.io or similar where you can publish a drawing on the web and if you want to modify click edit which goes to draw.io, make your changes and save and the drawing is updated on your site.

Keynote is designed for slide show presentations which I rarely need. I've tried using it as Draw app which it is ok as (and better than using Pages/Numbers draw capabilities). I forgot Apple Freeform now exists so I should try it as a draw app even if I'm not doing a collaboration. Overall though I like Keynote when I've used it but imho not the best choice to fill out the basic trinity of Apple apps.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-11-28T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251128-spot-reviews-11-28-25.html#unique-entry-id-983https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251128-spot-reviews-11-28-25.html#unique-entry-id-983A House of Dynamite (2025) [/] Suspense/thriller/drama. An ICBM is launched from the Pacific Ocean headed towards America. With only minutes to react we see (I guess in real-time) how three groups of people respond: Captain Olivia Walker (Rebecca Ferguson) in charge of the White House Situation Room organizing the response (including the Army using Anti-Ballistic Missiles); Deputy National Security Advisor Jake Baerington (Gabriel Basso) trying to inject caution since we don't know who fired the missile and also trying to make sure the Russians aren't spooked by our military activitities; and the President of the United States (Idris Elba) who is in the middle of a meet-and-greet when the crisis occurs... The three stories are told in series so each time we jump back in time. The story also ends before the missile impacts which I guess is a bit frustrating but I guess the point of the movie is showing a realistic scenario of what might happen at the start of the emergency.

All of You (2024) [-] Apple TV movie. Simon (Brett Goldstein) and Laura (Imogen Poots) are best friends but in a world where science can find your soulmate Laura takes the test and is matched with Lukas (Steven Cree). Laura and Lukas get married and have a kid while Simon remains her good friend and dates but they don’t stick because he’s been in love with Laura… I watched the first half hour and it’s subdued and depressing. I’m not sure why the science part since Laura and Lukas are “soulmates” but it doesn’t feel that way — it’s more like it was an arranged marriage and they’re both ok enough with the arrangement.

Cityscapes: Sim Builder (2023) [/] Apple Arcade SimCity type of game on where you lay down tiles and build your city. Although fairly complicated it prompts you when things are lacking and the tutorial is rather long. Maybe this type of game is beyond me now -- I wish it had difficulty levels such that basic is like SimCity, moderate more like SimCity 2, and so on adding more and more layers.

Sky River Casino [/] This is a casino in Elk Grove near my parents' place. It's basically a huge open room with lots of video game machines where you bet money to win money. I did see one or two dealer tables -- not sure if it was poker or black jack. You play with ID cards you can load with cash (and you get $10 free each Wednesday). Any winnings are given out as receipts which you can then cash in at the cashiers or add the funds to your bank account via your bank card. There are also restaurants and you get $5 off a $10+ meal every Wednesday.

No.5 House, San Mateo [+] Dined in for dinner with CSr. A small place and was packed during their Saturday night soft opening. Chinese comfort food, you order on an app (each table has a QR code) and the food came quickly. Xiao Long Bao (6 for $14), Spicy Dumplings (8 for $14, this is won tons with sauce), Hot & Spicy Tofu ($17, this is ma po tofu with pork), Hot & Sour Soup (bowl for $4), White Rice (bowl for $2.50). Nothing was actually spicy to me but all still good. Generous amount of pork in ma po tofu. Hot & Sour Soup had lots of ingredients. All the food was perfectly fine though it’s hard for me to tell when Chinese food is above average.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-11-26T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251126-doom-at-your-service-2021.html#unique-entry-id-982https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251126-doom-at-your-service-2021.html#unique-entry-id-982Doom at Your Service is a South Korean romance drama of 16 episodes. Set in the modern day at a web publishing house -- they publish serialized novels on their web site and the employees/editor are busy managing the writers.

Tak Dong-kyung (Park Bo-young, lead in Oh My Ghost [2015] and part of an emsemble cast in Light Shop [2024]) has late stage cancer and three months to live. In frustration she curses the world and wishes its destruction which brings her to the attention of Doom (Seo In-guk, also in Oh My Ghost in a 1-episode cameo), a being that where ever he goes things come to their natural ends -- people die in accidents, prey animal killed by predators, even the death of a language or skill.

Apparently Doom can grant one wish on his birthday and it just so happens that Dong-kyung made her wish on that date. He approaches her and says that he can grant her three months of no pain but in return she must wish for the world to end and so free him from his torment. Although she agrees the rest of the series is her trying to save herself and the world by finding a loophole. Eventually the loophole is that if she doesn't make her wish then her most loved person dies and so she becomes determined to fall in love with Doom, or Kim Sa-ram as she names him to avoid introducing him as Mr Doom.

Shin Do-hyun plays Dong-kyung's best friend and web novelist who has two friends pursuing her (unusual but Doom doesn't have a romantic rival for Dong-kyung so that plot point is moved to the best friend). Jung Ji-so plays the teen-aged god that created Doom. She takes on Humanity's sins so always dies young and this time she has some sort of terminal cancer and spending her last weeks at the hospital Dong-kyung frequents.

It's a nice story with pretty good production since Doom has fantastical powers. Good romance with a happy ending.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-11-24T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251124-b10-nights-dark-terror-1986.html#unique-entry-id-981https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251124-b10-nights-dark-terror-1986.html#unique-entry-id-981B10 Night's Dark Terror labels itself as a Basic/Expert transition adventure for levels 2-4. The action centers on the three rivers area around Kelven which includes a visit to Threshold, a town detailed in the Expert Rules. I believe Kelven is a fews days south from The Keep on The Borderlands so it's a natural place to stop for adventurers heading towards civilization to spend their loot. In my campaign I made Kelven be the Keep so the environs of B10 naturally widens the same area the PCs have been adventuring in.

B10 is a double-length module so fairly long.

In part 1 the PCs are hired to be horse wranglers and drive a herd for sale in an Elven village. But when they get to the horse ranch they see it's under attack by goblins. There is a combat map and cut-out counters so you can do a detailed battle. The NPCs are also detailed and some can help defending their home. The goblins are in two different tribes so the PCs might be able to divide and conquer.

But the some of the goblins manage to steal all the horses so part 2 is the PCs going after the horses. Also the goblins have been taking captives so the PCs can try to rescue them too. It's wandering around in the forest where the are three goblin lairs each being distinctly different (e.g. one of them the goblins were previously decimated so their hiding and being defensive). The last goblin lair is a bit of a stronghold.

By the end of part 2 the PCs may know that the goblins have been directed by a Master and most of the captives were taken to an ancient city in the North. The PCs run into a were-horse-centaur (a horse that can turn into a centaur or is it vice-versa?) who agrees to give the location of the ancient city in return for freeing the horses the PCs are supposed to deliver. A good role-playing opportunity to make a better deal with the horse-centaur.

Part 3 is the ancient city of Xitaqa were there are more goblins plus Iron Ring slavers (the Iron Ring is funded by a bandit barony in the west trying to destabilize the region but those machinations are only mentioned in this module). Fight or sneak into the central temple, battle the Iron Ring sorcerer (who is supposed to get away but I thought that was too fiat so gave the PCs a chance and they took him down; not to worry the module provides a second master sorcerer with different stats in case a backup is needed).

With the horses recovered (in part 2) and the slaves rescued (in part 3) the PCs can return and then drive the horses to the elven town and selling them. Part 4 is not very exciting There are some standalone mini-dungeons that the PCs can do: pixies need help with a haunted island; random tombs (burial mounds) to loot; dwarves at a gold mine plagued by mysterious disappearances; werewolves harassing the were-horse-centaur.

Somewhere along the line the PCs were supposed to figure out the bad guys are trying to find a lost ancient city and that weird tapestry in the horse ranch main house is actually a map to a lost valley. If they figure it out then the path leads then North from the elven town to Threshold and then further onwards. Part 5 includes a bandit attack getting to Threshold; an Iron Ring plan in Threshold to lure the PCs into a trap; up the wilderness valley where 200 gnolls pursue the PCs; then up a mountain road past downed bridges to the entrance of the lost valley.

Part 6 is the lost valley. Two degenerate peoples fight a never-ending war (well, the war will end in a generation or two as there aren't many of them left). The jackal people and the stocky humans. The jackal people used to rule this whole region and uplifted the primitive humans to become the servant/slave class. And then a thousand years later the humans overthrew the jackals but the wars devastated both peoples and now the remnants are in this valley. The PCs can side with one side or another or both or neither.

The main action is going to the main temple to stop the undead generator. Then maybe a second trip to the lower level to kill the big Cthulhu-oid tentacled monster. This is the largest dungeon in the module at about 20 rooms -- most of the others are a few rooms to maybe a dozen rooms.

The appendix has a calendar and a small player's map of the area (I like player maps since I can't give out a GM map with labels rubbed out as that's too obvious). There is also a weather calendar showing the weather for each day: cloud, rain, temperature, wind each from level 0 to 3. And a half page on bartering rules.

This is a pretty big module. I ran it in fifteen 2-3 hour sessions and I skipped some stuff. Although there are good motivations in the first half (get the horses back and rescue prisoners) I lost the thread of why the PCs care to go to the lost valley. Maybe to stop the Iron Ring but there is no specific goal other than maybe the lost valley has powerful lost treasure. Or I guess the standard adventuring spirit of going to lost places to discover cool stuff.

I like that it's close to B2 and at a level where this can be the next module after B2. Although it's a "transition module" it does seem pretty much Expert Set from the get go in that you need the wilderness rules from the start.

Overall a this was mostly a fun module to run.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-11-21T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251121-spot-reviews-11-21-25.html#unique-entry-id-978https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251121-spot-reviews-11-21-25.html#unique-entry-id-978The Lost Bus (2025) [+] In a Northern California town (north of the SF-Sacramento line, nearer to Chico) in 2018 a wildfire starts and becomes the deadliest wildfire in California history. This movie dramatizes the plight of bus driver Kevin McKay (Matthew McConaughey) and primary school teacher Mary Ludwig (America Ferrera) as they try to get a bus full of kids out of Paradise and to safety. It's a lot more exciting than I thought it would be as they make the fire seem like an imminent threat. It does put PG&E in a rather poor light showing some of their hapless workers and a district manager trying to help. I pretty much watched it in one go which gives an indication that it is an engrossing movie.

Hello Tomorrow! #1.1 (2023) [-] Apple TV half hour drama/dark comedy. Set in an alternate 1970’s where Moon colonies exist, Jack Billings (Billy Crudup) is a con-man who runs a small company selling time-shares on the Moon but then takes all the money and leaves his team high-and-dry as he moves to another town. But then in one town he meets the son he didn’t know he had… Bright retro-future graphics but a rather depressing first episode. Did not want to continue watching.

Pixel - Turn Based Racing (2023) [+] Turn-based Gran Prix racing game on a square grid with custom-made maps. You have a gear shift which is how many squares you move in your turn. You can gear up one or two at a time and gear down I think the same so you have to be careful not to go so fast you crash into a wall. A steering wheel to set which direction your car moves (8 compass directions and 90 degree turns are fine). I think you stop before you hit another car so getting in front is a big advantage. There are 40 tracks, weather, fog, and water puddles, and some levels have a timer so even though it's turn-based you still have to think fast. It's a good concept and a nice mobile game. Has a good form factor for iPhone.

Secrets by Episode NETFLIX [/] Romance interactive stories and this app requires Netflix account. I've reviewed Episode XOXO which is the Apple Arcade version. This one is full screen on my iPad (and always in vertical mode only) and sometimes the graphics are a bit pixilated and this one also smoothly goes from chapter to chapter (you can only tell from the loading icon flashing for the next chapter). Like Episode XOXO, Secrets only has a selection of stories (21). I read one and it's a bit racier than Episode XOXO (where I've read at least half a dozen stories) and the second Secrets story is a BDSM romance so even more racier (2026-01-19: and with narrated sex scenes). But I guess this keeps to Netflix's gaming audience target since they also have Too Hot To Handle games.

Grand Hotpot Lounge, Sacramento, CA [+] Newish restaurant in a kind of rundown mall but inside looks nice. Room for a lot of people and they have two or three karaoke rooms and nice bathrooms. It's all you can eat with senior discounts and that includes some dim sum items. They have a lot of different things to cook at the base level and you can pay more for the next two tiers with better items. It's nice for Sacramento.

]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-11-19T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251119-tron-ares-2025.html#unique-entry-id-980https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251119-tron-ares-2025.html#unique-entry-id-980Tron: Ares is a sequel to Tron and Tron: Legacy (with Tron: Uprising being more of a prequel to Tron: Legacy and no new elements from that made it into Tron: Ares).

Fifteen years after Tron: Legacy, after Sam Flynn and Quorra from that film returned and then disappeared, Flynn's ENCOM and Dillinger Systems are the top two tech companies. CEO Julian Dillinger (Evan Peters) introduces his new invention: a laser-system-slash-3D-printer that can create digital objects in the real world, in this case military hardware and warriors, Ares (Jared Leto) being his ultimate warrior. But Dillinger neglected to mention that his creations only live for about 20 minutes before they destabilize and crumble away.

Meanwhile ENCOM CEO Eve Kim (Greta Lee) has been maniacally searching for Kevin Flynn's Permanence Code and in an Alaskan laboratory she finally finds it. With the code digital creations can live permanently in the real world.

Dillinger desperately needs that code and he is ruthless enough to send out Ares and other digital warriors after Eve. But a complication is that Ares is curious about the real world and wants more than just to be a slave to Dillinger. Once Ares accesses Eve's digital history (all articles written about her and all the social media she and her friends and family have generated about her) he realizes that she is the key to making Ares' wish a reality: to live in the human world. (There is not really any romance between Ares and Eve which is kind of nice and would have been temptingly easy to add.)

This movie has great visuals especially once you get the big gear into the world. Cycles and tanks are nice but a giant Recognizer cruising amidst high rise buildings is pretty spectacular. The stuff in the digital world is also nice and Eve is digitized for a bit but that's like once scene or two. There's also a cool part when Ares is digitized into an old computer and experiences a 1980's graphics world of the original film though once again only a couple of scenes.

The film didn't do well so even though there's some setup for a sequel it might never come to be.

I thought this was an entertaining film and needs to be seen in a movie theater with a big screen and great sound.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-11-17T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251117-uptime-robot.html#unique-entry-id-979https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251117-uptime-robot.html#unique-entry-id-979Uptime Robot is a monitoring service which basically pings your web site periodically and emails you if it's down and when it comes back up. The free account includes 50 monitors and 5-minute interval pings. I vaguely recall when I signed up a few years ago it was one monitor pinged daily so 50/5 is overkill. And if I look at my entry now it is set at 24hr ping.

Mostly I was using it to see if my IP address had changed since internally I can tell if the server is up or not but IP address changes can go for a week or two before I notice. That's not a problem any more since my TP-Link router has dynamic DNS so will update my DNS entry pretty quickly.

With the admin console you can see history of outages and pause individual monitors. Many other things require paid subscription: SSL certificate monitoring so it warns you when it expires, alerts for slow response times, maintenance schedule so it won't falsely alert, sending specific http request with login details and request body, connect with a third-party service like Slack.

For a free and basic "tell me if my server is not reachable" Uptime Robot works just fine.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-11-14T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251114-spot-reviews-11-14-25.html#unique-entry-id-974https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251114-spot-reviews-11-14-25.html#unique-entry-id-974KPop Demon Hunters (2025) [+] Netflix animated action film with some musical parts. Huntr/x — comprised of lead vocalist Rumi (Arden Cho), main dancer Mira (May Hong), and main rapper Zoey (Ji-young Yoo) — is both the number one K-Pop group in the world and secret demon slayers. But their greatest challenge will be defeating the Dark's new boy band, the Saja Boys, aimed at stealing Huntr/x's fans and robbing them of their power. Meanwhile Rumi has a dark secret that threatens to blow up the group… Awesome K-Pop songs elevates this film. Also like the cute demon cat and crow buddies.

K-Pop Idols (2024) [/] Apple TV documentary series going behind the scenes with three K-Pop artists: Jessi, American born South Korean rapper already successful but recently left her label to do it on her own; Blackswan, an international group with two Korean and two foreign members going through upheaval when members Fatou and Leia have a falling out; and Cravity, a new boy band trying to re-establish themselves after a failed debut during the Pandemic… the series does show you how hard this particular industry is and I can of feel they overemphasized it for the drama. It's well produced but the content maybe bit more depressing than I expected.

Time Locker+ (2023) [/] Vertical shooter with chunky polygon graphics. You are a bear traveling up and automatically shooting other animals, collecting coins and power-ups along the way. Everything stops if you're not moving (except for this blackness behind you that creep up the screen so you can't just tarry too long). But other than the time-stop gimmick it's not much of a game.

Snake.io+ (2023) [/] Arcade snake game where you and a bunch of other people (and bots) are in a large arena. Eat dots to grow your snake. Cause other snakes to crash into you or walls and they die with their bodies turning into more nutritious dots. I've played this before and still not that interesting.

The Moscow Offensive (2018) [-] I guess this is book 22 of Dale Brown's Patrick McLanahan series. I've "read" (on abridged audio books) Silver Tower and Flight of the Old Dog (1987) and a couple of other books. I only read the first five chapters of The Moscow Offensive and didn't find it interesting mostly because the main tech are small combat Mechs. His previous books I'd read are set on a space station, on a B52, or use advanced fighter jets. For some reason high-tech infantry small-unit (e.g. special operations teams) action doesn't interest me and I guess I was expecting more advanced fighter jets.

]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-11-12T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251112-bon-appetit-your-majesty-2025.html#unique-entry-id-977https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251112-bon-appetit-your-majesty-2025.html#unique-entry-id-977Bon Appétit, Your Majesty is a South Korean romance historical drama running twelve 75-minute episodes.

Yeon Ji-yeong (Im Yoon-ah, supporting in The K2, female lead in Big Mouth) is a Michelin-rated chef who ends up trapped in the Joseon era where she ends up becoming the royal chef to the tyrant king Yi Heon (Lee Chae-min) who is intent on revenging himself on the people who had his mother killed. But it is that purge that historically known to Ji-yeong leads to his downfall.

In each episode Ji-yeong has to make a unique meal to prove herself or solve some problem (such as a meal that reconciles two rivals). Since she specialized in French cooking most of her meals are either wholly French or French and Korean fusion. The series does a good job of dramatizing making the meal, presenting it, and having people taste it (they are carried away into a CGI wonderland themed around the flavors of the food).

Meanwhile Ji-yeong shows herself as a caring and moral person without any agendas and so becomes king Yi Heon's confidant and later he starts to fall for this mad woman who thinks she's from the future. All the while there are two factions working against him — one wants to paint him as a tyrant so they can overthrow him and gain power and the other supports him but did have his mother murdered so don't want him finding out.

Im Yoon-ah does a good job being the main character as the story revolves around her and with 12 episodes you don't have secondary subplots with other characters to fill space. The sets and costuming are good and the CGI is good (most obvious when people are tasting Yeon Ji-yeong's cooking). The love story is really nice with a satisfying ending (a bit deus ex machina but right at the end so you don't have time to dwell on it).

Overall a really good Netflix K-Romance.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-11-10T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251110-ty-and-that-guy-2021.html#unique-entry-id-976https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251110-ty-and-that-guy-2021.html#unique-entry-id-976Ty & That Guy is a podcast with Ty Franck (co-writer of The Expanse book series and very involved in the tv show) and Wes Chatham (actor and played Amos Burton on The Expanse tv show). They started out reviewing The Expanse episodes, one per podcast, but also the other half of an episode was talking about stuff and a top 5 movies with a certain theme related to that Expanse Episode.

They both love movies, have a really good knowledge of all movies, and have very similar tastes. They also have pretty good chemistry. There are occasional guests mostly from The Expanse tv show, like actors Thomas Jane and Ron Perlman, set costumer Lindsay Walker, and producer Sharon Hall.

Later on they do movie theme shows. Either something in depth like their series on John Carpenter movies or Raiders of the Lost Ark. The podcast is currently at 197 episodes (currently on a 5+ month hiatus) and I've listened to the first 60 or so. They're also on YouTube if you want to see faces.

Overall I enjoy this podcast. Just love of The Expanse and movies and no politics or negativity.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-11-07T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251107-spot-reviews-11-07-25.html#unique-entry-id-972https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251107-spot-reviews-11-07-25.html#unique-entry-id-972Foundation s3 (2025) [+] The Mule (Pilou Asbæk) is the big threat this season as his mind control powers are rather astonishing — one man who can change history means he can wreck psycho history. I like that after another generation or two the three Cleo's — Brother Dusk (Terrence Mann), Brother Day (Lee Pace), and Brother Dawn (Cassian Bilton) — are all significantly more unstable than before. Demerzel's (Laura Birn) big easter egg about her past is mentioned a couple of times but in passing. It does kind of setup s4 to be either a direct continuation or another jump forward in time.

My Runway (2016) [/] South Korean short format series with six 22-minute episodes. High schooler model wannabe Han Seo-yeon (Park Ji-yeon) accidentally trades bodies with top model Na Jin-wook (Kang Dong-ho) who had previously harshly criticized her modeling audition for a tv show. The difficulty is mostly Seo-yeon trying to be the pro model Jin-wook while her crush Yoon Jae-bum (Kang Chul-woong) is one of Jin-wook's roommates. As the two try to find a way to switch back they kind of fall for each other… It's pretty bare bones but manages to be interesting.

Temple Run+ (2023) [/] Apple Arcade version which I guess is the same game minus the in-app purchasing. It's a reflex game where you are running ahead and have to turn left and right and almost immediately have another action to do like turn again, jump, or slide. I guess intentionally still seems to be the same graphics as 14 years ago. It's fun for a few minutes.

Bold Moves+ (2023) [/] Apple Arcade version. An elegant match 3 game where you are also trying to solve a Wheel of Fortune-style phrase. Some of the matches have letters which if they exist in the phrase are then revealed. Besides completing the standard match 3 objectives you can also guess the phrase to win (though sometimes being able to guess is locked until you complete some objective). It's a nice twist and a nice UI to a rather tired game format.

Taishoken, San Mateo - Tokyo Classic Aburasoba [+] Dry ramen (which means no soup, there is a sauce you mix in along with the toppings). Ramen, green onions, bamboo shoots, raw egg yolk (mixed in you can't tell it's in there), sauce with a slice of fatty pork and a slice of dried seaweed. Tastes good.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-11-05T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251105-crash-course-in-romance-2023.html#unique-entry-id-975https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251105-crash-course-in-romance-2023.html#unique-entry-id-975Crash Course in Romance is a South Korean romance drama running 16 hour+ episodes. Nam Haeng-seon (Jeon Do-yeon who played the female lead in Kill Boksoon) is a single mom, well not really, she's a single aunt raising her teen niece Nam Hae-yi (Ron Yoon-seo) after Hae-yi's mom ran off because she couldn't deal with a young kid.

Hae-yi decides she needs to attend a math academy since that's her weakest subject so Haeng-seon gets her enrolled into the best math academy in Seoul with star teacher Choi Chi-yeol (Jung Kyung-ho). But unknowingly Haeng-seon had already tangled with him a couple of times other disastrously so they didn't exactly like each other. For Chi-yeol it becomes harder — he often finds food unappetizing but has found that Haeng-seon's side dish (banchan) restaurant has food he actually likes.

The series is Haeng-seon and Chi-yeol falling in love which brings them both trouble with accusations that he's breaking up her "marriage" or that she's using sex to get her daughter favors at the math academy. Meanwhile Hae-yi gets bullied by one of her classmates while being pursued by another one. And then there's the factor that when he was a young teacher one of his female students committed suicide and people think it was his fault.

Oh I forgot that last one is important because that student's brother is out for revenge which later in the series brings an element of danger to Haeng-seon mostly.

It's rather annoying that other people use their influence to sabotage both Hae-yi's education and Haeng-seon's relationship with Chi-yeol. There is a monkaS moment when Chi-yeol's stalker kills one of his students (I guess he kills her since he goes on to kill others) but it's never mentioned again and it's like her parents didn't care enough to inquire why their daughter never made it back home?

Anyways this is a mostly good series and quite enjoyable.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-11-03T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251103-marvel-strike-force-2018-2025.html#unique-entry-id-973https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251103-marvel-strike-force-2018-2025.html#unique-entry-id-973Marvel Strike Force for a few months, going from level 35 to level 100. I previously reviewed MSF this a couple of years ago and even a spot review five months ago.

This is a game about collecting Marvel Comics characters, upgrading them, then doing missions. Characters are from the comics and MCU and some original ones. Characters have:

• Tags - things like Hero/Villain, City/Cosmic/Mystic, Support/Brawler/Protector/Blaster/Controller, Fantastic Four/X-Men/Sinister Six. Every character is a hero or villain, has a domain (e.g. City), has a role (e.g. Support), and one or more affiliations or other tags. Characters with the same affiliation buff each other if teamed together. Many missions require certain tags.
• Level - you use gold and training xp to level up characters up to a max of your player level. You are often low on gold (used to buy lots of things) or training xp so you're only going to have a few characters at max level but since missions require certain tags you'll be leveling up secondary characters as you need to.
• Rank, Red Stars, Diamond Stars - You rank up by collecting enough character shards and they go from 0 to 7. Red Stars you get from red star character upgrades (random from certain rewards or you can buy them semi-randomly if you have certain monies) and also go from 0 to 7. Diamond stars from diamond star character upgrades similar to red stars but harder to get. Ranking up just increases all character starts.
• Equipment - six equipment slots and you often have to craft equipment and get components from missions. Equipment ranks up to (hero level / 5 - 1) so a level 85 character can get up to rank 16 equipment. Lots of components and equipment can be used by multiple characters (and equipment is always add on never take off).
• Skills - most characters have four skills (minor soldier types have three skills) and skills go up to level 7. You have skill points of various grades to increase skills.
• ISO-8 - each role has five ISO-8 greens stats which you can upgrade to level 5. Then at character level 50 you can upgrade them to ISO-8 blue stats (if they've maxed out on green first). Then at 75 you can upgrade to ISO-8 purple. When you max out a color you can choose a specialty (e.g. Striker or Healer) which then gives you extra bonuses and/or abilities (e.g. Healer would make some of your attacks also heal allies a bit). I think you can switch specialties though I never did.
• ??? - I saw an upgrade component in the stores but didn't get to a level where I had the option to use them so don't know what it does.

So a lot of effort to upgrade characters though other than choosing ISO-8 specialties a given character upgrades the same so another player with the same character at the same level and upgrade is exactly the same. The choice becomes which character to upgrade as you kind of want teams or widely used characters but characters also have rarity so legendary characters are always better at a given character and upgrade level.

The rest of the game is a lot of missions to do. Missions take energy points of various types and give you set (though sort of random) rewards so you are often doing certain mission to get certain components or character shards. Luckily if you go to a component or character and click Find it'll show you the missions that have that item and you can do them.

There are also alliance wars and high level challenges. Overall I think I was spending two or three hour a day playing. A lot of it waiting for a combat to complete (you can do combats in auto at 2x speed) and the AI is not too bad.

Good graphics. Slightly laggy on my iPhone SE3 (and much more so on my old 2018 iPad Pro). I didn't spend any money so nothing lost and I can always come back and continue.

Overall still kind of a mid game since you don't actually have much choice in building up your character pool. It's just doing missions and getting random rewards and you can lean it one way or another but it doesn't feel like you have a lot of choices.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-10-31T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/spot-reviews-10-31-25.html#unique-entry-id-969https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/spot-reviews-10-31-25.html#unique-entry-id-969Splinter Cell: Deathwatch (2025) [+] Animated half-hour series on Netflix. Season 1 is 8 episodes and ends setting up season 2 though no announcement if there will be one. Set maybe after the video game, Fourth Echelon agent Zinnia McKenna (Kirby Howell-Baptiste) is wounded and on the run from enemy mercenaries. Somewhere in Eastern Europe with no allied assets Anna Grímsdóttir (Janet Varney) sends Zinnia to the only safe place nearby, the farm where a retired Sam Fisher (Liev Schreiber) lives… Has some really good action scenes (and some graphics deaths) and lots of stealth action which is very Splinter Cell (well, the latter is Splinter Cell, when I played the game getting into firefights usually got me killed). I also liked that the main bad guys are Diana (Kari Wahlgren) and Charlie (Aleks Le) Shetland of Douglas Shetland, a major character in the video game.

I Am the Secret in Your Heart (2024) [/] Taiwanese high school romance movie. Wang Hsiao-hsia (Moon Lee) immediately falls for transfer student Cheng Yin (Tsao Yu-ning) whilst her best friend Yang Zhong-you (Shou Lo) keeps secretly pining for her. At first Yin is indifferent to her advances until he realizes she's the childhood girl who befriended a lonely boy briefly before Yin had to move away… An ok movie.

Farming Simulator 20+ (2023) [-] This version of FS is mobile only and "free" as part of Apple Arcade (and there are other versions in the App Store). You drive farm equipment and run a farm. I couldn't get past the tutorial because driving a combine is tough. I accidentally unhooked the blades then couldn't figure out how to get back on since there is no good help. Also first person view not that good for my motion sickness. Maybe easier with a controller… oh, doesn't say it has controller support.

Hill Climb Racing+ (2023) [/] Physics-based side-view driving game. You have accelerate and brake controls and a nitro button if it's charged. It's mostly driving over hilly terrain (in various weather and road conditions) trying to go fast while not flipping upside down (though you can do full flips for bonus points), picking up coins and all-important gas. In between you can buy and upgrade vehicles and there are daily challenges and different game modes. I found this a fairly hard game though a good concept for mobile with limited touch controls.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-10-29T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251029-our-interpreter-2024.html#unique-entry-id-971https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251029-our-interpreter-2024.html#unique-entry-id-971Our Interpreter is a Chinese romance drama running 36 45-minute episodes.

Lin Xi (Victoria Song, Find Yourself [2020] as female lead) is the head of the special customer department at a prestigious translator company (they do live walking translations — like walking around in a trade show or business function translating as needed, live booth translations — this is like translating at a UN meeting or speaker presentation, and static document translations and all three are shown in this series). The special customer department handles the high profile accounts so they're the best translators at the company.

Their new account is with a hot AI translation startup that happens to be run by Lin Xi's ex-boyfriend Xiao Yi Cheng (Cheng Xing Xu). She broke up with him in college, her secret reason so that he would go overseas to get his PhD. Now he's successful and wants her back.

Love rivals are Tong Xin (Yu Sha Sha), VP of Xiao's company and he makes the mistake of trying to make Lin Xi jealous by intimating they're married. There's Cheng Yao (Fei Qi Ming, Ski into Love [2025] supporting role) who is a young rebel translator. Both Xiao and Xin Li want to hire him but he goes with Xin Li because he's attracted to her and soon competes with Xiao Yi Cheng. That doesn't last long and Cheng Yao goes on to woo Tong Xin which is a nice subplot.

Lastly there's Wei Tian (Wang Sen), Lin Xi's second in her department and good friend since college to both her and Xiao Yi Cheng. He becomes the target of new hire Tan Sha Sha (Lin Zi Lu) who is Lin Xi's younger cousin and has a history with Wei Tian, though he doesn't remember. Their romance is a bit rougher because she has health issues which he doesn't notice and she does all the personal sacrifices and he takes her for granted. They end up breaking up and getting back together though it's late in the series by then and the getting back together is not done well.

Major subplot for Lin Xi is her relationship her grandfather who forced Lin Xi's mom to choose between a translator career or love. Mom chose the latter and was ostracized by grandfather. So although Lin Xi has fairly frequent contact with grandfather (a sort of legend in translation circles) she is rather cool and standoffish towards him. Reconciling with him and with her aunt (Tan Sha Sha's mom) is a series-long subplot.

This is a nice romantic series with clean sets and attractive cast. Victoria Song plays a character much like in Find Yourself — very serious and occasionally showing happy emotions. Fei Qi Ming also plays a similar sort of personality as in Ski into Love. Towards the end it does focus more on the two minor romance subplots rather than the mains which I find kind of means they didn't pace it right or the season was bit too long.

Overall though it's a fine romance series to watch.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-10-27T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251027-dungeon-fantasy-companion-2017.html#unique-entry-id-970https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251027-dungeon-fantasy-companion-2017.html#unique-entry-id-970Dungeon Fantasy Companion is a compilation of three bonus books that were stretch goals of the Dungeon Fantasy RPG Kickstarter. I don't have the companion but do have the individual PDFs but I expect the companion is just the PDFs with some reformatting.

Dungeon Fantasy Traps (26 pages) - DF RPG has half a page of sample traps and the included adventure probably has a few more. This traps book divides traps into several sections and has a second chapter for tricks and puzzles. Complete examples rather than a trap construction framework.

Dungeon Fantasy Magic Items (26 pages) - DF RPG has four or five pages discussing magic items but the GM is supposed to come up with new magic items themselves. This books has chapters for Always-On Items, Casting Items, Limited-Use Items, Potions, Rare Artifacts. More importantly this book is more of a magic item building guide with tables where you can pick powers with their costs and sample names (e.g. flaming weapon can have a prefix flaming or fire or a suffix "of Flame"). The exception is Rare Artifacts which just has 12 unique magic items.

Dungeon Fantasy Against the Rat-Men (26 pages) - This is a sequel to the DF RPG's I Smell a Rat adventure, though not a direct sequel in that adventurers are assumed to have been doing other adventures and gaining some amount of experience and magic items — Against the Rat-Men has a couple of pretty tough fights. It reuses the I Smell a Rat dungeon, restocked in a way that makes sense, which allows re-using the DF RPG battle maps. Actually this adventure also uses the one battle map included in DF RPG but not used in I Smell a Rat.

Dungeon Fantasy Companion is actually quite useful for $16 PDF. Traps and Magic Items is very useful since DF RPG devoted little space to those topics. A second adventure is also nice and the adventure is about twice as big as the first one and because it uses the same dungeon area it's great for reusing the battle maps.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-10-24T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251024-spot-reviews-10-24-25.html#unique-entry-id-968https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251024-spot-reviews-10-24-25.html#unique-entry-id-968Once Upon a Crime (2023) [+] Japanese detective fantasy movie. Little Red Riding Hood (Kanna Hashimoto) enters, Claire de Lune, a kingdom that prizes beauty. She meets and befriends Cinderella (Yuko Araki) and after two witches give them fancy ball gowns and crystal shoes and a pumpkin carriage with mouse attendants they go to the royal ball. On the way they run over Hans the royal hairdresser (Masaki Kaji). Once at the ball the body is discovered and due to how he died one of the guests must be the murderer and even the handsome Prince Gilbert (Takanori Iwata) is suspect. It's up to Red to use her excellent memory and deductive ability to eventually solve the crime… It's a clever take on Cinderella mixed a good amount of comedy for family audiences.

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft (2024) [/] Animated half-hour series with season 1 being 8 episodes and ending setting up season 2. Lara Croft (Hayley Atwell) has returned home to inherit her father's estate and sell off everything due to grief. But one her artifacts is stolen by Charles Devereaux (Richard Armitage). Along with her friends Lara first aims to recover her artifact but then she learns Devereaux is trying to get four gems and activate a power that could destroy the world… It's nice animation and action. Not a particularly interesting story — young Lara Croft who makes mistakes is not my thing: I prefer Angelina Jolie's Lara Croft who started out as a badass from the first time she was introduced.

Lotus Chess - Opening Trainer (2025) [/] "Lotus Chess is a personalized opening trainer that enables you to quickly perfect your chess openings." It will load your chess.com or Lichess games then analyze your openings and recommend improvements or teach you where you went wrong. Subscription based $10 per month or $70 per year. I like that it integrates with the top two web-based chess platforms and it's not just trying to be a chess game app.

Episode - Choose Your Story (2014) [-] Episode is Episode XOXO's big brother. It's an engine where creators can make visual novels and people can download and play them. Good customization of characters, ok cartoony graphics with some animation, and with so many stories many of them are pretty good. It does have a free-to-play model where you buy gems and in turn many story choices (the good choices) require gems. That's the major drawback — I'd rather have gems pay for stories rather than story choices as even with a discount a good choice costs like $1.50 and with many choices in a story it will be very expensive. I guess overall then I would not recommend Episode because in practice it's a very expensive game.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-10-22T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251022-ski-into-love-2025.html#unique-entry-id-967https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251022-ski-into-love-2025.html#unique-entry-id-967Ski Into Love is a pleasant Chinese rom-com running 23 45-minute episodes. Wei Zhi (Esther Yu — Find Yourself (2020) in a supporting role and Love Game in Eastern Fantasy (2024) as female lead) is a talented web comic artist and writer but after an AI image scandal her publisher shuts down her studio and takes away her comic and online persona, giving them to another artist.

She decides to start a new web comic by herself and this time her topic will be something snow related so she and her best friend Jiang Nan Feng (Jenny Zeng) go to a ski resort for inspiration. There Wei Zhi ends up being instructed by former champion snowboarder Shan Chong (Lin Yi).

He's quite prickly and maybe torments Wei Zhi but obviously is attracted since he never takes on beginner students. Meanwhile Wei Zhi is enamored with this mystery snowboarder that she saw in videos but he always wore a ski mask. Turns out that person is Shan Chong.

Even though the western title is Ski Into Love the main sport is snowboarding. At the end of episodes they have snowboarding tips, Wei Zhi cartoons about the episode, or later Wei Zhi animation of her Ski Into Love web comic which I suppose reflects the series title but the web comic is a minor plot point.

Anyway, two other romances are Jiang Nan Feng and snowboarder Lao Yan (Wei Qi Ming) who turns out to have a longer history but she doesn't recognize him because he was much fatter. Then there's Shan Chong's younger sister Shan Shan (Zeng You Zhen), who lost both her legs in a snowboarding accident. Wei Zhi hires her as an assistant web artist before she finds out Shan Shan and Shan Chong are siblings. Shan Shan is secretly dating Shan Chong's former national team teammate Dai Duo (Xia Hao Ran) and Dai Duo keeps showing up to challenge Shan Chong and bully him into returning to the national team (Shan Chong quit the team for undisclosed personal reasons after a serious accident, later on we find out it was for his mom).

Lots of snow and snowboarding action. Lots of seeing professionals (substituting for the actors) doing snowboard jump tricks. Great panoramic ski resort shots. Half the series is spent outdoors in the snow.

Not too much drama. Wei Zhi's former employer is rather spiteful and wants to ruin her career so he does underhanded things. Dai Duo and Shan Chong is more of a friendly rivalry. Wu Man Man (Xu Shi Yue), one of the artists in Wei Zhi's former team, takes on the mantle of Wei Zhi's alter ego and "creator" of her old web comic, but Wei Zhi is never really angry at Wu Man Man and is quick to forgive and towards the end lets her back into the team.

This is a good drama-free romance series with some humor, attractive cast and locations.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-10-20T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251020-strategy-and-force-planning-second-edition-1997.html#unique-entry-id-966https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251020-strategy-and-force-planning-second-edition-1997.html#unique-entry-id-966Strategy and Force Planning 2E is a collection of essays, usually republished from other sources, discussing various issues on deciding what a country's (specifically the United States) military force should be structured in the near to mid-term future. The book is published by the Naval War College Press and I found the third edition (2000) and fourth edition (2004) can be read online.

The book is divided into parts, each with several essays.

1. Strategy and Force Planning Concepts
2. Perspectives on International Relations
3. National Interests and Grand Strategy
4. Economic Strategy
5. Diplomatic Strategy
6. Geostrategic Planning
7. Military Strategy and Force Planning
8. The Military in the Future

As you might see from the above, determining an optimal military force structure depends on things like:

What allies do you have to help you? (Part 2)
What are your national priorities? (Part 3)
How can you influence other countries through economic or diplomatic levers? (Parts 4 and 5)
What do you need in power projection to accomplish your goals? (Part 6)
What should be considered 20 to 30 years from now when the nature of war might have a sudden shift? (Part 8)

This is not a book about "these are the answers". This is a book about "what questions do we need to ask" and "what different strategies are possible".

I found this book dense but quite interesting. Even though Second Edition has the Gulf War (1991) as a major example to discuss around I don't feel the book is obsolete. Naturally subsequent editions add and remove articles (at a glance comparing second and fourth edition almost half the articles have been switched out with different ones). But many concepts stay the same.

So overall a worthwhile read.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-10-17T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251017-spot-reviews-10-17-25.html#unique-entry-id-965https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251017-spot-reviews-10-17-25.html#unique-entry-id-965Let’s Talk About Chu (2024) [/] Taiwanese sexy rom-com of 8 episodes. Chu Ai (Chan Tzu-hsuan) is a wannabe sex talk YouTuber who espouses sex without emotional attachment while her good friend Chou Ping-ke (Kai Ko) secretly wants to be more than just friends with benefits. Ai's older sister Chu Wei (Kimi Hsia) is sexually frustrated because her older husband, a university professor, is neglecting her which also makes her think that maybe he's having an affair with one of the students. Their gay middle brother (I think) Chu Yu Sen (JC Lin) meanwhile is a poker whiz who becomes attracted to sketchy backroom poker manager Lee Yeh (Wu Chien Ho), who turns out to be an ok guy… Three equal plots plus another subplot with their parents makes for too much going on for me and really only Chu Ai's plot was interesting.

1967: Israel, the War, and the Year that Transformed the Middle East (2005) [/] This is a big 600 page book written by Tom Segev and translated into English by Jessica Cohen. It's very detailed on how life and culture was in Israel and what the big figures thought (a lot of material pulled from news stories, diaries, auto-biographies, interviews, etc.). Chapters talking about the attitude in Israel and the government as war loomed and similar as the war goes on. But not really describes what happened militarily. It's a well-researched book but not in my wheelhouse — I'd rather read a book more military history based.

Getting Over It+ (2023) [/] Apple Arcade. A really tough climbing game that was fairly popular a few years ago with streamers. Side view. You are a guy in a kettle with a long hammer. You use the hammer to grab onto surfaces then swing yourself up. The controls are almost just a button to swing the hammer though you slide around to kind of aim where you swing. It's easy to fall and then you bounce down and maybe catch yourself with the hammer or you land on a flat spot. It's frustratingly hard and the controls don't help and that's the draw of the game. I didn't get far in this game.

Chess Universe+ (2023) [-] Apple Arcade. Fairly standard chess against computer or online opponents. Chess lessons are more like puzzles: pick the best move and keep playing until you win. You can collect pets and deploy five of them for XP bonuses (and you have to feed the pets). Collect gold and spend it on chess piece/board themes and clothing for your persona. I don't see anything that makes it stand out so I'd rather play on chess.com or Lichess where the player pool is much larger. (As an aside: would be cool if chess.com had an API so people can develop mobile games that can play on chess.com. Third parties can deliver better UIs while chess.com gets revenue through their premium subscription plans.)

Mediterranean Kitchen, Burlingame [+] Ordered DoorDash. Kreatopita ($13) — “Traditional phyllo dough filled with ground beef, onion, roasted pepper” — and Arugula Salad ($14) — “Mixed Greens, Wild Arugula, Marinated Artichoke Hearts, Toasted Almonds, Dried Cranberries, Crispy Chickpeas, Grated Manchego & Whole Grain Mustard Vinaigrette”. Kreatopita is sort of like an empanada. Arugula salad was very good, tasty and crunchy.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-10-15T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251015-genie-make-a-wish-2025.html#unique-entry-id-964https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251015-genie-make-a-wish-2025.html#unique-entry-id-964Genie, Make a Wish is a South Korean romance drama on Netflix running 13 hour-long episodes.

Ki Ka-young (Bae Suzy, seen her in several dramas and movies and love her every time even if sometimes the material was not that great) is a woman living in a small farming town with her grandmother Oh Pan-geum (Kim Mi-kyung). Ka-young is a psychopath in that she doesn't empathize with others and doesn't really feel any emotions herself but with the help of grandmother and the village she's grown up with rules of how to live her life (and she's quite OCD about her routines) and an ability to recognize emotions from facial expressions.

One day she finds a lamp, a magic genie lamp. Iblis the genie (Kim Woo-bin) has been waiting a thousand years for Ka-young, or at least one of her incarnations, to appear and find the lamp. She somehow imprisoned him for a thousand years because her wishes back then were selfless. Iblis has been around since Man was born and has been trying to prove that Mankind is corrupt and he's always been right as anyone who gets three wishes uses them selfishly.

He makes a bet with Ka-young that the next five people they meet (one turns out to be a local dog) will get three wishes and if more of them use their wishes selfishly then he gets to kill her otherwise he will bow his head to a human and forfeit his life to the angel Ejlael (Noh Sang-hyun) who's a local real estate mogul hanging around waiting for Iblis to mess up so he can finally kill him and win the duel they've been having for thousands of years.

So Iblis hangs out with Ka-young also trying to get her to use her three wishes. Their sparring slowly turns to attraction…

This is a good romantic movie with a good amount of comedic bits because a psychopath can be funny in the same way a space alien can be funny: they have an outsiders view of how weird and inconsistent humans can be and they can shortcut things because they don't know social conventions.

Bae Suzy is quite good having like no expression throughout the series (except in the last episode when she gets a taste of experiencing human emotions). Even as a psychopath she's rather charming and I've mentioned before I have a thing for that character type (beautiful, emotionless, but not evil). In contrast Kim Woo-bin has to really act it up and be larger than life to balance the duo.

The main plot kind of climaxes at the end of the 12th episode or the beginning of the 13th episode and the rest is sort of wrapping up to a happy ending. I'm a bit sad about the doomed romance between Ka-young's best (and only) friend Choi Min-ji (Lee Joo-young) and Ka-young's grandmother wished into her younger self, Lee Mi-joo (Ahn Eun-jin). Lesbian romance is kind of rare and this one was nice as a subplot.

Overall a great series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-10-13T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251013-too-hot-to-handle-love-is-a-game-2022.html#unique-entry-id-963https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251013-too-hot-to-handle-love-is-a-game-2022.html#unique-entry-id-963Too Hot to Handle: Love is a Game is based on the Netflix reality show of the same name where ten nubile 20-something-aged singles are sent to a tropical beach house to spend a month getting to know each other. Apparently the contestants aren't told that is a show where the objective is to mingle but not kiss or have sex otherwise the initial $200k grand price keeps going down for each infraction.

You play a male or female and then interact with the other contestants. It's pretty much a lot of dialog as you talk to people with some inner monologue for your character. In the beginning you get choices as who to hang out with (choose a group of three or more often choose one of three or one from the group). It quickly narrows down to a primary romantic partner and a primary friend.

Now you have a romance meter with your romantic partner(s) and a friend meter with your friend. Make good choices and the meters go up to the second and third levels. Meanwhile you have three meters for sweet, naughty and indifferent and your choices can make one of those go up a bit (and unlike for partner/friend the choices for sweet/naught/indifferent are clearly marked as to which they increase).

As with the tv show there are various activities. Parties, games, workshop exercises, private date, and a private suite with the latter two being the best chance to really romance your romantic partner and get that meter up and also the best chance to cost the group money by choosing kissing and sex. I do like that even if you choose to abstain the dialogue handles it well and in general the dialogue is pretty believable.

Halfway through four more contestants come in and you have two more possible romantic partners to woo you away from your primary.

This game is fairly similar to Episode XOXO. XOXO has a dozen-plus two hour stories while THTH is one 5 to 10 hour story. XOXO has more story-like stories with actual plots while THTH is a reality show so more of a game situation than a story with plot. THTH has nicer graphics and the characters are scantily clad most of the time in a variety of outfits but the model customization is much more limited and the graphics are static standing with the facial expressions changing. XOXO the character models move around and can sit and gesticulate a bit and when they talk their lips move and even if they're not realistic the motions and the models are more primitive they add more to the immersion than THTH's static graphics.

On the audio side THTH has several background music tracks that complement the mood of each scene. But other than that maybe pings and occasional sound effects — no voices or simglish.

THTH seems to have good replay-ability in that you a restart and choose a different romantic and friend partners and each character is fairly distinct in looks and personality. Apparently there are 27 endings (9 other contestants and 3 endings each I'm guessing) though that would be a chore to get all endings. There are sequel games to simulate season 2 and 3.

Overall this was an entertaining game. You need a Netflix subscription to play it.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-10-10T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251010-spot-reviews-10-10-25.html#unique-entry-id-961https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251010-spot-reviews-10-10-25.html#unique-entry-id-961Oh My Ghost (2018) [-] Thai version of Oh My Ghost (2015) — Ghost Kaopoon (Gypsy Keerati Mahapreukpong) possesses clumsy and shy restaurant assistant Jiew (Noona Nuengthida Sophon) in order to romance and bed Chef Sun (Pae Arak Amornsupasiri). Compared to the Korean version this one is cleaner and brighter (in terms of the city and sets and video quality). Also this one explains things a bit better — small little bits added to explain motivation or show causation that is sometimes assumed in the Korean version. The Thai version though seems beat for beat almost the same not trying to change the story in any way (other than being set in Thailand so for example the food is Thai instead of Korean). I also feel the acting is not quite as good as for whatever reason I didn't invested in the characters like I did with the Korean version. I think in general if you watch the Korean version this one is too much the exact same story to bother watching.

Disney Spellstruck (2023) [+] Scrabble type game you play against the computer. A level is only a few turns and there are spells (power-ups). It has a nice UI and simple but elegant graphics.

Disney Getaway Blast! (2023) [/] Apple Arcade. A color matching game. Each level a shape is filled with colored balls. Tap a ball and all adjacent matching color balls are removed — if you do 5+ balls a power-up appears. You collect Disney characters which have skills which are basically power-ups you need to charge before using. As you complete levels collect stars which are used to beautify a remote island. Very much in the Bejeweled to Candy Crush lineage though possibly this is a simpler version for kids.

Disney Coloring World+ (2023) [/] Apple Arcade. Mostly a kids-level coloring book with various Disney images. There are also some random games. Free coloring disturbs me as it's impossible to color inside the lines with touch, maybe ok with an Apple Pencil.

La Petite Camille, Millbrae [/] Cheap (I’m assuming) Vietnamese restaurant that my parents like. We ordered delivery. I had Butter Garlic Noodles Mi Xao Tai (with BBQ chicken, $17 base price, $21.42 total). Not bad. CSr added Pan Fried Catfish Filets ($31 base price, $38.99 total) for me and that was good with the noodles (I love deep fried fish and garlic noodles which you generally can’t get as one dish). Actually I guess this was kind of expensive so maybe not worth it.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-10-08T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251008-captivating-the-king-2024.html#unique-entry-id-962https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251008-captivating-the-king-2024.html#unique-entry-id-962Captivating the King is a Korean historical romance drama of 16 episodes. After the Korean Joseon is defeated by the Qing they become a vassal state and change sides from the Ming to the Qing. As part of their assurance of loyalty Prince Jinhan (Jo Jung-suk, played the male lead in Oh My Ghost [2015]) is sent to Qing.

A few years later Prince Jinhan returns to the Joseon capital. But in the meantime the royal court has changed. There are two sides vying for the throne: one is the queen and her son who is the king's son by blood and the other is Prince Jinhan's mother who wants to see him take the throne. It doesn't help that the king, Prince Jinhan's older brother, has kind of gone insane — paranoid about everyone and refusing to declare a Crown Prince to succeed him.

Prince Jinhan is isolated and on his lonely wanderings around the capital he sees people playing baduk (Go) of which he is an expert. The mysterious Kang Mon-woo (Shin Se-kyung, played the female lead in Run On [2020]) is beating everyone and taking their baduk sets as prize. In return he will only reveal his name if he loses. In reality Kang Mon-woo (named that after he plays Prince Jinhan) is Kang Hee-soo, the independent-minded daughter of the king's principal minister.

Prince Jinhan and Kang Mon-woo form a brief friendship. But right after the king dies in the presence of Prince Jinhan and Court Lady Dong (Park Ye-young). She backs him up confirming that the king named Prince Jinhan his successor and so he becomes King Yi In. Unfortunately as part of those events Kang Mon-woo is implicated in a plot to have Prince Jinhan executed and so he is sent off to be executed with the other traitors. But Kang Mon-woo manages to escape in such a way he is presumed dead.

Three years later King Yi In is now cemented as a bad king who spends his time being idle and not running the country, letting his new principle minister Park Jong-hwan (Lee Gyu-hoe) effectively run the country. Kang Mon-woo returns to compete to become the king's baduk trainer, a new position just created. In reality Kang Hee-soo wants revenge — to somehow oust the king and replace him with the boy prince and son of the last king. But King Yi In has secrets of his own and has his own machinations. This while they both acknowledge they love each other especially once he realizes his baduk trainer is female…

This is a clean historical drama where the world is pretty and even the violence is toned down. I love the two lead characters and how their relationship progresses. There are lots of little comedy bits. Lots of plans and wheels within wheels (but not too deep). Very watchable. The last episode is after the confrontational climax so it's just wrapping up several things and has a satisfying though it could have been a better ending (it's implied they finally end up together though not what form).

Pretty good Netflix-exclusive series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-10-06T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251006-apple-pages-v14.4-2025#unique-entry-id-960https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251006-apple-pages-v14.4-2025#unique-entry-id-960Apple Pages is a free word processor you can download and use on macOS and I guess it's the default word processor. I use Pages some although mostly I do things in text files for BBEdit is easier to use for me. Pages is more for stuff I want other people to read or for stuff I want to print.

It's a fairly basic yet full of features in terms of writing simple to medium length documents. It's not for long books (even though you can publish directly to Apple Books) — I'm thinking back to Microsoft Word v5.1 which had good support for end notes and index and chapters whereas Pages can do it but is more manual about it.

Microsoft Word compatibility seems good. Naturally I communicate with other people via Word files since it's unlikely everyone has Pages but everyone has a word processor that can read Word files. As usual there are some conversion losses going back and forth so for back and forth collaboration of a graphically complex document it would be a bad experience.

Once again it's nice that you can also edit the same Pages documents in iOS, iPad, and iCloud.

I guess there's not that much to say about it. For a free app it's really good. For a paid app (if it were, say $30) it would still be good. I've found that it fills my writing needs for personal writing and when writing documents for my HOA.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-10-03T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251003-spot-reviews-10-03-25.html#unique-entry-id-955https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251003-spot-reviews-10-03-25.html#unique-entry-id-955The Final Countdown (1980) [+] The US aircraft carrier Nimitz is caught in a weird storm and ends up back in December 6th, 1941. With the power to stop the Japanese sneak attack and sink their fleet will the Nimitz change history? It's a good cast with Kirk Douglas as the Captain of the Nimitz, Martin Sheen as a defense contractor system analyst fortuitously assigned to the Nimitz for this voyage, James Farentino as the CAG (commander of the air group), Charles Durning as a US Senator who supposedly died on Dec 6th, and Katharine Ross as the Senator's secretary and behind-the-scenes speech writer. This film has not the best plot but does have a whole lot of authentic carrier ops as it was filmed on an aircraft carrier and the film crew was allowed to film a lot of stuff.

Doctor Who: Hidden Mysteries (2023) [/] Apple Arcade hidden object game wrapped with a Doctor Who storyline starring the Thirteenth Doctor and her companion Yasmin Khan. The hidden object levels are not that hard and even less so with powers. There are also some mini-games. Good storyline animation with characters walking around and talking about the mystery. Nice graphics. I guess this is aimed at a younger audience in terms of difficulty.

Grand Mountain Adventure+ (2023) [/] Apple Arcade version of this skiing game. It's a ski resort where you can do various courses for time and do tricks as you down the mountain. The mountain also has lots of bonus areas you can trek to and do. Apparently other activities as you go the next mountain and so on. I guess there's a certain lack of story though even though you're always controlling your guy and after a run you have to get him to the next area for that challenge. The freeform format seems purposeless.

Summon Quest (2023) [/] Apple Arcade action/arcade game with a fantasy theme. In each level control a character and fight monsters. You can also summon helpers with special powers, though they only last a few seconds. Bit more of an arcade game as different enemies have specific attacks you can dodge and behaviors you can take advantage of. I guess plays well with a controller. Not a particularly interesting game though.

Superstar Dim Sum and Seafood Restaurant, San Mateo [/] Low cost American-Chinese in downtown San Mateo with food that tastes just fine. A fair number of tables if you want to dine in with a large group.

]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-10-01T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251001-the-liar-and-his-lover-2017.html#unique-entry-id-959https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20251001-the-liar-and-his-lover-2017.html#unique-entry-id-959The Liar & His Lover is a Korean romance drama running 16 hour+ episodes.

High school student Yoon So-rim (Park Soo-young) dreams of making music with her friends and bandmates, guitarist Baek Jin-woo (Song Kang who plays the male lead in Forecasting Love and Weather [2022] and My Demon [2023]) and drummer Lee Kyu-seon (Park Jong-hyuk).

A chance meeting with a stranger who borrows her phone to record a few lyrics. So-rim immediately falls for Kang Han-gyul (Lee Hyun-woo) who later turns out to be the secret song writer and producer K of the hit pop band Crude Play. It takes a couple of episodes for Kang Han-gyul to notice So-rim, partly because he just broke up with pop artist Cha Yoo-na (Hong Seo-young, who played the female romantic rival to the female lead in Her Private Life [2019]) or rather she broke up with him because Han-gyul is too absorbed with song writing to really be empathetic about the people around him. Han-gyul's initial attraction to So-rim is her great voice which immediately inspires him to write a song that is perfect for her voice.

Anyway, So-rim's band is signed on to the same label as Crude Play and Yoo-na and they are named Mush & Co. So-rim continues to pursue Han-gyul and even after they form a sort of relationship she doesn't find out he's K until later. So-rim also attracts the attention of Crude Play's bassist Seo Chan-young (Lee Seo-won) who becomes Han-gyul's romantic rival for So-rim.

Meanwhile the environment is a small music label where CEO Choi Jin-hyuk (Lee Jung-jin, supporting actor in The K2 [2016]) manipulates his artists in order to make sellable music for more sales. Although it turns out that pretty everyone is fairly manipulative — lots of half truths or not telling people things — which makes for a rather dysfunctional music label. Only So-rim and her friends seem to remain naive and mostly honest.

The songs are fairly good. Park Soo-young is also a singer so she does several of the songs and Hong Seo-young also does a couple of songs. In terms of characters I guess I like Mush & Co the best since they're more idealistic whereas everyone else is not all that nice, even Han-gyul who does improve somewhat because of So-rim but is still not a character I was sympathetic to.

Overall kind of an up and down series. Ok to watch but a clean miss without being outright bad.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-09-29T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250929-brother-hll2350dw-laser-printer.html#unique-entry-id-958https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250929-brother-hll2350dw-laser-printer.html#unique-entry-id-958Brother HLL2350DW Laser Printer almost three years ago for $165 on Amazon.

Features

• Monochrome laser printer (I don't want to deal with color toner). 1200 dpi (I think). It comes with a starter toner which lasts a few hundred pages. Regular toner is 1200 pages (high yield toner 3000 pages) which is enough for me for at least a few years or until the toner dries (which is why I didn't buy high yield toner).
• WiFI 802.11n which is a bit old now and probably a security risk for my WiFi network. This model doesn't have Ethernet. Configuring WiFi using the LED panel is a bit of a pain but I managed to do it for my Airport. My newer TP-Link WiFi router supports WPS and with that it was easy as you click WPS start on the router and the printer and they'll connect and configure automatically and after that it works fine.
• There is also a USB port so I guess you can connect your computer directly and print from there and also configure from there with their Windows setup utility.
• Mac connection is nice in that macOS will download the right driver so printing just works. Same for my iPhone and iPad. Maybe you don't get all the fiddly settings with the macOS driver but it seems good enough.
• It has duplex printing so it can print both sides of a page. Kind of neat. 100 page output tray and 250 page input tray. You can also manual feed paper which you mostly use for one-off prints using special paper.
• Goes to sleep and starts up when you print. Sometimes that first print job doesn't go through after sleep so you have to print again. When it's sleeping it's utterly quiet.
• It seems to have very low RAM. Printing plain text it can handle fairly long documents. I print a spreadsheet and it can handle one page at a time (if you print too much the print queue says that job failed). I printed B2 Keep on the Borderlands and it could do a few pages at a time.

Overall it's a nice cheap printer that works fine. Not necessarily the nicest administration UI but I guess you only need to set it up once. You can use third party toner (unlike with HP printers which use microchip security toner). I would be inclined to buy a Brother printer again.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-09-26T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250926-spot-reviews-09-26-25.html#unique-entry-id-952https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250926-spot-reviews-09-26-25.html#unique-entry-id-952In House Marriage Honey (2020) [/] Japanese romance series of 7 half-hour episodes so it goes quickly. After her fiancé calls off the marriage Haruta Ami (Matsui Airi) goes on a dating app, finds someone who wants to get married immediately, and gets married at first sight to Miura Manatsu (Itagaki Muzuki). Immediate complication when it turns out they both work for the same company (he's in sales and she's in accounting) and he wants to keep the marriage a secret… There are some nice moments in the series and no real bad parts but it moves too quickly to develop investment in the characters.

Close Range Love (2014) [-] Japanese romance drama movie. Shy and stoic high schooler Yuni Kururugi (Nana Komatsu) falls for English-class teacher Haruka Sakurai (Tomohisa Yamashita) and the feeling becomes mutual. Besides that complication there is the new teacher Mirei Takizawa (Asami Mizukawa) who is Haruka's ex-girlfriend, and Kazuma Akechi (Arai Hirofumi) who is a fellow teacher and Yuni's guardian. I found this to be a plodding movie. It's different that one of the leads tries so hard to be unemotional but once again makes it hard to get invested in the characters. Also the tone is fairly serious and the romantic ending doesn't feel romantic at all.

Road Trip to the End of the World (2025) [/] A visual story computer game with a bit of interactivity. Andy and her imaginary childhood friend Fishy are driving from the East Coast to San Francisco to crash her former best friend’s wedding. Along the way she reflects on their friendship and how it ended and with Fishy’s help eventually realizes why it ended. It’s an hour-long story, mostly static pictures but good art, nice background music and an original song. Overall quite well done and a poignant story.

Lifeline+ (2023) [/] Lifeline is a choose-your-own-adventure style game with the modern twist that you are communicating with a stranded astronaut via SMS. Taylor sends you messages in real time and if he has a longer task or sleeps he won't send more messages until he's done (you on the other hand can wait forever before responding). One early task for you is looking up some information for him but I didn't play enough to see if that happens more. I guess part of the appeal is Taylor's sardonic humor and sarcasm… I didn't particularly like the real time aspect. I'd rather have a "game clock" that advances more if Taylor does a long action. Also since it's SMS messages Taylor likes to talk in short sentences sending each as a separate message which I find quite annoying in real life and in this game. You gotta admire making a popular game series that only requires a minimal UI — definitely less of a programming challenge than most other games.

Trader Joe’s Mexican-Style Riced Cauliflower [+] “Seasoned with a blend of cumin, cayenne, and lime and flavored with tomato concentrate…diced tomatoes, tri-colored bell peppers (red, yellow, and green), and pickled jalapeños...” And it’s about half riced cauliflower. As a rice substitute it’s not good as the cauliflower is too hard to feel like rice. But mixed with rice it tastes great and a 50/50 mixture means you’re eating less rice if you eat too much of it like I do. It’s $4 for a frozen pack that has three servings.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-09-24T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250924-oh-my-general-2017.html#unique-entry-id-957https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250924-oh-my-general-2017.html#unique-entry-id-957Oh My General is a Chinese historical light drama running 60 45-minute episodes. After defeating the Liaong Empire, general Ye Zhao (Ma Sichun/Sandra Ma) returns to the Song capital and reveals she's a woman. As penalty for deceiving the Emperor general Ye is forced to marry Zhao Yujin (Shin Yilun), playboy dilettante nephew of the Emperor and known as one of the prettiest men in the capital (I assumed they used Zhao for the two main leads for use in various jokes).

The first twenty episodes are the best as it focuses on the two leads. General Zhao is promoted to head the Capital Guard so she still has lots of military duties and also has to be a dutiful, obedient, and demure wife which she finds difficult. It doesn't help that she's been acting like a man for years so she appreciates beautiful women (and attracts Zhao Yujin's concubines) and like so drink and brawl. In contrast Zhao Yujin is more of a sickly scholar type who is good at poetry and dance. I also like that General Zhao has other female admirers like her cousin Liu Xiyin (Wang Churan) and Western Xia's Princess Yin Chuan (Mi Na) who fell in love with General Zhao back when they thought she was a man but finding out Zhao is a woman doesn't deter them.

Those first twenty episodes are more comedic than the rest of the series. Then there are ten episodes that focus on other characters and you barely see the two leads. The last thirty episodes our two leads are mostly secondary characters with the occasional two or three episodes where they feature. The last few episodes they do become more prominent but not as much as in the first part of the series.

The over-arching plot is the war between Song and Western Xia with machinations behind the scenes. Hence lots of episodes focusing on the Song emperor and his treacherous older brother who is trying to undermine the government. Also the Western Xia royal house gets much more screen time once Liu Xiyin ends up there as fiancée of the Crown Prince but also attracts the eye of the King. Eventually there is a big final battle in the last episode and so many characters die to the point it's a bit hilarious.

In general I have mixed feelings. The first twenty episodes are pretty good. The next 40 are not simply because it becomes a different series. It becomes a series with the occasional good episode and a lot of ok episodes. I watched it on Tubi and didn't help that two or three episodes the translation track was 30 seconds ahead of the video, a couple of episodes had no translation track, and one episode had a translation track from a previous episode.

Overall I wouldn't recommend this series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-09-22T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250922-shattered-trident-2013.html#unique-entry-id-956https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250922-shattered-trident-2013.html#unique-entry-id-956Shattered Trident (2013) [/] This is the third novel in Larry Bond's Jerry Mitchell series and I read the previous one, Exit Plan. In this one Mitchell is in command of a US submarine in the Pacific as a stealth war breaks out between China and the Littoral Alliance of Vietnam, Japan, India and South Korea (and later more countries join) as the LA initiates hostiles after they find out that China will take over the Spratly Islands during their next naval exercises.

I suspect like any series that initially focuses on one character this will continue to broaden the scope of characters and action. In this novel Mitchell and his crew get maybe a third of the pages as a lot of stuff is the Littoral Alliance, China, and US politics. I want a good submarine yarn and at this point reading further books is probably not a good idea. I probably need to go to the first novel in the series for the best submarine action.

On the positive side I do like the scenario. It's an asymmetric war where the Littoral Alliance is hitting China at a weak spot (oil tankers) and have a weapon suitable for that (submarines). The events in this novel would make an interesting war game.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-09-19T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250919-spot-reviews-09-19-25.html#unique-entry-id-949https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250919-spot-reviews-09-19-25.html#unique-entry-id-949The Instigators (2024) [+] Apple TV+ heist movie. Rory (Matt Damon) and Cobby (Casey Affleck) are part of an inept trio doing a heist — steal a bunch of bribe money during Boston election night party of Mayor Miccelli (Ron Perlman). When the heist goes wrong and their leader is killed the two become wanted men: their employer wants them killed so they don't incriminate him and Mayor Micccelli wants his bracelet back — the bracelet that has the long combination to his huge office safe where he keeps all his bribe money. On the run Rory turns to his psychiatrist Dr Donna Rivera (Hong Chau) for help and she agrees to go along with them if they hold her hostage… Turned out to be a fairly humorous movie in the kind of humor I like: normal situations that turn out humorous because of irony or how the characters are reacting. Good dialog and acting and some fairly expensive looking set pieces. Also has Ving Rhames as a Special Operations Unit tough guy who everyone fears; Alfred Molina as the "main" criminal's second in command slash deli shop manager; and Toby Jones as Mayor Miccelli's hapless lawyer/flunkie.

Metal Skin Panic MADOX-01 (1987) [/] A 45-minute mecha OVA. A prototype mech ends up in the garage where teen mechanic Kouji Sugimoto works. He accidentally activates it which sends out a signal and soon the army is after him, led by elite tank driver First Lt Kilgore who is obsessed with defeating MADOX because it beat him during a trial run. Also involved is Eriko Kusumoto who designed MADOX's software and test piloted it — she is in a second mecha prototype. Lastly is minor character Shiori Nagura, Sugimoto's girlfriend who is breaking up with him but is willing to meet him one last time and he's not going to miss it even if he trashes a lot of Tokyo piloting MADOX to meet her (oh, he can't get out of MADOX and this is before cell phones so of course he has to go himself in a mecha suit he doesn't know how to pilot)… Mecha animation is really good for 1987 with lots of little camera shots showing the details of the mecha and of the mecha v tank and mecha v mecha fights. The story though is quite bad.

Osmos+ (2023) [+] Apple Arcade version of Osmos. I reviewed the Mac version 14 years ago and after playing a few hours it's the same excellent game. Since the game has a minimal UI it works perfectly well on an iPad.

Human: Fall Flat+ (2023) [/] Physics-based puzzle game where you control a featureless white "human" that is barely controllable. With a controller you use one joystick to move forwards, back, or side to side; a second joystick to look and turn; two buttons one for jump and one for sit/fall; two triggers to punch/grab with left and right arm (use look to "aim"). I assume the puzzles aren't that complicated as the challenge is in moving your guy and manipulating the environment. I've seen other games like this (e.g. Octodad was really popular for a while) but I don't particularly like this mechanic. Also I played Human Fall Flat for 15 minutes and I was getting nauseous already — maybe it's the low detail graphics.

Dave’s Hot Chicken, Santa Clara [-] Went here for group dinner. Hot Box (10 tenders for $55), Box of Fries $12. 5 bucks per tender is a lot though these are huge tenders. Still I guess that means less fried outer goodness. We probably got no heat and without sauce it tasted as you’d expect — rather bland. With thousand isle sauce it was ok and with cheese sauce it was ok. Comparatively the frozen Tyson chicken tenders are better.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-09-17T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250917-kpopped-2025.html#unique-entry-id-954https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250917-kpopped-2025.html#unique-entry-id-954KPOPPED is an Apple TV+ song duel show hosted by Megan Thee Stallion, PSY (both I think pre-shot bits) and Soojeong Son (who is there with the live performers and audience). The premise is taking Western artists (as in artists from North America and Europe) and having their songs made into K-Pop versions which they then perform with a K-Pop group.

K-Pop groups are fairly big (the ones in this series are 4 to 9 or 11 members). The host K-pop group is split into two subunits and each takes one of the Western artists (though two episodes, with Spice Girls Mel B/Emma Bunton and with Boyz II Men, the Westerners perform both songs). They have 48 hours to learn and rehearse the song, though some of that is taken with the K-Pop group showing their artist around Seoul.

Let's take the first episode as an example. K-Pop band Billlie (with 3 Ls) splits into a group of 3 and a group of 4 and team up with Megan Thee Stallion and Patti LaBelle. We have a segment where group 1 shows Megan Thee Stallion something about Seoul. Then they show Megan the K-Popped version of "Savage" and then some rehearsing (all the previous with little interview asides of Megan commenting on the experience and complimenting her team, and the team commenting and complimenting Megan — there is a certain amount of everyone being way too nice and enthusiastic about each other which is wholesome for a family audience and a bit cringy for a cynical audience like me).

Finally in front of an audience they perform the song with backup dancers and light effects — all quite professional and hard to believe all these songs were done in one go. Then repeat for Patti LaBelle. PSY explains that the audience votes with their glow sticks set to Gold for song 1 or Purple for song 2. Two clips of fans talking about which song they liked and why. A bit of suspense and 3-2-1 countdown then the lights turn Gold or Purple and the winner is declared. Then Billlie performs one of their songs and the credits roll but you do get to see their whole performance.

The competition is mock and for fun and more of a framing format. The performances are really well done and entertaining and although I've listened to some K-Pop I don't know enough to feel that every song was suitably K-Popped. Everybody is really happy and enthusiastic (perhaps too much for my tastes). I like that sometimes the K-Pop members talk in Korean and there are no burned in subtitles — instead if you have subtitles on it'll be in your language (and I wonder if you don't have it enabled it would still show the translation in your language using the subtitling system since it's all Apple ecosystem).

I do like this show. I like being introduced to these groups since I didn't know any of them. It is incredibly well produced and edited and I'm thinking on other platforms it could easily look cheaper. Overall I enjoyed the eight half-hour episodes and hope there is a season 2.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-09-15T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250915-the-yom-kippur-war-revised-2017.html#unique-entry-id-953https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250915-the-yom-kippur-war-revised-2017.html#unique-entry-id-953The Yom Kippur War: The Epic Encounter That Transformed The Middle East, Revised Edition (2017) by Abraham Rabinovich is an account of the 1973 Arab-Israeli War. With lots of Israeli sources there is a lot of detail on that side going down to notable and heroic actions by individual soldiers, though mostly keeps to higher level commanders. There is some of that on the Egyptian side, some from personal diaries. The Syrian side has little personal stories so I guess few sources there.

It's a 560 page trade paperback so there is a lot of details. A few maps to help you visualize things though this is not a battle study so don't need detailed maps showing unit movements during a battle. This was a recommended book a wargame designer and the combats are fairly detailed.

I have another book on the war, The Yom Kippur War and the Airlift That Saved Israel (2002) by Walter J Boyne. Almost 300 pages but much less dense text so I think Rabinovich's book has double the word count. Boyne's book is necessarily less detailed though it does go some into the US side of the airlift to supply Israel with weapons and ammunition which Rabinovich mentions but briefly. For the US side Rabinovich has some stuff with Kissinger and his shuttle diplomacy and apparently President Nixon was more concerned with the Watergate hearings.

Rabinovich's book was originally written in 2004. Later, Israel released a bunch of secret documents about the war and Rabinovich incorporates some of that which he highlights in a new introduction. The biggest thing is that there was a highly placed mole in the Egyptian government that gave Israel enough warning to have been ready but another part of Israeli intelligence was too reliant on tapped phone lines (which hadn't been activated) and the intuition of the head of that agency.

Anyway, this is a really good book. I like the detail and the narration of the action on various fronts. I either forgot a lot of what Boyne or Rabinovich's book has a lot more information since I don't recall knowing it before.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-09-12T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250912-spot-reviews-09-12-25.html#unique-entry-id-946https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250912-spot-reviews-09-12-25.html#unique-entry-id-946My Sex Doll (2020) [+] Thai sex teenage sex comedy. In order to pay off his deceased father's debt, sex-shy Ith (Piamchon Damrongsunthornchai) has to show off his uncle's prototype AI sex robot Anna (Phichana Yoosuk) by losing his virginity to her. But he keeps stalling so Anna follows him around to school and interacts with his friends and slowly learns about emotions… No nudity though lots of skin and boobs. And not that bad of a story — Ith's longtime best friend Lisa (Suchada Pramoulkan) has always been into him and Anna showing up makes her bolder; Ith eventually remembers the childhood memory that scarred him and realizes he had remembered the bad part not the good part; and Anna learns to be a bit more human although still robotic and simple-minded.

Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) [-] I rewatched the first half and realized this sequel is a lot worse than the original. It's Riggs (Mel Gibson) and Murtaugh (Danny Glover) vs Afrikaner drug smugglers and adds Leo Getz (Joe Pesci) as a federal witness Riggs and Murtaugh have to protect while they continue going after the drug smugglers.

R&B Tea, Santa Clara - Oreo Chocolate Stormy [+] It’s pretty much an Oreo milkshake, maybe a bit more crushed ice rather than ice cream but still tastes great. ($7 list, $8 after DoorDash fees).

Kimono Cats (2023) [/] Kids game. You and your cat buddy traveling home and wandering through Japanese festivals. Pop balloons which can be gifts/food for your friend or mini-games where the prize also goes to your friend. When your friend is happy enough you get a gift and you can also buy random gifts and they are all used to decorate your property. Not really much of a game, more about collecting random things then decorating your property and then showing it off (as you wander along you sometimes visit other player's property and see their decorations).

Clue: Classic Edition+ (2023) [/] It's Clue the classic board game and you can play single player or online. On your turn you go to a location then guess the murderer, weapon and location. If another player has that card (proving it's the wrong clue) then they show it to you and the game mostly keeps track of which clues are invalid and which player had that card (or didn't have that card). Be the first to make an accurate accusation. Competently good implementation but I don't really like the board game and this version doesn't change my mind.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-09-10T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250910-women-in-blue-2024.html#unique-entry-id-951https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250910-women-in-blue-2024.html#unique-entry-id-951Women in Blue (Laz Azules) is a Mexican mini-series running 10 hour-long episodes on Apple TV+. Set in 1971, a serial murderer preys on women in Mexico City. The new police commissioner sets up Mexico's first female police force, more as a publicity stunt than to be real police women.

Sixteen women make it through the academy to become officers although the series focuses on a team of four: Marîa (Bárbara Mori), a housewife who always dreamed of being a detective and with a cheating husband she wants a change; Valentina (Natalia Téllez), Marîa's younger sister who is a civil rights activist who joins the force to make changes for the better from within; Ángeles (Ximena Sariñana), a bit of an autist — remembers and recollects everything but bad with human interactions; and Gabina (Amorita Rasgado), the youngest of a family of police officers but no one else in her family wants her to join the male-dominated police force.

As the women go through their separate character arcs and bond they also become involved in the serial murder case. Initially they find a body and when the "murderer" is found they realize he's not the guy even though the rest of the force is going to make him the murderer. Once the serial murderer strikes again the women are discouraged from participating so they do it in secret, running down their own leads and witnesses. Their success is because they see things differently than the guys and they can interact with female witnesses better.

The series is in Spanish with subtitles. After the first two or three episodes the story started getting interesting and it was pretty absorbing the rest of the way. It's unusual that the climax is sort of at the end of episode 9 and beginning of episode 10, then half of episode 10 is a ticking bomb situation, then a fair amount of wrap up to finish their stories — I had forgotten that the story is the women not the serial murder case.

Overall a good series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-09-08T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250908-episode-xoxo-2023.html#unique-entry-id-950https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250908-episode-xoxo-2023.html#unique-entry-id-950Episode XOXO is a slightly interactive romance story app from Pocket Gems and available on Apple Arcade. It's bigger brother Episode lets users create their own stories for others so there are thousands of stories to read (and buy). Episode XOXO comes with 13 stories.

I read four of them and they've been romances from the woman's POV. You get to stylize her looks at the start (a fair number of options but some things like hair styles have lots of options many quite similar), name her, and specify whether the romantic interest is male or female and you get to style the romantic interest.

The stories are fairly predictable yet engaging rom com sort of stuff. The four stories I read:

• No Time For Love - "Desperate for money, you're sucked into a fake relationship with a pop star with a ruined reputation."
• Bodyguard Boyfriend - "You want nothing to do with your detective father, but then your life is put in danger."
• Level Up - "You're a known gamer! Throw in a competition, an annoying partner, and underlying feelings, and you've got quite a mess."
• The Royal Bachelor - "A scandal with the prince gets you fired from the job, but what happens when you're the wild card contestant on the hottest new reality show, 'The Royal Bachelor'?"

The stories are mostly dialog and some interior monologues. Often you get three choices on what to say but mostly they don't seem to matter. Level Up had "video game" sequences that use the same engine so it's "monster is ready to attack, will you shoot, dodge, or panic". Cuter are the parts where you choose which of three outfits to wear and it seems like you're changing outfits every chapter.

Along with the story you have these cartoony characters representing you, your romantic interest, and other people. Sometimes they're moving about though animation is minimal and poses non-existent other than stand, sit, walk/run; also two characters can get closer and kiss (from behind so you have one head covering the other's face). Often the backgrounds don't quite fit the characters but I didn't mind.

Even though it's a rather primitive engine I can make my character a cute girl and the romantic interest another cute girl and the stories are charming enough to be interesting and romantic. Don't mind that occasionally the dialog didn't switch gender or that the writing is not great. I found the stories satisfying and it's always a happy romantic ending.

2025-10-23: Apparently no cloud save so you can't continue a story on another device.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-09-05T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250905-spot-reviews-09-05-25.html#unique-entry-id-945https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250905-spot-reviews-09-05-25.html#unique-entry-id-945L-Pop (2023) [+] Disney+ Spanish-language half-hour series of six episodes. Andrea (Andrea de Alba) is a K-Pop superfan living in Mexico City while her older sister Paulina (Alicia Jaziz) is filming a documentary about Andrea's fandom. When a K-Pop dance contest is announced Andre is excited but is immediately kicked off her team because she is so busy she can't commit to practice. So Andrea starts her own team with three misfit K-Pop fans and whilst they practice at a Korean bistro after hours Andrea starts to become attracted with the owner Ji-Won (Isan Beomhyun Lee) who turns out to have been a failed K-Pop idol when he was younger. Characters are cute, dance sequences are nice, songs are original for this series. Worst part is the "rival team goes first and uses the same song, then hero team misses the cut by one but one team is disqualified" plot beats, which I've seen before a couple of times at least. I like the comedic moments of the documentary (everything we see is from the documentary camera POV) especially Paulina (and the other characters) interacting with abused cameraman Pablo (Christian Banas).

Lethal Weapon (1987) [/] Rewatched this and still fairly good film. Two Los Angeles detectives thrown together — veteran and stable Roger Murtaugh (Danny Glover) and ex-special forces half-way suicidal Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson) — take on ex-mercenaries no drug smugglers led by General Peter McAllister (Mitchell Ryan) and his top lieutenant Mr Joshua (Gary Busey). Good 1980's era comedy and action, probably R-rated at the time but almost a family film today as there is like no blood and little swearing or sexual situations.

Riptide GP: Renegade+ (2023) [/] An Apple Arcade title. In the future where much of the world is flooded you are a watercycle racer making a comeback after being framed by your rival. It's the usual compete in races, get new watercycles and upgrade them, level up your skills. Annoyingly to me your boost is recharged by doing motorcycle-style tricks as you race. Touch controls are nice as you pivot your device to steer and use thumbs to break (acceleration is automatic) or do tricks (which have various thumb swiping combinations using both thumbs at the same time).

Farmside (2023) [/] Apple Arcade farming sim. At base you plant crop squares, wait for them to mature, harvest them, then use them to fulfill orders. There's also a lot of builder mechanics in that you have a forge and a mill and probably other structures that create stuff that you use to do other things and everything takes to do. Good graphics, a thin story but serviceable, good onboarding process (you can pretty much do the objectives as they come and not worry about strategy). Fairly mindless game that keeps you busy.

The Unforgettable San Jose Earthquakes: Momentous Stories On & Off the Field (2024) [/] by Gary Singh is a 150-page glossy paperback book about my local MLS team. The format is a year by year review though mostly concentrating on historical moments and the fans and the team history and players and personnel. What happened in the season isn't really commented on unless there were historical moments. Author's aim is to show that San Jose Earthquakes have a long history in the San Jose community (even though the original San Jose Earthquakes are not corporate ancestors of the current Earthquakes). Lots of photos and personal anecdotes since Singh grew up with the Earthquakes and has covered them as a reporter for decades.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-09-03T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250903-big-mouth-2022.html#unique-entry-id-948https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250903-big-mouth-2022.html#unique-entry-id-948Big Mouth is a South Korean crime/politics drama running the standard 16 episodes each about 70 minutes long.

Park Chang-ho (Lee Jong-suk, male lead in While You Were Sleeping (2017)) is a struggling lawyer unflatteringly nicknamed "Big Mouth" because he's all big talk while losing 90% of his cases. He's hired by city mayor Choi Do-ha (Kim Joo-hun) to prosecute three people accused of murder. On the surface Park is supposed to follow a script and lose as mayor Choi is working for the three. But mayor Choi also wants leverage so if Park finds a certain piece of evidence he's to turn it over to mayor Choi.

Park does find the video recording proving the murder (though not who the big boss is) but then he tries to curry favor with the three's boss Gong Ji-hoon (Yang Kyung-won, notable supporting roles in Crash Landing on You (2019) and Welcome to Samdal-ri (2023)) who is like second or third in his family's conglomerate that effectively runs the city. Gong doesn't like a no name lawyer trying to blackmail him so Park gets into an accident (where he loses the evidence), drugs are found in his office, and he is convicted and sent to prison.

Half the series is Park being in prison trying to survive by taking on the persona of Big Mouse, a secret con man who stole 100B won from Gong Ji-hoon. Big Mouse is subtly helping Park and Park's plan is to both bring out Big Mouse into the light and make sure the bad guys face justice. Meanwhile his wife Ko Mi-ho (Im Yoon-ah, supporting actress in The K2 (2016) and here she has a much bigger role even though I only mention her now)…

This is a series with lots of plot twists as there are multiple agents working at cross purposes through Park Chang-ho. It's really interesting around episodes four to twelve but much less at the beginning and end. I found the ending a bit lazy. The big bad thwarts Park's plans and has decidedly won but then Park kills him, in an ironic way but still he could have been murdered at any time so doing it at the end is kind of admitting defeat. Also there's another sad plot point which didn't seem necessary — maybe could have been if the final court case where it was used it helped bring a conviction of the big bad but it didn't so seemed like a wasted way to kill of a secondary character.

Production is good, acting is good, plot twists make it interesting for a while but get old as the series goes on. I wouldn't recommend this series — even though it's often good I think the last quarter of the series if fairly disappointing.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-09-01T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250901-tiny-tinas-wonderlands-2022.html#unique-entry-id-947https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250901-tiny-tinas-wonderlands-2022.html#unique-entry-id-947Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is a fantasy-ish shooter RPG based on the Borderlands engine and set in that universe. The meta-plot is that you and your two friends — Valentine (Andy Samberg) and Frette (Wanda Sykes) — are stuck with Tiny Tina (Ashly Burch) waiting for parts delivery to fix your ship. To kill boredom Tiny Tina convinces the three of you to play a high fantasy RPG in a world that she came up with.

Much like Borderlands there are lots of classes to choose from. I had a Spore Warden which has a Mushroom guy companion that can fight and if you go down revive you. One of my friends played a barbarian type that's good with a melee weapon, my other two friends played from ranged/spellcaster types.

The same sort of equipment slots as Borderlands re-skinned for fantasy. There is an armor slot, a shield slot, a ring slot, a spellbook slot, a melee weapon slot, and a couple of others. The melee weapon is used when you do a melee attack and uses that weapon's animation (Borderlands melee uses your current gun and is more of a rifle-butt attack). Ranged weapons are the usual pistol, shotgun, SMG, assault rifle, etc. The shotgun might be a crossbow in graphics and animation but still uses shotgun mechanics and other weapons are similar in that it's themed but still Borderlands mechanics.

Like Borderlands there are big maps, a main plot, and side quests to do. All maps have dice hidden in various places and when you break a die you get better loot (though randomly generated). Maps might also have messages or other items to find for extra rewards.

In the campaign you go to the main city and see Queen Butt Stallion murdered so your party goes after the Dragon Lord. The beginning parts is sort of standard medieval fantasy. Then a third of the campaign is in the big ocean but after all the water has been drained away but you still fight giant crabs and land sharks and such. And the last part is in a desert and then a big pyramid.

There is an Overworld, which is new. It's like a big miniature terrain and you are animated miniatures moving around in it. You go into towns (and later you can fast travel to those towns) and dungeons (which you can't fast travel to). Monsters pop up which if you don't punch trigger an encounter (a mini fight in one of several combat maps). There are also dice here for loot and hidden paths and shrines (collect all three or four shrine pieces for random good loot).

Mostly I didn't find this game all that interesting. I'd rather stick with Borderlands. Trying to theme it for fantasy felt wrong (although they do lean into that which might make it more palatable for some). The classes don't seem as well differentiated as in Borderlands and just like Borderlands you are cycling through so much equipment it gets tedious. But at least we managed to finish the game (I have the four DLCs and I guess we used some of it like the new classes but don't recall doing the missions).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-08-29T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250829-spot-reviews-08-29-25.html#unique-entry-id-942https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250829-spot-reviews-08-29-25.html#unique-entry-id-942Eyes of Wakanda (2025) [/] 4-episode half hour animated series. Each episode is set at a different point in history and each has a Wakandan agent (War Dog?) trying to recover a Vibranium artifact to keep these dangerous weapons out of humanity's hands. The second episode has the agent as one of Achilles' Myrmidons during the Trojan War and episode three has a woman with the Iron Fist infiltrate Wakanda. Episodes one and four interact with less memorable parts of history though episode four shows an alternate future of Wakanda destroyed by the Horde. I do like going back to famous moments in history or interacting with previous versions of current-day heroes and villains. But overall I guess it was a so so series, contrast with What If where it started so so then halfway through s1 it starts showing that the whole season has a meta-story tying the episodes together which you didn't really get in Eyes of Wakanda.

Us x Her (2022) [-] Philippines sexy drama set during COVID. Mari (AJ Raval) and Dave (Kiko Estrada) are a married couple. Dave has a one-night stand with Lila (Angeli Khang), though actually he had sex with Lila before he got married and he doesn't remember. After rejecting Lila again she wants to get revenge by telling Mari. But once Lila gets to know Mari she becomes attracted to Mari (apparently Lila is a bit Fatal Attraction obsessive with her objects of desire). Once Lila and Mari have sex and Dave finds out he can't stand it but at this point Mari likes Lila more than she likes Dave though she does like both of them. The movie ends with Lila moving in and trying to work it out as a romantic three-some though Dave and Lila still don't like each other. And then the movie switches to theatrical play format showing three possible outcomes where Dave kills Lila, or Dave is killed, or they somehow make it work. The End. The sexy parts and nudity are nice and the two women are attractive and busty. But the story and acting kind of boring as it was hard to care about any of the characters.

Squiggle Drop (2023) [+] Side-view physics-based puzzle game on Apple Arcade. You have something at the bottom, such as a stack of blocks or a chasm with cars drive off to their doom. Above is a drawing area. Draw a shape with one continuous line and then the shape falls and hopefully you accomplish the task, such as knocking down the blocks or making a bridge over the chasm. Naturally the shapes you create need to be more and more weirdly shaped as the puzzles get harder. You can get a hint which tells you the outline of the area to draw a solution shape; and a second hint to show you the actual shape to draw which you still have to draw correctly. When you retry it shows you the previous shape you drew to make it easier to draw something a little different if you got close the last time. Feels like an original concept and works great with your finger on iPad, maybe less so on iPhone. Does not feel like it would work well on macOS/tvOS (apparently runs on both) or with a controller. Also kind of jazzy background music which wasn't annoying listening to over and over again (maybe it varies the music a bit).

Castle Crumble (2023) [-] Physics based Apple Arcade game. Kind of like a first person POV version of Angry Birds. There is a castle (more like a tower or more connected). Tap to shoot cannon balls or set off dynamite to destroy the castle. I supposed you get more weapons and the castles get more elaborate but I only played a few levels before I got bored. Pretty much all tower you hit near the bottom and they fall straight down so there doesn't seem to be much "hit one tower and cause a chain reaction" like in Angry Birds.

Trader Joes Frozen Asparagus Spears [-] These are thin asparagus spears (i.e. base already cut off). Microwave for a couple minutes and they’re ready. And pretty bad. Tried frying and also pretty bad. Because they’re frozen they come out maybe too soggy and chewy. Fresh asparagus is quite easy to make so this time I can’t recommend a TJ product.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-08-27T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250827-touch-your-heart-2019.html#unique-entry-id-944https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250827-touch-your-heart-2019.html#unique-entry-id-944Touch Your Heart is a South Korean humorous romance series running sixteen 1-hour-plus episodes.

Once the number one actress in Korea, Oh Yoon-seo (Yoo In-na) wants to make a comeback after a drug scandal forced her out of the industry three years ago. Always known for her beauty not her acting she commits to being a better actress for a possible legal drama by working at a small law firm owned by her agent's cousin.

Yoon-seo is assigned to Kwon Jung-rok (Lee Dong-wook), a very series criminal and litigation lawyer who insists on calling her by her real name Oh Jin-shim. At first he kind of ignores her because she has no secretary or legal skills (though she did attend one semester of law school before going into acting). But her perseverance slowly wins him over and she is genuinely interested in his work and helpful. And slowly an attraction develops.

There's the famous actress element. Everyone in the office knows who she is and kind of fawns on her except for Kwon. She's always in disguise outside and avoids crowds and meeting people. And it's something she's always done so after awhile Kwon realizes Yoon-seo leads a lonely life.

This is a bit of a comedy with musical bits and looks. Not over the top but I feel unnecessary. The other comedic elements are fine — lots of misunderstandings and coincidences. Towards the end there are a couple of dramatic situations — the playboy who drugged her returns to Korea and once again targets her and later on once she is finally made it back Kwon breaks up with her because he thinks it'll help her career — but they're resolved fairly quickly, within a couple of episodes so this is not a romance with high drama moments.

Overall I found this a pleasant and enjoyable romance where the middle eight episodes are really good and I watched a couple of episodes a night.

Jang So-yeon plays an older legal secretary — she doe supporting roles and I've seen her in various series though Something in the Rain (2018) was her best as the lead's best friend and sister of the love interest.

Park Kyung-hye plays one of the lawyers — I've seen her in supporting roles in My Roommate is a Gumiho (2021) and Destined With You (2023) as one of the Park Department workers.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-08-25T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240825-survival-2004.html#unique-entry-id-943https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240825-survival-2004.html#unique-entry-id-943Survival is the first novel of the science fiction trilogy Species Imperative by Julie E. Czerneda (don't think I've read any of her other works). In the mid-term future, like a hundred years, humanity has expanded to the stars and found them populated with a lot of alien species in a harmonious Interstellar Union. Interstellar travel is done via transduction gates, a technology discovered by some long lost species, lost then rediscovered. Earth itself is less populated as people moved out and EarthGov has been busy slowly restoring the planet, fixing humanity's ecological damage.

Dr. Mackenzie Connor studies salmon in the Pacific Northwest, has never left Earth and doesn't really care about what's "out there". Unfortunately her peace of mind and research projects are interrupted by an alien visitor, Brymn, an archaeologist from a species where studying the past is taboo. Brymn thinks something evil is re-emerging from the Chasm may be heading towards Earth, something so dangerous it threatens species extinction. (The Chasm is an area of space — and by that we mean systems connected to a trans gate system so all are nearby — where there is no life, at all even microorganisms, just dead cities and other artifacts of civilizations that lived there.)

With that threat (which is very very secret no-one else must know) Brymn has been allowed on Earth to talk with Dr Connor whom he believes will help him research. Government bureaucrat Nikolas Trojanowski is Brymn's handler though it turns out he's more than he seems. Mackenzie's best friend Dr Emily Mamani also happened to be visiting to help in Mackenzie's research so she gets roped into helping and when Emily is kidnapped Mackenzie has to finally leave Earth with Brymn to visit Brymn's homeworld for answers…

It's a slow moving story told from Mackenzie Connor's perspective. Conveniently since Dr Connor is unfamiliar with space and aliens as she learns stuff we learn stuff. The second half of the novel Dr Connor experiences an alien world with alien viewpoints (she almost dies on the two-week trip because Brymn's people didn't bring food and water for her and their attitude is "if you can't survive on your own you deserve to die"). Lots of plot twists because, aside from Dr Connor, the other major characters all have secrets that are revealed and change how we think about them. The ending is also a huge surprise

After a slow start I did end up enjoying the novel enough to want to continue with the second book (though unfortunately not available from my library network).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-08-22T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/9a9e9428be5e9ccaef72ece013553c2e-937.html#unique-entry-id-937https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/9a9e9428be5e9ccaef72ece013553c2e-937.html#unique-entry-id-937Ghost in the Shell (2017) [+] Live-action version of the Japanese anime. In future Tokyo robots and cybernetics abound but Major Mira Killian (Scarlett Johansson) is unique as a brain in a cyber body, the first of her kind. She is part of Section Nine, a Japanese counter-terrorist unit. The latest case involves Kuze (Michael Carmen Pitt), a cyber hacker with unnaturally good skills and who is murdering all scientists involved in a secret project which turns out to be the secret project that created Mira. This leads to the terrible secret of Mira's creation… Not the first time I've seen this film though I apparently didn't review it before. Seems like a fine version of Ghost in the Shell with lots of action, cyber tech, and a cyberpunk sort of plot (though Ghost in the Shell is not cyberpunk). Both Chief Aramaki ("Beat" Takeshi Kitano) and Batou (Pilou Asbæk) have significant roles and the rest of Section Nine is there but very minor.

Side Quest (2025) [/] Four episode comedy anthology series set in the Mythic Quest universe. (1) Lead artist (Derek Waters) is hounded by Ian Grimm (Rob McElhenney) to do work whilst on vacation but it endangers his relationship with long time girlfriend Maude (Anna Konkle). (2) At an African-American small comic book store the patrons fight over the one copy of the new Mythic Quest comic book. (3) A young cellist (Annamarie Kasper, who is also a cellist) is hired by her idol conductor as he produces a Mythic Quest symphony but as the performances go on she starts losing her ability to feel the music. (4) A group of college-age friends embark on their last Mythic Quest series of raids as their social dynamics and issues lead them to break up, for the better… Episode two was the best because of the comic book shop vibe. Episode four was next best since you never really see Mythic Quest the MMO being played in the series.

Journey to the Center of the Earth (2023) [-] and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (2025) [-] Spanish-language series based on Jules Verne novels. The concept is that what Verne wrote was real but in an alternate Verne Dimension. 150 years later his descendants are tasked with protecting the Verne Dimension and keeping it secret from the rest of humanity. This is a more kids-centered story where Diego (Sebastián García Huerta) is a descendant and he and his friends discover the secret and although unwelcome they help grandmother Pola (Margarita Rosa de Francisco) deal with the crisis in each mini-series. Comedy is provided by Pompilio Calderón (Óscar Jaenada), a descendant of Verne's nemesis, and Pompilio's mechanical parrot Claudio (Mauricio "El Diablito" Barrientos). Each mini-series does follow a lot of the same elements in the novels (though I'm not that familiar with the novels) but the plots are still fairly simplistic and the kids are annoyingly rebellious. I watched this for the great promo picture featuring Paty Cantú as Admiral Nemo (though only appearing in 4 episodes).

Masterpieced (2023) [/] Apple Arcade jigsaw puzzle game. Unlike Jigsaw Puzzle+ which tries to recreate assembling a puzzle on a big table this one tries to take advantage of the medium. You have to modes, one is the art and the other is words from the artist about the art, so you can try assembling part of the puzzle as art and then switch to continue assembling as text or go back and forth. Another difference is the art starts out very faded and grayscale. As you put in pieces the pieces all the assembled pieces briefly show their full color then fade a bit and as you assemble more and more when the pieces fade they don't fade as far. Not having color does it make it hard as you rely on shapes a lot but then when the puzzle gets hard for shapes the colors by then are good enough you can match by colors. Good implementation though I think I prefer the massive jigsaw puzzles of Jigsaw Puzzle+. These are significant but instead of 100 x 100 more like 12 x 12 which is challenging but not overly challenging.

Izakaya Mai, San Mateo - Okonomiyaki (Japanese Pancakes) [-] Never had Okonomiyaki before and it’s not an experience I want to repeat. “Japanese pancakes. Crispy outside Japanese pancake made with wheat flour, egg, seafood mix, fish cakes, veggies with topped of okonomiyaki sauce, sesame seed and fish flakes. Ramen noodle on top (optional).” I guess it doesn’t taste that bad but it is a light taste. The “pancake” part is a bit too insubstantial for my tastes.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-08-20T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250820-ironheart-2025.html#unique-entry-id-941https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250820-ironheart-2025.html#unique-entry-id-941Ironheart is a 6-episode series set in the MCU. The super-heroine appeared in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) but without any background, just there helping out. This series is set after that film but gives her back story.

Inventor Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) is obsessed with completing her Ironheart suit and her antics get her expelled from MIT. With just the suit she returns home to Chicago and develops a suit AI, NATALIE, that has the personality and memories and independence of her late best friend Natalie Washington (Lyric Ross).

Needing money to work on her suit she is recruited and joins a crew led by Parker Robbins aka The Hood (Anthony Ramos). They're involved in breaking and entering and causing havoc in order to get local tech companies to sign over major shares to them. Nothing violent so barely within Riri's tolerance of allowable.

But Riri starts wondering about Parker's Hood suit, which turns out to be much more evil than she thought as a tech genius with no magic experience. Meanwhile she also befriends Zeke Stane (Alden Ehrenreich), Obadiah Stane's son who has a lot of tech stashed away and was sort of a black market arms dealer. Unfortunately after she leaves a piece of tech behind and the police arrest Zeke he blames her and eventually moves into Parker's orbit and is well on his way on the path to super-villain.

I like the characters. Riri is kind of annoying but has a lot of hurt inside due after her father and Natalie were gunned down a few years ago. NATALIE is great as a self-aware AI that wants to be Riri's friend like old times. Parker has his own messed up motivations but, although he was always going to be a bad guy, he veers into villain hood because of The Hood's influence. And Zeke was a nice guy in a bad business who lets revenge get in the way of moving on (though I guess he was in prison and had to help Parker in return for freedom).

The series has good intro music and good music in their montage interludes. I like that the intros eventually put the "Ironheart" title in unusual places. I like that Ironheart armor is very mobile but nowhere near as powerful as Ironman armor except maybe in the climax when it's half-powered by magic.

Overall after the first couple of episodes (which are setting up the story) I really enjoyed this series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-08-18T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250818-pocket-card-jockey-ride-on-2022.html#unique-entry-id-940https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250818-pocket-card-jockey-ride-on-2022.html#unique-entry-id-940Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On! Is a horse racing game using solitaire mechanics to power up your horse. On iOS it's part of Apple Arcade.

You play a rookie jockey breaking into the sport. Horses have various characteristics: speed and stamina are the primary; Age because eventually a horse gets too old; up to three skills which are more like special powers such as gain stamina if you are drafting another horse or find extra luck cards; peak number which is the stage when solitaire scores extra points (but if the next stage is not the finish line your horse gets more tired); whip number which is how many times you can whip your horse in the final stretch; horse experience level and going up a level increases speed and stamina.

A race has a start, 2 to 3 (perhaps more) stages, and a final stretch. The start is a mini-solitaire game where you try to reveal the back cards and find the "3". If you do then your horse has a better start. Most back cards are "2" which is an average start. There is a "1" which would be a slow start. Running out of time would also be a slow start.

Then you have a horse race animation as you ride amongst the other horses (and everyone is riding cute chonky horses). Then either the next stage or the final stretch. A stage is a regular solitaire game: cards are put face up on the table; choose a card to eliminate then you can continue with numerically adjacent cards (Ace connects with Two and King); if you run out of options flip a card from the draw pile. You're trying to clear the table before time runs out and the faster you do it the more energy you get. Sometimes there are special cards like skill XP for your horse (otherwise the horse never gets more skills).

The Peak Stage (depends on each horse) you get more energy and a whole lot if you clear the table. Also you get more energy the happier the horse is. Tired horses get unhappier, getting hit by other horses also makes your horse unhappy, and not clearing the table makes your horse unhappy.

Which reminds I forgot that before each stage you are shown a lane view with all the horses positioned and upcoming special cards you can run over. Middle is harder solitaire games but more energy; next to that is comfortable range ("2" at start) where the game is easier and your horse conserves energy; then there is the easy range where you can regain energy just from racing. You tap where you want to go and your horse will try to get to that position but other horses are moving around too and if you run into a horse with more energy (if they are on fire they have more energy) your horse gets pushed around.

In the final stretch you have a sideways aerial view as you and the other horses run in a straight line. You can switch lanes to avoid horses. Slow down to avoid a crash. Use your whip to go faster. Mostly I stay in my lane and whip as I've never had another horse in front of me (and if you have more energy you push other horses aside so maybe that was it).

In between races you have dialogs with the horse owner, trainer, and rival jockeys — there are no dialog decisions or any choices. You can buy powerups from Chirp the Japanese anime girl. You can change horses and more horses become available as you win races.

It's a fun little game. Also available on the Nintendo Switch and it's the type of game that fits on that console.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-08-15T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250815-spot-reviews-08-15-25.html#unique-entry-id-932https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250815-spot-reviews-08-15-25.html#unique-entry-id-932Silo s2 (2025) [+] I thought season one was pretty good but season two is so much better. It follows two tracks. The first is Juliette Nichols (Rebecca Ferguson) making it to another Silo where almost everyone died and interacting with the handful of survivors there. The second is back home where the Mechanical Department stage a revolt in Juliette's name. Lots of tension plus revealing more and more secrets and lore.

Sink the Bismark! (1960) [-] British World War 2 movie about the hunt for Germany's giant battleship Bismark. On the home front you have Captain Jonathan Shepard (Kenneth More), new head of the Operations Research (where they take all intelligence and try to predict things like where Bismark is heading or where she will be), and WRNS officer Anne David (Dana Wynter) who is his chief assistant and vague romantic interest. There's a fair amount of naval battles action using miniature ships and stuff with Bismark's admiral and captain. I didn't find it that interesting which is sad since fairly sure when I saw it as a kid I liked it.

JellyCar Worlds (2022) [/] Puzzle sideview platformer where you control a car made of jelly which means it can get squished and squeeze through narrow openings without dying. Controls are move forward, move backwards, lift front up, life back up (to get over a step you have to both lift front up and move forward). Lifting eventually flips the car which can be useful if you want move end over end. I found it easier using touch controls because with a controller movement is LT and RT and flip is left joystick and it's not quite intuitive enough and neither is controller buttons configurable. Has nice cartoony graphics, background music, and goofy man-made effect sounds.

My Little Pony: Mane Merge (2022) [/] Kids game. Core mechanic is taking an object from your palette, dropping it onto an empty space on the grid, or dropping onto another duplicate object to merge it into a higher object which can then be dragged onto an existing duplicate (or you can drag from your palette again). Very simple game play with lots of cute sounds and horses talking to you and animated interludes and extra little games.

Trader Joe's Fire Roasted Bell Peppers and Onions [+] I heat this up in a pan with a bit of oil and it comes out juicy and tasty. Nothing to complain about. It's about three small servings.

]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-08-13T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250813-the-fantastic-four-first-steps-2025.html#unique-entry-id-939https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250813-the-fantastic-four-first-steps-2025.html#unique-entry-id-939The Fantastic Four: First Steps is a reboot movie, though this time as part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. At the beginning it says that this is Earth-828 which as the movie shows is a variant based on 1960's aesthetics, fashion and social mores but with modern technology (and super-science in the case of Mr Fantastic's inventions). No other super-heroes are shown and it seems like the FF are that Earth's only super-heroes.

Via a talk show intro video we see that is three years after the accident that created the FF and they are well-established heroes by now having fought various villains including Harvey Elder and his Mole Men. Reed Richards aka Mister Fantastic (Pedro Pascal) and his wife Sue Storm aka Invisible Woman (Vanessa Kirby) lead the team, Ben Grimm aka The Thing (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) is the team brick, and Sue's brother Johnny Storm aka Human Torch (Joseph Quinn) is the flying blaster.

Big subplot is Sue becomes pregnant (with Franklin). Reed sort of panics as he prepares to be a father. Meanwhile Johnny wants updated space suits so he can flame on in space. Ben has a run-in with school teacher Rachel Rozman (Natasha Lyonne) who may be a love interest in the future (but not this movie). There's also a teleportation experiment Reed is working on which works on an egg but drains New York's power for a few seconds.

And then arrives this alien being from space. Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) — though I don't think they name her other than her real name of Shalla-Bal and maybe they don't do that for the FF either — here to herald the coming of Galactus (Ralph Ineson). The FF use their space rocket plus a warp drive attachment to travel to where Galactus is, confront him, and lose. Turns out though Galactus is willing to spare Earth if the FF give up Franklin (who is born on the way back). Galactus senses has the potential to replace him (which I think he wants so he finally rest) so it's not like he wants to kill Franklin.

Back on Earth Reed is too truthful to reporters so now everyone on Earth knows the FF can't save them but sacrificing a baby will. As the world turns against the FF they have to find a way to defeat Galactus…

I found this movie quite good. I'd already seen a trailer so the retro-future look was not a surprise and reminiscent of when the FF debuted (1961) and the old cartoons I saw as a kid. I love that this film has Herbie the robot (non-speaking CGI so no credits) and a version of the Fantastic-Car which even split apart at the end (though I didn't notice since it's the end of the film).

Better than I expected mostly because previous FF films were good to not good. This one is borderline great and fits into the MCU. Also nice that it's set in its own Earth so doesn't have the kind of history that Captain America: Brave New World or Thunderbolts did (both really good MCU movies released this year).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-08-11T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250811-ios-wumpus-games.html#unique-entry-id-938https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250811-ios-wumpus-games.html#unique-entry-id-938Hunt the Wumpus type games on the iOS App Store.

WumpusWorld (2018) [-] from Adaptelligence presents a grid and you have a figure that moves around and can shoot an arrow. You try to find the gold, grab it, then get back to the entrance square in the fewest moves. There is a Wumpus and one or more bottomless pits but no bat.

Wumpus Cave (2024) [/] is a lot more complicated. It has a graphical view on top and a text window on the bottom which describes what is going on. The top shows you valid directions: four compass points and four diagonals with blocked exits disabled. But when you exit a room in one direction you enter the next room from a random entrance so it's quite difficult to visualize the space and mapping it out is necessary. There is a Wumpus, pits, but not sure if there is a bat. You have popcorn to mark your trail and a pet grimble but I don't know what it's for. Also this is a leveled game so the more you play the harder it gets — level 1 has 15 rooms and a Wumpus with no pits.

Of the two WumpusWorld is too simple and strange that it didn't implement the bat. Wumpus Cave is challenging enough to be interesting for a while though perhaps a bit strange that it is predominantly text-based.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-08-08T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250808-spot-reviews-08-08-25.html#unique-entry-id-931https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250808-spot-reviews-08-08-25.html#unique-entry-id-931Circuit Breakers (2022) [+] Teen-oriented science fiction anthology show with seven episodes each less than half a hour long. In each episode teens at this high tech suburban private high school (I guess maybe this show is set a few years in the future with cutting-edge tech) experience different things. Episodes one a teen gets injected with nanobots to help him grow taller and be more athletic; episode two a teen uses a robot plus AI assistant to impersonate him and do all the boring schoolwork while he concentrates for a dance audition; episode seven a bit different as it's set on a Mars base where a teen and her parents handle the isolation and then an emergency… Series is fairly good and thoughtful and better than I expected. It's nice that each episode has one to three main characters but characters from other episodes also make appearances since they're in the same high school.

The Doorman (2020) [/] Former Marine Gunny Ali Gorski (Ruby Rose) with PTSD gets an easy job as a doorman at a building undergoing renovations so most of the tenants are gone except for an old couple and it turns out her dead sister's husband and two kids. She is invited for an Easter dinner and while there a group of thugs takes over the building looking for stolen paintings from the Eastern Bloc when the Wall fell… Kind of a standard action movie where the bad guys die in different ways. But worth it for Ruby Rose in Marine fatigues.

Dead Cells+ (2022) [/] Apple Arcade version of this action platformer rogue-like. You explore a dungeon defeating monsters and collecting items and treasure. You can of want a controller since there are multiple combat options (sword, bow, dodge, throw, jump are all different buttons and you need to use them in combinations). If you die it's over and restart from zero, though apparently you also connect Cells which are used for permanent improvements. One of the few good controller games on Apple Arcade.

Old Man's Journey+ (2022) [/] Apple Arcade version where you play an old man making a hiking journey, stopping at various places, and having recollections of his life. It's a side view game and you're walking on a hill with other hills in front or behind. You can't jump but you can move hills up and down (and the buildings on them) except for the hill you are standing on. Move a hill so that it connects and have the old man walk to it then move another hill and so forth and in general you are moving either up the screen or down it. Not terribly complicated and maybe not meant to be puzzles but more something to do as you watch the old man travel. I suppose the puzzle stuff gets more complicated though I found the game itself not for me. It's a good polished game though just not my type of game.

Deadlands: Rise of the Black Circle (2024) [/] Three-issue limited series released as a graphic novel. The GN has a Bad Luck Betty McGrew short story plus Savage Worlds writeup for the five main characters. The story is four heroes tangling with La Bruja and then having to fight zombies and a giant zombie thing. Unfortunately it ends in a cliffhanger and I guess we’ll see when the sequel appears… I found the story kind of bland though, even allowing for already knowing the characters (and If you don’t know the characters they’re not really explained here).

]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-08-06T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250806-oh-my-ghost-2015.html#unique-entry-id-936https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250806-oh-my-ghost-2015.html#unique-entry-id-936Oh My Ghost is a South Korean romantic comedy running 16 episodes. Shin Soon-ae (Kim Seul-gi) is a ghost coming up on her three years when — if she doesn't resolve her lingering issue — she will become an evil spirit. Soon-ae's lingering issue is that she died a virgin so she's been possessing attractive women and trying to do it except because she's a ghost she freezes potential partners before she's done.

One day while fleeing from a Shaman (Lee Jung-eun) Soon-ae hides in the body of Na Bong-sun (Park Bo-young, On Your Wedding Day and Light Shop) and then can't get out because they have compatible spirits. Stuck until she figures it out Soon-ae pretend to be Bong-sun, an assistant chef at a small fashionable restaurant run by celebrity chef Kang Sun-woo (Jo Jung-suk) whom Soon-ae immediately takes a liking to and it turns out he doesn't freeze at her touch.

Meanwhile Sun-woo and the other chefs at the restaurant are surprised by Bong-sun's change in demeanor from shy klutz to assertive and aggressive. Also she starts displaying surprising cooking skills since Soon-ae was a cook at her dad's restaurant which happens to be a few blocks away (and Soon-ae spends a lot of time there hanging out with her dad and younger brother). And Sun-woo suddenly starts to see Bong-sun in a new light and starts becoming attracted to her.

Eventually Soon-ae is knocked out of Bong-sun's body leaving Bong-sun with a couple of week's missing memory. But after some difficulties they soon come to an agreement (turns out Bong-sun inherited the ability to see and talk to ghosts though she hates it): Soon-ae will help Bong-sun win Sun-woo's heart and also resolve her lingering issue.

But it turns out that Soon-ae's lingering issue is not that she died a virgin but that she was murdered…

This is a pretty good series. The three main characters are all sympathetic. There is character growth for all three: Bong-sun learns to be assertive, Sun-woo learns to love, Soon-ae solves her murder and peacefully moves on to the next world. Park Bo-young does a good job playing two personalities. There is some suspense because the murderer is out there but it doesn't get too intense, keeping to the romantic comedy genre.

Overall a really nice series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-08-04T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250804-ma-po-tofu-sauces.html#unique-entry-id-935https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250804-ma-po-tofu-sauces.html#unique-entry-id-935
House Foods - Chinese Mabo Tofu Sauce, Mild and Medium Hot [/] - Heat oil, then empty packet (there is only 1 per box) then add cubed tofu. Tastes a bit like it's right. Medium Hot is barely spicy. This was the best of the three brands.

Lee Kum Kee Sauce for Mabo Tofu, Medium Hot [/] Same preparation as above though has a little less sauce though then again sauce is thicker so I guess balances out. Even less taste though.

Lee Kum Kee Spicy Bean Sauce (Ma Po Sauce) [/] This comes in a small bottle with I guess enough for a few meals. Also a thicker sauce like for the boxed version. Spicy? Not really. The flavor is a bit stronger though not sure I actually like it.

In the end I guess I'll stick with House Foods. They also made the tofu I used though that shouldn't matter. I don't think tofu differs enough it's best paired with the same brand sauce.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-08-01T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250801-spot-reviews-08-01-25.html#unique-entry-id-930https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250801-spot-reviews-08-01-25.html#unique-entry-id-930Beautiful Vampire (2018) [/] South Korean romantic comedy movie. A 500 year old vampire, Ran (Jung Yeon-joo), with rent troubles falls for the landlady’s wannabe actor son Lee So-nyeon (Song Kang - Forecasting Love and Weather; My Demon). Or more like his smell reminds Ran of her first love Jin Yi (Hong Bi Ra) and his unwanted puppy love is rather embarrassing… Very small budget (apparently the movie is an edited version of the web series) but it’s a nice story with intentional funny moments (i.e. the comedy bits are obviously comedy bits not "this happened naturally oh it's a bit funny/amusing").

Bewitching Attraction (2006) [-] Korean raunchy comedy. Professor Eun-sook (Moon So-ri) is promiscuous with her co-workers and other people which leads to bad feelings because some guys want more. Also in her high school past she was the same but that fooling around led to an accident and tragedy… I think this is supposed to be funny but it’s more sad and boring. There are a couple of nude sex scenes so I guess there’s that. Also I watched it on Tubi but for this one the audio (and matching subtitles) started being slower than the video and by the end was several seconds behind.

Football Manager 2024 Touch (2022) [/] This is a detailed football (soccer) management game where you are the coach and have to manage the players, sign and release, set club and scouting goals, and do game management. I like that this is not a soccer arcade game in that during a game you see highlights and can pause to change tactics or substitute players. But after the pre-season game (which takes like half an hour) spending another half hour plus learning and setting various club departments made me realize this game is way too detailed for me. I’ve tried a couple of other Manager-type games and all are too detailed and I wish there was a way to keep things very simple at start (e.g. for the first couple of games you only worry about striker, goalie, team tactics and when to substitute for the striker) and then slowly add more and more details. Although this game supports a controller the menus are fairly detailed so touch is much easier and you don’t play the soccer match anyways so a controller is not needed. This app also runs on my Mac and a bigger screen than my iPad would be useful because of all the information.

SpongeBob SolitairePants (2022) [/] Apple Arcade solitaire game. You have a 3x3 grid with a deck. You can place a card or pile on an empty square. On the cross you can place a card or pile on another pile as long as the top card is one away from the target card (i.e. if the target is a King you can place a card or pile with an Ace or Queen on top of it). Note the corners are storage areas — you can place a card or pile on a corner space but not on an occupied corner space. The objective is to place all the cards from the draw pile (and in higher levels you have to make certain combinations). All this with a SpongeBob SquarePants theme. Better than I expected.

Folgers Classic Roast [/] Bought this from the Mexican supermarket. Was not instant coffee. $11 for 9.6 oz so about same price as other coffees. It’s medium roast and I can’t tell if it tastes any better than other coffees. It comes in a plastic container with a lid that does not tightly grip so don’t lift it by the lid. Overall perfectly acceptable coffee.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-07-30T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250730-the-k2-2016.html#unique-entry-id-933https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250730-the-k2-2016.html#unique-entry-id-933The K2 is a South Korean television series running 16 episodes.

In the midst of a presidential race between two corrupt politicians former mercenary Kim Je-ha (Ji Chang-wook, Backstreet Rookie, Welcome to Samdal-ri, Lovestruck in the City) returns to Korea for vengeance. But he's a wanted man and yet somehow because his old commander Joo Chul-ho (Jeon Bae-soo, who I've seen playing the dad character several times) is a top man in security firm JSS Kim finds himself hired to protect Go An-na (Im Yoon-ah), daughter of one of the presidential candidates.

Anna is kept under guard and mostly drugged because she is the illegitimate daughter and also believes her step-mom Choi Yoo-jin (Song Yoon-ah) murdered her mom. Choi Yoo-jin also uses Anna as a hostage against her husband, presidential candidate Jang Se-joon (Jo Sung-ha) as the married couple kind of hate each other. Anyway Anna's plight endears herself to Kim Je-ha partly because his love in Iraq was murdered, it turns out on the orders of the other presidential candidate Park Kwan-so (Kim Kap-soo)…

This is more action drama than romance. Lots of fairly good action scenes and Ji Chang-wook did a lot of his own stunts. This show kind of reminds me a bit of Vagabond which I've watched halfway through so far. Vagabond though is more enamored with its elaborate action scenes maybe to the detriment of a good story. In The K2 we have multiple characters with their own well-defined goals and Kim Je-ha trying to somehow navigate a safe way through for everyone — even though Choi Yoo-jin is a somewhat bad guy character Kim Je-ha still tries to make sure she doesn't die.

And actually I did like Choi Yoo-jin the most. She grew up in a rich family and was denied becoming head of the family conglomerate because she married for love but that husband turned out to have used her for his political career. She does what she does because she's learned not to trust anyone and that being ruthless (to the point of blithely ordering JSS to murder potential witnesses) is the way to survive in her world. And then Kim Je-ha shows up at one point threatening her life and then saving her life and his integrity is appealing and her frozen heart starts thawing but unfortunately in the end there is no happy ending for her.

I like this series and it's above average. Not quite my favorite genre but still good.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-07-28T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250728-apple-numbers-v14.4-2025#unique-entry-id-934https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250728-apple-numbers-v14.4-2025#unique-entry-id-934Apple Numbers is the productivity app I use the most because I use it to keep of game data as I play a game. Apple Numbers is a fairly standard spreadsheet app. A document has one or more sheets (each is a tab) and a sheet can have one or more tables. I sometimes add text areas for more notes-style data though text areas are nowhere near as good as a text editor.

Most of my Numbers documents go into an iCloud folder so I can access them anywhere. On an iPad not too bad and here you have the concept of View and Edit modes which I guess is nice if you don't want to accidentally send updates if you're only viewing. iPhone is the same experience albeit a very small screen. Whole document syncs and my documents are several hundred KB (no graphics) so more chance of sync conflicts than with Notes (then again I don't know if Notes stores everything in one file or multiple files).

Some Numbers docs I have:

• DDO Characters - with one sheet per character showing equipment and equipment stats
• DDO Characters Archive - old characters otherwise the previous doc has too many tabs
• DDO Items - track of named magic items so when your party finds a new one I know if I want it or already have it
• DDO Templates - character leveling guide for my frequently used classes (feats, skills, enhancements the last being most important), useful since in D&D building up/synergizing various bonuses can be important
• Electricity Usage - mostly was doing this to see if heating system was using a lot of electricity (it was)
• Game Store Games - keep track of Epic/GOG/Steam/Mac App Store games I own otherwise it's easy to buy the same title in multiple stores
• Investments - keep track of my retirement investments
• Misc Game Notes - for smaller games, though rarely used nowadays
• Star Trek Fleet Command - there's lots of stuff to keep track there and I have 10 sheets of info
• Car - maintenance service history for my car
• Viewer Infractions - for keeping track of Discord/YouTube infractions as they don't have good history like Twitch

As you can see I use Numbers for a lot of data tracking. Better than Notes for tabular data and with a table you can sort in different ways or do formulas to add up a column.

I don't recall having any problems with Numbers other than syncing issues. I guess one tip I have is if you open up Numbers on iPad or iOS and it's already in a document immediately close it then open it to force a sync. Otherwise you might be working with an old version and then when it syncs bad things happen. My habit is to close the document going back to browse documents screen when I'm done on iPad/iOS.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-07-25T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250725-spot-reviews-07-25-25.html#unique-entry-id-925https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250725-spot-reviews-07-25-25.html#unique-entry-id-925Morgan (2016) [+] Action thriller film. There’s a secret lab in a remote woodsy location and there was an accident. Lee Weathers (Kate Mara) arrives from Corporate to investigate and determine whether or not to cancel the experiment. That experiment is the artificial life form Morgan (Anya Taylor-Joy), five years old but looks like a teenager with enhances strength and reflexes and with emotions, though perhaps a bit more psychotic than empathic. Turns out that pretty much all the half-dozen people there are quite sympathetic and protective of Morgan which will make Lee’s job more complicated once she decides to terminate Morgan… I like the somewhat surprise ending where if you rewatch the movie with that knowledge it makes Lee’s characterization quite different.

The Gorge (2025) [/] Apple TV+ action/horror film. During the latter Cold War before the Berlin Wall comes down two snipers are sent to monitor a secret gorge to make sure the creatures down there don’t come out into the human world. Levi Kane (Miles Teller) is a former Marine sniper and currently a mercenary. Drasa (Anya Taylor-Joy) is a Lithuanian sniper employed by the KGB for political assassinations. Stationed on both sides of the gorge they manage to communicate and become friends over their year-long tour (which ends with them getting offed by their superiors but although it’s shown with Kane’s predecessor it doesn’t come into play at the end of the movie). Levi even manages to attach a rappel line and visit Drasa but it’s on the way back that he falls into the gorge with Drasa immediately following. Inside they have to fight off the mutants and get out before they’re infected and afterwards they’ll have to survive being purged by their superiors because they think they’re infected or worse, know the secret of the gorge… Perfectly entertaining film. Above average for Apple TV+ action movies. I like that Miles Teller has gone from playing “goofy why do people think this character is charming” to “oh, this character has rizz” which is more a function of becoming an experienced and better actor.

Love Game in Eastern Fantasy (2024) [-] Chinese romance drama of 32 episodes. Modern day girl Ling Miao Miao (Yu Shuxin/Esther Yu) is somehow transported into a computer game based on the novel Catching Demons where her character is the minor villain Lin Yu. Not wanting to be the villain she is decides to change her fate even though the computer keeps giving her villainous quests. Miao Miao is determined to become friends Mu Yao (Zhu Xudan), help Yao get her love interest Liu Fuyi (Yang Shize), and get Yao’s brother Mu Sheng (Ding Yuxi) to fall in love with Miao Miao… I like the setup but after a few episodes they drop the whole computer game subplot and bring it back once or twice and then at the end, so for most of the series this is a plain fantasy demon catchers vs demons story and even the romantic elements aren’t emphasized. Then the last episode brings in a bunch of back story and it’s a bit abrupt (contrast with a K-Drama which would have seamlessly weaved the back story throughout the series until in the end you get this surprise tying everything in). Vaguely disappointed because I was expecting more.

Shovel Knight Dig (2022) [/] A version of Shovel Knight (which I haven’t played). Fantasy roguelike with 8-bit graphics and arcade soundtrack and sounds. You are a knight with a shovel. You dig down through dirt (or sideways and fast sideways digging prevents you from falling if there is no floor below you). Kill bad guys, collect gems, find secret areas, avoid traps. Lots of arcade timing and quick thinking required. Even with a controller I found it difficult to navigate (and without one feels like it’d be really tough to play). A full run is four levels then a boss level and if you die (or I guess if you finish) you mostly restart with nothing except gems collected. So there is no big quest (though there are quests, the first one being to find the missing blacksmith) and it's mostly random dungeon runs. Not really a game for me.

Hummus Mediterranean Kitchen, San Mateo [+] Second time ordering from here. Had two appetizers Sautéed Eggplant (sautéed eggplant cubes with tomato, garlic & bell peppers, and pita bread, $10.45) and Greek Fries ($7.85) which I’ve had before and liked. Eggplant dish is a cold dish but tastes pretty good — garlic cloves helps a lot. And the pita bread is thick and more bread-like than normal. Very filling.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-07-23T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250723-superman-2025.html#unique-entry-id-929https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250723-superman-2025.html#unique-entry-id-929Superman is the first movie for James Gunn, who is now in charge of the DC Universe reboot of films to try and compete with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. David Corenswet plays Clark Kent aka Superman, Rachel Brosnahan plays Lois Lane, and Nicholas Hoult plays Lex Luthor.

The story starts in media res (with a bit of background text indicating that Superman has been super-heroing for several years now) as Superman smashes into the Antarctic ice after being defeated. He recovers at the Fortress of Solitude (and it's great to see Krypton and the Fortress's robot helpers) then heads out to battle the Hammer of Boravia and he manages to not win again because the Hammer is controlled by Lex Luthor who knows Superman's every combat move and has 1000+ countermoves he can feed to the Hammer.

Anyway the Hammer leaves. It was all a ruse to get Superman to retreat back to his Fortress and Luthor's henchwoman The Engineer (Maria Gabriela de Faria) tracked Superman and found the Fortress. Luthor and his two meta's, Ultraman and The Engineer, break in to the Fortress to find Superman's secrets which Luthor will use to show that Superman is a danger to the Earth that only his organization can stop.

Meanwhile Superman battles a giant monster and needs the help of the Justice Gang, a corporate super-hero group led by Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion) and including Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) and Mr Terrific (Edi Gathegi). Once Superman is revealed to be a villain he has to turn himself in and the US government outsources his confinement to Luthor who happens to have a pocket universe where's built an ultra-secret meta-prison (which he also uses to imprison people he doesn't like such as his ex-girlfriend that wrote a mean blog about him). It's put o Lois Lane and Mr Terrific to find and break out Superman before Luther's plan is completed.

There's also nice subplot moments. Clark and Lois have been in a secret relationship and she knows he's Superman. Superman also has both parents (Pruitt Taylor Vince and Neva Howell) back in Smallville (in different DC continuities one or both dies while Clark is young and in all previous movies I think Pa Kent dies). Superman has a bit of a weird relationship with Krypton who we finds out right at the end is actually Kara Zor-El's (Milly Alcock) dog.

And there's Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) who is quite the ladies man and even Luthor's current girlfriend Eve Taschmacher (Sara Sampaio) is Jimmy's ex and still wants to get back with him and is willing to reveal Luthor's plans to Jimmy. Perry White (Wendell Pierce), Steve Lombard (Beck Bennett), and Cat Grant (Mikaela Hoover) make appearances but have very small roles.

This is a really good movie. Has a bit more humor (and more derpy humor) than any previous Superman film and I guess is closer to how Guardians of the Galaxy has more humor than other MCU films (which themselves are more humorous than DC films so far). Going into this I didn't know so it was a bit jarring that first time Krypto playfully mauls a wounded Superman. But halfway through the film you get used to it (I loved Lois and Superman having a serious conversation at night while outside in the distance we can see the Justice Gang fighting a huge monster).]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-07-21T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250721-dungeon-fantasy-supplements.html#unique-entry-id-928https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250721-dungeon-fantasy-supplements.html#unique-entry-id-928Dungeon Fantasy GM's Screen (2017) [/] A four-panel upright/portrait screen. 16-page character creation cheat sheet. 16-page delvers to go which is 13 pre-made characters, one for each profession. Nothing critically needed.

Dungeon Fantasy Monsters 2 (2019) [+] 52-page book with 24 monsters. Each monster has a 2-page spread including a picture and adventure seeds. Pretty nice compared to how monsters are described in DF RPG where for space reasons it's about half-page per monster. The descriptions are also nice as they include tactics and why this monster is unique or dangerous.

Dungeon Fantasy Magic Items 2 (2019) [+] 48-page book with 44 "rare or unique artifacts". Each one gets a page and includes a picture. Intro text (one or more people talking in a scenario where the magic item is useful), description and effects (including an example of use if needed), price/weight/power-item capacity, adventure seed or two. I like that most are fairly quirky and kind of designed to be unique items so you end up with a party with non-generic items. Most adventure seeds are "bad guy has the item and is using it effectively" so PCs both have to work for it and see it in action.

Dungeon Fantasy Companion 2 (2020) [+] 64-page book in three sections. Magic Items (16) and Monsters (6) follow the formats used in DF Monsters 2 and DF Magic Items 2. Villains has 14 bad guys (champions, minor bosses, major bosses) and many of them introduce some new spell, advantage, or race. Each villain has a standard PC writeup with accurate point cost, a section of where and how they can be used, and a couple of adventure seeds. The Villains chapter is the best since it's more concrete adventure possibilities than standard monster write-ups.

Dungeon Fantasy Monster Seeds (2023) [/] a little 16-page PDF reprinting adventure seeds created for DF boxed set monsters. These were done as promos for one of the Kickstarters and it's nice to have them compiled into an official SJG product.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-07-18T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/988f9c68718f10fa83a9b9d6342516bd-924.html#unique-entry-id-924https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/988f9c68718f10fa83a9b9d6342516bd-924.html#unique-entry-id-924While You Were Sleeping (2017) [+] South Korean romance drama of 16 episodes. Reporter Nam Hong-joo (Bae Suzy) has dreams about the future which she meticulously writes down in post it notes. She and her boyfriend are saved by junior prosecutor Jung Jae-chan (Lee Jong-suk) who turns out can also dream the future. And then police officer Han Woo-tak (Jung Have-in) also starts having prophetic dreams. What do they have in common? They become friends and solve crimes together while Hong-joo and Jae-chan start falling in love (with Woo-tak maybe being in the running)… It’s a nice series not particularly moving — the first half is pretty good but then it starts tailing down. Could be because I watched half then took a month off to watch Netflix (and if you come back and don't really remember the first half maybe it wasn't that interesting). And I still give it a + because Bae Suzy is so cute.

Fountain of Youth (2025) [/] Apple TV+ adventure movie. Treasure hunter Luke Purdue (John Krasinski) drags his sister Charlotte (Natalie Portman) and her son around the world following clues looking for the Fountain of Youth, meanwhile being chased by Inspector Jamal Abbas (Arian Moayed) who wants to arrest the art thief and Esme (Elza González) who wants to protect the very powerful artifact that Man is not ready for. Also Luke’s famously wealthy patron Owen Carver (Domhnall Gleeson) wants to find the Fountain to cure himself, or that’s what he claims… It’s a lackluster film with ok action scenes but no romantic subplot since the two leads are siblings.

Fall in Love Like a Star (2015) [-] Junior talent manager Tian Xin (Yang Mi, The Interpreter) has to team up with her ex — whom she broke up with five years ago — the now famous singer/songwriter Su Xingyu (Li Yifeng). They both still love each other so their relationship is rekindled but it has to be kept secret since it would ruin his heartthrob image… I’m starting to feel that Asian cinema cannot do romance movies well or maybe their romance tv series are so good that their movies can’t compete. Anyway I didn’t feel any romance nor any stakes.

Battleheart: Legacy+ (2022) [/] Apple Arcade isometric RPG game. Played for about an hour. Six ability stats; 12 classes each with several skills. You can gain a skill form any class (though advanced skills require beginner skills) and the gate is your ability stat which you increase using points you earn each level so to be really good in a class you'll need to concentrate on its two or three ability stats and multi classing is simply putting points in the relevant ability stats (and it helps if both classes have overlapping primary ability stats). Combat is action oriented (with automatic basic attacks if you want) and you have to spam the special abilities to do big attacks (then wait for skill cooldowns and trigger again). Eight equipment slots and various equipment to buy and find… I guess my big problem is there is no engaging story, at least at first, so not much motivation in continuing.

Trader Joe’s Baingan Bharta [/] This is roasted eggplant curry and takes about 5 minutes to heat up. Onions, mashed eggplant, tomato stuff. Does have an eggplant taste though not that strong. I eat it with rice and it tastes fine. A little meat helps more but not needed and if you’re vegetarian this with rice is a fine meal.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-07-16T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250716-murderbot-s1-2025.html#unique-entry-id-927https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250716-murderbot-s1-2025.html#unique-entry-id-927Murderbot tv series is based on a series of novellas/novels by Martha Wells and season 1 covers the first book in the series.

In the far future an nondescript security unit (Alexander Skarsgård) — a vat-grown and assembled human/robot — manages to hack his governor module and achieve freedom but he has to keep acting like a SecUnit or he'll be dissolved by the Corporation that runs this sector of space. Oh and a fit of originality he names himself Murderbot since he dreams of going on a killing spree on all these annoying humans he has to protect.

Murderbot is assigned as SecUnit to a bunch of anarchic scientists from Preservation Alliance who are going to an unexplored world to look for discoveries:

• Ayda Mensah (Noma Dumezweni) - expedition leader who suffers panic attacks whenever someone is in danger and decisions need to be made
• Gurathin (David Dastmalchian) - augmented human tech guy, formerly from Corporation Rim so he knows how ruthless they can be which also leads him to treat SecUnit as a potential enemy/spy.
• Pin-Lee (Sabrina Wu), Arada (Tattiawna Jones), and Ratthi (Akshay Khanna) - team scientists, Pin-Lee and Arada are in a relationship and invite Ratthi to join though Pin-Lee didn't really want to do it.
• Bharadwaj (Tamara Podemski) - an older scientist who is almost killed early on and suffers a bit of PTSD afterwards

The series is mostly Murderbot internal dialogs as he tries to deal with these people who seem to have few survival skills nor survival instincts. Meanwhile he also spends his free time watching B-level drama shows like The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon — which we get a lot of clips from and has actors John Cho, Clark Gregg, Jack McBrayer and DeWanda Wise. And of course Murderbot is proven right as there are giant worms that will eat you and secret bad guys that wiped out a third-party research team on another part of the planet.

As the series goes on Murderbot starts to care, in his non-human way, about his clients. All along they've treated him as a person not a thing, except for Gurathin who starts to suspect Murderbot might be defective because he's acting weird…

This is a very funny series of 10 half-hour episodes in season 1 (and has renewed for season 2). The characters are good and Murderbot is great — 80% of the show is Murderbot's internal monologues especially as his clients do stuff around him as he's standing still "waiting" for commands. Each episode kind of ends in a cliffhanger so if you're not careful you'll watch all five hours in one go but worth it. The season does end at a good stopping point so not an annoying season-ending cliffhanger.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-07-14T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250714-dungeon-fantasy-rpg-2017.html#unique-entry-id-926https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250714-dungeon-fantasy-rpg-2017.html#unique-entry-id-926Dungeon Fantasy RPG is GURPS 4E cut down for running D&D-style dungeon crawls (DF RPG not to be confused with GURPS Dungeon Fantasy which is the same and previously done concept as GURPS 4E PDF supplements). The physical box comes with five books, two large double-sided battle maps, thick cardboard figures and stands, and dice.

DF Adventurers (128 pages) - Basic character creation rules and later on advantages, disadvantages, skills and gear much like in GURPS Basic Set. 95%+ of stuff in Dungeon Fantasy has the same names and characters as in GURPS. A couple of things are rewritten slightly or clarified but it's not an issue taking a DF character into a regular GURPS campaign.

The big addition are professions and races. Professions are templates and they mirror D&D classes. They give you set attributes, advantages, disadvantages and skills with extra points and lists of things to pick out. For example Barbarian has ST 17 DX 13 HT 13 with High Pain Threshold, Outdoorsman, and 40 points of advantages from their list and then it goes on. Every profession has their own list of advantages, disadvantages and skills that they choose from so every profession has their niche set up.

Races are done the same with less points. Every profession is 250 points but races are 0 to 40 points and the racial point cost comes out of the 250 profession points so every starting character is quite proficient and more like an 8th to 12th level character in D&D. Gaming Ballistic has Delvers to Grow for creating 62 or 125 point heroes for a more "zero to hero" campaign.

Spells (80 pages) - Standard GURPS 4E spell mechanics where spells are skills, have pre-requisite spells to learn, and cost magic points to cast. In Dungeon Fantasy Clerics, Druids, Wizards (and Bards) have different spell lists so PCs don't have access to just any spell and once again we have niche protection. Since GURPS Basic Set is mostly fantasy spells Dungeon Fantasy has almost all the same spells with the same characteristics.

I don't think Dungeon Fantasy has multi-classing. Each profession tends to have a few unique advantages or extras (e.g. with a starting ST 17 Barbarians can also add up to +4 ST and none of the other professions can get to ST 21). Still, this is GURPS so there is a sidebar on creating custom professions which is basically pick whatever you want from any profession with a few prerequisites in mind such as Bard-Song abilities need Bardic Talent.

Exploits (112 pages) - The kind of material in GURPS Basic Set: Campaigns. Two extra chapters are Dungeon Delving and Treasure which give specific advice and rules for a dungeon crawl campaign. For example if you find look what skills are used to determine value and what skills for finding a buyer and selling. I like that it points out the skills because sometimes you're thinking "what is Hazardous Materials skills for" and the answer is extracting poisons and toxins from a monster for sale (or use) — and in Dungeon Fantasy trap descriptions include resale value if you disarm and grab the trap and monster descriptions include which parts are valuable.

Monsters (64 pages) - Standard GURPS format monster descriptions. Every monster is one of 13 classes which affects some advantages and spells. Also since some advantages work against Evil the end notes of a monster might say "Truly Evil" so you know and don't have to guess (GURPS doesn't stat list alignment so Good and Evil are more like descriptors in the notes).

Monsters aren't really patterned D&D monsters. Even similar monsters tend to have differences intended to make them different than D&D. There is no D&D monster = DF monster table here (though maybe in a supplement) which would be helpful for converting D&D adventures to DF. One thing I like about Gaming Ballistic's Nordlonder Ovinabokin (their Nordic-themed monster book) is that they do have that table.

Dungeon (24 pages) - One 16-room dungeon also serves as an example of how to do a Dungeon Fantasy dungeon.

Dungeon Fantasy RPG is a fairly impressive package boiling down GURPS to just the heroic high fantasy genre. It is still full GURPS mechanics though so still a fairly complicated game but professions, races, and spell lists show the way to keeping a PC focused on the stuff they need to know (D&D is the same, you don't need to know what every other class can do).

Overall I like this format. Too bad there might not be any other genre big enough for the same treatment. Then again few RPGs are as detailed as D&D — a Call of Cthulhu conversion is fairly simple (except maybe for spells) and doesn't require a new RPG (and then again, Supers would be nice with it's own RPG with a customized powers/advantages chapter that makes more sense for super-hero games).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-07-11T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250711-spot-reviews-07-11-25.html#unique-entry-id-923https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250711-spot-reviews-07-11-25.html#unique-entry-id-923Ditto (2000) [/] South Korean romance/drama. Yoon So-eun (Kim Ha-neul) and Ji In (Yoo Ji-tae) go to the same university and talk to each other via HAM radio but they’re separated by time. She lives in 1979 and he lives in 2000. As they get to know each other and give relationship advice to each other she realizes that his mom and dad are her best friend and the person she likes the most… It’s an ok film with a poignant, maybe, ending. With Ha Ji-won (who played the leader in The Huntresses) as Ji In’s romantic interest that he kind of ignores.

Stitch. (2022) [/] Stitching-themed puzzle games where you stitch a pattern. Each section is subdivided and there are numbers. Drag your finger to stitch a line or area with the number of subsections as in the number in that area. The numbers can be colored in which case you’re stitching that color so it has to match the pattern. If you do it wrong it tells you immediately. Seems rather simple so I guess for a younger audience.

NBA 2K23 Arcade Edition (2022) [/] Five on five basketball with “real” NBA players. It’s an arcade game and even with a controller I found it hard to pass and shoot. There is also a campaign mode where you have a team, play games and train your players up. Graphics are good though not as good as dedicated console or PC. There is voice commentators which make it more real. Overall not really my type of game.

The Official Prisoner Companion (1988) [/] Mass market TPB about The Prisoner which had aired two decades previously. Episode Guide with synopsis and observations of each episode; Notes, anecdotes, and nonsense which is trivia stuff; The Great Debates with a couple of pages devoted to each topic; What Does It All Mean? with speculation on what the themes are might be; Talking with McGoohan reprints a short 1985 interview; Source of Information has where to get more info including Six of One: The Prisoner Appreciation Society which is still ongoing; Shooting Scripts has excerpts of key or notable scenes. I found the book interesting but rather shallow. It’s meant for people who’ve watched The Prisoner and want more but don’t want to get too deep into the lore.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-07-09T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250709-fight-for-glory-2024-world-series-2025.html#unique-entry-id-921https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250709-fight-for-glory-2024-world-series-2025.html#unique-entry-id-921Fight for Glory is a three-episode documentary about last year's World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees. Episode one covers the season and game 1. Episodes 2 and 3 cover the rest of the World Series.

Lots of player and coaches and some fan commentary voice overs from public interviews and maybe interviews for this documentary. I like that they always label who is talking: player and position, or person and title, or fan and description.

The game coverage is excellent. I did not watch the World Series and all I knew was which team won but not even in how many games. Game coverage hits key moments and pitches with good narration buildup of what people were thinking. For the most part we skip zero run innings (except first inning gets coverage) and get to see most of the scoring plays and exceptional defensive plays and pitches.

I felt this is a great narrative of the 2024 World Series and I don't feel like I missed anything important not having watched the games themselves. Unlike a condensed version of the World Series (say 15m clipped highlights of the broadcast for each game) the narration makes it a much more vivid experience.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-07-07T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250707-gris-plus-2022.html#unique-entry-id-922https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250707-gris-plus-2022.html#unique-entry-id-922GRIS is a platformer puzzle game where you play a nameless girl in a grey post-human post-apocalyptic Earth (maybe it's Earth). You travel around collecting glowing orbs which can open paths and when you get enough you finish the section and two or three sections is a level in as much as you get this big cut scene where you bring back a color to the world.

As the game goes along you get more powers though slowly. First is you can turn into a big block of stone. Useful in that you can jump then block then fall and break through weak areas of floor or break open vases (which might be important in some sections). Also less obvious use is to resist strong winds and to move a balance (like if you're a giant weight).

After that there's double jump and then enliven (you stand still and emit a circular aura that brings plants to life which has some uses) and that's as far as I've gotten. Oh eventually you can jump into water and turn into a stingray or something to move around in water sections.

The different levels are fairly varied. Besides underwater I hit an area where it's dark except when you get close to a light plant so easy to get a bit lost. There are colored cubes: green appear and disappear at regular intervals, red do so whenever you jump. There are floors and stairs that are invisible unless you light something and sometimes that light only lasts a few seconds. I was just on a level where if you go high enough gravity flips so you do the upper side upside down.

Meanwhile there's nice mood music, appropriate sound effects, no narration or text so you kind of discover the world by playing it. It's a nice game and at least it's not a platformer where there are areas you can't get to until you have a power so you end up running around the same areas later on. This game you don't go back to an old area — you're always moving forward and the puzzle can be solved by exploring your limited immediate area and maybe using a power in a way you didn't expect.

Overall entertaining so far. I guess the only negative is when you restart you start at the last checkpoint and it never tells you the checkpoints. I'm assuming cut scenes (long or short) are checkpoints though I think I've been wrong at least once.

Next day: Turns out I was pretty close to the end. About one more hour-long session and I finished. It's like a 10 to 15 hour game though there are probably secrets I missed so maybe a little replayability.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-07-04T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250704-spot-reviews-07-04-25.html#unique-entry-id-920https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250704-spot-reviews-07-04-25.html#unique-entry-id-920Cleaner (2025) [/] Action-thriller movie. Eco-terrorists take over the high-rise building of a London-based energy company and massive polluter. Joanna Locke (Daisy Ridley), former British SRR (special forces) and now down on her luck window cleaner is stuck outside while the terrorists (led by her co-worker Noah (Taz Skylar)) take hostages including possibly her autistic brother Michael (Matthew Tuck). Can Joanna convince the hostage negotiator Superintendent Claire Hume (Ruth Gemmell) that she's on their side?… Has a suitable amount of action, explosions, shooting and hand-to-hand fights.

Mythic Quest s4 (2025) [/] In season 4 Ian Grimm (Rob McElhenney) and Poppy Li (Charlotte Nicdao) return from their startup to Mythic Quest to work on the most ultimate expansion ever and to resolve their romantic issues (though Poppy spends most of the season with her boyfriend Storm (Chase Yi) who has a much higher EQ compared to Ian). I wasn't that impressed with this season and the series finale is rather abrupt getting them back together for another try as the credits roll. Favorite episode is the murder mystery where they're all playing a 1920's dress-up game of Mafia. (2026-03-20 Was listening to The Sackhoff Show podcast interviewing Ashly Burch. S4 ending was supposed to be a cliffhanger to S5 but when the show was cancelled they patched it with an alternate ending that had already been filmed just in case. So I guess abrupt ending is better than a never-resolved cliffhanger.)

The Gardens Between+ (2022) [/] Nicely animated puzzle game. Two teens go from island to island. Objective is to follow a path to the top and light the pedestal. Left and right move you through time left and right (i.e. the teens and other objects on the island follow a set timeline so you're kind of scrubbing forward and back). When one of the teens reaches a certain point you can click the action button to do something: pick up or put down lamp, add light to the lamp, activate a trigger. A lighted lamp opens a path (e.g. unlocking a bridge) although there are things that will suck the light which you then have to scrub back and figure out how to stop the blocker. It's a fairly original concept but not that interesting.

Gin Rummy Classic+ (2022) [/] MobileWare game of Gin Rummy where you try to create sets or sequences before your opponent. Pretty standard format for MobielWare card games. You can play vs random people.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-07-02T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250702-miraculous-tales-of-ladybug-and-cat-noir-2015.html#unique-entry-id-916https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250702-miraculous-tales-of-ladybug-and-cat-noir-2015.html#unique-entry-id-916Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir is a French teen superhero animated series set in Paris. Marinette Dupain-Cheng (Christina Vee, who I love as a voice actress and Internet personality) is a normal high-school teen who has a secret — she is also the superhero Ladybug protecting Paris alongside her partner Cat Noir who she doesn't know is actually her high-school crush Adrien Agreste (Bryce Papenbrook). At the same time Cat Noir is in love with Ladybug and since they don't know each other's secret identity they don't know that they're actually in love with each other.

Meanwhile the main villain is Hawk Moth who is actually Adrien's father the fashion designer Gabriel Agreste (Keith Silverstein). Hawk Moth finds people with negative emotions and akumatizes them into supervillains which he then sicks on Ladybug and Cat Noir because he wants their Miraculous — the totem that lets them turn into superheroes. Later on we find that Gabriel has a good reason for wanting the two Miraculous though still not a good idea to let him have them.

In each episode someone gets akumatized and Ladybug and Cat Noir have to stop them. This also reveals something about the akumatized person since something unfortunate happened to make them angry or sad or disappointed or whatever — and that something is often Chloé Bourgeois (Selah Victor), the rich mean girl of the high-school who also loves Adrien and is intensely jealous of Marinette.

Later on Ladybug is allowed to deputize people to help her for a mission and she gets to lend them a Miraculous. Hence we start seeing new superheroes with their own unique powers and even Adrien (Aspik snake hero) and Miranette (Multimouse mouse hero) get deputized, one because Miranette doesn't know Adrien's secret and the second for Miranette to cover her secret. Even later still Ladybug and Cat Noir have special cookies to turn them into variants, like Aquabug and Aqua Noir.

Season five (the last one to day though season six is coming) Hawk Moth finally gets the upper hand as he obtains all the Miraculous except for Ladybug and Cat Noirs. Things get bleaker and bleaker until a final confrontation that could be a series ender (I guess if they had decided not to do a season six).

Along with the regular series there are four standalone movies (of 45 to 60 minutes length).

• Miraculous World: New York (2020) - introduces American superheroes
• Miraculous World: Shanghai (2021) - introduces a Chinese super heroine with multiple powers akin to Miraculous. The heroes introduced in New York and Shanghai show up for the season 5 climax.
• Miraculous World: Paris (2023) - an alternate world invades where Shadybug and Claw Noir are the supervillains
• Miraculous World: London (2024) - a neat time travel story set right after season 5 ends and sets up season 6's new villain

Miranette and Adrien are a great almost couple and it takes until season 5 before they get their act together (though still, without learning their alter egos). Animation is mostly ok — not the biggest fan of this type of animation. This is a nice wholesome series that I enjoyed watching.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-06-30T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250630-apple-notes-2024.html#unique-entry-id-919https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250630-apple-notes-2024.html#unique-entry-id-919Apple Notes is a note-taking app on all Apple platforms. Though the macOS app is different than the iOS and iPad OS apps their features and compatibility are kept as synced as possible. I will focus on the macOS version since that's the one I use predominantly.

It has a standard three-pane main window. The left bar are folders (both normal and smart folders) and tags (which you create ad-hoc by writing #tagname in any note). There is a special All iCloud folder to list all notes (you can save notes locally but iCloud is so much more convenient and sync is works 99%+ of the time).

The middle pane shows the list of notes in the folder (or that has the selected tag). For All iCloud and for tags it shows notes by last modification date. For normal folders you can sort ascending or descending by one various attributes. You can also pin notes so they're always listed first.

The middle pane can also show an icon view which I don't find useful.

The right pane shows the current note. This mostly a Rich Text page without being able to set specific fonts (you can set a line as Title, Heading, Subheading, Body, or make words bold, italic, underline, strikethrough but you can't set it to Ariel or Helvetica it's just whatever default font Notes uses and the current iOS notes font looks better than the macOS one).

Besides writing text you can make bulleted/numbered lists, also checkbox lists though after awhile I didn't find it that useful and instead manually check things off with √ (option-v on a Mac keyboard). Apple Reminders app does much better check-off lists.

You can create simple tables but I found them cumbersome unless you're just displaying table data. If you want to keep track of information that changes the Notes table is inconvenient and often the cursor doesn't track well (delete might not delete the character the cursor is on or the cursor jumps somewhere you didn't expect). Apple Numbers app does great tables but that is a spreadsheet app.

You can record audio and attach it to a note. You can add images to a note, or a sketch, or even a document like a PDF which is then synced everywhere (though I'm thinking that's an easy way to fill up your iCloud storage). I only write text in my notes which helps syncing (document based syncing so when you update a note the whole note is uploaded to iCloud and downloaded to other devices).

And really that's the best thing about Apple Notes. I can update a note and immediately go to another device and see the change. If you edit a note in two places you will get a warning and asked which note you want to keep showing edit date but not note contents so maybe you choose wrong.

Besides the daily notes I created for Forever Notes system I have 52 regular notes each a topic where I put information. My pinned notes include:

• ✱ Home - Forever Notes home page
• Purchases - stuff I want to buy
• Purchases from Podcasts - RPG stuff from review podcasts
• Reviews - a list of topics to review later plus finished spot reviews ready for my Spot Reviews pages
• TODOs - though mostly keeps track of what I've done today
• Twitch Streams - immediate info and notes as I mod akanemsko streams
• Watching - keeping track of what tv shows I'm watching, mostly to make sure I don't overwatch

Syncing is the primary feature why I use Apple Notes. Secondary is just being able to have a lot of notes organized in one place — it's not I could use a Pages or BBEdit document to replicate Notes. This makes Apple Notes my most often used data entry app (with maybe RapidWeaver Classic for this web site being the second-most used).

Things that Apple Notes lacks:

• No undo once you leave a note and go back to it, or even if you leave the app and switch back to it. Undo with syncing I suppose is problematic but I do miss the way BBEdit has unlimited undos in all open documents as long as the app is running. And many times I want to undo a change but it's too late which just means I have to be more careful when I'm editing a note.
• Gets into a mode where there is a click/select and second click selects range. And then if I'm careless I delete a bunch of stuff and then break undo so I can't get it back.
• Auto capitalize beginning of sentences though I guess this is a macOS thing now.
• Doesn’t keep selection per note, it’s one for all of app. Another feature I like in BBEdit as sometimes I use select to mark my place which I suppose is a bit dangerous but not dangerous at all in BBEdit with it's extensive undo support.

]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-06-27T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250627-spot-reviews-06-27-25.html#unique-entry-id-918https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250627-spot-reviews-06-27-25.html#unique-entry-id-918Everyone Loves Me (2024) [-] Yue Qianling (Zhou Ye) confesses to college campus hunk Gu Xun (Lin Yi) but he flatly turns her down because he’s attracted to his online gaming pal Dough Twist who turns out to be Qianling. She in turns also knows him as gaming pal Campus Hunk but they’ve never met in real life. Both end up working in Gu Xun’s Ninth Business Unit which is developing China’s first AAA video game… This is a very average series running 24 45-minute episodes. Attractive cast but bland plot though still watchable. The video game playing angle is cool (and they do it with the actors going around as if they’re playing laser tag with a bit of CGI to make it like a video game) but pretty much gets dropped halfway through the series. Could have been much better.

Love You to Bits+ (2022) [+] A simple point and click puzzle game. Apple Arcade version is the same as the regular version which I reviewed seven years ago. Played it again for a few hours and still a fun game.

Spider Solitaire: Card Game+ (2022) [/] Apple Arcade version by MobilityWare. Now, most of their apps I think are very average PC or Android ports of traditional games. This one is more interesting. Maybe does not seem as much of a port (until you go to the Windows-themed settings) but in any case a fun solitaire game. It's like Klondike except when you flip a card you actually flip a card on each column.

Trader Joe's Sea Salt Chocolate Chunk Cookies [+] $6 for a box of six. Inside is two cellophane packages with three cookies each so that they don't prematurely dry out. Tastes good but only a little chewy. I guess the salt helps bring out the flavor? Not exactly sure how that works. But it's quite tasty and a cookie is good for a couple of day's worth of coffee for me.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-06-25T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250625-the-princess-weiyoung-2016.html#unique-entry-id-914https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250625-the-princess-weiyoung-2016.html#unique-entry-id-914The Princess Weiyoung is a Chinese historical romance drama based on a novel. The series runs 54 45-minute episodes.

Feng Xin'er (Tiffany Tang) is a princess of Northern Liang, a client state of the Wei Empire. Unfortunately her family is betrayed by Wei general Chiyun Nan (Jin Han) who then takes over the kingdom and kills everyone as traitors. Xin'er manages to survive and is befriended by peasant girl Li Weiyoung (Li Yixiao) who is the exiled daughter of Wei Prime Minister Li Xiaoran (Bai Fan). Once again misfortune follows when Li Weiyoung is murdered Li Xiaoran's first wife Chiyun Rou (Lily Tien) — this is ancient times when rich men had multiple wives and concubines and Li Weiyoung is the daughter of the Seventh Concubine (Liu Jie). Xin'er takes over Li Weiyoung's identity to hide and because she seeks revenge on behalf of the old Li Weiyoung.

So the new Li Weiyoung is summoned back to the Li household where she is embroiled in scheming among the sisters and their mothers: Li Changle (Li Xin'ai) daughter of first wife and Li Changru (Mao Xiaotong) daughter of second wife Wen Weiyi (Hu Caihong). Since the family is prominent the sisters come in contact with Tuoba Jun (Luo Jin), Prince Gaoyang, the Emperor's grandson and possibly heir to the throne; Tuoba Han (Zhang Tianyang), Prince Dongping, a son of the Emperor and probably second in line to the throne; and Tuoba Yu, Prince Nan'an, the Emperor's son through a concubine and probably third in line.

Everyone is infatuated with Li Weiyoung which marks her as an enemy to eliminate. So although Li Weiyoung is a bit proactive about going after Chiyun Nan most of the series is actually Li Weiyoung reacting to various plots against her. Mostly at first Li Changle who loves Tuoba Jun but later also Li Changru who loves Tuoba Yu. Chiyun Nan also plots against Li Weiyoung. Tuoba Yu loves Li Weiyoung so his plots are more about getting her in enough trouble she needs to turn to him for help. Meanwhile Li Weiyoung and Tuoba Jun are falling in love, though at first she is against it as she also blames the Emperor and his family for her family's demise.

This is a mostly interesting series. Li Weiyoung has lots of ups and downs, victories and setbacks. She is almost executed a couple of times and ends up demoted to slave then maid and works her way back up. Although she and Tuoba Jun are fairly moral people they're both willing to use trickery to turn the tables on their opponents and cause their downfall and perhaps death. There is a lot of people getting assassinated or seriously hurt (and usually Li Weiyoung is blamed or framed for it) and I guess it does get a bit repetitive.

Still, Tiffany Tang is pretty good as the main character, the series has fairly good production, and the story holds together well enough to be entertaining. Did enjoy the series though fairly average I guess. Average enough that I'm not interested in watching the sort of sequel The Song of Glory (2020) which is based on the same source material but different characters.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-06-23T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250623-forever-notes-2024.html#unique-entry-id-917https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250623-forever-notes-2024.html#unique-entry-id-917Forever ✱ Notes is a way to turn Apple Notes into an information store. Created by Matthis Hilse the web site goes over how you'd configure Apple Notes: you're basically creating one note per day of year (and that note will have subheadings one for each year), a note per quarter and month so it's easier to drill down, a shortcut you install that goes to the today's note, using hashtags to organize information.

The web site has good screen shots and fairly clear step by step to setup Apple Notes. Not so much on how to actually use it though there are discussion groups to learn more.

I did this and I think it's more organized than I had it before. I wasn't into using hashtags but now it makes more sense. Setting up was rather tedious since you have to add the forward/back/month/quarter links for each daily note, though easier since key notes have the special ✱ at the beginning which makes it easier to search (Forever Notes also tells you to setup a keyboard shortcut that converts double * automatically to ✱.

This is a nice way to turn Apple Notes into something more useful since you already have Apple Notes and don't need a third party app that has macOS and iOS/iPad OS versions.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-06-20T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250620-spot-reviews-06-20-25.html#unique-entry-id-913https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250620-spot-reviews-06-20-25.html#unique-entry-id-913Garden Tails: Match and Grow (2022) [+] Apple Arcade match 3 game that is very cute. Solve math 3 puzzles to collect seeds which you buy plants and decorate a garden (decoration is automatic). There are various animals that appear and each has a set of plants they want you to add to the garden. In between levels you can look at the garden rendered in 3D simple graphics with the animals roaming around. Puzzles are the usual with lots of powerups and combinations (powerups have animal themes: rabbit, hummingbird, bee, etc.) and various difficulties (branches, dirt, ice that require multiple matches to clear). Nice soothing music and end of level congratulations animation. Overall an elegant match 3 game with a pleasant and thoughtful theme.

Horizon Chase 2 (2022) [/] Apple Arcade racing game along the lines of a 1980's/1990's arcade game, i.e. not trying to be ultra-realistic. Default controls are on screen buttons: turn left, turn right, accelerate. You can reconfigure a bit but no swipe or device rotation controls. Luckily the game is designed for push button turning and I rarely crashed. It has the usual: various tracks, various cars, customize cars. It's a fun game at least for a while.

Jetpack Joyride 2 (2022) [/] Apple Arcade endless runner game. You are a guy with a jetpack, tap (and hold) to fly up and release to drop down as you move forward at a constant speed. Avoid obstacles and pick up coins. Pick up powerups which can be a mecha suit or better weapons (you always fire downwards but other weapons allow you to fire in other directions). Each level ends in a boss fight. Rather polished game with good cartoony graphics.

Trader Joe's Yogurt Cups [/] 4 oz cups of Bananas & Cream, Strawberries & Cream, Mangos & Cream, Peaches & Cream (some other flavors but haven't tried them). Basically tastes and feels a bit like pudding with a flavoring. Good but also 140 calories per cup because it's full of sugar. $4 for a batch of 6 cups. I'll probably try a different yogurt.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-06-18T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250618-alchemy-of-souls-2022.html#unique-entry-id-912https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250618-alchemy-of-souls-2022.html#unique-entry-id-912Alchemy of Souls is a South Korean romance fantasy drama running two seasons on Netflix. Season one is 20 episodes, season two is 10 episodes, and each episode is about 1-1/4 hours long.

In a mythical land there is an Emperor and the Royal Family and there are mages in various houses.

Mage Assassin Nak-su (Go Youn-jung) is finally caught by the mage guild and after being pursued she is wounded and cornered. But she use the forbidden Alchemy of Souls to exchange her soul into the body of Mu-deok (Jung So-min, who thereafter is Nak-su throughout season one). Nak-su is stuck in the comparatively frail body of a blind woman with no magical powers.

Hiding out she runs into Jang Uk (Lee Jae-wook), the scion of the Jang mages who are foremost in the mage guild. But Jang Uk's magic was locked out by his father (who then disappeared) and he's been trying all his life to find a master who can unlock his magic. Having failed with 12 masters Jang Uk recognizes that Mu-deok is really Nak-su but instead of turning her in he makes a deal: he wants Nak-su to be his master and help him unlock his magic.

So the series is about Nak-su hiding out as Jang Uk's new servant, teaching him secretly — first discipline and fighting, then unlocking his magic through trickery, then teaching him various magical arts. She is a harsh master who often puts Jang Uk in danger but she also puts herself in danger to spur him on. Naturally a more romantic attachment starts to form because Nak-su is not really a bad person but has justifiable hatred for the mages who murdered her father whilst Jang Uk is not the lazy dilettante that he portrays to others.

I love the first season. Nak-su is a great character and Jung So-min is so freaking good (she was also great in Because This Is My First Life and good in Love Next Door). I'd say if you watch episode 19 and then stop that's a good ending point as it's a soft ending leaving everyone happy.

Episode 20 changes it to a bad ending so that we can have a season two. Now Nak-su is played by Go Youn-jung (still in the same body but due to blah-blah-blah her outside appearance now reflects her inner spirit). One the one hand, since Nak-su has amnesia and it's been three years, when she meets Jang Uk again they don't recognize each other. He's still mourning for Mu-deok who "died" but Nak-su keeps reminding him of his lost love. Meanwhile the same bad guy Jin Mu (Jo Jae-yoon in an excellent evil baddie over-the-top portrayal) still wants to control the Emperorship using the Alchemy of Souls.

Season two is still fine viewed standalone (and it's half the length since a lot of backgrounds carries over from season one) but suffers in comparison with the great season one. So it's not like I regret watching it.

Oh, I like the romance subplot between Maidservant Kim (Oh Na-ra), who is like a mother to Jang Uk, and Jang Gang (Joo Sang-wook) who is the current head of the family (and he is not Jang Uk's father). They both like each other but don't say it and he's rather oblivious to all of her hints.

Anyway, Alchemy of Souls is one of the best Korean series I've seen and there are lots of good Korean series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-06-16T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250616-this-is-free-trader-beowulf-2024.html#unique-entry-id-911https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250616-this-is-free-trader-beowulf-2024.html#unique-entry-id-911This is Free Trader Beowulf: A System History of Traveller ($30 PDF, $50 Print+PDF), by Shannon Appelcline, is a 300-page book (digest sized landscape format I think) going over the history of the Traveller RPG and the various companies that have published for it.

Table of Contents

1. GDW: Before the Game (1973-1977) - how GDW was formed and their early games
2. GDW: The Little Black Books (1977-1979) - Traveller when it was digest-sized books
3. GDW: Discovering the Imperium (1979-1985)
4. Licensees: The Guild to the Lords (1979-1985)
5. GDW: The Big Color Books (1982-1987) - Traveller when it went to regular-sized color books
6. DGP and Seeker: New Traveller Partners (1985-1987)
7. GDW: The Megatraveller Era (1987-1992)
8. HIWG and 'Zines: The Growing Fandom (1981-1992)
9. GDW: The New Era (1993-1996)
10. Imperium: The T4 Era (1996-1998)
11. Shattered: The Long Night (1998-2007)
12. Mongoose: Rise of the Third Imperium (2008-2015) - Mongoose Traveller 1E
13. FFE: T5 & Beyond (1997-Present)
14. Mongoose: Strephon Lives (2016-Present) - Mongoose Traveller 2E

Each chapter includes a page-sized aside going over how the rest of the industry was doing at the time. There's also an aside for unpublished products. Each chapter ends with product checklists including SKUs so collector's can keep track of what they own. Each chapter also ends with references and sources for Appelcline's research.

There are plenty of good product photos (and people). There are sector maps showing where each adventure mentioned in the chapter was set and also some overview maps showing the various land grants (a land grand was given to a publisher for their exclusive use so that their stuff was canon for that grant) and the whole Traveller space (mostly centered on the Imperium).

If you've read Appelcline's Designers & Dragons series then this book has pretty much the same style and attention to well-researched detail. Although the focus is mostly on companies and organizations lots of people are mentioned and if someone disappears then comes back later there's a bit of callback so you remember. There is some stuff on non-Traveller because a company (especially GDW) also published other products or because a person either did something RPG-notable before or after their Traveller contributions.

Overall it's a good read and a nice history of Traveller a lot of which I didn't know even though I lived through the times and sort of paid attention to the industry. Kind of pricey for a PDF (although I got it as part of Traveller bundle which helped). In print I assume it's to the standard of current Mongoose Traveller 2E books (hardcover, full-color glossy pages) in which case the price is fine for that. This would look good on a shelf alongside Designers & Dragons though I'm guessing the size and spine won't match.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-06-13T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250613-spot-reviews-06-13-25.html#unique-entry-id-910https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250613-spot-reviews-06-13-25.html#unique-entry-id-910Star Wars: Tales of the Underworld (2025) [+] The third season of Star Wars Tales once again focuses on two 45-minute stories, each with three 15-minute episodes. The first one is Ventress (Nika Futterman) back from the dead trying to live an anonymous quiet life amidst the Empire. The second story is the origins of Cad Bane (Corey Burton) from childhood when he was recruited and eventually took over his dead mentor’s gang. I love Ventress so loved her story. Cad Bane is too bad guy for me; I’d rather have seen a story focusing on the more amusing Hondo Ohnaka.

Marvel Strike Force [/] Two years later I re-downloaded this iOS game and got back into my account to play for a few weeks. Much the same as in my review. Did get lots of bonus stuff; I guess since I’ve been gone a long time. New recruits Captain Carter and Emma Frost at Red Tier 3 (red tiers are more power than normal tiers) made them the two best characters in my portfolio. Went from level 41 to 55 and I don’t think any new modes unlocked (there stuff still locked for me). In the end will probably delete this game again.

Samorost 3+ (2022) [-] Apple Arcade version of Samorost 3. Point and click adventure game where you are this little guy exploring his home asteroid (which seems strange since you live here and the first obstacle is a bridge pulley system you don't know how to operate). No text or speech though there's music and picture bubbles for speech. I couldn't get past the first puzzle so maybe not the game for me.

Trader Joe's Snickerdoodle Cookies [+] I'd only heard about Snickerdoodle cookies from watching Hope & Faith or maybe one of the Southern cooking shows. Turns out it's just a cookie with cinnamon and lots of sugar. It keeps in the box for a surprisingly long time so that the cookie is still a bit chewy on the inside. It's like $6 for 8 but with small bites half a cookie lasts two or three cups of coffee so a box will last a couple of weeks.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-06-11T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250611-hyper-knife-2025.html#unique-entry-id-909https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250611-hyper-knife-2025.html#unique-entry-id-909Hyper Knife is a South Korean medical crime dark drama running eight 1-1/4 hour episodes on Disney+.

Jung Se-ok (Park Eun-bin - The King's Affection, Extraordinary Attorney Woo) is a brilliant brain surgeon but disgraced and I assume not licensed so she does black market brain surgery for criminals and such. Enter her former mentor Choi Deok-hee (Sui Kyung-gu) who needs her skill to perform brain surgery on him. But she hates him so much she's not willing to be rehabilitated in return for saving his life.

The series is Se-ok living her life while Deok-hee slowly turns the screws driving her into a corner where she will have to do the surgery. One of those screws is the police investigating a murdered nurse who was trying to blackmail Se-ok but turns out Se-ok is quite willing to murder people who get in her way as she does again later. But Deok-hee's secrets are slowly revealed and turns out he's as much a psychopath as she is.

It's a short series but quite tense with several plot twists. Park Eun-bin has a wonderful performance playing a psychopath with anger issues (she does a lot of yelling). The murders I found a bit disturbing as people die kind of slowly, for example the nurse is strangled by Se-ok with a medical tube from behind and that takes a minute of writhing (slower than real life but fairly long for a tv series). So it's good that this is only eight episodes as the tension would be maybe too much over 16 episodes (the story ramps up and never really lets you take a break).

Good intense series not really my type but I'm willing to watch Park Eun-bin tearing up the screen.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-06-09T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250609-tp-link-ax3000-4-stream-wi-fi-6-router.html#unique-entry-id-908https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250609-tp-link-ax3000-4-stream-wi-fi-6-router.html#unique-entry-id-908TP-Link Dual-Band AX3000 Wi-Fi 6 Router Archer AX55 router (AX3000 is the box and all contents, AX55 is the WiFI router itself which is a bit confusing) and eventually set it up when I bought my MBP M4 Pro and have been using it for half a year or so.

Very solid so far but then again only like 8 months in use. WiFi 6 with my MBP M4 Pro is rather fast and I can copy to/from a file server (connected via Ethernet to the AX55) at USB-2 speed (120 MB/s or so). Did a Speediest and got 56 MB/s down 29 MB/s up which is a lot faster than before though I guess not max for my Fiber connection. 4ms ping which is great.

There is web admin which is easy enough to use. Manual is not too bad.

It's got the standard features. Internet Gateway with DHCP and port forwarding. Features I use:

• DHCP Server and give set IP address to my printer and server machines so I can find them by IP address if need be.
• NAT port forwarding to the server machine. It only forwards to an IP address hence the server has to have a set DHCP address that survives reboots.
• Dynamic DNS using TP-Link service provider. Then on my DNS records I set www2 to point to xyz.tp-link-dns.com or whatever. The xyz.tp-link-dns.com updates maybe up to an hour after IP address changes (which for Sonic only if there is a reboot).
• VPN Server. It supports several: OpenVPN, PPTP, L2TP/IPSec, WireGuard. I setup OpenVPN which doesn't give you much configurability compared to OpenVPN full but you can have guests access the home network only or home and Internet but on a separate network than DHCP server so accessing home network is not easy if you don't know the IP addresses.
• Reboot at a set time. I do once a week just in case.

Other interesting features which I don't use:

• You can have a HD attached for NAS or Time Machine.
• HomeShield is their monthly service with more scanning and white lists and so forth. Haven't really looked into this.
• EasyMesh to add more access points and connect them as one network.

I paid $70 on Black Friday Sale and it's definitely better than I expected. Love the VPN server (OpenVPN is not that easy to setup and costs money if you hav more than one client connecting). Dynamic DNS support also nice as I don't have to set it up on my server. Everything else I was getting from my trusty AirPort Time Capsule.

Overall very pleased with this product.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-06-06T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250606-spot-reviews-06-06-25.html#unique-entry-id-907https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250606-spot-reviews-06-06-25.html#unique-entry-id-907Doctor Who s2 (2025) [+] Belinda Chandra (Varada Sethu) joins The Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa). But when she wants to return home the TARDIS can’t get back to Earth in May 24 2025. Subsequent episodes hint and then reveal that the Earth was destroyed on that day but not how or why. The mysterious Mrs Flood (Anita Dobson) makes a cameo in every episode since the last season no matter where The Doctor happens to be and late in the season it’s revealed who she really is as the final boss is unveiled… A nice two-season arc for this current Doctor and at the end he is regenerated into a new surprise Doctor for s3. The episodes are mostly good with my favorites being the Christmas special “Joy to the World”, episode 2 “Lux” with a cartoon cat villain, and episode 3 “The Well” with it’s sci-fi horror motif.

Miraculous Webisodes (2017) [-] Two seasons of webisodes each about three minutes. 36 episodes in all. Each covers a topic, is composed of clips, and is usually narrated by Marinette. I guess it's a way for new viewers to get information without watching older seasons though they do contain a lot of spoilers. Overall not worth watching as they don't add anything.

Kingdom Rush Vengeance TD+ (2022) [/] Tower defense game and this is the Apple Arcade version. Apparently this time you're the bad guy trying to reclaim his kingdom. You have orcs and goblins and evil heroes to lead them. Although you're nominally on the offensive this is a tower defense game so in each level you're trying to stop the good guys counterattack from reaching your rear areas. Level three on normal beat me so not an easy game to play.

My Talking Tom+ (2022) [-] Apple Arcade kids game, like for really young kids (it says 4+ but that may be too old already). Take care of a cat by periodically petting, feeding, letting it potty, or letting it sleep. Buy stuff to customize your cat or accessories. There is nothing to do other than letting the cat ask you if needs something (via Notifications). Oh, you can also speak to it with the microphone and he talks back, though I didn't try it.

A Dozen Cousins - Rice Cooked in Bone Broth with Sea Salt [-] “This flavorful rice is cooked using real chicken bone broth instead of water so that each serving contains 7g of collagen-rich protein.” Microwave for a minute then eat. The rice came out a bit stiffer than I like so it wasn’t that satisfying to eat. Would not buy or would eat mixed with traditionally made rice.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-06-04T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250604-the-story-of-pearl-girl-2024.html#unique-entry-id-906https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250604-the-story-of-pearl-girl-2024.html#unique-entry-id-906The Story of Pearl Girl is a Chinese romance drama set in ancient times. Duan Wu (Zhao Lu Si) is a slave pearl diver who manages to escape during a fire. Zhang Jinran (Tang Xiao Tian) is a scholar who is also a roving agent for the Empire who met Duan Wu at the pearl farm and helped her out a bit.

Although Zhang Jinran has affections for Duan Wu unfortunately he is the third wheel. Duan Wu instead ends up as part of Yan Zijing's (Liu Yu Ning) merchant caravan, working herself up from lower decks servant to the main deck and finally one of the merchants in the caravan (although for the first half of the series it's a ship and even later the traditional caravan part is suggested more than shown). In the meantime both leads start to become attracted to each other.

Meanwhile Yan Zijing is on a mission of vengeance as his family was wiped out when he was a kid by the combined treachery of two families (one of them owned the pearl farm and the fire that destroyed it was cause by Yan Zijing and his men).

The first family is the Cui. Yan Zijing is pitted against Cui Shi Jiu (Xie Ke Yin). She's the daughter of the head but not in line of succession because she's a woman, yet she's also the most capable scion since her brothers are lazy. That makes her a ruthless person in a man's world and I like her arc — she is defeated and broken down and finds love and builds herself back up to eventually almost at the end she's Duan Wu's ally. It feels like she was intended as a minor character that goes away after the first half (the first and second halves of the series are quite different) but was popular enough to keep around.

The second family I kind of forgot as they don't have a strong character to lead them. They're based in another city and head the jewelry guild — Zhang Jinran is a jewelry merchant from the West who specializes in colored stones (i.e. rubies and sapphires and such) rather than jade and pearl which are East jewelry. By this time Zhang Jinran and Duan Wu have split up for the usual "he wants to protect her from getting hurt in his machinations so he alienates and breaks up with her". Duan Wu sets up her own small jewelry shop (Clear Mind) and proceeds to make it a success even though the jewelry guild is arrayed against her.

This is a 40 episode series of 45-minute episodes. Lots of sets and excellent production — not meant to be realistic but the nice version of ancient times in terms of clean and bright cities. Zhao Lu Si is very good and as I called out Xie Ke Yin is also quite good. The ending is not ideal — sometimes I think Chinese dramas set in ancient times are prone to bad endings to show that life goes on and you have to accept your fate.

Still, a very good series and I quite enjoyed it.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-06-02T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250602-duckduckgo-browser-v1.14-2025#unique-entry-id-905https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250602-duckduckgo-browser-v1.14-2025#unique-entry-id-905DuckDuckGo as my primary web search engine so it was natural to try out DuckDuckGo Browser. I believe the browser on macOS uses WebKit engine so it'll have the same rendering behavior as Safari.

It includes a lot of privacy stuff built-in and blocks lots of cookies and popups and such. I guess because of that focus they don't have an extensions support — perhaps someday but extensions can get so much data from you if they really want to it'd be hard to prevent.

It also doesn't integrate with macOS Passwords and since no extension support there is no Apple-provided extension like for other browsers. It does have its own passwords vault and you can import from macOS Passwords but it won't be kept synced.

I use DuckDuckGo for Twitch modding. That way it's a separate environment and if Safari crashes it won't cause problems while I'm modding (not so much a problem these days). I do keep logged into Instagram to check collab streamers and I'd rather not have Meta track me so I don't login on Safari.

One thing I miss is that with Firefox I can make the Twitch window smaller while still having chat showing. With Safari/DDG at the same size Twitch hides the chat.

Anyway DDG browser works well and I like that it uses WebKit engine (tbf it uses the native OS html rendering engine so on Windows it'll be different).

Another privacy-focused browser is Brave which is based on Chromium if you like that engine. There's also Orion Browser by Kagi which is also WebKit but when I tried it last December still rudimentary on the other hand it does support extensions and macOS Passwords integration.

20250713: I forgot one reason I chose DuckDuckGo Browser is that it is available on the Mac App Store whereas like no other mainstream browser is there.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-05-30T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250530-spot-reviews-05-30-25.html#unique-entry-id-904https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250530-spot-reviews-05-30-25.html#unique-entry-id-904At the Moment (2023) [/] Taiwanese romance anthology series of 10 hour-long episodes each episode being a separate story all set during the COVID-19 Pandemic and soon afterwards. Took until about halfway to realize that characters recur in multiple stories. Each story is a separate romantic couple but one or both can appear in other stories and that was nice showing interconnectedness. Still, hour-long romance stories not really my thing. I like that they showed one gay story (with kissing) and one lesbian story (with a very light kiss).

HEROish (2022) [/] Apple Arcade battle rush sort of game. Your hero gets magic points and spends them to summon warriors or cast spells. The warriors mostly stay with your hero and meanwhile the level villains are doing the same. You have a set of cards and four are available to cast spells so your card mix makes a difference. Different heroes too which you can level up and raise their skills (and you can also level up cards individually, not by unit type). It's an ok game.

Hanx101 Trivia (2022) [/] Apple Arcade trivia game with several modes. The 101 mode is 101 questions split up into sections of 5 or 6 questions to a category. I was getting like one or two wrong per section and the questions have a wide variety of difficulty but not designed to be Trivial Pursuit hard. I think maybe it's a little too cutesy with the narrator and his comments but not trying to be funny like You Don't Know Jack.

Kajiken, San Mateo - Wagyu Roast Beef Aburasoba [/] “Wagyu roast beef, crispy onions, green onions, butter onion sauce, yogurt sauce, raw egg yolk” plus noodles. You mix it yourself. Tastes fine though the roast beef is worse than I imagined (not sure I’ve had Wagyu beef before). Probably wouldn’t get this specific entrée again. $25 + $4 on DoorDash, $23 + tax/tip dine-in.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-05-28T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250528-boss-and-me-2014.html#unique-entry-id-903https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250528-boss-and-me-2014.html#unique-entry-id-903Boss & Me is a Chinese romance drama running 34 45-minute episodes. Xue Shanshan (Zhao Liying) is a new accountant at a big software company run by Feng Teng (Hans Zhang). She somewhat unqualified and later finds out she was hired because of her rare blood type — the first episode starts with her going to the hospital to donate blood to Feng Teng's sister Feng Yue (Zhang Yang Guo'er) who is in labor.

In thanks Yue sends daily lunches to Shanshan and eventually she starts eating those lunches in Teng's office with him. She also eats lunches outside of Teng's office by herself and she doesn't realize the window is one-way so she acts naturally by herself while Teng watches her.

Teng becomes attracted to Shanshan and her openness and honesty. Meanwhile most women after Teng look down on Shanshan because she is from low background and is quite unsophisticated and less attractive (I guess this was intentional but pretty much every other woman in this series is taller and more attractive than Shanshan). One of those other women is Teng's childhood friend is Yuan Lishu (Li Chengyuan) who is sophisticated, runs a bookstore chain, and is secretly in love with Teng.

The last major player is Zheng Qi (Huang Ming), good friend of Teng's and the software company's head of design. He's a ladies man and every woman is attracted to him including Shanshan. Shanshan is attracted to Qi who is much more charming whereas Teng is taciturn and seems to pick on Shanshan even though he then makes sure Shanshan is not bullied by others…

This is a fairly typical Chinese romance drama series. It focuses on Shanshan and we often hear her thoughts (and no one else's). Shanshan tends to overthink things and is quite insecure and spends a lot of time trying to decipher social cues from Teng and others. So most of the problems in their budding relationship stem from Shanshan and it does get kind of annoying at times.

Still, I do like this series though more average than good.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-05-26T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250526-exit-plan-2012.html#unique-entry-id-902https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250526-exit-plan-2012.html#unique-entry-id-902Exit Plan is the third book in Larry Bond's Jerry Mitchell series. Larry Bond designed the Harpoon naval warfare game and co-wrote Red Storm Rising with Tom Clancy and has subsequently gone on to write a bunch of military fiction books.

I haven't read the other books in the series. Jerry Mitchell is a former naval fighter pilot who had to change career tracks due to an injury. In the first book Mitchell is already to a submarine as weapons officer. In Exit Plan has XO on the USS Michigan, a fast attack submarine converted for special operations — less Tomahawk missiles to make room for a Navy SEAL platoon and their equipment.

The main threat is that the Iranians announced they're going to test their first atomic bomb (which means they have two or three others already made) but it's a ruse to make the Israeli's attack and destroy the Iranian atomic facility as a casus belli. Two Iranian informants must be retrieved — a scientist at the atomic facility with a lot of files and knowledge that the Iranians are years from developing Uranium enrichment.

After the primary pilot is injured Mitchell is assigned to pilot the mini-sub that will take a SEAL team of four plus Mitchell and a SEAL co-pilot into the Iranian coast to retrieve the informants. Unfortunately a fire sinks the sub stranding Mitchell and the four-team SEAL team in Iran trying to keep their informants alive while waiting for rescue…

I found this to be a readable book with an entertaining plot. I'm more interested in naval action of which there is little in this novel. The scenario seems quite realistic with the timings and details of US vs Iranian responses making sense. Characterization is not great but that's not really a military fiction thing since the space is needed for the exciting stuff.

Skimming the other series novel descriptions this one is the worst to have jumped into. The other novels seem to be primary submarine warfare or situations and Exit Plan is more SEAL team boots on the ground action. Debatable whether or not I give this series a second shot.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-05-23T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250523-spot-reviews-05-23-25.html#unique-entry-id-901https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250523-spot-reviews-05-23-25.html#unique-entry-id-901Elevation (2024) [/] Post-apocalyptic Earth after it's overrun by monsters except the monsters don't go above 8000 feet so the few human survivors live there. Set in Colorado, Will (Anthony Mackie) needs to go down to Boulder for medical supplies for his ailing son. Nina (Morena Baccarin) is a scientist who may have a way to kill the monsters but her last attempt ended up killing Will's wife. Katie (Maddie Hasson) tags along because she likes Will. The movie is them going to Boulder, avoiding/fighting monsters, and getting back and it has a small setup for a sequel because turns out the monsters are extra-terrestrial which means some alien race sent them to wipe out humanity (the monsters only target people and they're drawn by exhaled carbon dioxide). It's an ok film, fairly low budget but well implemented.

Cooking Mama: Cuisine! (2022) [/] A cooking simulator exclusively on Apple Arcade. Choose ingredients (as you get better new ingredients added) then go through several steps to prepare the ingredients. Cutting is swiping, flipping is swipe down then up, stirring is swipe in a circle, sprinkle is swipe up and down repeatedly. For each step you have about 15 seconds to do it right and get three stars and at the end you have a prepared dish. Meanwhile Mama encourages you, there is happy music, and the graphics are cartoony though the dishes look good. But it doesn’t really seem like much of a game and I guess this is more of a kid’s game. Note: unlike most Apple Arcade games, Cuisine seems to be a limited version for Let’s Cook rather than the same or better version.

Subway Surfers Tag (2022) [/] Apple Arcade arena brawler game where you control a teen skateboarder. You go into an arena, collect coins/powerups/weapons and fight off the guard and guard robots while tagging things, riding rails, and doing tricks. You keep going until you die but there are new arenas for variety. Probably plays great with a controller but was fine with fingers (virtual joystick and auto-aim). Didn't find it that entertaining but it's a good polished game.

Joy Sushi, San Mateo - Tokbokki [/] Joy Sushi has some K-Food items and when we went there for dinner I had the Tokbokki ($16). “Stir-fried rice cake with fish cake in Korean chili sauce.” Thinly sliced fish cake with wide circular noodles in a tomato-y sauce and fairly spicy (definitely strong spice but not uneatable). Seems like a fairly basic “home cooking” sort of dish and sometimes see this on K-Drama shows. Pretty good.

Nescafé Black Roast [/] Instant coffee. Tastes horrid even with milk and that may indicate I make my usual coffee a bit light. Still, it’s a quick coffee fix without using the coffee maker and also allows me to make double-strong servings. And the taste is about as unappealing as the other instant coffee I had from Trader Joe’s.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-05-21T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250521-welcome-to-samdal-ri-2023.html#unique-entry-id-900https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250521-welcome-to-samdal-ri-2023.html#unique-entry-id-900Welcome to Samdal-ri is a South Korean romance/drama running 16 hour+ episodes.

Cho Sam-dal (Shin Hye-sun, who I loved as the female lead in See You in My 19th Life) is a talented photographer with her own studio but after allegations of employee abuse she and her sisters flee back to their small home seaside town of Samdal-ri on Jeju island. Once back home Sam-dal has to deal with her ex-boyfriend Cho Yong-pil (Ji Chang-wook, male lead in Backstreet Rookie and Lovestruck in the City) who even eight years later is still in love with Sam-dal.

It takes a while for them to re-hookup. Lots of flashbacks to their childhood and how they broke up (two different perspectives) and how they were as a couple — flashbacks are out of order and often don't reveal the whole truth until closer to the end of the series. The big obstacle to reconciling is that both their parents are sort of against it: Sam-dal's mother Go Mi-ja (Kim Mi-kyung, has played many mom roles) because she doesn't want to see Sam-dal hurt again, and Yong-pil's father Cho Sang-tae (Yu Oh-seong) who blames Mi-ja for the death of his wife and Yong-pil's mom.

A couple of other romantic subplots for variety. Sam-dal's older sister Cho Jin-dal (Shin Dong-mi) divorced her rich husband Jeon Dae-young (Yang Kyung-won) who has returned to the area in order to finalize a deal for an amusement park in the next town. They both still love each other but she divorced him so he wouldn't be ostracized by his family after she did a whistle blower thing on the family conglomerate.

Sam-dal's younger sister Cho Hae-dal (Kang Mi-na) is a single mom who got pregnant at 20 but her boyfriend died. Now she has an adorable 9 year old Cha Ha-yul (Kim Do-eun). In any case Ha-yul befriends Gong Ji-chan (Kim Min-chul), who heads a local Dolphin Center, and then Ha-yul plays matchup between her mom and Ji-chan.

One of the strong elements is the haenyeo, a name for the female divers of Jeju Island who dive daily harvesting ground sea-life such as abalone and seaweed. Go Mi-ja is the head of the town haenyeo and Yong-pil's mother was a haenyeo. It's kind of nice seeing this uniquely Korean thing which I didn't know about before.

I like the series. Nothing groundbreaking but well executed and delivers on the romance.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-05-19T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250519-hellboy-and-the-bprd-2015.html#unique-entry-id-899https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250519-hellboy-and-the-bprd-2015.html#unique-entry-id-899Hellboy and the BPRD is a natural continuation of the main BPRD series which was set in the present but had covered the beginnings with BPRD: 1946, BPRD: 1947, and BPRD: 1948.

Spanning Hellboy and the BPRD: 1952 to 1957 these are mini-series, one for each year, starting with Hellboy's first mission in 1952. A young Liz Sherman makes an appearance and Trevor Bruttenholm is often around but none of the other regular characters appear so Hellboy is hanging out with human teammates, some from BPRD 1946 et al.

I like these stories as going back to more classic Hellboy: talking and investigating, monster appears, Hellboy punches it. Although occasionally someone dies these stories are lighter than the later Hellboy and really all related series set in modern times.

There's also a nice through-line about a secret US government organization competing with the BPRD. Whereas BPRD is mostly defense oriented "how to stop these creatures" this new organization wants to weaponize some of the BPRD research.

Overall a nice series and good change of pace to the regular series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-05-16T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250516-spot-reviews-05-16-25.html#unique-entry-id-896https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250516-spot-reviews-05-16-25.html#unique-entry-id-896Tron: Uprising (2012) [/] Animated half-hour series set in the Tron universe between the original movie and Tron: Legacy. Argon is the last city conquered by Clu and Beck (Elijah Wood) is a mechanic who wants to fight the system, first as "The Renegade" and later after an injured Tron (Bruce Boxleitner) recruits him as the new "Tron". Beck's escapades are opposed by General Tesler (Lance Henriksen) who governs Argon and his chief lieutenant Paige (Emmanuelle Chriqui), who is actually idealistic and a potential ally for Beck but not in season one. Unfortunately this series wasn't renewed and ends at an episode 19 cliffhanger. I found the animation ok but more interesting was showing life as a program. Besides Tron being a secondary character that appears in several episodes you also have Clu (Fred Tatasciore) for an episode or two and Quorra (Olivia Wilde) in an episode.

Frogger and the Rumbling Ruins (2022) [/] Puzzle game on Apple Arcade. You are Frogger as an Indiana Jones-type. Each level has paths and platforms, some of which you can manipulate by moving side to side or up and down (at any time). There are switches which Frogger must step on to activate. Three hidden Froglings on each level to optionally rescue. There might be monsters or other things to kill Frogger (or a Frogling if you're not careful!). It's 3D and you can rotate the map and zoom in and out and you'll need to do it to see things on the other side and so forth. Nice family-friendly game with 100+ levels. Apparently this game was removed May 15th and is no longer available so maybe it'll be released in the regular App Store.

Hellboy in Hell TPBs (2014-16) [/] Two volumes which cover Bellboy's stay in Hell after he died and before he was resurrected to finish the BPRD series. It's a bit dark and not as hopeful as early Hellboy although I suppose BPRD/Abe Sapien covering the same time period were also descending into bleakness. It's nice to have it to bridge that gap but don't think I'll ever re-read this.

Trader Joe’s Brookie [+] This is a brownie layer on bottom and a chocolate chip cookie batter layer on top. Together a bit too rich so I usually eat the brownie first then the cookie (since it’s batter layer and then baked it’s more like a hard dessert than a cookie). It’s like $6 for 8 180-calorie pieces though I usually have half a piece a day with two cups of coffee, so it turns out to last longer than the blueberry muffin and it doesn’t go stale as fast. This is now my coffee companion of choice.

Pho Little Saigon, San Mateo - Beef Stew w. Egg Noodle Soup [/] Perfectly fine Beef Stew Soup with regular thin noodles. Had it delivered so the noodles come separate and you mix it yourself. Lots of beef actually. Large serving was $22 from DoorDash.

Campbell’s Cream of Potato soup [/] For cheap condensed soup it tastes fine. You add milk so it’s soupy/creamy. Bits of potato to give it some texture. 225 calories (I suppose with the added milk) so kind of a snack thing for me.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-05-14T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250514-thunderbolts-2025.html#unique-entry-id-898https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250514-thunderbolts-2025.html#unique-entry-id-898Thunderbolts a new super-hero team is formed but first they have to kill each other. Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) is in a funk doing mercenary wet work for CIA Director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) who gives her meaningless jobs cleaning up messes. But de Fontaine is under investigation by the US Senate and to clean up all the loose ends she needs to get rid of the last pesky witnesses: the mercenaries she's been using.

So Yelena, US Agent (Wyatt Russell), Ghost (Hannah John-Kamen), and Taskmaster (Olga Kurylenko in a cameo appearance) are sent into an underground vault each having one of the others as a target. The survivors then have to get out and fight their way through a mercenary company. And they picked up Bob (Lewis Pullman) along the way who is unfortunately left behind to show off his new-found superpowers and be captured.

Red Guardian (David Harbour) joins them and then Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) captures them. They decide to stop de Fontaine who has turned the old Avengers Tower into Watchtower. Once there though they are easily handled by Bob, now styling himself Sentry. But when Sentry turns on de Fontaine — for what does a god need with a mere human superior — she has to put him down which only brings in his evolved form as Void.

Void essentially zaps everyone in Manhattan into their own nightmares and that includes the Thunderbolts. They have to overcome their deepest fears and free Bob so he can defeat Void…

This is a fun action movie with lots of great quips and funny bits. A team that is not a great team nor well balanced (as one of them points out they're all basically martial arts shooters). But nevertheless they manage to defeat a really big threat.

Enjoyable movie.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-05-12T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250512-jigsaw-puzzle-plus-2022.html#unique-entry-id-897https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250512-jigsaw-puzzle-plus-2022.html#unique-entry-id-897Jigsaw Puzzle is an app that recreates solving a physical puzzle (Jigsaw Puzzle by MobilityWare+ on Apple Arcade). Choose a picture and puzzle size (9 to 1024 pieces) the start. You have a board that you can zoom in or out and an outline of the puzzle (I think these are all square puzzles). On the right is a 1-puzzle wide scrollable pane showing the puzzle pieces which you drag and drop onto the puzzle (or anywhere on the board).

There are a few conveniences:

All pieces are oriented correctly so you don't have to bother rotating.
The pieces pane can show only edge pieces so you can build the edges first.
There is a Fill button to pull all loose pieces on the board back to the pieces pane. This doesn't pull partially assembled sections (so you can assemble puzzle sections anywhere).
When you drop a piece if it's the correct placement there is a little flash and afterwards you can't accidentally pull the pieces apart.

On the downsides:

A big puzzle on my 11" iPad screen is still way too big so you have to zoom into sections to solve.
Scrolling through a thousand-piece puzzle is quite a chore.

Still, I actually found this game enjoyable. Unlike other MobilityWare games it's not really trying to simulate a 3D space so the graphics are just fine. Come to think of it the preferences also seem standard UI not a port from a PC game.

There are a huge number of puzzle sets and on Apple Arcade they're all free. Also a daily puzzle if you want a random challenge (the daily puzzle is from an existing collection not a brand new puzzle).

Naturally when you exit it saves your progress and you can have multiple saved puzzles going with each puzzle having its own timer in case you want to know how long a puzzle takes you to solve. There is also a complete puzzles section to view your previous conquests.

Overall it's pretty good and better than I expected when I saw MobilityWare logo.

2025-05-23:

There are actually four trays so you can sort three colors (or six if you double-up) into three trays and everything else in the first tray.

I was doing a 1024-piece puzzle where every color had multiple subtle shades. Which comes to mind that as far as I can tell no puzzles for color-blind users.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-05-09T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/spot-reviews-05-09-25.html#unique-entry-id-893https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/spot-reviews-05-09-25.html#unique-entry-id-893What If…? Season 3 (2024) [/] Favorite episodes:

3.2 What If… Agatha Went to Hollywood - has a nice Bollywood dance number.
3.3 What If…the Red Guardian Stopped the Winter Soldier? - more humorous as Red Guardian is hilarious.
3.7/3.8 …the Watcher Disappeared? / What If? - The Watchers decide to reprimand our Watcher because he's been meddling, leading a band of female heroes to try to save him.

Apparently this is the last season. The series is better than I thought because I was thinking all standalone stories but having each season tie in at least some of the previous episodes made it much better story-wise.

Pro Darts 2025+ (2022) [/] and My Bowling 3D+ (2022) [/] Apple Arcade version of iWare Design's games. Like their pool game it's simulations — showing a 3D area where you throw darts or bowl. UI is rather clunky and ugly and these are obvious ports from some other platform. I don't think I'd recommend any of iWare Design's games even though they are functional games.

Rin-Tei, San Mateo [+] A small Thai-Japanese Fusion restaurant less than 10m walk from my place. I had Asari Pho ($25) - rice noodles and clams in a chicken and soy milk sauce, garlic and cilantro. Dairy free yet tasted just fine. Also Thai Iced Coffee ($5) which comes in a glass and already poured out. Both were quite tasty.

Sleepy Owl Coffee - Xpresso [+] Instant coffee comes in small packs you open and pour into hot water. I’d use two in a mug with some water then add milk. Tastes better than using my Mr Coffee with ground coffee.

Applegate Naturals Grilled Chicken Breast Strips [/] Kind of like the chicken strips you’d find in a chicken salad. Perfectly fine tasting and all you do is heat it up. Apparently mostly available at Whole Foods and a bit pricey.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-05-07T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250507-lovestruck-in-the-city-2020.html#unique-entry-id-892https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250507-lovestruck-in-the-city-2020.html#unique-entry-id-892Lovestruck in the City is South Korean romance-drama of 17 half-hour episodes.

At a beach vacation architect Park Jae-won (Ji Chang-wook, male lead in Backstreet Rookie) meets and falls in love with "Yoon Seon-ah" (Kim Ji-won, female lead in Queen of Tears) and for two months they have the happiest time until he has to return to Seoul for work. Although she agrees to contact him when she also gets back to Seoul she never does and he's been looking for her for a year not realizing that his cousin Choi Kyeong-jun (Kim Min-seok) and Kyeong-jun's friends know "Seon-ah".

But she's not really Seon-ah, she is Lee Eun-oh who runs a one-woman marketing company. The old Eun-oh lost both her boyfriend (he was cheating on her) and her new job on the same day and hopeless wandered to the beach and got a job at a seaside Ramyeon shop and there she renamed herself to Yoon Seon-ah and tried to be an open, positive, experience-everything person that she never was. It was that person that feel in love with Jae-won but once she returned to Seoul it was back to Eun-oh, though an Eun-oh that want's the be more confident and assertive than the old one.

And because she was embarrassed about being a different persona she tried to cut off ties with Jae-won. Unfortunately he does find her and now she has to deal with it…

There's a framing story in that there is a documentary being filmed about relationships and the subjects turn out to be Eun-oh's friends:

• Park Jae-won
• Choi Kyeong-jun
• Rini Seo (So Joo-yeon) - Eun-oh's childhood friend and Kyeong-jun's 5-year girlfriend
• Kang Geon (Ryu Kyung-soo) - Eun-oh's and Rini's childhood friend and Eun-oh's roommate
• Oh Seon-yeong (Han Ji-eun) - high school gym teacher, serial dater, Geon's ex-girlfriend

The main characters talk to each other on an anonymous chat (and there are other chatters, maybe part of the documentary) but they don't know who is talking and they don't know the others are in the documentary. I guess it allows the characters to say what they were thinking at the time without having to film and act it out.

Since this is a half hour show the main plot gets almost all the story time and at least that plot has a happy ending though it seems quick to resolve (episode 17 is almost a new story about an actress not wanting her first kiss to be on-screen). Unfortunately the other two couples don't end well which is unusual for K-romance drama.

Overall not the best series. Not sure I liked the framing as it was sometimes a bit confusing if they really know who was messaging or not. The whole reason for Eun-oh to ghost Jae-won is explained eventually but not convincingly. And the other couples ending badly leaves me with mixed feelings.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-05-05T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/c5d11ae28a55382835ad65a1d750beb1-894.html#unique-entry-id-894https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/c5d11ae28a55382835ad65a1d750beb1-894.html#unique-entry-id-894Potato Guys is a potato-based fast food place in Downtown San Mateo and fairly new. Feels like a chain but I don't think it is which kind of makes it rather polished for an independent small restaurant.

There are three entrees you can get: Angus Burger, Fried Chicken Sandwich, Spicy Chicken Sandwich. I had the Angus Burger ($11 at the restaurant, $18 as part of a combo). Lots of ketchup/mayonnaise mixed sauce and tastes like a good fast food burger and just fine for the price.

Various fried potatoes are the main draw. Four types: Original Fries, Curly Fries, Tater Tots, Waffle Fries. I don't see the appeal of the first two since you can get normal and curly fries at many places. Regular ($5) and Large ($7) sizes. Combo comes with regular and along with the burger I couldn't finish my tater tots (an off day for me I guess).

Six flavors: Cajun Style, Chill BBQ, Tomato, Cumin BBQ (has peanuts), Seaweed Pepper Salt, Sweet Corn (has dairy). These are dry powders that are added to a container with your potatoes and shaken so you get your potatoes already flavored. I had sweet corn which made it slightly sweet and no corn taste (but corn sugar by itself doesn't taste like corn). Christopher Sr had cumin bbq which had a slightly peanut flavor at the end. In both cases the tater tot natural flavors and the cooking oil were dominant.

They also have these random appetizers: New Orleans Style Chicken Wings, Butterfly Shrimp, Chicken Nuggets, Cheese Sticks, Onion Rings, Fried Sweet Potatoes, Fried Chicken Wings, Takoyaki (deep fried octopus balls). Didn't try any of them.

Standard fountain drinks (combo comes with a 16-oz drink). They also have mango, pineapple, or lemon slushies (you can get them in the combo for +$1 which I regret now).

You order up front and they'll call your number when it's ready. Since it's all fast food it comes out in a few minutes. Not sure how slow it is when they're busy as my brother and I went there about 1345 before a movie. There's a big television upstairs on a random movies channel with subtitles no sound and I appreciate that it was on mute. Place is clean with tables both inside (mostly upstairs) and outside.

Overall a nice experience and I'd have no problem going back, though since it's so typical American sort of food it's not really my first choice of food.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-05-02T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250502-spot-reviews-05-02-25.html#unique-entry-id-889https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250502-spot-reviews-05-02-25.html#unique-entry-id-889Hondo (1953) [/] John Wayne western where he plays half-Apache scout Hondo Lane who wander horseless into a remote farm where he befriends Angie Lowe (Geraldine Page) and her son Johnny (Lee Aaker). Her farmstead is in danger from the Apaches who are getting ready to go on a warpath and her husband has been "mining" for months. A bit of an attraction between the gruff, honest, practical Hondo and the hardworking farmsteader Angie who believes the Apaches will leave her alone like they've always done… Not a bad film.

The Sound of Your Heart 1.1/1.2 (2016) [-] South Korean comedy series of 20 15-minute parts (on Netflix organized as 10 30-minute episodes). Jo Seok (Lee Kwang-soo) wants to be a Webtoon artist and lives with his brother and mom and dad. Lots of goofy situations (e.g. he pretends to run away and hides out in a wardrobe at their home). I found the main characters annoying and this is not the kind of comedy I like — a lot of embarrassing situations. Wanted to see Jung So-min, who plays the leads girlfriend but it’s a small role — 4 of the 20 mini-episodes feature her and she appears a bit in a few more.

iOS Game - Missile Command: Recharged (2020) [+] Reviewed this 3-1/2 years before. Haven't played it in a long time and recently started playing again. It's still quite fun and runs great on my 2017 iPad Pro (stuck at iOS 17) even though it hasn't been updated in four years. It's free a few games per day or $3 in-app for unlimited games per day.

Warped Kart Racers (2022) [/] Apple Arcade go-kart racing and battle game using characters from animated tv shows Family Guy, American Dad!, King of the Hill, and Solar Opposites. Plays smoothly with a controller (harder with touch since there are multiple controls) and graphics are good. Not really my type of game as there are a lot of things going on so a but of information overload.

Trader Joe’s Golden Rounds Crackers [+] This is TJ’s version of Ritz crackers which I do kind of love when I eat them but usually don’t bother buying. Maybe a little less buttery but otherwise tastes the same. I think it was like $3 or $4 for a box with four stacks of crackers so cheaper than Ritz.

New Lai Wah, Sacramento [/] Went here for dinner with parents and kids. Low price I think even low for the area (I think it's in unincorporated land so not so much a sketchy area as one that's not built up but not rural). Pretty much American-style Chinese food and everything tasted fine. Would be fine going there again.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-04-30T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250430-light-shop-2024.html#unique-entry-id-891https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250430-light-shop-2024.html#unique-entry-id-891Light Shop is a South Korean horror drama running eight hour-long episodes on Disney+.

The first few episodes introduces these characters who are quite different and the commonality is they end up in this spooky lightless and long alley that they have to traverse in the dark of night. But in the middle is a light shop — a shop that sells light bulbs and I suppose lamps of alls sorts — and its lights shine brightly and draw in these people.

But strange things start happening to these characters. They meet other characters that turn out to be damaged or strange or perhaps demons. By mid-series you realize that all these are dead or on the brink of death — mostly because of a bus accident — and haven't moved on to the other side — stuck haunting the Earth until they resolve some issue, even if that issue is admitting they're dead. And the light shop owner is perhaps a guide for the way forward…

Actors

• Ju Ji-hoon as the light shop owner (who has his own story of how he became the current owner)
• Park Bo-young as a nurse who can see the spirits because she was once in a coma
• Kim Seol-hyun as a deaf woman who committed suicide, now she can talk and she's trying to save her husband who is a spirit
• Kim Min-ha as a writer in a lesbian relationship (which I'm not sure I've ever seen in a K-Drama)
• Shin Eun-soo as a teen school girl Hyun-joo who's always buying new light bulbs for her grandmother; turns out grandma is trying to get Hyun-joo to pick the light bulb that will return Hyun-joo back to the real world.

Fairly interesting story and it's nice that it's short and doesn't drag it out too long. More like "spooky" horror than "jump scare" horror.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-04-28T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250428-netflix-ad-tier-subscription.html#unique-entry-id-890https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250428-netflix-ad-tier-subscription.html#unique-entry-id-890Netflix "Standard with ads" tier which is $8 vs $18 per month. Differences:

• You get ads. Generally I've seen one or two 30s ad breaks (sometimes no ad breaks, sometimes up to 2m ad break with two ads). The ads are standard television-type ads (i.e. big brands probably paying a bunch for that ad space). There is a timer on the upper right counting down until ads end. Apparently Kid logins have no ads, which is just as well since they can't buy anything.
• Some programming is not available in ad-tier. These are shown with a big obvious lock icon on the upper right of the title graphic when you're browsing. All 152 Movies and Series Blocked On Netflix’s Advertising Tier (April 2025). Based on the April list this doesn't affect my K- and C-Drama watching and mostly would affect watching some popular movies.
• No Picture in Picture. At least on my iPhone and iPad it no longer goes to Picture in Picture when I go to another app. Makes it less convenient to play a game while watching Netflix since I then have to use a second device to watch Netflix.

The ad-tier is definitely great with me and you save $10 per month. 2m of ads per 1h show is nothing compared to Viki's free ad-tier which has like 90s to 3m of ads every 10m or so and when you first resume watching a video (and Viki's ad-tier is 480p video).

Compared with Viki's standard plan which is the same price $8 per month Viki has no ads, 720p video (Netflix ad-tier and standard are 1080p), 1 active device (instead of 2 for Netflix), about 2/3rds of Viki catalog available.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-04-25T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250425-spot-reviews-04-25-25.html#unique-entry-id-884https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250425-spot-reviews-04-25-25.html#unique-entry-id-884Prey (2022) [+] Predator franchise film on Hulu. Set in the 18th century, Naru (Amber Midthumper) is a Comanche who wants to be a warrior in a tribe where woman are not. She comes to suspect there's a spirit hunting large predators and people. There's also a run-in with a large band of French trappers who are after this spirit. As usual for the series, as Naru witnesses the Predator's attacks the more weaknesses she notes until she is finally ready to face it. Pretty well made movie.

Sweet Home Alabama (2002) [-] New Yorker Melanie Carmichael (Reese Witherspoon) returns home to rural Alabama in order to finalize her divorce from Jake Perry (Josh Lucas) who she hasn't seen in seven years. She is now a sophisticated urban dweller but back with old friends and family she starts to revert to her roots and maybe starts to like Jake more… I guess I missed the part where she has a change of heart because it's jarring when she suddenly decides to leave her fiancé (Patrick Dempsey) at the altar. In the end not that interesting a film.

Goat Simulator+ (2022) [-] Apple Arcade version of Goat Simulator and one of the few where the Apple Arcade version has less features (in this case less goat types). You play a goat (third-person view) interacting in a 3D world pushing things down and jumping on them. As is usual for these types of games I got nauseous fairly quickly (controller might help as touch control is a bit fiddly). In any case you get goals (e.g. collect stuff, get elevation, destroy stuff, etc.) and as you do them you get more goals. I never looked at Goat Simulator before since I thought it was more of a sim game but it's more like a standard you do goals game.

Abe Sapien Trade Paperbacks v1 to v9 (2008-2017) [/] Abe Sapien and Lobster Johnson are the only two Hellboy universe characters that have gotten their own series. For Sapien v1 and v2 are compilations of one-shots and limited series. v3 to v8 cover his series which begins with him transformed, having fled from the BPRD, and wandering Hell on Earth America trying to figure out who he actually is. It’s actually a rather dark arc. v9 is stories set in Sapien’s past. Overall somewhat interesting.

Porterhouse, San Mateo [+] Good steak; nice, old-fashioned atmosphere; friendly staff. Kind of expensive though I guess average for a good steak place. They've been in San Mateo a long time and recently moved to 2nd and B Street, in the old bank building — a nice location that has had several upscale restaurants that didn't survive.

]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-04-23T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250423-the-kings-affection-2021.html#unique-entry-id-895https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250423-the-kings-affection-2021.html#unique-entry-id-895The King's Affection is a South Korean historical drama-romance of 20 hour-long episodes.

Royal twins are born, which is a sign of bad luck, and so the girl twin is ordered killed but Crown Princess Han (Han Chae-ah) fakes the girl's death and sends her to an orphanage. A dozen years later their father is now King Hyejong (Lee Pil-mo) and a young Dam-i (Choi Myung-bin) enters the court as a new royal maid. Crown Prince Lee Hwi discovers his lookalike and instead of thinking "this is weird" sees this as an opportunity to sneak out of the Royal Palace on excursions disguised as Dam-i while she takes his place doing boring things like sitting all day and studying.

It is during this time that Dam-i meets a young Jung Ji-woon (Go Woo-rim) and they start falling in love. Unfortunately Lord Sangheon (Yoon Je-moon), Queen Han's grandfather and a powerful lord at court who ordered baby Dam-i's death, hears about the suspicious lookalike and orders his lieutenant Inspector Jung Seok-jo (Bae Soo-bin) — and Jung Ji-woon's father — to eliminate the new maid just in case. Jung Seok-jo succeeds (and in the process kills a witness maid in front of Jung Ji-woon which leads to their estrangement) but he actually murdered Crown Prince Lee Hwi dressed up as a maid. Queen Han realizes the truth and convinces Dam-i that the only way to survive is to take Crown Prince Lee Hwi's place, which she does.

Another dozen or so years later Crown Prince Lee Hwi (Park Eun-bin, lead in Extraordinary Attorney Woo) is well established — with his two advisors Court Lady Kim (Baek Hyun-joo) and Eunuch Hong (Ko Kyu-pil) as the only two people who know his secret, though later on we find out other people knew but never revealed it to the Crown Prince — but in need of a new tutor because the Crown Prince is a terror to his teachers (in order they don't get close enough to discover his secret). Enter an adult Jung Seok-jo (Rowoon, male lead in Destined With You), a physician who studied in Ming (China) and has recently returned. He is blackmailed into taking the job so that Lord Sangheon has a spy in the Crown Prince's entourage.

Crown Prince Lee Hwi recognizes Jung Seok-jo but not vice versa. All his attempts to get Jung Seok-jo to resign fail and so he remains a tutor and as time goes on Jung Seok-jo starts to have feelings for the effeminate Crown Prince, and eventually vice versa. Their attraction causes ripples that threaten to reveal the Crown Prince's secret (though naturally most observers think it's a homosexual attraction)…

The King's Affection is a fairly large production with lots of locations and people and good period costumes, though also being an idealized picture not dirty and dark. The court intrigue is interesting and Park Eun-bin is very good playing a very subdued character.

I feel that the second half is not as good. I started getting annoyed with Jung Ji-woon who is vey bad at OPSEC and continually lets people notice how he acts around the Crown Prince. Also he is given jobs like sneaking into places and he usually gets caught.

At twenty episodes it does seem to run longer than I'd like. Once people start learning the secret it "speeds up" without actually getting faster. The last two or three episodes is Lord Sangheon and his private army trying to usurp the throne so there's lots of combat and one useless death. The climax is well done and yet has a plot hole as to how Crown Prince Lee Hwi survives. But at least there's a happy ending for all characters.

Overall still was entertaining and maybe had too high expectations.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-04-21T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250421-lobster-johnson-tpbs-2008-2019.html#unique-entry-id-887https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250421-lobster-johnson-tpbs-2008-2019.html#unique-entry-id-887Lobster Johnson is a Hellboy pulp-era spin-off character. In that universe the Lobster battled underworld criminals, Nazi, and Imperial Japanese agents in 1930's New York City and even went to Europe during WW2 where he died (to reappear as a ghost in the Hellboy and BPRD comics).

He has a crew of helpers (for information, leg work, mechanical and engineering aid, and also battling mobs so that Lobster can concentrate on the main bad guys), a nosy reporter (Cindy Tynan, who develops a romance with one of Lobster's crew), a police force that doesn't appreciate his help and sometimes goes after "that vigilante".

Unlike more sanitized pulp heroes The Lobster believes in murdering the guilty, often killing with The Lobster's Claw, where his right palm both kills the victim and burns a claw mark on their forehead. The Lobster is also perhaps unkillable (except for that last adventure) in that he keeps getting into more and more dangerous situations (e.g. stuff falling on him or big explosions that destroy a room) where anybody would have died but he seems to come out badly wounded but still alive.

Sort of typical pulp stories and in general few references to the regular Hellboy universe. Some of the occult bad guys use Hyperborean speech and there might be one or two Cthulhu-type monsters. If you like 1930's pulp action then Lobster Johnson is for you.

I include the Crimson Lotus TPB set in the same era. It collects a five-issue limited series where a couple of Chinese agents are pitted against the Japanese Crimson Lotus during Japan's occupation of parts of China. The Crimson Lotus has witch powers and uses masked monkeys to do her bidding and she also lives on to appear in the main Hellboy timeline. I found the story less interesting than Lobster Johnson.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-04-18T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250418-spot-reviews-04-18-25.html#unique-entry-id-882https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250418-spot-reviews-04-18-25.html#unique-entry-id-882May It Please the Court #1.1 to #1.6 (2022) [/] After a scandal top lawyer Noh Chak-hee (Jung Ryeo-won) is suspended for a year from her big firm and ends up getting a position in a small city’s public defender’s office where she clashes with more principled co-worker Jwa Si-baek (Lee Kyu-hyung). As she takes on unusual cases (the series is based on a book by a public defender where he relates various cases he’s seen/heard about) Chak-hee starts to thaw out and find some compassion in her soul. Meanwhile a serial killer is targeting a group of powerful people who did something bad a long time ago and both Chak-hee and Si-baek have ties to that event. There’s also maybe something going on between the two but this is a K-Drama not a K-Romance series… After six episodes lost access to this Disney+ series and it was starting to get interesting.

Music Girls (2018) [/] 12-episode anime about a Japanese idol group. Yamadagi Hanako (Seria Fukagawa) is a talented musician and choreographer who falls in love with girls group Music Girls. Unfortunately she has no singing talent so instead she hangs out as assistant manager helping them with chores and organization whilst also solving their various problems of being idols and part of a dozen-plus member group. Has good animation, songs and fan service. Each episode tends to focus on different girls so you kind of get to know them all and it has a nice culmination when the Music Girls have to perform at a big festival and bring in 10k people into the audience or their record label will drop them.

Prune+ (2022) [/] Apple Arcade version of Prune. A minimalist 2D game. A tree starts growing and you prune the branches (using swipes) to make the tree grow the opposite way. Maneuver around obstacles, pick up items, get to the light before you stop growing. I played a few levels and there are obstacles like wind and black spheres that block out the sun. Surprisingly not easy to prune if you're trying to be tricky. Interesting concept.

Badland Party (2022) [/] Online multiplayer version of Badland. You and up to three other players try to get your little fluffy pets (and their many clones) through the level triggering buttons, pushing blocks, avoiding death traps. Simple controls (fly left and fly right, let go to start falling, and kind of keep on a straight horizontal by tapping left or right) which work well on a touch screen. A little like Lemmings in that there are a lot of clones and most will die but as long as you get the minimum to the end you pass the level. Left Apple Arcade Apr 17th but I guess it will go to the normal store.

Banh Mi & Bowl, Santa Clara [/] Vietnamese restaurant in a small strip mall and a bit run down. But food is cheap (for the area) and tastes fine. Combination is nice as it's any pho (small or large) plus any drink for like $18.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-04-16T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/58cef64f4223db52f83c9bc58b78f44f-886.html#unique-entry-id-886https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/58cef64f4223db52f83c9bc58b78f44f-886.html#unique-entry-id-886Wrath of Man is a Jason Statham heist-thriller-action movie directed by Guy Ritchie. Set at a Los Angeles armored car company, "H" (Statham) is the new hire, a bit of a loner/silent type, who foils a robbery by shooting and killing all half-dozen-plus armed robbers much to the surprise of his partner and the rest of the company.

Turns out that H is a criminal mastermind out for revenge because a similar armored car robbery turned violent and one of H's loved ones was killed. As seen in a long flashback H and his crew go after other crime outfits looking for the crew but after turning Los Angeles criminal underworld upside down they come up empty and so H decides to go undercover to find the inside man that must have helped that opposing crew.

That other crew is hard to find because they are new to the scene. Led by Jackson (Jeffrey Donovan), the crew is made up of US Army veterans that served in Afghanistan under Jackson. They are meticulous planners and militarily precise during ops but one of them, Jan (Scott Eastwood), went a bit out of control in their last heist and murdered both armored car guards and an innocent bystander (which brings H into the picture).

This leads to the final act when Jackson and crew decide to go for The Big Heist — the armored car depot which will have almost $200M after Black Friday pickups. It's going to be a long and bloody gunfight inside a warehouse-like space between Jackson's heavily armed and armored squad and the more numerous company guards…

I really like this film. It has a sort of 1970's movie feel. Not as much of an action film even though there are gunfights but more about raising tensions for that final act. I like that the final battle isn't so much about H killing everybody since a lot of damage is done by the armored car guards. Statham is really good playing his usual type of character. Contrast to a sort of similar Statham film I saw, The Beekeeper (2024), which to me was very average and unoriginal action movie.

Good movie where once I started watching it I didn't stop until it was done.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-04-14T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250414-bprd-tpbs-2003-2019.html#unique-entry-id-885https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250414-bprd-tpbs-2003-2019.html#unique-entry-id-885Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense) is the overarching US government organization (later UN backed) which Hellboy belongs to. These comics actually start after Hellboy leaves the BPRD for several years so it's Abe Sapien and Liz Sherman who are the main agents, though many other people come in and either leave or die as the series progresses.

A few volumes deal with BPRD in the past, after it was formed and before Hellboy was old enough to go on missions. For the most part though the volumes tell a continuous story that is in three phases.

Phase 1 is ramping up to total war. There is a frog faction and there is an underground race faction as well as occult stuff and all these groups start coming together to form one big army to take over the surface world.

Phase 2 is Hell on Earth as the frogs, underground race, and the other factions are destroyed because the big monsters (Ogdru Hem) finally rise. These are mostly big and stationary but emit lots of little monsters and/or gasses that turn people into monsters. It's not "war" war but more like War Against the Chtorr where the Ogdru Hem are changing the local area around them into Hellish places but people can still live there and many parts of the world are fine. It does get worse and worse as time goes on.

Phase 3 is kind of short at three volumes and it's the return of Rasputin for his final bid to conquer Earth. Hellboy returns from the dead for the final fight. The Earth is mostly destroyed except for many underground havens where pockets of humanity survive while on the surface the new race of man thrives. The End to the Hellboy universe (though future products will still be set in the past).

It's interesting that this series is rather bloody. Characters are introduced and may be around for years before they are killed and in the end all but one or two characters die. I do like that many characters are just BPRD agents — normal humans with military training, sometimes well equipped to battle monsters.

I think you can read this series independently of the rest of Hellboy, though that helps a lot and events in other Hellboy comics are sometimes reflected here. But I guess if you read the first five Hellboy TPBs (before they launched BPRD) that will cover all previous knowledge and after that cross-references are light.

In general I think I've most liked the first five Hellboy TPBs and the BPRD series. The other Hellboy Universe series not so much. And it's nice if you start with Hellboy you see Rasputin as the first Big Bad and at the end of BPRD Rasputin is once again the Big Bad as it comes full circle.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-04-11T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250411-spot-reviews-04-11-25.html#unique-entry-id-879https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250411-spot-reviews-04-11-25.html#unique-entry-id-879Castle (2009) [/] This is a network television crime mystery comedy-drama series. NY Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic) is at first forced then is resigned to having mystery writer Richard Castle (Nathan Fillion) as her partner he's very good at inventing scenarios and noticing unusual clues but it grates on her no-nonsense style of detective work. Later on a romance develops which runs throughout the series. I've been watching this series on-and-off for years and this last stretch was season 5 to 7.4 which is not that much different than previous seasons since this is an episodic show (i.e. the episodes can be played in any order and you don't miss much other than the Beckett-Castle romance progressing). It's a nice background show in that you can watch it while doing something else, miss half the episode, and still roughly know what happened.

Starhyke (2009) [/] British science fiction comedy series of six 45-minute episodes filmed in 2004 but not released until 2009. In the far future humans have purged all their emotions and conquered or exterminated all other races in the galaxy. Captain Belinda Blowhard (Claudia Christian) of the Nemesis tries to stop a Reptid ship from going back in time to destroy humanity. But the Nemesis is caught in the time jump whilst the Reptid compassion bomb infects the crew with emotions. Now in the 21st century the Nemesis still has to stop the Reptids whilst the crew struggles with human emotions (mostly leading to a lot of sex jokes and sex). The series parodies other science fiction tv and movie media (e.g. chief of security is the always angry Wu Oof played by Rachel Grant). It’s funny at times and rather low brow humor. The 45-minute format allows for longer single-episode stories

Pro Snooker & Pool 2025+ (2022) [/] Play one of various versions of pool/snooker with a variety of tables. You control shot power, can spin the ball, and the UI shows you where the first ball hits goes. Feels more like a computer game port in that the graphics are not great and the UI is not great. But seems like a serviceable simulation.

Moonshot - A Journey Home+ (2022) [/] A gravity game. The anthropomorphic moon went through a wormhole and is lost and trying to get back to Mother Earth. In each level you fling it around gravity wells (and if planets you can enter orbit and then another fling) and into the exit wormhole. Pick up coins and probably do other things. Cutesy game but not that interesting.

The Roasted Crab, Santa Clara [+] Went here for lunch with my brother (the location is at Mercado Shopping Center). Catfish basket ($18) was delicious with lots of catfish and standard tasting French fries. Also garlic noodles ($11) which was also quite good. Would like to come here again next year during DDC.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-04-09T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250409-the-interpreter-2016.html#unique-entry-id-883https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250409-the-interpreter-2016.html#unique-entry-id-883The Interpreter is a Chinese romance drama running 42 45-minute episodes.

The setting is Shanghai's IAI (International Academy of Interpretation?) where Cheng Jiayang (Huang Xuan) is the young hotshot Chinese-French interpreter who is very demanding of his students. In the new trainee class is aspiring interpreter Qiao Fei (Yang Mi) who already had a bad run-in with Jiayang a couple years ago in Switzerland.

He already thinks she's not cut out to be an interpreter so he's especially hard on her but she perseveres and slowly a romance develops. But it turns out she used to date Jiayang's older brother Goa Jiaming (Gao Weiguang) and left Jiaming without saying goodbye and taking $100k (though that's a misunderstanding that is not cleared until halfway through the series). In any case that means Jiayang's mom is against Qiao Fei having anything to do with her sons.

On the good side the leads make a good looking couple (though in the Switzerland scenes Jiayang has an awful haircut) and Qiao Fei's roommate, small time actress Wu Jiayi (Li Xirui/Sierra Lee), is also quite attractive and has her own romantic subplot.

Unfortunately the series has lots of annoyances. Naturally a lot of translating into French which is obviously dubbed because it's out of sync with the mouth movements and the voices are different people. Several times they go to Switzerland but that must have been filmed at one time since Jiayang has a different haircut and actually kind of looks different so it's funny when he's in Shanghai looking great in one scene then travels to Switzerland and looks like his old self in the next scene.

There is a lot of skipping ahead and then barely referencing what was omitted. For example Jiayi meets a famous actor who gives her a ride in his van and then a couple of episodes later they're breaking up with no appearances in between. Or when another character gets married and a few episodes later we get back to them and her husband is abusing her and apparently it's been going on for a while. The main plot also sometimes seems to skip things.

As for the main characters they're both too secretive, especially Qiao Fei. In order to spare the other's feeling they'll both lie. This always backfires leading to people thinking one or the other is doing bad things or they are discovered in the lie. But apparently they don't learn and keep lying to each other. And the whole Qiao Fei breaks up with Jiayang to spare him in case she dies in a 50/50 brain surgery yet the breakup is also quite cruel to him.

So I did watch the whole thing and there are whole episodes and parts of episodes which are quite good. But this is really not a well produced series and has lots of flaws and lacks polish. If not for Yang Mi and Li Xirui I wouldn't have watched it all the way. Would not recommend watching this series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-04-07T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250407-the-andromeda-evolution.html#unique-entry-id-881https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250407-the-andromeda-evolution.html#unique-entry-id-881The Andromeda Evolution by Daniel H Wilson is a sequel novel to Michael Crichton's The Andromeda Strain which I haven't read but seen in movie format. In the first story a NASA probe crashes at a remote Arizona town and the probe carries an alien virus that kills humans within three days except two people. A team of scientists is sent to find out how to stop the virus and it's a fairly tense medical techno thriller without any bang bang action.

Evolution takes place four decades later. All governments have been conspiring to keep the Andromeda virus a secret so as not to panic the world. There are two variants: AS-1 that kills people and AS-2 that eats plastic astonishingly quickly. Taken together it's an alien weapon designed to keep intelligent life confined to their home planets.

An Andromeda structure appears in the middle of the Amazon jungle and a team of scientists is sent to find out how to stop it because it's growing and growing. It's an international team and it means at least one of them has a secret they can't divulge. There's also the jungle to contend with (though that's glossed over) and the indigenous tribes which have had almost no civilized contact (and that becomes important later).

There are two significant plot twists. There's also some elaboration as to how the Andromeda virus (not sure the original story specified but this one indicates it's more like nanotechnology) has been designed as a weapon. I like how Wilson adds that the Saturn hexagonal storm is actually a big Andromeda virus storm (formed after the events in Evolution) and it's started to emit a radio signal aimed outside our solar system which may lead to a sequel novel.

It's a pretty engrossing story. Very talky and thinking about things and not much action except once in the middle and then more at the end. Rather good sequel considering it's by another author, Crichton having died in 2008.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-04-04T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250404-spot-reviews-04-04-25.html#unique-entry-id-875https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250404-spot-reviews-04-04-25.html#unique-entry-id-875Star Wars Rebels (2014) [+] Animated series that ran four seasons. A decade-and-a-half after the Galactic Empire is formed rebel resistance cells start to spring up. One such cell is led by Hera Syndulla (Vanessa Marshall) and consists of Jedi not-quite-Knight Kanan Jarrus (Freddie Prinze Jr), his eventual protege Ezra Bridger (Taylor Gray), Mandalorian weapons designer Sabine Wren (Tiya Sircar), Lasat former honor guard Zeb Orrelios (Steve Blum), and the irascible astromech Chopper (Dave Filoni). Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein) makes some guest appearances and later on Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) is the Big Bad. This series makes the Ahsoka live-action series make more sense — not that it was particularly confusing but a lot of back story stuff in Ahsoka is developed in Rebels. Chopper is of course the best character in Rebels.

Flow (2024) [/] Animated film with no dialogue. A feral cat is caught up in a flood that drowns his homeland. He manages to escape on a small sailboat inhabited by a capybara. As the boat moves along they pick up a lemur, a dog, and a big white long-legged bird (secretary bird). The boat moves along the flooded land and they have adventures. And then the waters recede and the four (minus the bird) find themselves together perhaps lifelong friends… It’s not bad animation. Gets a bit psychedelic at times. At the end I’m not sure there was a point to the story other than this cat experiences this world-ending event.

Gear.Club Stradale (2022) [-] Apple Arcade. Italian driving game with pretty realistic physics such that in the first race — on a two lane mountain road — it's really hard to pass much less pass half a dozen cars to qualify. Not the game for me. But it is a nice looking game.

Sonic Dash+ (2022) [-] Apple Arcade. You play Sonic the Hedgehog running down a three-lane track. Pick up gold, zoom over monsters, jump and duck, activate powers. It's like an endless runner turned into levels. Maybe too much of a kid's game.

Pho Hoa & Jazen Tea, Mercado Shopping Center, Santa Clara [/] Came for dinner during DDC. Standard food. Was fine with a loud kid. Apparently part of a sizable chain. Was fairly full of people when we ate there.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-04-02T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250402-the-last-kingdom-2015.html#unique-entry-id-880https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250402-the-last-kingdom-2015.html#unique-entry-id-880The Last Kingdom is a five-season British historical drama set during the early 10th century following the course of uniting the various Anglo-Saxon kingdoms into England whilst those same kingdoms are beset by Viking invaders coming to conquer and make a new home in the British Isles.

Based on Bernard Cornwell's novels (who also wrote the Sharpe novels which I love and I think he has another series set during the American Revolution) the main protagonist is the fictional Uhtred of Bebbanburg (Alexander Dreymon). HIs father is betrayed, Uhtred is sold to the Vikings and he loses his ancestral home (in Northumbria, which borders Scotland) to his uncle. Uhtred is raised from about 10 years old as a Viking so he grows up a man of two worlds (a big theme of the show is the struggle of Christians vs Pagans).

After his adopted family is betrayed (again instigated by Uhtred's uncle) he ends up going to the Saxons and serving under the Wessex King Alfred (David Dawson) as a mercenary and Viking expert and as the seasons go on he rises through the ranks to become a minor lord. Meanwhile there is politics amongst Wessex (in the southern coast), Mercia (in the middle), Northumbria (in the north) and the various Viking domains and Uhtred is in the middle of it all. He also has many loves who tend to die or go mad or other bad ends to make room for his next love.

Lots of outdoor scenes and middle age structures. British production so they try to make it historically accurate (and Cornwell also writes his novels to be historically accurate but with some fictional characters) and many of the characters are historical (though to be fair the histories are not that detailed). Good battle scenes and I like the tactics shown. I like how the "major" cities are really just walled towns or partly walled towns.

Each season follows two novels so plot progresses fairly rapidly over the course of an 8 or 10 episode season. I did find the last couple of seasons less good possibly because I was used to the series so it was getting old hat. But it's also nice that at the end of the series there are conclusions and Uhtred's story is done.

I like the setting and I think it combines nicely with Pendragon RPG. Although Pendragon is more set in the mid to late Middle Ages and it's Anglo vs Saxon there the theme of invaders is much the same. The Vikings here have their own codes of honor vs what the Christians have and that's very Pendragon. Politics and the various adventures in The Last Kingdom can all be brought into a Pendragon campaign.

The Last Kingdom is a good not great series but I'm glad I watched it because it gives me a resource for the next time I run Pendragon.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-03-31T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250331-dungeon-of-the-endless-apogee-2021.html#unique-entry-id-878https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250331-dungeon-of-the-endless-apogee-2021.html#unique-entry-id-878Dungeon of the Endless: Apogee is the same version that Amplitude Studios released in 2014 and I even did a follow-up review because I loved the game. The version you get now from the App Store includes all five DLCs for $8 (sometimes on sale for $2 which I waited for and bought).

Essentially a turn-based + real-time science fiction rogue-like. Lead a party of four escaped convicts up 20+ levels from where your escape pod crashed to the surface of the planet. It's turn-based in that nothing happens until you open a door which reveals a room and possibly generates monsters in all discovered but unpowered rooms. It's real-time in that once monsters appear it's real-time (you can pause) until they die and then it goes back to turn-based.

8-bit retro graphics. Pretty cool sounds and sufficiently anxiety inducing when monsters appear.

Set characters (though a lot as you keep unlocking more) each with their own special abilities and backstory/behavior (some characters don't like each other and eventually one kills the other, or two characters may be friends and there is a synergy).

A little bit of base building. Rooms often have spots where you can build a major artifact (max one per room) or minor artifacts (zero to seven per room). Major artifacts produce resources (parts to build things, science for tech upgrades, food to heal and level up characters) while minor ones are weapons and defenses to fight monsters. Since you can't light up all the rooms having end rooms with lots of defenses is vital.

Anyways, the old game stopped working (I'm guessing 32-bit only game) so it's nice having a version that runs on current iOS devices even though you do have to pay for it again but $2 is very cheap.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-03-28T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250328-spot-reviews-03-28-25.html#unique-entry-id-874https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250328-spot-reviews-03-28-25.html#unique-entry-id-874Liz and the Blue Bird (2018) [+] Introvert Mizore (Laurie Hymes) and extrovert Nozomi (Stephanie Sheh) have been best friends for years and are both in their high school orchestra class. They have a big piece to do but Mizore sees that Nozomi is slowly getting other friends and leaving Mizore behind. For her part Nozomi starts to realize that her lesser skill is holding Mizore back from being a truly great oboist. Meanwhile Liz and the Blue Bird is a story about a girl who becomes best friend with another girl who turns out to be a blue bird. The story is about letting go of your best friend so she can be the best blue bird she can be… This is a pretty well done anime movie. The relationship is touching and subtle.

Monument Valley 2+ (2022) [+] Apple Arcade version I think is exactly the same. Escher-like puzzle game where you rotate 3-D pathways but when your character walks it's as if it's a 2-D world. It's quite beautiful and elegant but less than five hours of content even with the bonus scenario. So perfect for Apple Arcade.

Alto's Adventure - Remastered (2022) [+] Apple Arcade exclusive version subtitled "The Spirit of the Mountain". New scenes, characters, goals. Snowboard down an endless mountain doing tricks, collecting coins and llamas, and avoiding obstacles. Much like Monument Valley this has elegant graphics and gameplay and is a pretty chill (i.e. not high-stress) game.

Trader Joe's Vegetable Root Chips [+] Sweet potato, cassava and taro chips are quite tasty. Reminds me of Terra Chips which I also love. $3 for 7.5 oz bag.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-03-26T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/197d7a99a1792536df4d50e6b3b7bc7c-877.html#unique-entry-id-877https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/197d7a99a1792536df4d50e6b3b7bc7c-877.html#unique-entry-id-877Link: Eat, Love, Kill is a Korean romance drama of 16 hour+ episodes. Eun Gye-hoon (Yeo Jin-goo) is a celebrity chef who moves back to his lower-income hometown to start his own upscale fusion restaurant. Noh Da-hyun (Moon Ga-young) Is young woman who failed in the big city and has moved back home and eventually gets a job as a hostess in Gye-hoon's restaurant. Oh, and she's hiding from a stalker.

For some reason Jin-goo can feel Da-hyun's emotions whenever she has intense emotions. Just like with his sister who was kidnapped 18 years previously and presumably was murdered. But could Da-hyun be his long lost sister? Luckily after a couple of episodes Gye-hoon realizes Da-hyun is not his sister which helps because Da-hyun is attracted to him but he's been rebuffing her.

Anyway Jin-hoo is really back home to find out who murdered his sister. Pretty much the same people are still here and although one man was accused and later exonerated he believes the murderer still lives in the neighborhood. Meanwhile Da-hyun has her stalker who turns out to be one of the neighborhood kids from 18 years ago. And she starts to remember flashbacks from the time when Jin-hoo's sister was kidnapped, a time when something also happened to Da-hyun but she's blacked it out of her memory for almost two decades…

This is a romance plus crime thriller since the murderer is still out there and is a threat to both lead characters. The romance is fine although I don't think they ever really use the Link all that much. For supporting characters I like Hwang Min-jo (Lee Bom-so-ri) as the cute police officer partnered with her ex-boyfriend Ji Won-tak (Song Duk-ho) who has secrets of his own.

Threat of being murdered is a bit too high stakes for my tastes. It's also annoying that Da-hyun (and to a lesser extent Jin-goo) are willing to investigate or do things on their own late at night with no backup.

Overall this is an entertaining series. About average for K-romance drama but the average is very good compared to Western television.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-03-24T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250324-mentioned-in-dispatches-2018.html#unique-entry-id-876https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250324-mentioned-in-dispatches-2018.html#unique-entry-id-876Mentioned in Dispatches is the podcast of the Armchair Dragoons web site and it covers tabletop and computer (and some RPG and professional) wargaming. It's an open discussion amongst 3 to 5 people most of which vary from week to week (they do two season per year, each season about 14 episodes). One topic per episode.

I reviewed this once before and didn't like it because it seemed like meandering conversation and less about actual gaming. But now I've listened to seasons 1-5 and 11-14 (the latest).

Now I appreciate it more. They've done topics like Napoleonic wargames, Science Fiction wargaming, Professional wargaming, WWII PTO, Traveller RPG, and others. Mostly interesting though the conversation still meanders a bit. I do like they sometimes include wargame designers (tabletop and computer) and professionals (who run wargames for the military and government).

The other two wargaming podcasts I subscribe to are low volume this one has become my main one.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-03-21T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250321-spot-reviews-03-21-25.html#unique-entry-id-872https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250321-spot-reviews-03-21-25.html#unique-entry-id-872Wonderland (2024) [/] Ensemble film centered on Wonderland service which digitizes your mind and creates an avatar that thinks it's you and interacts with loved ones via video calls. Three plot lines: Bai Li (Tang Wei) is on an infinite archaeological dig while her grandmother and daughter interact with the avatar because grandma doesn't want daughter to know her mom is dead although later Bai Li avatar realizes what she is; Jeong-in (Bae Suzy) has digitized her boyfriend who is in a coma and when her real boyfriend wakes up but is a bit mentally damaged she continues to use the avatar for emotional comfort and then her boyfriend finds out; there's also a plot about how the developers are using the service and thinking about the ethical implications… I like the concept and the cinematography is good. But the intertwining stories made everything short and confusing for half the film. Making it just one storyline would have been better I think.

Wylde Flowers (2022) [/] "Wylde Flowers is a cozy life and farming sim with a witchy twist!" on Apple Arcade and other platforms. You (playing Tara) maintain a garden, interact with town citizens, become a witch and do quests. Has good voice acting. I find the characters slightly disturbing because their heads are slightly too big for their bodies.

Gibbon: Beyond the Trees (2022) [/] Apple Arcade game where you are a gibbon making your way (always going to the right) along a forest. You swing automatically and tap at the end of a limb to jump to the next limb. You can double hold down to slide or ambulate (never quite figured out what it did). Very few obstacles to stop you and as you go along a story unfolds about man encroaching on your home. I did find it a bit boring though it's a novel concept for a game.

Pho Nam Restaurant, Sunnyvale [/] $18 combo is large pho + a drink. I had some sort of beef strips pho and iced milk coffee and it was perfectly good. Place is in a small rundown corner mall and the inside is definitely down-scale. Staff is friendly and people didn't mind screaming from our table (kids).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-03-19T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240319-destined-with-you-2023.html#unique-entry-id-873https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240319-destined-with-you-2023.html#unique-entry-id-873Destined With You is a South Korean romance drama running 16 hour+ episodes.

Lee Hong-jo (Jo Bo-ah who was the female lead in Military Prosecutor Doberman) is a civil servant recently transferred to Onju City Hall working in the parks department where she starts disadvantaged because her new boss she reported for bribery (which was a misread on her part) and that his dislike leads her two co-workers to shun her leaving her alone (she has no parents).

Early on she's tasked with up keeping a specific park (think more like wilderness park not a city park) and her first problem is getting an abandoned shrine demolished after someone died live-streaming on the site. It takes her a bit of doing but she eventually does it over the objections of current land owner Jang Shin-yu (Rowoon). Shin-yu subsequently leaves his company (a big land developer but unscrupulous) and joins Onju City Hall as the lead lawyer.

While the shrine was being bulldozed Shin-yun found a buried box which his prescient aunt says belongs to Lee Hong-jo. Inside she finds a spell book from her Jeseon-era ancestor. One of the spells can break the Jang family curse, of which Shin-yu is starting to feel the effects (a brain tumor that is causing neurological effects like shaking hand). It takes a while to convince Hong-jo to try it but she does so. She then uses a love spell potion to captivate Onju City Hall hottie Kwon Jae-kyung (Ha Jun), who is the mayor's adviser.

But Shin-yu accidentally drinks the potion so the next few episodes are trying to reverse the effects since neither one wants a romance with the other. Of course eventually Shin-yu gives in as his rational mind comes to agree that Hong-jo is the one for him. Another complication is Shin-yu's girlfriend Yoo Na-yeon (Yura who I just saw in a supporting role in Forecasting Love and Weather). Na-yeon is the mayor's daughter and has been angling for marriage for some time now but Shin-yu didn't really love her even before the love potion.

While Na-yeon tries to sabotage any budding relationship between Hong-jo and Shin-yu the latter picks up a stalker who is much more sinister as the series goes on. There is also a whole episode in the past showing how Hong-jo's and Shin-yu's ancestors fell in love and then he betrayed her (for good reasons I suppose) and the stalker's ancestor is also there.

It's a fairly good romance. It is annoying that Hong-jo keeps doing things that put her in danger (apparently even though you know there's a stalker and know who he is going out alone to a wilderness park doing your job is fine). It's unfortunate that Na-yeon has to be the bad guy who bullied Hong-jo in high school and is just continuing being a Mean Girl, especially as there is a perfectly good bad guy in the stalker (played by Ahn Sang-woo). Shin-yu's illness is barely used.

Interestingly no other romantic subplots. Closest is Shin-yu's parents: Father Jang Se-hun (Lee Pil-mo) is sort of constantly belittling his wife, former actress Song Yoon-joo (Jung Hye-young) to the point where she files for divorce and now he has to win her back. But that's fairly late in the series, takes a while to get to the divorce notice, then is quickly resolved.

Not in my top K-romance drama series but still very enjoyable.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-03-17T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250317-burma-44-the-battle-that-turned-world-war-ii-in-the-east-2024.html#unique-entry-id-871https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250317-burma-44-the-battle-that-turned-world-war-ii-in-the-east-2024.html#unique-entry-id-871Burma '44 by James Holland covers the British perspective in western Burma from October 1943 to late February 1944. It's from the British perspective because that's where most of the historical records and memoirs are in. A bit of the Japanese perspective is also given mostly from their official records.

The first half of the book introduces personalities and what they did as well as British fortunes from the start of World War II until the start of 1944. Much is written about how Lord Mountbatten and General Bill Slim turned around morale and the way of doing things in that theatre to the point that the Allies (mostly British and Indian troops) were ready to go on the offensive again at the start of 1944.

Meanwhile the Japanese were getting ready two offensives: U-GO aimed at Imphal in March and HA-GO to the south in the Arakan Hills to go in February and draw British troops southwards and away from Imphal. The British offensive went off first and did well. Then HA-GO went off and surrounded the British salient.

The second half of the book goes in narrative detail on the battle of the Admin Box. British strategy at this point was to stand and defend in place when attacked by the Japanese. Like how they operated in North Africa, the British would form defensive boxes and let the Japanese exhaust themselves attacking and significantly defending the British supply concentrations so the Japanese could not get them — the Japanese army depended on capturing supplies to keep offensives going.

The Admin Box had the divisional HQ, a brigade HQ, a battalion of regulars, a couple of tank companies, and various other smaller units mostly medical, maintenance and supply. And most of the divisional supplies. Over the course of a couple of weeks they were repeatedly attacked and they repeatedly counter-attacked to maintain their perimeter (bordered by hills which prevented the Japanese from getting artillery observation; though artillery fire was also discriminate because the Japanese didn't want to blow up the supplies).

The air war is included once again mostly from the British side. The Brits started out with obsolete planes that were about evenly matched then started upgrading to Spitfires in late 1943 so by the time of the Admin Box battle they for the most part dominated the skies which also allowed air resupply of the Admin Box and other boxes (each brigade became a defensive box though the bulk of attackers were pitted against the Admin Box).

Lots of personal anecdotes and the narrative focuses on a few people on the British side because they wrote their memoirs or had diaries. Writing is good and moves along. A few maps so you know where the action is happening though I'm still not sure of a couple of places. It's a fairly engrossing read on a battle I've never heard of so just for that I'd recommend reading this book.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-03-14T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250314-spot-reviews-03-14-25.html#unique-entry-id-868https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250314-spot-reviews-03-14-25.html#unique-entry-id-868Happier Than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles (2021) [+] Billie Eilish 1-hour concert film on Disney+. It's every song in her Happier Than Ever album often with a bit of commentary on each and an animated story running in-between songs. I don't think I've ever really listened to Billie Eilish and it's interesting sort of folksy-contemporary music style. I think of Katie Melua though still quite different.

Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel Seasoned Kettle-Cooked Potato Chips [/] As kettle chips go about average and I think I’ve had better (Kettle brand is fairly good). Didn’t particularly like the seasoning (pepper and garlic) but I’m partial to plain or lightly salted chips. So slight mistake in me buying them not noticing they were seasoned chips.

Hidden Folks+ (2022) [/] Apple Arcade version. This is a Where's Waldo sort of gameplay: large and intricate black and white drawings and you have to find specific people, animals, or objects. It adds tap-able interactivity such as tap to clear brush or move tree leaves or open a door and reveal what's behind.

Bridge Constructor+ (2022) [-] Apple Arcade version. Build bridges using various materials and bracing techniques. Then run one of three different sized vehicles over it and see if the bridge holds (using a physics model to see how the bridge breaks if it does). It has hints but even I couldn't figure out level three or four.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-03-12T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250312-forecasting-love-and-weather-2022.html#unique-entry-id-869https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250312-forecasting-love-and-weather-2022.html#unique-entry-id-869Forecasting Love and Weather is a South Korean romantic comedy series running 16 episodes.

At the Korean Meteorological Agency (KMA) Director Jin Ha-kyung (Park Min-young) is the new head of Team Two. She has to deal with Han Ki-joon (Yoon Park), Director in the PR department and Ha-kyung's ex-fiancé who cheated on her with his new wife Chae Yoo-jin (Yura), a weather reporter in the newsroom.

Then arrives Lee Shi-woo (Song Kang), a hotshot weather forecaster who joins Team Two as Severe Weather Forecaster. His smug and impertinent attitude annoys Ha-kyung but slowly a romance develops even though Ha-kyung is against office romances after her experience with Ki-joon…

Not really a high-drama series which is fine with me. As usual the romance tries to be secret and drama ensues as various people find out. There is a tension because Shi-woo is against marriage (for reasons revealed later) and Ha-kyung wants to get married eventually.

A good subplot is Ki-joon and Yoo-jin's marriage which hits a rocky patch. Ki-joon becomes focused on breaking up Ha-kyung and Shi-woo because he thinks Shi-woo is not the right man for her. He also treats Yoo-jin with less respect as a serious reporter and lets her down on a couple of promises. I really like Ki-joon's growth when he realizes Yoo-jin is important to him and starts working on repairing his marriage which also matures him and he starts to support Ha-kyung and to a lesser extent Shi-woo when their relationship starts to flounder.

I like the meteorological background. Each episode has a different weather theme. We have two typhoons in one episode, a heat wave in another, first snow of the season in yet another. You'd think weather forecasting would be boring but the stakes are repeated over and over: inaccurate forecasting leads to economic loss and lives injured or lost.

Even though at one point Ha-kyung discusses why something can't be done because the KMA is underfunded it does seem comically well-funded. Nice building, big operations room with huge screens and good computers. And the satellite offices are also well-appointed. Just something that stood out to me when it usually doesn't.

I've now seen Park Min-young star in three series: Her Private Life (2019), When the Weather Is Fine (2020), and this one. I think in general this is the best of the three series with Her Private Life being a close second (When the Weather Is Fine was subpar). I think I liked her character best in Her Private Life as she had more emotions. In the other two series her character is rather subdued.

Song Kang I've also seen as the lead in My Demon (with Kim Yoo-jung). In My Demon his character is a little annoying but cool. In this one his character is very annoying the first half (and he has this really wide yet smug smile). I guess that's acting.

Overall Forecasting Love and Weather is a nice romantic comedy series. Entertaining and above average.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-03-10T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250310-bloons-td-6-plus-2022.html#unique-entry-id-870https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250310-bloons-td-6-plus-2022.html#unique-entry-id-870Bloons TD 6+ is a cutesy tower defense game where the towers are monkeys and the bad guys are balloons.

As usual for the genre there are set maps and the balloons follow set paths on each map. You place your initial monkey(s) and earn money by popping balloons which allows you to upgrade monkeys or place new monkeys (and there are a couple of structures like a banana farm for money generation and a house that buffs nearby monkeys).

Each monkey type can be upgraded with XP and monkeys get XP for usage so if you concentrate on a few monkeys they'll upgrade to max and the other monkeys will be at base level. Each monkey type has three improvement chains and when you upgrade a specific monkey you can have one chain at max upgrade, a second chain at two upgrades, and the third chain cannot be upgraded so there is room to specialize monkeys of the same type.

Balloons can have more color layers so they take more damage to kill. There are specialized balloons: camo which monkeys don't target unless they have specific upgrades, lead which shrugs off most damage unless a monkey has a different upgrade, blimps which can take a lot of damage and when they explode release lots of balloons.

Each map has some variant goals so you'll play them multiple times each game being different: restricted to certain monkeys, balloons move in different paths, you can't gain money, etc. There are also other game types like Odyssey where you have to complete a series of levels with the same group of monkeys.

It's a very polished game as you'd expect for the 6th in the series and in general an entertaining version of tower defense. I do think there is maybe way too much going on: too many monkey types and upgrades and balloon types and challenges. But I've spent a couple dozen hours playing and it's good.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-03-07T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250307-spot-reviews-03-07-25.html#unique-entry-id-867https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250307-spot-reviews-03-07-25.html#unique-entry-id-867Captain America: Brave New World (2025) [+] Newly elected President Thaddeus Ross (Harrison Ford) is desperately trying to form an International treaty to exploit the adamantium on Celestial Island (formed at the end of Eternals 2021 film). But the Leader (Samuel Sterns) is doing all he can top foil Ross and ruin his legacy as revenge because Ross imprisoned and used the Leader for years. Captain America (Anthony Mackie) and the new Falcon (Danny Ramirez) are caught in the middle trying to keep a war from breaking out… Saw this in a theater with my brother. A focused film running at about 1-3/4 hours of story. Fairly good special effects. Bit of meta-plot moving as President Ross asks Captain America to reform the Avengers (and the Leader tells Captain America that some big danger is coming). A perfectly entertaining super-hero action movie.

Hearts+ (2022) [/] MobilityWare's version of the card game on Apple Arcade. I like that it quickly teaches you the basics. You can play online vs random people or you can play vs bots. Not really into card games and I'd say this is not appealing enough for me to keep around.

Spades+ (2022) [/] Another MobilityWare game on Apple Arcade and has the same UI as Hearts+. Once again nice enough implementation though not that interesting to me.

Kevin’s Natural Foods - Thai-Style Coconut Chicken [/] sous-vide cooked chicken breast with a separate Thai yellow curry sauce. Microwave the chicken for a minute then add sauce and microwave for two minutes. It’s got a mild flavor (not as in not spicy but as in less flavor than I expected). Guess I wouldn’t recommend.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-03-05T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250305-something-in-the-rain-2018.html#unique-entry-id-865https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250305-something-in-the-rain-2018.html#unique-entry-id-865Something in the Rain is a Korean romance drama running the standard 16 hour+ episodes.

35-year old Yoon Jin-ah (Son Ye-jin; Thirty-Nine and Crash Landing on You) is an store support manager at CoffeeBay corporate HQ, competent and puts up with the casual sexual harassment endemic in her department. Her best friend Seo Gyeong-seon (Jang So-yeon) is a store manager at a local branch.

Enter Gyeong-seon's younger brother Seo Jun-hui (Jung Hae-in; Snowdrop) returning after three years working in America. He's a graphic artist for a computer game company that is HQ'd in the same building as CoffeeBay HQ so he and Jin-ah start encountering each other frequently. It's soon apparent that he's subtly pursuing Jin-ah but he's so slow about that she eventually makes the first move (in a cute dinner with friends scene).

Their romance proceeds along, kept secret from everyone else. The main conflict is when their families find out halfway through the series. Although Jinah's dad and brother eventually come around her mom Kim Mi-yeon (Gil Hae-yeon) is adamantly against it mostly because Jun-hui and Gyeong-seon grew up practically parentless (mom died after dad divorced and left them) and Jun-hui is not successful enough (he's 25 or so and not a business mogul or a PhD professional or lawyer).

The secondary conflict which also runs throughout the series is a sexual harassment case brought against Jin-ah's superiors. Although many women are affected and although they have support of a senior manager the President turns out to be quite willing to quash it. Pressure put on by the execs keeps all the other women in line and afraid so It becomes Jin-ah's sole burden to bear. It's a pretty good dramatic storyline showing how sexual harassment can be so hard to stop when the power of management Is against you.

The romance is really good. There is the usual they break up in the 15th episode then three years later they meet again and somehow get back together again in the end.

But their relationship has issues. A lot of their issues stem from white lies. They so often don't tell each other the truth in order to save the other from trouble and it always comes out and causes more trouble and they never learn to stop doing that. They also make big unilateral decisions without consulting each other and somehow expect to convince the other to go along after the fact.

Also the final reconciliation is a bit too pat. They build up the negative parts and arguments and continuing resentments and suddenly it's resolved in the final few minutes? And not really resolved it's like he realizes he loves her then visits her and he hugs her and apologizes and suddenly that's fine? I kind of wanted more talking and realizing that their problems result from so much white lying to each other.

The background music can be a bit annoying. Two American country songs are used extensively and I did start to hate them. On the other hand Rachael Yamagata has some original songs which are also played extensively and I do like her vocals.

Those problems keep this series from being ++ but it's still quite fun to watch. Son Ye-jin is so freaking good and she's totally carried the three series I've seen her in. The romance for all its flaws is still great to watch. The ending at least leaves the two happy together. (Now that I think of it, both Thirty-Nine and Crash Landing on You also had somewhat downer endings.) I recommend this series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-03-03T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250303-run-silent-run-deep-1955.html#unique-entry-id-866https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250303-run-silent-run-deep-1955.html#unique-entry-id-866Run Silent, Run Deep is a novel set in WW2 with a US submarine vs the Japanese foes. The author is Commander Edward L Beach, USN (retired) who served in submarines from 1942 to the end of the war, the latter part as an executive officer (2nd in command of a submarine).

The story is told from the first person by Commander Edward Richardson as recollections for a report done after the war. Richardson was commander of S-16, an out-of-date submarine at the start of the war. He went to command USS Walrus and then USS Eel.

With the S-16 the narrative is his XO, Lieutenant Jim Bledsoe, as he tries to qualify for command and ends up failing. Bledsoe blames Richardson but Richardson convinces his superiors to give Bledsoe another chance once he's had more seasoning (normally a prospective submarine commander only gets one chance to qualify).

But then war breaks out. Richardson Is assigned a new submarine, USS Walrus, and keeps most of his crew including Bledsoe. The second part of the book is getting the Walrus ready, traveling to Pearl Harbor (from the East Coast), then combat patrols in the Bungo Suido, an area between the southernmost main Japanese island the other two big islands where there is lots of shipping traffic.

Walrus encounters Bungo Pete, a Japanese destroyer with an experienced captain who has been making a habit of destroying US subs operating in the area. Their first encounter almost destroys the Walrus whilst in the second encounter the Walrus ambushes a convoy and escapes before Bungo Pete can get at them.

Richardson is wounded which takes months to recover. During his convalescence he's put in charge of finding out why American torpedoes keep failing to explode. Meanwhile Bledsoe is finally given command and takes the Walrus on three wildly successful patrols.

Once the torpedoes are fixed Richardson gets command of USS Eel, a new ship straight out of the yards. But Walrus has gone missing and fears are that Bungo Pete got them. Richardson convinces his superiors to let him and Eel go after Bungo Pete with their new torpedoes and so they go for their final battle…

This books is a great read. The submarine descriptions are detailed and evocative and there is a variety of missions and situations that occur. Setting up a torpedo attack or diving and evading a depth charge attack is well written and very tense reading. Unlike Hunt for Red October or Red Storm Rising — two of my favorite books — the action here is very personal and almost a battle of captain vs captain rather than ship vs ship.

I've seen the movie version and it's quite different. The movie is excellent and whether you experience the movie or book first I don't think it spoils experiencing the second afterwards.

Overall a great read.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-02-28T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250228-spot-reviews-02-28-25.html#unique-entry-id-862https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250228-spot-reviews-02-28-25.html#unique-entry-id-862Taylor Swift The Eras Tour (2023) [+] A three hour concert film from her Eras Tour where she sings representative songs from her career (the new Taylor's Version of songs). A lot of great songs and Taylor Swift has a great stage presence so this is a really good concert film.

The Super Models (2023) [/] 4-part documentary series looking at the lives of Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, and Christy Turlington. How they became models and started the super models trend and what they're doing now. Lots of interview footage with the four then and now and lots of great photos. It's interesting but not amazingly so and took me a while to watch all four episodes.

Past Lives (2023) [-] Childhood friends Nora Moon (Greta Lee) and Hae Sung (Teo Woo) were separated when her family moved to New York City. A dozen years later they happen to find each other online and rekindle a romance for a few months but their lives are separated as he still lives in Seoul, Korea, so they break up again. Another dozen years and he finally visits New York City but now she's happily married to Arthur (John Magaro) so it's more like time to say a final goodbye… A rather slow talky sort of film and I like how during their online relationship they have so many problems with connections and with finding a good meeting time. But ultimately it's a fairly boring film.

Hunan Mifen, Lawrence Expressway, Sunnyvale [/] Chinese rice noodles (round not flat). I had rice noodles with braised beeb sirloin and tomato. Comes in a soup. Tasted ok though I think Vietnamese Pho is better.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-02-26T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250226-love-next-door-2024.html#unique-entry-id-864https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250226-love-next-door-2024.html#unique-entry-id-864Love Next Door is a Korean romance drama running 16 hour+ long episodes.

Bae Seok-ryu (Jung So-min, who I loved as the female lead in Because This Is My First Life) returns home from several years working in the USA. Her parents soon discover that she quit her prestigious software engineering job and broke up with her fiancé [I never realize that one -é is for the man and two -ée is for the woman] but she won't explain why.

Choi Seung-hyo (Jung Hae-in, who played the male lead in Snowdrop) is a talented architect who has also returned home to start his own firm.

Both Seok-ryu and Seung-hyo were childhood friends and their families live next to each other and their bedrooms windows even face each other. There is a bit of distance though because Seung-hyo has unrequited love for Seok-ryu but in flashbacks throughout the series we see that his timing was never right to confess to Seok-ryu.

Still, now that they're back to being neighbors they frequently run into each other — though it's more like Seok-ryu invites Seung-hyo to various activities, he declines then shows up anyway, sometimes just in time to save the day. Romance starts developing.

Complication one: Seok-ryu's ex-fiancé Song Hyeon-jun (Han Joon-woo) arrives to win her back but she's definitely over him because he wasn't there when she needed him.

Complication two: Later on we find out that Seok-ryu had stomach cancer. The recover was difficult and lonely and that experience is why she quit her job and cancelled her marriage.

Complication three: Once the two are dating their parents find them out at a bad time when both mom's are quarreling hence both moms are against their relationship.

There is a secondary romance plot. Jeong Mo-eum (Kim Ji-eun) is another childhood friend of Seok-ryu and Seung-hyo's. She's a paramedic who falls for single dad reporter Kang Dan-ho (Yoon Ji-on) and his daughter Yeon-du (Shim Ji Woo) but when he realizes where this is going Dan-ho rejects Mo-eum and the mystery is why he does it.

This series is pretty good. I think Jung So-min is a good female romance lead. Also nice that although there is a life-threatening medical condition it doesn't end up killing one of the leads in the end.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-02-24T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250224-pedros-enchiladas-del-mar.html#unique-entry-id-863https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250224-pedros-enchiladas-del-mar.html#unique-entry-id-863Pedro's Restaurant and Cantina which I've been to before and the meal I had then was not that impressive. This time I had Enchiladas Del Mar ($30) and it was quite delicious. "Chile-spiced dungeness crab and shrimp wrapped in corn tortillas, roasted poblano cream sauce, sliced avocado, white rice, black beans."

Big shrimp and a nice sauce. Black beans were ok (refried beans would have been better). The whole thing very nice and since I'm here once a year I have to remember this is the entrée to get.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-02-21T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250221-spot-reviews-02-21-25.html#unique-entry-id-858https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250221-spot-reviews-02-21-25.html#unique-entry-id-858Carrie Underwood: Reflection (2025) [+] 90-minute concert filmed at her performance in Las Vegas. Theme is going through the hits of her 2-decade career. Lots of great songs.

Love Clinic (2015) [/] South Korean sex comedy. Gil Sin-seol (Kang Ye-won who I just saw in The Huntresses) is a female urologist who clashes with her medical neighbor Wang Seong-ki (Oh Ji-ho), an OB/GYN. He's impotent except when she's around. She can't seem to find any good men and is impressed when he shows a bit of thoughtfulness. The romance doesn't quite work in a movie timeframe. Ha Joo-hee plays the sexy neighbor In-young and she has several topless scenes.

Pachinko s1 (2022) [-] Drama that follows four generations of a Korean family from when Korea is subjugated under Japanese rule to modern day. It jumps back and forth following specific people in each time period. Good use of subtitles as sometimes speech isn't subtitled if the main listener doesn't understand. A rather serious drama but didn't really interest me although the last couple of episodes are cool as this includes a character living through the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake. I'll skip s2.

Joy Sushi - Dragon Ball [-] "deep fried spicy tuna w/parmasan [sic] cheese(5pcs)". $12. It felt and tasted more like a salty meat ball deep fried. Not tasty at all.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-02-19T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250219-call-it-love-2023.html#unique-entry-id-860https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250219-call-it-love-2023.html#unique-entry-id-860Call It Love is a South Korean romance-drama running 16 hour+ episodes and released on Disney+.

After being evicted from their family home Sim Woo-joo (Lee Sung-kyung) seeks revenge on the woman who did it (and also stole her father btw). The easiest target is her son Han Dong-jin (Kim Young-kwang, who I recently saw in On Your Wedding Day in the lead male role), CEO of a small and struggling exhibition and trade fairs company. Woo-joo gets herself hired as a temp and waits for her opportunity.

But while studying Dong-jin she comes to realize he's a very lonely man who distances himself from everyone because of a disastrous failed relationship. A complication when his old flame Kang Min-yeong (Ahn Hee-yeon). Anyway seeing that a Dong-jin is actually quite compassionate and lonely brings out the protective feelings from Woo-joo and that slowly turns to attraction and love for both of them.

Another complication is when Dong-jin and co-CeO Choi-Sunwoo (Jeon Seok-ho) find out that Woo-joo was working against the company, at least in the beginning. A final complication is when Woo-joo's family find out both that Dong-jin is the son of their hated enemy and that they're dating. They're forced to break up promising never to see each other again.

But one year later Woo-joo is told that mom was ok with Dong-jin all along. Also he's invited to Woo-joo's brother's debut concert. She shows up hoping to see him. He shows up late. They see each other. The audience fades away (a reference to something they talked about when people are in love). She smiles. He smiles. By the way, first and only time either of them smile in this series because they're both very somber characters. They run to each other and hug happily. A pretty nice ending.

This is a series that takes about six episodes to get going and then it's slowly going up and up with only a few dips and sticks the landing at the end. Even for a [+] K-Drama series one of the ones I like more.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-02-17T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250217-hellboy-tpbs-1994-2012.html#unique-entry-id-861https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250217-hellboy-tpbs-1994-2012.html#unique-entry-id-861Hellboy Trade Paperbacks v1 to v12 which span from his origin to the end of the first phase of his life. Mike Mignola did a great job with simple, stark, and evocative art. Hellboy himself is somewhat interesting — a demon raised by humans with a destiny to conquer mankind though he is dead-set against it.

Spanning 18 years there is no actual end plan until towards the end. A lot of self contained short stories which I like the most. The bigger stories that span two to five issues tend to have this drawn out pacing. Lots of sections with little dialogue, lots of small drawings to set atmosphere, and yet after you read an issue it feels like little happened (though first and last issues tend to have more story).

Even though I read a lot of Pulp Mythos stories because of Call of Cthulhu I'm not sure I love that genre. Hellboy is very much in the same style. I do like the earlier stories which had more Nazis with retro-tech and that's cool. Later on it's more fairy/magic sort of opponents which I'm less interested in. Overall I don't think I would have read these stories on my own.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-02-14T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250214-spot-reviews-02-14-25.html#unique-entry-id-856https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250214-spot-reviews-02-14-25.html#unique-entry-id-856Star Trek: Section 31 (2025) [+] Buddy adventure/mystery film. A Section 31 team led by Alok (Omari Hardwick) recruits Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) to recover a weapon and save the Federation from a Terran Empire invasion. We get flashbacks to how Philippa became Emperor. We have a unique set of characters in the team which includes Lt Rachel Garrett (Kacey Rohl), future captain of the Enterprise-C. We also have team members being killed because there's a traitor amongst them and I liked that part of the story best as they did a good of giving enough info to figure out the traitor just before the reveal. Fun action scenes too. Overall I really liked this movie as a non-theatrical movie.

The Huntresses (2014) [/] South Korean action/comedy set in the Joseon Period (1400 to 1900 AD). Three female bounty hunters — Jin-ok (Ha Ji-won) master of disguise, Hong-dan (Kang Ye-won) throwing dagger expert, and Ga-bi (Gain) martial arts hot-head — have to save the King by recovering a MacGuffin from the bad guys who are led by the man who had Jin-ok's father murdered… It's an ok film using lots of CGI.

Love, So Divine (2004) [-] South Korean romantic comedy film. Kim Gyu-shik (Kwon Sang-woo) is training to become a Catholic priest. Yang Bong-hee (Ha Ji-won) is the rebellious daughter of the church parishioner where Gyu-shik is training. Their clashes start to turn to attraction though I guess I missed the part where they fall in love because it seems so abrupt to me, hence why I letdown by the story. It's also a 20 year-old movie and looks really dated.

Joy Sushi - Baked Lobster Roll [-] "Crab meat & avocado topped w/ baked lobster, tobiko and joy special sauce". Basically a California roll with stuff on top. Very salty and I guess next time would eat it with extra white rice. $16.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-02-12T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250212-dating-in-the-kitchen-2020.html#unique-entry-id-859https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250212-dating-in-the-kitchen-2020.html#unique-entry-id-859Dating in the Kitchen is a Chinese romance-comedy running 24 45-minute episodes.

Talented but fierce and clumsy sous chef Gu Sheng Nan (Zhao Lu Si) is given the sole job of creating meals for the mysterious guest in room 1134. That person is Lu Jin (Lin Yu Shen), business maven and in line to inherit his mother's conglomerate. Lu Jin is very particular about what food he likes and so far this hotel he's interested in buying has a very pedestrian kitchen staff except for Shengnan.

They don't meet for several episodes except as that clumsy girl who spill stuff on Lu Jin. Then they get to know each other and maybe Lu Jin is falling for Shengnan more than vice versa. Minor complications are Li Man (Li Qian), Lu Jiin's business assistant and hand-picked by mom as a future bride for Lu Jin. Also there is Shengnan's childhood friend Cheng Zi Qian (Fu Jia) who comes in as the hotel's new manager and is determined to make his feelings known to Shengnan.

It's a pleasant series and Zhao Lusi is very charming and I've seen her in starring roles before in Hidden Love (2023) and Who Rules the World (2022). Lin Yu Shen seems ok and I don't think I've seen him before. The last few episodes have a serious subplot where Lu Jin's younger brother Lu Zheng (Yu Xiang) tries to manipulate the two into breaking up to distract Lu Jin and save Lu Zheng's company. Does make the last part of the series less good than the first score of episodes.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-02-10T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250210-wendigo-tales-vo-2023.html#unique-entry-id-857https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250210-wendigo-tales-vo-2023.html#unique-entry-id-857Wendigo Tales books — short stories set in the various Savage Worlds RPG settings. Deadlands RPG had a set of Dime Novels published which combined a short story with a corresponding adventure. Wendigo Tales v0 collects the stories in the original set of Dime Novels published for Classic Deadlands.

I never read the stories so was a bit surprised they all have Ronan Lynch as either the main or one of the main protagonists. Ronan is a Harrowed — undead powered by a demon (Manitou) — with free will although occasionally the Manitou can take over and cause mischief.

Anyway, Ronan travels the Weird West sometimes with allies (which can repeat) and sometimes alone. This being the Old West even investigation adventures end with gunfights. Ronan himself, and really all the characters, is thinly developed but I guess that's because the stories are by various authors.

What's more interesting are the various bad guys they fight. Vampires, Werewolves (via a Werewolf the Apocalypse crossover), Mi-Go (via a Call of Cthulhu crossover), as well as various Deadlands monsters. That's pretty much the only thing that keeps the stories interesting.

Otherwise I'm not impressed with these stories. Writing good short stories is a special skill and good short stories have a finish that rivals novels. I'd say in the end this is a book for completionists since Ronan is also in other Deadlands media.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-02-07T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250207-spot-reviews-02-07-25.html#unique-entry-id-852https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250207-spot-reviews-02-07-25.html#unique-entry-id-852Isle of Dogs (2018) [+] Stop-motion animated film set in a current-day Japanese city where dogs, due to being plague carriers, are all sent to a garbage island in the bay. Young Atari (Koyu Rankin) travels there to find his loyal pet. Once there he befriends a group of dogs who help Atari search for his dog. The film is from the dog POV and they all talk English (with English-speaking actors) while the humans talk Japanese with no subtitles for the most part since dogs don't know the language. It's a cute film.

A Quiet Place: Day One (2024) [/] The original film is set maybe a year after aliens have landed on Earth and claimed parts of the world. In this film the aliens attack and quickly overrun Manhattan Island. Sam (Lupita Nyong'o), who has terminal cancer, is trapped but instead of trying to escape she longs for slice of pizza from her favorite restaurant before she dies. Eric (Joseph Quinn), a British law student, befriends her and tags along and so eventually Sam has to make sure Eric makes it to the evacuation zone along with Sam's cat. Not a bad suspense/thriller film.

Step Up 2: The Streets (2008) [/] Street dancer Andie West (Briana Evigan) enrolls in a prestigious dance school and forms a crew out of the misfits in the school in order to compete in The Streets, a big underground competition. Lots of good dancing and their final dance routine is pretty good.

Trader Joe's Raspberry Stars [-] Two star-shaped shortbread cookies stuck together with raspberry jam. Personally I find them too sweet. Also too big so I split them apart with a knife — if I try it by hand they break apart into small pieces. Blueberry Muffins are better.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-02-05T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250205-kiss-sixth-sense-2022.html#unique-entry-id-854https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250205-kiss-sixth-sense-2022.html#unique-entry-id-854Kiss Sixth Sense is a South Korean romance series running for 12 episodes each an hour plus long. Set at a high-end advertising company, Hong Ye-sool (Seo Ji-hye, who plays Seo Dan, the female lead's romance rival in Crash Landing On You) is an up-and-coming project director groomed by the rather harsh company star Cha Min-hoo (Yoon Kye-sang).

Ye-sool is steadfastly single because of her secret power: when she brushes her lips on skin or hair she can see the future about that person. That's why she broke up with her great love, movie director Lee Pil-yo (Kim Ji-seok), because whenever she kissed him she only saw their relationship ending. And then Pil-yo is hired to direct their big commercial with Ye-sool in charge of the ad.

Meanwhile Ye-sool and Min-hoo have had an almost adversarial relationship. She appreciates his mentoring but he's very harsh with her. One day they accidentally kiss and she sees that in the future they are lovers. How does getting from here to there happen though? Meanwhile Min-hoo is being pursued by top actress Oh Ji-young (Lee Joo-yeon) who is also in the big ad, but Min-hoo thinks of her as a kid sister since they grew up together…

The series has good production value and attractive cast. Towards the end it gets dark when a villain is revealed, someone willing to kidnap Ye-sool and kill anybody standing in his way. And in the last couple of episodes they finally get together then find out they drive each other crazy and break up and maybe they get back together at the end? So those last four or so episodes are kind of disappointing.

Kim Ga-eun was good playing Ye-sool's cousin and roommate Ban Ho-woo, who is really smart and believes in having 7-day romances then breaking up before the inevitable letdown.

Overall still fairly watchable especially on Disney+ which doesn't have that many K-Dramas.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-02-03T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250203-the-lathe-of-heaven-1971.html#unique-entry-id-855https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250203-the-lathe-of-heaven-1971.html#unique-entry-id-855The Lathe of Heaven is a 175-page science fiction novel by Ursula K Le Guin.

Set in the present. George Orr is a man who doesn't want to dream and because of drug use is sent to a renown psychiatrist Dr Haber. Apparently when George has an Effective Dream he changes reality and everyone else thinks this is the way it has always been.

Once Dr Haber is convinced about George's power he uses George to make the world better. But dreams are finicky and even with the help of hypnotic suggestions the good changes that Haber wants are often balanced by unwanted changes. George on other hand doesn't like that Dr Haber is changing so much reality but George is a very passive man and goes along with the therapy sessions. Eventually George enlists legal aid from Heather Lelache and there is a small romance element there.

There are also vague turtle-like aliens that George dreamed up in order to bring Peace to humanity by making an external enemy. Once again after more dreams the aliens turn out to be friendly and integrate with humanity. George has a few enigmatic interactions with individual aliens and it's apparent that they know about Effective Dreaming and why his are so chaotic.

Meanwhile Dr Haber has been using an Augmentor machine to analyze and amplify George's dreams and he finally is ready to use the Augmentor to give himself the power of Effective Dreaming…

I've always believe that The Lathe of Heaven was really long and boring. I think this may be from watching parts of the PBS film adaptation when I was a kid and that was boring to me as a kid.

Reading it now it's well written and relatively quicker read than I expected. Although only three main characters only George is developed in that you see a lot of his thoughts and life. Dr Haber gets a bit of his thoughts also and Heather you do get a bit of her thoughts but definitely a minor character.

There's an element of how power corrupts and Dr Haber is not an evil man but more of a Utilitarian which is greatest good for greatest people which in this case means everyone being the same gray color (no racism nor racial wars) and everyone has the authority to execute anyone with cancer (though to be fair that may be more George dreaming something wacky than what Haber had intended).

George is a weirdly passive character to me. He could dream for himself, or try to stop Haber, or run away or commit suicide to save the world from Haber. But he does nothing and doesn't even expect things to turn out well in the end. As a protagonist he is rather dull and I guess one problem is that there is no one to care about. I don't care about George or Haber or Heather and I guess I care about what's going to happen in the end but in the end not a novel I'd ever want to read again.

This is a classic science fiction novel. Worth reading once.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-01-31T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250131-spot-reviews-01-31-25.html#unique-entry-id-848https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250131-spot-reviews-01-31-25.html#unique-entry-id-848Angel Cop (1989) [+] Six-part OVA of half an hour each released over five years. In a near future Japan the Special Security Force combats the terrorist group Red May who start turning up dead due to a mysterious third group with super-power. Angel Mikawa (Sharon Holm) is the newest member of the SSF though she doesn't work well in teams. Though I'd say this isn't a story about Angel but about the SSF. It's a bloody and rather adult language series that is one self-contained story. It's fairly good.

Trigger Warning (2024) [/] CIA combat field agent Parker (Jessica Alba) returns home after her father dies mysteriously. Her investigation leads her to a local arms smuggler whose brother is town sheriff and her old boyfriend. It's an action film so that's about it for characterization. Kind of like that she's mostly a knife fighter, using the knife her father gave her. But still, an average action movie released on Netflix, though I'm not sure where it fails.

On Your Wedding Day (2018) [-] South Korean, uhm, romantic comedy film? The story covers the relationship between Hwang Woo-yeon (Kim Young-kwang) and Hwan Seung-hee (Park Bo-young). They meet in high school where Woo-yeon convinces Seung-hee to date him. But after a few months she has to leave abruptly and they don't see each other again until college where she has a boyfriend. Then a few years later after he's back from military duty he has a girlfriend and she's single. But they do end up dating and in a relationship that unfortunately does not last. A few years later she's getting married and he finally realizes they are not mean to be together… I found this to be a bit dreary. The characters have no chemistry especially when they were in a relationship (and I guess that's intentional to show they weren't that compatible). This is not a story where I was at any point wanting these two characters to end up together. The comedy is very light, the romance is not, and I was glad when the movie finally ended.

Tugboat Fish and Chips, Pleasant Hill [/] We got takeout of the 9 piece family meal plus a corn dog and lumpia for $85 or so. Fish was ok (and their old menu had catfish strips but they don't currently offer it). Fries were good and lumpia was good (though the lumpia looked like premade not made there). Corn dog is frozen food corn dog. Overall probably would not recommend though it was ok food.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-01-29T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250129-crazy-love-2022.html#unique-entry-id-853https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250129-crazy-love-2022.html#unique-entry-id-853Crazy Love is a Korean romantic comedy tv series running sixteen 70-minute episodes. Lee Sinah (Krystal Jung) is the long suffering secretary of Noh Gojin (Kim Jae-wook). After making it a year she is told she's suffering from brain cancer, probably caused by the stress of her job. Sinah decides to take revenge on Gojin and as luck would have it he is the victim of a hit-and-run and when he wakes up with amnesia Sinah declares she's his fiancee.

The next part is Sinah making Gojin's life hell by making eat all the foods he hates and doing activities he hates and being nice to the employees of his company. (Gojin runs a college-prep education company and Sinah wants to be a teacher but failed her audition. There's also rival education companies and a bit of behind the scenes of the teachers doing stuff — it's an unusual work topic.)

The tables turn when Gojin reveals he's never had amnesia and has been pretending in order to catch who tried to have him murdered. Sinah is blackmailed into keeping up pretenses while Gojin investigates. And now is the point when they start to other has positive qualities…

Fairly standard K romance. Kim Jae-wook was also the lead in Her Private Life which I kind of like a bit more than this series. I think partly is that they're both portrayed negatively so you have two characters to redeem. On the other hand there is Baek Sooyoung (Yoo in-young) as Gojiin's first love and Oh Segi (Ha Jun) as the company VP and both of them have villain arcs that are resolved amicably by the end so it's nice that everyone ends up as a better person at the end.

I saw this on Disney+ though I guess it's actually on Hulu. It's a perfectly fine series though I guess more average than good.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-01-27T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250127-rakuten-viki-free-tier.html#unique-entry-id-851https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250127-rakuten-viki-free-tier.html#unique-entry-id-851Rakuten Viki is a streaming service for Asian movies and tv shows which relies on community translations. They have a free tier (limited selection with ads, 480p), standard tier ($8/month no ads, 720p), and plus tier ($12, 50% more content than standard, 1080p). I've been using the free tier for a month.

In terms of video quality 480p is not great watching on my 10" iPad screen. You can have good 480p video with the right compression but I guess Viki uses a lesser compressor with lower bit rates. Start/stop responsiveness is average for streaming (Netflix being the best). Controls don't show up for about 20 seconds at start so you have to watch a bit of the beginning of a video.

Ads are fairly standard. They tend not to play on my older iPad so the main video stops for a minute and then continues. In general more ads than Prime Video free tier.

Translations are very good, often translating pertinent text that's on screen (like signage) and sometimes adding a bit of commentary (e.g. why are some references relevant to Asian viewers).

Content is fine even on free tier. I've found entertaining shows and movies. I like that the browse interface labels free/standard/plus content so even though you can't filter for just free content it's still easy to find.

Overall given I currently love Asian romance movies and tv shows this is a service to keep around though maybe 4th on the list (Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, Viki) because of the video quality.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-01-24T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250124-spot-reviews-01-24-25.html#unique-entry-id-847https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250124-spot-reviews-01-24-25.html#unique-entry-id-847Pixel Perfect (2004) [/] Disney Channel movie. After their band is rejected by a music label — because their lead singer Samantha (Leah Pipes) is not charismatic enough — high schooler Roscoe (Ricky Ullman) uses his father's tech to create Loretta (Spencer Redford) a holographic singer. But as the band's success grows Roscoe and Samantha's friendship deteriorates while Loretta starts to yearn to be more than just someone who exists in the confined spaces of a stage. Also a corporation wants to buy Loretta's tech, and Loretta… It's an ok movie with some song numbers while not being a musical.

Goodbye Dear Wife (2012) [-] South Korean romance drama running 20 episodes. After three years of marriage Cha Seung-hyuk (Ryu Si-won) and his wife Kang Sun-ah (Hong Soo-hyun) have grown apart. He longs to find his first love Oh Hyang-gi (Park Ji-yoon) and when he does is determined to divorce Sun-ah though because she's a devout Catholic is going to be hard. But the more he tries the more realizes he loves her… My two big criticisms is that they never really establish why they fell in love in the first place (there are flashbacks that explain it but they're not convincing) nor why they love each other now. Also the ending is not great — it takes the shortcut of "let's not show the actual resolution and skip ahead 18 months". Overall although watchable it's a low quality story.

Oddmar+ (2019) [/] Oddmar is an Apple Arcade Viking-themed side-view platformer that works well with a controller. Collect triangles (you have a minimum to pass each level) and find three optional secrets. You have the standard move left and right, jump, jump on wall then jump again, axe slash, climb ropes, jump on switches. If you die you restart at the last checkpoint so I suppose eventually you can beat any level. It's kind of an average platformer so not much to recommend it specifically.

Yea Foods Mini Soupy Pork Bun with Crab Meat [/] Xiao Long Bao which are dumplings with soup. These come frozen and you need to steam them from frozen. I have a steamer thing from my old rice cooker and just used a regular pot to steam them (make sure to cover pot so it gets hot). They still came out only ok so it's harder to cook than it looks (and also a couple of years past expire date). Think I'll stick with something simpler like frozen potstickers.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-01-22T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250122-new-amsterdam-2018.html#unique-entry-id-849https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250122-new-amsterdam-2018.html#unique-entry-id-849New Amsterdam is a medical drama tv show. Dr Max Goodwin (Ryan Eggold) is the new Medical Director of New Amsterdam, the largest public hospital in New York. As he battles throat cancer he turns the hospital upside down remaking all the procedures and focusing everything on helping people over any sort of budgetary restrictions.

With Freema Agyeman as Dr Helen Sharpe, possible love interest which finally happens in season 4; Janet Montgomery as Dr Lauren Bloom, who battles addiction throughout the series; Jocko Sims as Dr Floyd Reynolds, handsome surgeon who can't seem to find the right woman for him that would also get his mom's approval; Tyler Labine as Dr Iggy Frome, psychiatrist who eventually suffers PTSD from treating his patients; Anupam Kher as Dr Vijay Kapoor, a doctor who is often exasperatingly holistic about his methods; Dr Elizabeth Wilder (Sandra Mae Frank), who comes in season 4 as a brilliant (and deaf) surgeon.

Season 1 is great, 2 is ok, 3 is getting old with Max's antics, 4 turns it upside down with a new Medical Director (played by Michelle Forbes) who wants to return to profits over patient care, 5 is a bit more normal hospital drama though some good high concept episodes like how they tried to help after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade. Adding Sandra Mae Frank was great as her character has Max's dynamism while showing how a deaf surgeon could work at a major hospital.

The season finale was well done. In Max's final day before leaving for his new job in Europe a patient requires a prolonged surgery that will require 51 doctors. Meanwhile we get shots of New Amsterdam's new Medical Director. It's only at the end that we realize the B plot is a couple of decades in the future and the new Medical Director is Max's daughter Luna Goodwin (played by Nora and Opal Clow throughout the series and as an adult by Molly Griggs).

Overall a pretty good American tv series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-01-20T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250120-macbook-pro-with-m4-pro-2024.html#unique-entry-id-850https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250120-macbook-pro-with-m4-pro-2024.html#unique-entry-id-850MacBook Pro with an M4 Pro chip (12-core CPU, 16-core GPU), 24 GB Memory, 512 GB SSD fro $1750 ($250 off) + tax and have been using it for about 4 months. My previous MBP was a 16" Intel (the last Intel version before M1 MBP was released) with 64 GB RAM, 8 GB Video RAM, 8 TB SSD for over $6k.

First off it's really fast. MacWhisper was transcription at about 1/2 real-time speed (6 hour recording taking 12+ hours to create a transcript) and now it's more like 8x real-time speed. AI transcription taking advantage of the M4 AI cores. Handbrake (video encoding which I use to re-encode Twitch VODs to a smaller format) is about 3x as fast.

I was worried about memory but it has not been a problem. Like right now it's:

20 GB used (App memory 7.4 GB, Wired 3.6 GB, Compressed 7.4 GB)
5 GB cached files
3.8 GB swap used

And I have lots of apps open including Xcode. Whenever I check it's about 18 GB used even running DDO or Tiny Tina's Wonderlands via CrossOver. Which coming back to speed DDO runs great with graphics on medium or high and two instances running where before two instances could lag with low graphics (especially on warm days). Tiny Tina's on medium graphics runs great and before I had to keep it on low. Mind you CrossOver is not Silicon-native so it's going through Rosetta 2 translation.

I haven't tried running Windows via VMWare Fusion, mostly because I haven't been able to get one of the free personal licenses. At this point I'm back to "avoid running Windows at all and depend on CrossOver", though CrossOver didn't work with Red Dead Redemption 2 and that runs ok on the Intel MBP Bootcamp-ing into Windows 10.

As regards to performance the fan is usually off and when on much quieter than on my Intel MBP. It comes on for MacWhisper and Handbrake. Sometimes for CrossOver DDO and always for Tiny Tina's.

512 GB SSD is rather small. I bought Samsung T7 Portable SSD, 4 TB size for less than $300 and I don't notice it's any slower than the internal SSD (though I suppose if I had to run macOS from the external SSD I'd notice). Moving everything off I could (you can set Music, Photos, TV, Steam, CrossOver to use an external drive; App Store install too but only for applications bigger than 1 GB) I have 300 GB free on the internal SSD.

Still, an external drive is not the most seamless solution. macOS doesn't really support user home folders on external drive (you can set it in advanced options but in my experience login would have issues like some dock icons being blank because external drive doesn't mount until later in the login process). User Library folder is still on internal drive. Download file option in Safari (e.g. when you look at a PDF and then cursor to bottom a download button shows up) goes to downloads folder you set. Mail though will download to user Download folder if you use one way to one-click download and will use the download folder you set in settings if you use the other way to download. And recently I can't set a file type default app to an application on external drive.

External SSD uses a USB-C port and MBP M4 has only three of those. Luckily it has a dedicated MagSafe 3 port for power and an HDMI port for a monitor so turns out I didn't have to buy a dock for extra ports. I use MagSafe for power; USB-C for external SSD, 27" monitor, USB hub on the monitor; HDMI for 24" monitor; audio out for headphones. That leaves the SDXC card slot which I guess can also be an external drive although looking it up its max 2 TB and USB 2 transfer speed.

14" monitor is a bit smaller than my Intel MBP 16". You can set it on max space and with good eyesight it's fine and for me usable if I keep close to the monitor. When I visit my parents it's usable and I can play DDO or other games fine. But even the 16" was kind of small and much prefer a 27"+ monitor.

I haven't really tested battery life. Seems to last longer but I'm rarely on battery. WiFi 6 is a bit faster connected to a WiFI 6 router like I now have. Running Intel apps I don't notice any difference as Rosetta 2 is really good and the M4 is really fast.

Overall I find that this is a great machine that is not limiting, other than SSD space. This plus the external SSD were both less than $2500 including tax but no extended warranties. I feel like 24 GB memory is good though I'd benefit from 32 GB to eliminate swap space usage (just noticed 4K Video Downloader+ is using 5.7 GB memory but it's not doing anything, yikes).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-01-17T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250117-spot-reviews-01-17-25.html#unique-entry-id-844https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250117-spot-reviews-01-17-25.html#unique-entry-id-844King (2011 TV Series) [+] Canadian police procedural that ran for two seasons. Toronto Detective Staff Sergeant Jessica King (Amy Price-Francis) is put in charge of the Major Crimes Task Force after it's former head, Detective Sergeant Derek Spears (Alan van Sprang, the recurring main bad guy in Shadow Hunters), blows it on television news. Every episode is one case which King solves by being better at noticing things, reading people, and following hunches. There's also a bit of a love triangle with King in a troubled third marriage to officer Danny Sless (Gabriel Hogan) and a former romance with Spears who is also married but separating from his wife. I liked this show because King has a brash attitude but also loves her nice clothes and designer heels.

Star Wars Forces of Destiny (2017) [/] A series of 32 3-minute animated shorts of scattered little vignettes, mostly featuring female characters of the Star Wars universe. I like the shorts featuring Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Princess Leia (Shelby Young) since those characters are not seen outside the movies — even Padmé Amidala (Catherine Taber) often appears in Clone Wars animated series.

Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) [-] Second of the reboot where the main Ghostbusters team is the Spengler family: mom Callie (Carrie Coon) — Egon Spengler's daughter — son Trevor (Finn Wolfhard), daughter Phoebe (Mckenna Grace) and boyfriend Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd). While the Mayor wants them shut down for their reckless behavior a demon is accidentally released — Garraka the Frozen Lord. In the end he's defeated by a Deus ex machina and even having small roles for the original (surviving) Ghostbusters doesn't save this story… Looking back now I don't think I like any of the Ghostbuster stories. The original movie was the best but that's because of the comedians playing the characters and not the story.

Kirkland Signature Beef Lasagna [/] Perfectly passable lasagna. Takes over an hour to cook from frozen though was a bit watery so maybe I undercooked it a bit or didn't let it sit long enough. When it's hot it's fairly tasty and once it cools less so. A whole lot of calories though so I'm fine passing on this. Actually about as good (and watery) as their Giovanni Rana Beef & Short Rib Lasagna though the latter has less meat but maybe tastier meat.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-01-15T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250115-alien-romulus-2024.html#unique-entry-id-846https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250115-alien-romulus-2024.html#unique-entry-id-846Alien: Romulus is set between the first two Alien movies. A group of young adults living on a Weyland-Yutani company world want to be free from their indentured lives and escape to a better colony world. To do that they need to loot the abandoned space station Romulus for the cryogenic components they need for an interstellar trip (it's both interesting and yet not really explored how Alien has maybe a slow FTL tech that requires cryogenic suspension for humans so interstellar travel is possible but sending a platoon of Colonial Marines to rescue a colony world seems like they'd be too late to do any good).

Anyway, they get to the space station, explore, find that the station was doing bio-weapon experiments, and run into various Alien creatures that offs them off one by one.

Rain Carradine (Cailee Spaeny) - main protagonist

Andy (David Jonsson) - damaged android modified by Rain's father and whom she treats as her brother, he has an interesting arc starting out like he has mental disabilities then getting upgraded on the station to his normal self but with company-first directives.

Tyler (Archie Renaux) - Rain's ex-boyfriend
Kay (Isabela Merced) - Tyler's sister, pregnant
Bjorn (Spike Fearn) - Tyler and Kay's cousin, hates androids so he hates Andy
Navarro (Aileen Wu) - ship pilot and Bjorn's sister
Rook (Daniel Betts) - damaged science android on the Romulus who wants to save some Alien bio form from the station's destruction.

This movie has a very Alien the original movie vibe. Big empty structure, eerie noises, savage Alien attacks. On a big screen it looks great. I did find the part where the station crashes into the colony world's rings rather funny since the rings are crazily dense.

Overall an entertaining Alien scary movie.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-01-13T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250113-the-last-watch-2021.html#unique-entry-id-845https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250113-the-last-watch-2021.html#unique-entry-id-845The Last Watch is a science fiction novel by JS Dewes and the first novel of The Divide series.

In the far future Augustus Mercer aka Cavalon, disgraced scion and heir of the largest ruling house of the System Collective, is exiled into the Legion and assigned to the Sentinels where all the misfits Legionnaires go. The Sentinels are stationed at the edge of the Universe which is a measurable dividing line and any matter that crosses that line is de-rezzed into nothingness. Which is strange since the Viators came across the Divide to destroy the Human race and almost succeeded with a depopulated humanity still recovering and still fearful of a new invasion.

Mercer meets Excubitor Adequin Rake, commander of the Sentinel battleship SCS Argus, though after a couple hundred years of sentry duty with few supplies it's less of a space-going ship than a barely mobile base. As an aside it's kind of neat that the Legion uses Roman Empire-reminiscent rankings: Optio are high rankers, Circitors are sergeants or lieutenants, Oculus are the privates. Anyway, Rake is a hero of the last Viator incursion and she personally wiped out the last Viator mother and yet now she's also exiled to the Sentinels. As another aside Rake is also a Titan, which is the elite first-response unit of the Legion.

The main plot is that something is happening with the Divide, it's moving inwards which could signal the contraction of the Universe. As SCS Argus is in peril because her star drive is non-functional Mercer is part of a team sent to the Kharon Gate — old Viator gates are used for I assume instantaneous FTL travel though ships can also travel FTL at a slower pace — where they find it abandoned and are attacked by Drudgers, a warrior race developed by the Viators. Meanwhile the Divide catches up to SCS Argus and Rake is forced to abandon ship with a few survivors…

I like that Dewes does not go into long explanations. Things and terms are introduced and maybe briefly described but it's basically bits and pieces until you get a clearer picture. So for example the Titan stuff and what it means to be a Titan takes a bit to figure out.

Also it's nice that there is no romance subplot between Mercer and Rake, and no real hint of it either in this book. In this story Rake has a romance subplot with a long-time friend.

There is not a huge big battle or even big events in this novel. Sure SCS Argus is destroyed, the Divide is contracting, and the Viators seem to be back. But it's more like things are starting rather than being resolved and the novel ends at an interlude. It's a novel designed to be the start of a series.

The writing style is good. It's more conversational and literally lots of dialog between the characters and not that much of their thinking (or maybe average compared to their talking). It is kind of a slow-moving story and sometimes it was getting close to being a bit boring, though I did read it 50 pages at a time alternating with other reading material.

Characters are still a bit mysterious. Some of their background is revealed but even the two main protagonists have lots of stuff left unsaid since there are more books in the series. Mercer starts out a bit spoiled and sarcastic but grows once he's in the military while Rake is kind of disillusioned though still believes in the Legion and her growth is letting that blind faith go.

Overall I liked this novel more than the last couple of science fiction multi-book properties I've read. Could make a good RPG setting.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-01-10T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250110-spot-reviews-01-10-25.html#unique-entry-id-840https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250110-spot-reviews-01-10-25.html#unique-entry-id-840Christmas with a View (2018) [/] Clara Garrison (Kaitlyn Leeb) is a restaurant manager at a winter resort. Shane (Scott Anthony Cavalheiro) is a celebrity chef hired to be head chef. He's immediately attracted to her. She thinks he's a shallow celebrity… A pleasant romantic winter movie.

Candy Cane Candidate (2021) [+] After a failed run for Boston city council Julia (Jacky Lai) returns to her hometown to recharge over the holidays to find that her former high school rival Parker (Jake Epstein) is running for mayor unopposed. She can't stand that so Julia also joins the race and the short two week campaign throws them together over and over until sparks fly… I like this one better as the characters are more dynamic.

Under the Christmas Tree (2021) [/] Charlie (Tattiawna Jones) arrives at a small Maine town looking for and finding the perfect tree for use as the capitol's Christmas tree. But that tree holds sentimental value to Alma (Elise Bauman), set to take over her parents' Christmas stuff mail-order store. Charlie's strategy is to go on a charm offensive and it helps that they're both attracted to each other… Nice LGBT romantic winter movie though it's kind of an average story on par with Christmas with a View.

An Unexpected Love (2003) [-] Not a Christmas movie. Television drama about a woman, Kate (Leslie Hope), who divorces her husband, gets a job at small real estate company, and falls for the owner Mac (Wendy Crewson). The drama is when Kate's family and friends finds out and criticize her lesbian turn… It's a bit too tv movie quality and maybe heavy handed. It tries to be serious which also makes it a bit dreary.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-01-08T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250108-tacoma-fd-2019.html#unique-entry-id-839https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250108-tacoma-fd-2019.html#unique-entry-id-839Tacoma FD is a sitcom revolving around A-shift of a Tacoma, Washington fire station.

Fire Chief Terrance Leslie McConky (Kevin Heffernan) - recently promoted, easy-going big man
Captain Edward Penisi Jr (Steve Lemme) - McConky's brother-in-law, loves to pull pranks
Lucy McConky (Hassie Harrison) - the teams new recruit, Chief McConky's daughter

The rest of A-shift is Granny Smith (Marcus Henderson), Andy Myawani (Eugene Cordero), and Ike Crystal (Gabriel Hogan) — who moonlights as an exotic dancer.

The first season is the best since it's new. The 4th season replaces Andy with new recruit Andy Mickleberry (Christopher Avila).

It's a rather humorous show with lots of off-color jokes and I appreciate that they didn't sexualize Lucy McConky.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-01-06T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250106-the-navy-a-history-1938.html#unique-entry-id-837https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250106-the-navy-a-history-1938.html#unique-entry-id-837The Navy is a history of the United States Navy from the American Revolution onwards.

It has captains and above and juniors who became captains. It describes the various ships and in battles lists all the ships and their number of guns. It also goes over the various struggles during interwar years as the Navy was often downsized and neglected.

The writing is story style with events unfolding and quotes and near quotes and gossip thrown in. Naval battles are described in good format for a history book and I suppose you shouldn't expect modern-day diagrams showing the plots of each ship as there might not be that much detail in the historical records.

The book was written in 1938 so it does have the years of armistice navies then naval buildup. A chapter or two were added in 1941 sort of giving the state of the fleet vs Japan and key territories that each side will want to control.

There are appendices listing all armed ships built with some details plus end notes and an index.

As a history I guess it's fairly good as it's a 400+ page book with lots of text and there are illustrations — ships in battle paintings with a few photographs towards the end. Even though it has a story style and sometimes has people saying things it's still mostly a dry read of things happening and details of battle with not that much of the human element.

Anyway, I read this as someone who likes military history and as such it's a book that will be in my library though I wish there were a better book.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-01-03T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250103-spot-reviews-01-03-25.html#unique-entry-id-835https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20250103-spot-reviews-01-03-25.html#unique-entry-id-835Appleseed Alpha (2014) [/] Japanese/American OVA prequel to Appleseed. In post-apocalyptic Earth the full-human Deunan (Luci Christian) and mostly-cyborg Briareos (David Matranga) team up with two agents from the mythical Olympus in order to destroy a giant prototype walker 'mech before Talos (Josh Sheltz), a rogue Olympian, seizes it and uses it to conquer the New York area… I liked Appleseed and it had great CGI which did not come through as I watched this on YouTube.

The Greatest Hits (2024) [/] Starts in media res. By listening to songs Harriet (Lucy Boynton) can travel back in time (for the duration of the song) to when the song was playing in her past when her boyfriend was present. She's trying to save him but always fails. And then she meets David (Justin H Min) and a new romance is not what she needs when she has this mission… Interesting concept competently executed.

Cruise (2018) [-] Set in 1980's New York. Italian-American Gio (Spencer Boldman) spends his time drag racing, stealing car radios and cruising for girls. He meets "Francesca" (Emily Ratajkowski) and immediately falls for her. She in turns wants a little adventure for her this is a Summer fling. Things get a little heated when they break into a car and find a brick of cocaine… Small budget film, not all that interesting, not sure the cocaine subplot adds to the movie.

Alignable [-] Based on the invite link I thought this was a site for vendors to get customer references and recommendations. No it's more like a typical B2B connections site and they're pretty aggressive about connecting you to vendors that then want to sell to you. I was trying to be nice to our vendor but this was a mistake.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2025-01-01T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/5bec3d542da593bb8fb6788894b08ea0-838.html#unique-entry-id-838https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/5bec3d542da593bb8fb6788894b08ea0-838.html#unique-entry-id-838Find Yourself is a Chinese romance drama tv show running 41 40-minute episodes.

At the small interior design company Amazing Decorations He Fanxing (Victoria Song) is a 32-year old administrator/manager who's been patiently waiting for her first love to come back and maybe kindle a relationship but it turns out he's getting married. Now on the wrong side of 30 she doesn't know if she'll ever find love.

At that point He Fanxing comes to the attention of two men. Yuan Song (Song Weilong) is a college intern at Amazing Decorations whose always though of her as cold and distant but a couple of incidents causes him to re-evaluate her and he starts to become attracted. He does eventually convince her to start dating him though she makes the stipulation that it must be secret for three months.

After they start dating comes the second suitor, Ye Luming (Wang Yaoqing), head of a small advertising firm that has business with Amazing Decorations. He's 37, career driven, and after many blind dates hasn't found anyone interesting. Once again a couple of incidents has He Fanxing starting out as someone unappealing but later incidents also make him realize she's quite different privately.

The series follows He Fanxing and Yuan Song as they navigate their secret relationship. Meanwhile Yu Luming becomes He Fanxing's platonic friend because he has a "secret love" that is taken by another man. Ye Luming uses his "I'm a friend" advantage to undermine Fanxing and Song's relationship until they break up and he sweeps in for the second half of the series…

There are a couple of other romantic subplots. The ending is an episode or two too long as He Fanxing inexpertly tries to win back Yuan Song. Everyone in the cast is very attractive.

Once again I'll contrast this story with The Rational Life, another Chinese romance where the older manager woman is pursued by a younger underling. That one I like more because there aren't extra romance subplots and the story concentrates on the two. Find Yourself is still better than average but it seemed to have more filler episodes where nothing advances. Still, I did quite enjoy watching Find Yourself.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-12-30T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241230-samsung-t7-portable-ssd.html#unique-entry-id-836https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241230-samsung-t7-portable-ssd.html#unique-entry-id-836Samsung T7 Shield Portable SSD with 4 TB for $286 + tax. This is a midrange/consumer-level SSD with 1 GB/s transfer speed and the shield version has a better case that is water and dust resistant. It comes with a cable and plugs into a USB-C ports.

I use it for all my data + big applications (especially Epic, Steam, and CrossOver games). Do not notice it being slow at all reading or writing (even though the internal SSD is 6x faster). Since user Library and such are on the internal SSD I can actually login to my account without the drive connected though there will be problems, but in an emergency I at least have that option.

The drive pretty small, about a half-thick pack of small playing cards (i.e. not poker cards) and fairly light. I can hook it up and put it behind the MBP screen and not notice it. Also have picked up my MBP forgetting about the drive and the cable and connectors are strong enough to not disconnect the drive.

Samsung has Magician Software 8.2 which allows you to do some SSD performance/diagnostic/maintenance functions. It wants to install a kernel extension which by default is now disabled in macOS. Apparently without the extension it doesn't see the connected T7 which doesn't bother me except if I need to update the drive's firmware. Maybe they'll one day have an updated version of Magician Software. Luckily it has a cleanup script to uninstall it.

In any case it's a portable and rugged SSD drive that is fast enough and certainly cheaper than paying for more drive space in a Mac. Don't know about long term reliability but I assume it'll be good since Samsung is good with HD and SSD drives.


]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-12-27T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241227-spot-reviews-12-27-24.html#unique-entry-id-832https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241227-spot-reviews-12-27-24.html#unique-entry-id-832The Acolyte s1 (2024) [+] Set kind of far back from the main timeline. Jedi are being murdered and Jedi Master Sol's (Lee Jung-jae) former apprentice (and expelled from the Order) Osha (Amandla Stenberg) is the prime suspect. Sol eventually teams up with Osha to hunt down her twin sister who may be the acolyte of a dark Jedi (the Sith being so unknown it's not the first thought of any of the Jedis)… A high budget series and it shows with some great CGI and fight scenes. Gets a bit dark in the end but seems like it would have been interesting if the series had been renewed for a second season.

Tales of the Jedi (2022) [/] Six shorts taking place before the Clone Wars. 1, 5, 6 center on Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein) as a baby, training with Anakin Skywalker, and during/after the Padmé Amidala's funeral. The other three are about how Dooku (Corey Burton) became disenchanted with the Jedi Order and turned to the Dark Side.

Tales of the Empire (2024) [/] Another six shorts this time taking place after the Galactic Empire is established. The first three deal with Morgan Elsbeth (Diana Lee Inosanto) as her clan is destroyed and once she establishes herself on Corvus before The Mandalorian and Ahsoka arrived to overthrow her rule. The other three shorts tell what happened to Jedi Apprentice Barriss Offee (Meredith Salenger) after she betrayed the Jedi Order and was imprisoned just in time to survive Order 66.

Mai (2024) [-] Vietnamese romantic drama. Mai (Phương Anh Đào) is an attractive almost-40 single mother who attracts the romantic attention of a ladies man pianist from a rich family. Their romance is nice but their economic differences and her dark past threaten to tear them apart. Ironically in the end it's her decision to split up that ends it leading to a Bad Ending.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-12-25T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241225-monarch-legacy-of-monsters-2023.html#unique-entry-id-834https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241225-monarch-legacy-of-monsters-2023.html#unique-entry-id-834Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is an Apple TV+ series set in the Monsterverse universe (i.e. Godzilla and King Kong).

After their father disappears Cate Randa (Anna Sawai) finds her half-brother Kentaro (Ren Watabe) and together with Kentaro's ex-gf May (Kiersey Clemons) they go in search of him and run into an elder Lee Shaw (Kurt Russell) who is willing to help them but has plans of his own.

Meanwhile a secondary storyline set in the 1950's involves Keiko (Mari Yamamoto), a younger Lee Shaw (Wyatt) — who was a major character in Kong: Skull Island — and a younger Lee Shaw (Wyatt) as they form the nucleus of Monarch, which is the government entity tasked with researching and battling giant monsters — called Titans or MUTOs (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms).

I've watched Skull Island and maybe Godzilla (2014) so not that familiar with the universe. The series is still fairly interesting with a globe-trotting find the McGuffin story and the occasional monster is pretty cool. The characters are interesting and they have their secrets. There are also a couple of plot twists I didn't see so that was nice.

There will be a second season which is good since the first ends in a bit of a cliffhanger.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-12-23T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241223-orion-browser-v0.99-2024#unique-entry-id-833https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241223-orion-browser-v0.99-2024#unique-entry-id-833Kagi is a search engine started in 2018 that is subscription based with no ads and trying to surface less spammy results. There is a good interview with the founder at The Talk Show.

Orion started in 2020 as an alternative Mac/iOS web browser based on Web Kit. They want it to be privacy focused, include ad-blocking, support Chrome/Firefox extensions, and be integrated with Apple services. Still in beta I guess so when I tried it not ready for prime time.

Current issues

• YouTube videos might not play, stuck forever loading.
• If you select some text, tab out and back, it's no longer selected. Turns out I use this a lot to mark where I left off.
• Passwords integration is a bit more cumbersome since you have to login to Passwords, though I guess this is not their fault. Also doesn't support Passwords verification codes but I guess that's also not their fault and it's Apple APIs.

]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-12-20T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241220-spot-reviews-12-20-24.html#unique-entry-id-829https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241220-spot-reviews-12-20-24.html#unique-entry-id-829
Dial S For Santa (2023) [+] A nice little Hallmark channel Christmas romance movie. Insurance investigator Lana (Sarah Dugdale) visits her hometown in time to get embroiled in a mystery as there have been several recent robberies. Her help is unwelcome by the new police detective Nick (Julian Haig) but he eventually gives in and lets her help him. Romance ensues. It's a safe and charming story.

Prospect (2018) [/] Small science fiction film. Teenager Cee (Sophie Thatcher) and her father are independent miners that go to a planet to mine for this liquid you get from certain plants. While there Ezra (Pedro Pascal) and his companion try to rob the two and after a shootout only Cee and Ezra survive. They are forced to work together to find a way off the inhospitable planet (humans can't breathe the atmosphere) and as they make their trek they run into a cult that wants to "buy" Cee and then mercenaries who have a sudden need of miners… It's a character drama about Ezra and Cee and their interactions. Though Ezra caused Cee's father's death he regrets the necessity and is a rather practical rogue who by the end is a bit of a new father figure.

Splash (1984) [/] Allen (Tom Hanks) meets a mysterious woman, Madison (Daryl Hannah), who can't speak English until she spends a day watching television and who apparently loves him out of the blue. But she's secretly a mermaid who saved his life when he was a young boy and apparently fell in love with him then. After her secret is revealed to the world and she's taken by the government to be studied and dissected Allen has to search within himself whether he can love a fish-girl… This is an ok film. I contrast this film with Mannequin (1987) which I think is better because there both of the leads have significant characterization. In Splash though Madison is not that well developed as a character so she pales compared to Allen. Although that just means Splash is more a story about Allen than Allen and Madison.

All Purpose Cultural Cat Girl Nuku Nuku (1998) [-] Half hour episodic Japanese anime. Nuku Nuku (Allison Keith) is an android with the brain of a cat who is trying to assimilate as a normal high school girl whilst battling the machinations of the megacorp Mishima Industries. Each episode is hijinks usually ending in Nuku Nuku battling some giant machine or monster and it's nice that Mishima Industries is trying to conquer the world by building great and gigantic consumer products that unfortunately tend to go haywire and go on destructive rampages. I watched the first 8 episodes on Amazon Prime Video which shows them in a converted size so that the top and bottom are cut off — tall people's heads are cut off and there's often writing at the bottom introducing characters and that also gets cut off and is not translated in any case. The viewing experience in APV is quite bad and the show is a bit too kids-only humor. Animation is not that good considering it's 1998 but maybe that's APV not the original animation.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-12-18T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241218-fly-me-to-the-moon-2024.html#unique-entry-id-831https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241218-fly-me-to-the-moon-2024.html#unique-entry-id-831Fly Me to the Moon is an Apple TV+ movie taking place in the months before Apollo 11 landed on the moon.

Ad executive Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson) is "hired" by Richard Nixon's representative Moe Berkus (Woody Harrelson) to make NASA glamorous and get the American public behind the upcoming moon landing. Kelly has to tangle with Cole Davis (Channing Tatum), head launch director at the Kennedy Space Center. He's very by the book and doesn't want Kelly's publicity stunts from interfering with operations.

Kelly does have a way of getting her way and she brings in a lot of money by bringing in a lot of advertisements. From car sponsorships to Tang the drink of astronauts to Omega watches. Meanwhile Kelly and Cole have a developing romance and everything is going great.

Which brings us to the plot twist. Moe is afraid that the moon landing will fail or that the astronauts will not do the right thing so he has Kelly organize a secret film project to film a fake moon landing just in case. This goes from having a pre-filmed video just in case to shooting it live and replacing the video feed (not audio) feed with the fake feed during the moon landing. Eventually Cole finds out and Kelly agrees to help him somehow stop the fake moon landing project (which leads to some heist-like tense sequences during the moon landing and film set)…

It's a charming movie with two great actors. Like Wolfs, this is another theater-quality film on Apple TV+. Unlike Wolfs this one probably needed more CGI and props to recreate 1969 and the moon landing (though I think archival footage is also used) but it looks great. It's a good film.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-12-16T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241216-dandara-trials-of-fear-plus-2021.html#unique-entry-id-830https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241216-dandara-trials-of-fear-plus-2021.html#unique-entry-id-830Dandara: Trials of Fear+ is the Apple Arcade version of Dandara. This is a side-view platformer where you play Dandara who can only step on lighted platforms which might be vertical or horizontal or diagonal so you can be zooming around upside down or whatever.

You wander around avoiding hazards, flipping switches, and talking to people. Explore areas and open up new areas. You are trying to free the people of Salt (an underground city) and the various map areas are areas of Salt though you really can't tell except the areas have names.

It's a fairly polished game. I played it for an hour and maybe not for me. This game is somewhat like Shantae and the Seven Sirens but I that game had good dialogue and was humorous. Dandara is more somber with its dialogue. Still, a good game that doesn't quite make the cut as a keeper.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-12-13T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241213-spot-reviews-12-13-24.html#unique-entry-id-826https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241213-spot-reviews-12-13-24.html#unique-entry-id-826Love 911 (2012) [/] South Korean romantic drama film. In order to defeat a lawsuit, Doctor Mi-soo (Han Hyo-joo) has to convince firefighter Kang-il (Go Too) to file a complaint against the guy to ruin his credibility. When Kang-il reacts poorly and refuses Mi-soo becomes a volunteer medic and instead tries to seduce him. All the pretend and closeness and shared danger starts to bond the two together… It's a nice enough film, entertaining but not great.

To Your Last Death (2019) [/] Animated horror film. Terminally ill industrialist Cyrus (Ray Wise) lures his three wayward children to his high rise offices intent on killing them through various means. Miriam (Dani Lennon) is the sole survivor but is arrested by police. The Gamemaster (Morena Baccarin) offers to send Miriam back to redo it with her current knowledge but she has to be entertaining or the game will keep changing… It's very low budget with Adobe Flash-level animation. The story has a good premise though it is rather confusing. On the plus side it's very gory and has good voice acting. Overall I wouldn't recommend.

The Alamo: 13 Days to Glory (1987) [-] An old tv movie on The Alamo starring James Arness as Jim Bowie, Brian Keith as Davy Crockett, Alec Baldwin as Bill Travis, and Raul Julia as Santa Anna. Lots of character moments and subplots, probably all fictionalized. Battle scenes are ok — good action but hard to tell the various phases of the final battle. For the time it's not that bad but today it's rather dated.

Trader Joe's Root Vegetable Fries [/] This is sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, parsnips. Tastes just fine (i.e. can't tell it's carrots or beets). The bag I got had been thawed and refrozen so the fries were clumped together making it harder to cook right. I got four snack-sized servings and once it was perfect, three times ok.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-12-11T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241211-mls-season-pass.html#unique-entry-id-828https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241211-mls-season-pass.html#unique-entry-id-828
Initial VOD includes breaks and commercial time (commercials are blacked out so you just get "we'll return soon" type of message for a few minutes which you can skip over). Two or three days afterwards there is a clean VOD that skips commercials but pretty much only has the actual game (plus a minute or two of the intro before game starts) no halftime talk or post-game coverage so if you want that you need to watch it live or the VOD before it's updated (though if you're in the middle of watching a VOD when it's switched out you might resume and it's 20 minutes further on which is annoying).

I like that almost every clean VOD is about an hour and 45 minutes. Two halves each 45 minutes plus a few minutes of extra time then it's over. If tied it's tied. Only in the playoffs or Leagues Cup you might get an extra period and/or penalty kicks. I'm also fine that penalty kicks are playoffs only as they make playoffs a bit more exciting.

I didn't watch any of the special segments or the MLS sports talk show they have. I think they also have MLS Next Pro (a league that's a tier down and also used for training a la MLB Minor Leagues or NBA Developmental League) but I don't see those games available so I guess they take them down at the end of the Next Pro season.

Is it worth $100 a year ($80 if you have Apple TV+ subscription)? If you're really into MLS then definitely as the broadcasts are good and the commentators are good (and all games have an English commentary team and a Spanish commentary team with some games having a French commentary team). If you want to watch every game it's a lot but I guess doable if you don't watch anything else or have a hell of a lot of free time like I do. I guess still sort of worth it if you only follow one team since it's going to be like 30+ games.

One great thing is that you do get to see every MLS game, there is only one tier to subscribe to, and all games are available worldwide.

NFL+ ($50 per season) gives you some games, NFL+ Premium ($100 per season) gives you all games, though sometimes not live due to local tv contracts I assume.

NBA League Pass ($110) you can also watch every game but your local team's games delayed 3 days.

MLB Network ($7 per month) has blackouts for regular and post-season games so a much lesser offering than the others.

NHL does not seem to have a service that offers all games, or any games really — you're supposed to watch ESPN+ or other tv/cable channels.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-12-09T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241209-resident-evil-2-2019.html#unique-entry-id-827https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241209-resident-evil-2-2019.html#unique-entry-id-827Resident Evil 2 was just released for Mac and iOS. This is the remastered 2019 version of the 1998 game, ported over to Mac. On Mac you need an Apple Silicon Mac with macOS 13+ and it's a 22 GB download. The first 30 minutes is free and then you have to in-app $40 ($10 on sale until Jan 08 2025) for the full game.

In RE2 you play Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield, although one at a time. There is a part A and part B to the story and each part you can play Leon or Claire and I assume they keep meeting up and getting split apart, though you also can have other companions. Raccoon City has fallen to a zombie virus so the characters enter an overrun city and have to somehow escape.

On first start it was in window mode and I could full screen with maximize button. Turns out mouse mode does not work well. The cursor is visible and won't move past window boundary which means when you're turning you'll stop when the cursor hits a boundary. Then you have to jiggle the mouse around to temporarily get full range of motion back. I feel it would be unworkable during a zombie attack.

I switched to my Xbox controller and that works fine.

Graphics are less good than I expected. Game play is 3rd person perspective, wander around, pickup and interact with objects, solve puzzles, shoot or stab zombies. It's not meant to be an FPS rapid movement shooter.

The demo part you start with Leon an do the tutorial in a gas station mini-mart (where you meet Claire for a bit though only as cut-scenes) then a section where you explore part of the police station and get attacked by zombies. It was 45 minutes including configuring and figuring out the controls and switching to a controller.

Even at $10 I'm not sure I'd buy it. A bit too horror for me. And I do have a lot of games I've never played.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-12-06T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241206-spot-reviews-12-06-24.html#unique-entry-id-825https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241206-spot-reviews-12-06-24.html#unique-entry-id-825Inside Out 2 (2024) [+] In this sequel the four emotions have to deal with Riley (Kensington Tallman) entering puberty which causes new emotions to join the team. When crisis comes newcomer Anxiety (Maya Hawke) has a plan for Riley by ditching her old friends and hanging out with the older ice hockey team girls. Anxiety jettisons the old emotions into the wilds and now Joy (Amy Poehler) has to lead them back and save Riley… For a sequel this film is quite good though not quite as good as the original. A bit weird that most of the character growth is Riley and the new emotions rather than the old emotions.

Starstruck (2010) [/] Disney Channel movie. On a family vacation Jessica Olson (Danielle Campbell) has a run-in with pop star Christopher Wilde (Sterling Knight) and ends up hiding out from the paparazzi with him. She starts falling for his good looks while he likes that she’s genuine and not a fangirl. The turn comes when the media finally find out about the two and he has to throw her under the bus to protect his reputation. Can he make it up to her?… A perfectly fine Disney Channel teen romance movie.

Real Madrid: Until the End (2023) [-] Apple TV+ documentary about the Real Madrid (European football) club's 2021-2022 season when, after a few disappointing seasons, they won their 14th Champions League title. It's three episodes and each episode highlights a couple of the players whilst going through the regular La Liga season and the Champions League tournament (in soccer there are tournaments that coincide with the regular season so some teams or players have these extra games that count). I did find this documentary a bit boring since I'm not familiar with Real Madrid and I have no interest in European football (America's Major League Soccer is entertaining enough for me). I felt this documentary is more for fans of Real Madrid.

Kajiken, San Mateo [/] Kajiken is a Japanese restaurant specializing in Aburasoba which is dry ramen (no soup but has sauces). I had Homura Aburasoba (spicy minced pork and poached egg). Tastes fine though I guess I'd rather have a good soup to go with my ramen.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-12-04T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241204-marriage-not-dating-2014.html#unique-entry-id-819https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241204-marriage-not-dating-2014.html#unique-entry-id-819Marriage, Not Dating is a South Korean romance drama.

Gong Gi-tae (Yeon Woo-jin) is a plastic surgeon who just wants to live alone in this specific house but mom Shin Bong-hyang (the veteran Kim Have-sook who I've seen in multiple K-Dramas) keeps setting him up on blind dates and badgering him for money.

Gi-tae helps his best friend Lee Hoon-dong (Hey Jung-min) break up with his girlfriend Joo Jang-mi (Han Groo) who was about to propose marriage. This leads to Gi-tae and Jang-mi not liking each other — well, she doesn't like him and he feels a bit sorry that she got dumped the way she did.

Gi-tae convinces Jang-mi to pose as his girlfriend — both in order to keep his mom away and to make Hong-dong jealous. Being forced to pretend starts to become more and more real especially for Jang-mi who is much more out there and shows her emotions. Gi-tae might feel the same but he's very introverted and instead treats her badly in order to keep her attention.

Complication is that Jang-mi moves on from Hoon-dong and pursues the handsome Han Yeo-reum (Jeong Jin-woon) who also likes her so Gi-tae is constantly interrupting their romance. Meanwhile Gi-tae's ex-fiancee Kang Se-ah (Han Sun-hwa) is back. She is also a doctor and they had an amicable breakup but she is secretly still in love with Jang-mi and a much more suitable match from Bong-hyang's perspective.

A side romance involves Jang-mi's friend and co-worker Nam Hyun-hee (Yoon So-hee) who pursues Hoon-dong after he dumps Jang-mi, though once he gets jealous Hong-dong pursues Jang-mi again (and she's moved on to Yeo-reum)…

Took a bit but I ended up liking this series. At first I thought Han Groo was over-acting but I think the character is more of a Lucille Ball physical comedy as Jang-mi is constantly accidentally hitting things or when she's "acting" she takes it way over the top. In contrast Gi-tae is a rather subdued character who likes Jang-mi but can't show his affections other than being mean to her which is off-putting.

Overall it's a good series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-12-02T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241202-the-struggle-for-taiwan-2024.html#unique-entry-id-818https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241202-the-struggle-for-taiwan-2024.html#unique-entry-id-818The Struggle for Taiwan: A History America, China, and the Island Caught Between by Sulmaan Wasif Khan, Denison Chair in History and International Relations at the Fletcher School, Tufts University.

It's a political history starting from the end of the last Chinese Dynasty, when the KMT party was created and ending I guess late 2023 or early 2024 (book was published May 2024 so I guess published quickly to make it trendy).

The main part is Taiwan's political history from the KMT takeover through their dictatorship which ended in the 1970's and then democracy. Meanwhile you get things that the USA did or mainland China did as they evolve their relationship with Taiwan as a key bone of contention.

A lot of four on internal politics in Taiwan and USA since I guess there are more documents available whereas PRC (People's Republic of China) coverage is less and more guesswork.

The tone is rather 20-20 hindsight. The author points out a lot of mistakes each side makes without really going into "this is how these guys saw it so it makes sense from their POV".

My sense is that the bias is that the author would like to avoid war — several times he strings together a string of unlike what-if's that might have resulted in armed conflict and portraying it as a horror to be avoided. And maybe because of that I get the feeling the author would be just fine if the PRC took over Taiwan (without war, not necessarily peacefully though) and therefore ended that possible flashpoint.

This is my first book on Taiwan and the political history side seems ok. Did not appreciate the tone nor bias (I wouldn't say pro-PRC but more like pro-this problem should go away and if the price is Taiwan's current independence then that's fine).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-11-29T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241129-spot-reviews-11-29-24.html#unique-entry-id-815https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241129-spot-reviews-11-29-24.html#unique-entry-id-815Green in My Heart (2020) [+] Hour-long K-Drama romance story. College best friends — new director Han Seo-Rin (Jun Hyo-seong) and popular actor Cha Soo-Hyuk (Choi Kyu-Jin) — are reunited for her first film in Korea. He still professes his love for her but she wants to remain friends since the lead actress is his public girlfriend (a publicity stunt but she actually wants to be his girlfriend). Lots of little flashbacks to fill in the story. Very tight story with little characterization but it still works.

My Last Love (1999) [/] Romantic drama tv film starring Nancy Travis as Susan, a terminally ill mom who moves back to the West Coast to arrange her last months. She meets Michael (Scott Bairstow) and can't help falling for him, who is fine that she has a strong-willed daughter, Carson (Jamie Renee Smith). It's a nice story with little drama points -- such as Susan's parents being upset when she wants Michael to adopt Carson after Susan dies -- that don't blow up and ruin the theme.

Alto (2015) [/] Romantic comedy small film. After she finds the dead body of a mafia goon, struggling musician Frankie (Diana DeGarmo) comes to the attention of the local mafia boss, the FBI, and the boss's daughter Nicolette (Natalie Knepp). Although Frankie just accepted her boyfriend's marriage proposal Nicolette starts to bring out feelings Frankie didn't know she had (and it helps that Frankie and her fiancée have quite different ideas of what their marriage will be like). It's a nice film for the apparent budget. With Annabella Sciorra as Frankie's mom.

Go Back to China (2019) [/] Los Angeles native Sasha (Anna Akana) is forced by her estranged father Teddy (Richard Ng) to move to China and work in his toy factory. She befriends older half-sister Carol (Lynn Chen) and two half-siblings (because Teddy kept cheating on his current wives and then remarrying). Working at the factory Sasha also learns to take on responsibility and goes from spoiled brat to a more mature adult. It's an entertaining coming of age story though could use more production.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-11-27T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241127-wolfs-2024.html#unique-entry-id-817https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241127-wolfs-2024.html#unique-entry-id-817Wolfs is an Apple TV+ movie starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt as two nameless freelance fixers working one night in New York City. A dead Kid (Austin Abrams) in a high end hotel is an inconvenience for the powerful woman who was having sex with him and the powerful woman who owns the hotel. They both bring in their own fixers to clean up the situation and to make sure their respective interests are handled they force both wolfs to work together in this job.

The job gets weirder when the Kid has a backpack full of cocaine bricks and it turns out he's not dead. So now the wolfs have to make sure the drugs are returned and that the Kid won't talk about this. More complications follow…

This is a high end movie. Clooney and Pitt are great verbally sparring with each other. Cinematography is really nice. It's shot at night so not that many characters or extras around. Great atmospheric music. Very entertaining movie and probably would have done well theatrically.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-11-25T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241125-unlock-2017.html#unique-entry-id-813https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241125-unlock-2017.html#unique-entry-id-813Unlock! Is a series of puzzle-solving board games. Each comes with three puzzles and each puzzle is based on a set of custom cards.

You begin with a start card which has a drawing and maybe some numbers. Numbers correspond to other cards which you then display and they might have numbers. A card can also tell you what old cards to remove as the story progresses and this also helps so you don't have to consider useless cards.

Some cards have a blue number and some cards have a red number. Sometimes the solution is to combine appropriate blue and red cards (e.g. a blue key with a red door) — add their numbers and that gives you a new card to flip.

These games feature a mobile app. The app keeps track of the timer (an hour timer seems typical), there is a button to subtract 1m penalty (some cards are traps to discourage random guessing), and in the end it rates you one to five stars. Some cards have a machine symbol which then the app shows you the machinery to manipulate. The app can also give you three clues for each card (affects your score).

The "add two cards to find third card" was very familiar and when I looked at Space Cowboys they also did T.I.M.E. Stories which are also cool mystery stories though they don't use an app but instead have tokens and resources which Unlock! Does not have.

We played an adventure in a circus. This one had cards you lay and overlap to reveal new numbers (edge of one card is the tens-digit and overlap shows the one-digit). You also built a circus tent in the end with certain cards and if you look at it just right a number was revealed. Also there is a sheet where you slot in circus act cards and when you turn it over there is a simple math formula to reveal another card.

The second adventure you used a ray gun that transfers your mind into various animals. This one had a recording that you play and then hover the phone over the right card to reveal the clue (the app uses the camera and can somehow identify cards). You also used the app to view cards and see hidden things. And use the app to simulate shooting an animal with your ray gun to switch minds (and in one puzzle the animal kept moving around the card so you had to figure out that you had to shoot where it would appear next).

These are fun detective solving sort of games. Too bad this format you can pretty much only play each adventure once. Still, quite enjoyable experiences.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-11-22T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241122-spot-reviews-11-22-24.html#unique-entry-id-812https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241122-spot-reviews-11-22-24.html#unique-entry-id-812Never Been Kissed (1999) [/] Nerdy newspaper copy editor Josie Geller (Drew Barrymore) gets her big shot at being a reporter by going undercover at a local high school to do a story on how today's teens live. Although she first starts out with the geeks, led by Aldys (Leelee Sobieski), she manages to turn herself into a popular girl and starts having the time of her life, including a possible romance with history teacher Sam (Michael Vartan), which suddenly becomes the story since Josie is masquerading as an underage high schooler... It's an ok film but the high school stuff seems rather stereotypical. Has Jessica Alba before Dark Angel.

Kingdom Rush Frontiers TD+ (2021) [/] Tower defense game in the Kingdom Rush franchise and available for Apple Arcade. It's the usual bad guys use paths to get to your base and build towers to shoot them. Some towers send out troops to fight and slow down the bad guys. You also have a hero who you can move around and activate special powers and you have a few magic spells of your own. Kind of difficult even on casual and I always find it annoying when the base towers have no range and everywhere the paths are wide.

LEGO Star Wars: Castaways+ (2021) [/] In this LEGO game you are a random person who is marooned on a planet where a bunch of other people have been marooned. Do missions, level up your character, get better weapons. Missions are 2-1/2D where you go around breaking things, activating things, shooting enemies. Looks nice, has good on-boarding, and it's an MMO-like world. But I didn't really find it interesting.

Trader Joe's Gourmet Fried Onion Pieces [/] It's a can full of bits of battered fried onion usable sprinkled on food. Not really that crisp nor tasty though not horrible. I'd say doesn't really add to whatever food you sprinkle it over unless that food is really bland. I've used it with rice, scrambled eggs, spaghetti. Maybe I just haven't found the right food.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-11-20T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241120-surfside-girls-2022.html#unique-entry-id-814https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241120-surfside-girls-2022.html#unique-entry-id-814Surfside Girls is an Apple TV+ teen girls half-hour mystery series running 10 episodes.

Teen best friends Jade (Miya Cech) and Sam (YaYa Gosselin) live in the small California coastal town of Surfside where the most exciting issue is the nearby cliff unnaturally eroding into the sea. In the first episode Sam almost drowns but ends up in hidden cave where she picks up a doubloon (gold coin) and eventually is visited by Remi (Spencer Hermes-Rebello) a ghost pirate teen.

Apparently whatever is causing the cliff to erode is also destroying Remi's home, a ghost pirate ship. Jade and Sam agree to help Remi find the cause. Meanwhile Jade and Sam have issues of their own, mostly that Jade is a science geek going to summer science class and her new smart friends make Sam rather uncomfortable and left out. This eventually leads them to break up for an episode or two until their investigations bring them back together.

Since it's half hour episodes things move fairly quickly. As a teen series there are no high stakes or melodrama so it's pleasant watching. Overall it's a good family series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-11-15T12:09:09-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241115-spot-reviews-11-15-24.html#unique-entry-id-809https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241115-spot-reviews-11-15-24.html#unique-entry-id-809The Ramen Girl (2009) [+] Having moved to Tokyo to be with her boyfriend, Abby (Brittany Murphy) is suddenly there on her own after he breaks up and leaves her. Not knowing any Japanese and not wanting to go back to her parents, Abby is kind of aimless until one night she sees that a Ramen shop is open down the street. A bowl of Ramen changes her outlook on life and soon she demands that Ramen shop owner Maezumi (Toshiyuki Nishida) teach her how to make Ramen. With no language in common he still agrees and proceeds to put Abby through grueling tasks. Turns out he is a master Ramen chef and sees Abby as a way to pass on his tradition... Kind of a low key movie but it works because Brittany Murphy was really charming.

The Dynasty: New England Patriots (2024) [/] Apple TV+ documentary series of ten 30-minute episodes chronicling the Patriots mostly from when Bill Belichick became head coach through to when Tom Brady left the team... I liked the first couple of episodes which was from when Robert Kraft bought the team in 1994, having Bill Parcells as coach for two years then Pete Carroll for two years then Belichick. Drew Bledsoe was the quarterback and quite good then they drafted Tom Brady, Bledsoe got hurt and Brady did enough to supplant him... The rest of the documentary though tends to focus on the controversies more than the football. Spy Gate, Deflate Gate, Bill vs Tom. Not that interesting to me. In the end it was an ok and somewhat interesting documentary from a viewer who is more interested in NFC and West Coast football.

Terminatrix (2013) [-] A very low budget sci-fi film. Fifty years in the future a prototype android, Lia (Samantha Ruston), is sent to wipe the last rebel group led by Cass (Kasey Williams). The rebels capture Lia, Cass talks her into changing sides, and Lia goes on to kill her creator, Dr. Peter Hess (Roberto Lombardi), who made Lia in the image of his murdered wife. Murdered by his first android Genesis (Chris R Notarile)... There's a whole first act that's fairly irrelevant other than to let write Notarile act as Genesis and give Hess a reason to make a female android -- but it's 15 minutes that could have been shortened to one allowing more time for the rest of the film. Huge amount of talking and close up head shots I guess to hide that the locations are just whatever was available and to avoid actors having to move around. CGI is very cheesy with computer graphics for gunshot hits though very quick cuts hides stuff pretty well.

Trader Joe's Seasoned Waffle Cut Fries [/] These are easy to heat. About 20 minutes at 400 degrees turn over halfway through. They are a bit too seasoned for my taste though maybe ok with a dipping sauce of some kind. A bag of 20 oz was four or five small snack-sized servings.

]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-11-13T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241113-risky-romance-2018.html#unique-entry-id-811https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241113-risky-romance-2018.html#unique-entry-id-811Risky Romance is a Korean romance drama running 16 hour-long episodes (though I guess in Korea it ran as 32 half-hour long episodes to allow for more commercials -- apparently they don't do commercial breaks while an episode is running).

Joo In-ah (Lee Si-young) is a hospital doctor specializing in hormones. She is given the challenge of diagnosing surgeon Han Seung-joo (Ji Hyun-woo) who returned from a major accident a changed man -- angry and humorless. He comes to believe that In-ah is the former girlfriend of his best friend who, by dumping him harshly, indirectly caused his death in a drunken motorcycle accident.

That gives a reason for the two to spend time together. She is eternally cheerful which is trying because he is quite harsh and rude to her and eventually even gets her fired. In-ah starts a clinic from her home and Hyun-woo manages to acquire half the mortgage from In-ah's step-sister Joo Se-ra (Yoon Joo-hee), who just hates In-ah for being the favored of her parents and believing that In-ah inadvertently got their parents killed. Anyway Hyun-woo uses that half mortgage to justify moving into the big house in order to keep an eye on In-ah.

Eventually though Hyun-woo realizes he was wrong. Then has to keep the secret from In-ah because it was Se-ra who was the former girlfriend. Then in the last few epidodes Hyun-woo's headaches that he's had since the accident and that In-ah was trying to diagnose get worse as his feelings for In-ah grow into love...

It's kind of an up and down series and maybe not the best but thinking about it a bit I guess it's better than average. It executes the normal tropes but not as well as other series. Even the last scene showing everyone has a happy ending is a bit of a cheat since it goes from a dramatic "did he live?" fade to black then one year later and it elides the resolutions scenes to show the end scene.

Still I did enjoy the series but an another example of Prime Video not having the best Korean romantic drama series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-11-11T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241111-blackhole-v0.6.0-2024#unique-entry-id-810https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241111-blackhole-v0.6.0-2024#unique-entry-id-810BlackHole is a modern macOS virtual audio loopback driver that allows applications to pass audio to other applications with zero additional latency."

How does this work? BlackHole is a MIDI extension. Open Audio MIDI Setup and you see it there and it has stereo inputs and outputs (there are versions of BlackHole for 16 and 64 channels). Add a Multi-Output Device with BlackHole and your standard output (such as speakers or headphones). Set your Sound output to the new MOD.

Now you still hear your computer audio like normal (one thing I noticed is that you can't change sound volume directly -- you have to change Sound to your regular device, change volume, then set back to MOD device) and there that sound is going into BlackHole as an input. In programs that record audio you can set your input device to BlackHole and now you can record whatever audio your computer is playing.

Mostly I've been using BlackHole for years with GarageBand to record music from streaming sources (not YouTube since you can download the video then extract the audio if you wanted to). If an application supports setting an audio output you could instead output to BlackHole then in the second application input from BlackHole and that way direct audio from one application to another (but few apps let you set where they send audio).

BlackHole used to be free but now it's $10 donation-ware (i.e. optional donation) which I paid. If you want an actual app that's polished and well featured Rogue Amoeba has Loopback ($100) though that's priced for a pro/semi-pro audience.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-11-08T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241108-spot-reviews-11-08-24.html#unique-entry-id-806https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241108-spot-reviews-11-08-24.html#unique-entry-id-806Zulu (1964) [+] I watched this when I was a kid. Watched it in 2011. Recently rewatched this again (on Amazon Prime Video Freevee) and still a good action film and I guess this time I liked it better than last time. I love Michael Caine and this was one of his first big roles... This British film depicts the Battle of Rorke's Drift from the British POV where 100-odd soldiers held off 20 times their number.

Wild Eyed and Wicked (2024) [/] A small drama film. Lily (Molly Kunz) comes back to the country home of her estranged father Gregory (Michael X Sommers). Mom Silvia (Stefanie Estes) committed suicide when Lily was young and Lily has been carrying that trauma ever since. But as the two go through mom's old things Lily comes to realize that it was some evil spirit that caused mom's death and the spirit is now after Lily... It's a very low budget film but not bad.

Red Sonja: Queen of Plagues (2016) [-] An animated film based on Dynamite Entertainment's Red Sonja v1: Queen of Plagues story arc. The style takes direct images of comic book panels and animates them so it's more like an animated comic book than an animation video. Not a really appealing animation style though the story and voice acting are fine. Starring Misty Lee as Red Sonja, Shannon Kingston as Sonja's shield maiden sisters Ayla and Nias, Becca Strom as Sonja's nemesis Dark Annisia.

Trader Joe's Sea Salted Saddle Potato Crisps [/] Basically TJ's version of Pringles. Not quite as salty or as crisp as regular Pringles but still pretty good and cheaper.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-11-06T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/The%20Map%20of%20Tiny%20Perfect%20Things%20(2021).html#unique-entry-id-808https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/The%20Map%20of%20Tiny%20Perfect%20Things%20(2021).html#unique-entry-id-808The Map of Tiny Perfect Things is a Prime Video romantic movie. We start in media res with Mark (Kyle Allen) going through his day where it quickly becomes apparent he knows what's going to happen and is in minor ways helping people as he goes to high school and goes through his day. And that's because he's been reliving the same over and over and has eventually decided to improve things bit by bit memorizing what's going to happen and stopping unfortunate happenings.

But his day is interrupted when Margaret (Kathryn Newton) pass by. She's totally new and he quickly realizes she's going through the same thing. It takes him a few days to find her again and a bit of convincing that they should hang out. They're both unsure of how to end the time loop and to prevent boredom he convinces her to look through town for tiny perfect things, or really tiny perfect moments -- these cool little things that would delight a viewer but are very brief in duration, such as a bird coming down and grabbing a fish.

But Margaret has a boyfriend she always needs to meet after 6 PM and she is adamant about the meet and that Mark is not invited. Eventually that causes them to break up and Mark decides to branch out and do crazy things for a while, much like how Margaret lived her day. That results in a trip to the hospital where he sees Margaret heading in to meet her boyfriend. He follows and discovers Margaret's secret and realizes that this whole time loop thing is not about him it's about her...

It's a good romantic comedy. Enough budget to have a good soundtrack and production. Both actors are charming and it's nice that this is not a high stakes story. A movie I watched in two sittings which is pretty good for me.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-11-04T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241104-galaga-wars-plus-2021.html#unique-entry-id-807https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241104-galaga-wars-plus-2021.html#unique-entry-id-807Galaga Wars+ is a Galaga sequel. You fly a ship anywhere on the screen. It continuously shoots upwards except for a couple of special weapons. Shoot enemy ship squadrons that come in from the top and sides. Fight mini-bosses. Pick up power-ups and collect coins.

In terms of gameplay on my old iPad it's pretty smooth. Your ship moves along with your finger touch which can be a bit RSI if you play this a lot. I moved to using my Apple Pencil and it solved that problem and it's easier to move the pencil than my finger.

Action is frenetic for a few seconds then a pause of a couple of seconds then more enemies come in. You have the Galaga "free a captured ship and have it join you" for twin fighter action, though in this case you don't have to have your ship captured in the first place.

There are 11 sectors with the 11th being an infinite level. I've gotten as far as 10 starting from 1. When you clear a sector you have the option of unlocking it so you can start a game from there (unlocking takes capsules which you pick up a few each game).

There are multiple ships though I think other than graphic they all play the same. You can pick up a ship unlock in each sector and it takes an increasing amount of ship unlocks to unlock a ship. But each ship unlocked effectively gives you one more life each game and there are like 10 ships to unlock.

Coins you pick up about 50 or so per sector. You also get 500 coins accomplishing a daily mission and you get about 500 daily login bonus. You use coins to upgrade each ship. Every ship has the same five upgradeable stats: the first four are the four power-ups that ship can pick up (so that's how ships are differentiated) and the last one is fire rate power-up. The cost of upgrading goes up as you upgrade a power-up more though each additional ship acquired reduces all upgrade costs. Otherwise you don't use coins.

Overall I found a very fun arcade game especially using an Apple Pencil. Good amount of replay-ability even though the waves come in the same each game through the power-ups are kind of random so good if you get lucky you can get further. And as you get more ships you can also go further so that's a nice bonus to buying more ships. Several hours of fun at least.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-11-01T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241101-spot-reviews-11-01-24.html#unique-entry-id-803https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241101-spot-reviews-11-01-24.html#unique-entry-id-803Slow Horses s4 (2024) [/] British MI5 thriller series focusing around a group of agents assigned to Slough House where all the rejects go. In this season someone tries to murder River Cartwright's (Jack Lowden) uncle so he goes undercover in France to find the people responsible. Meanwhile a suicide bomber exploded a car bomb in a London mall and an assassin is trying to kill a former agent that Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) wants kept alive. As is usual for the series a significant character dies during the season. Overall a good enough season though I guess the luster has worn off on the series.

Crayola Create and Play+ (2021) [/] Apple Arcade kid's activity app. Paint on a giant egg (with Crayola crayons and markers) then it hatches in a creature (pet) with your design as a skin. Give your pet an outfit and hat. Make a kite of various shapes (and draw your own design on the kite). And I guess other activities that involve drawing with crayons. More of an explore app than a do-these-tasks app.

The Strix Chronicle Anthology (2013) [/] A collection of short stories set in the world of Vampire: The Masquerade and the theme is the reappearance of the Strix, who are witches that can possess vampires and thus are enemies of the Kindred. It's not explained so it took a few stories to understand what they are and what they do. Most (all?) of the stories are first person from a vampire's POV so you do get a lot of vampire feel. For the most part though they're not great stories so would not recommend as general vampire fiction reading.

Foster Farms Take Out Crispy Wings [+] Easy to bake since you don't have to turn them over. Comes out crispy, oily and salty -- just the way I like it. Didn't try the Sweet Chipotle BBQ sauce and they have version with other sauces.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-10-30T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/47384b27db0ff4b908dda7d48a457dcf-805.html#unique-entry-id-805https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/47384b27db0ff4b908dda7d48a457dcf-805.html#unique-entry-id-805My Wife is a Gangster 3 Lim Yaling (Shu Qi), daughter of a Hong Kong mob boss, is sent to Seoul, Korea to hide out from assassins. The local boss there assigns Ki-chul (Lee Beom-soo), a fairly low-ranked gangster with two inept underlings, to guard Yaling.

He thinks she's a harmless stuck-up princess. She thinks he's a fool. It doesn't help they don't speak a common language and it's hilarious that their forcibly hired translator Yeon-hee (Hyun Young) doesn't do literal translations and instead says whatever she thinks is appropriate.

Anyway there is a rival Korean gang and Yaling shows off her fighting skills, though not to any of her companions who got knocked out first. Then there are elite HK assassins and once again Yalin demonstrates she can handle herself and by now her companions realize Yalin is a bad-ass fighter.

And during all this stuff Yalin and Ki-chul start falling for each other and they have some funny conversations without an interpreter where they totally misunderstand what the other one is saying.

Eventually a final showdown. Yaling returns to HK to avenge her father and Ki-chul follows like a love-sick puppy. She becomes head of the HK Triad and empathically forces him to propose marriage, which is not necessarily against. Happy ending.

This is an entertaining film though feels low budget (produced in Korea). I haven't watched the previous two though I guess this one has no continuation. Shi Qi is charismatic. Lee Beom-soo less so. Hyun Young is a scene stealer.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-10-28T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241028-braun-8595-activator-2005.html#unique-entry-id-804https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241028-braun-8595-activator-2005.html#unique-entry-id-804
Shaving is fine. Best when the shaver is fully charged and for a few shaves afterwards. Once the battery starts getting lower the shaver slows down and shaving seems a little less crisp. After 19 years the battery is really old and even on full charge maybe one crisp shave and a few more shaves before it's too run down.

The cleaning unit is nice. It uses a replaceable fluid unit which has cleaning agent and a bit of oil so it keeps your shaver well maintained and it always felt nice after a clean. It's not going to get everything so periodically you open up the shaver and clean with a brush. I tended to not use the cleaning unit much because the fluid cartridge needs to replaced monthly or so with daily use.

Luckily after 19 years you can buy replacement shaver heads (series 8 heads) and cleaning fluid. Naturally fairly expensive and even though the Braun 8595 at $200 was expensive you can re-spend that much every two or three years in consumables.

Anyway, after 19 years the cleaning unit recently broke and won't recognize the shaver when I put it in. Also as I mentioned the shaver battery is quite bad, so time is getting close to replace the shaver and it'll probably be the current series 8.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-10-25T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241025-spot-reviews-10-25-24.html#unique-entry-id-802https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241025-spot-reviews-10-25-24.html#unique-entry-id-802Snowdrop (2021) [-] South Korean series set in 1987 when the government was corrupt and colluding with North Korea to remain in power. North Korean spy Lim Soo-ho (Jung Hae-in) and university student Eun Yeong-ro (Jisoo) meet and are attracted to each other but circumstances eventually force him and two comrades to take Yeong-ro and all the other girls at her dormitory hostage... This is a much more serious series than I wanted to watch and since it's one storyline it does seem to crawl as they try to fill sixteen episodes. I watched until midway through episode six.

macOS 15 Sequoia - Window Tiling [/] A simple tiling system which does left, right, top, bottom, fill, corner. But it's like a virtual size change -- if you move the window it resizes to the size it had before you tiled it and I find that incredibly annoying. It's back to Mosaic.

LEGO Star Wars Battles [/] Real time PvP tactical game on a vertical 2-lane battlefield. Bases at top and bottom. Drag out units into the playing field and they'll automatically advanced and fight along the left or right (there are horizontal barriers to prevent them going through the center). Each side has two lane towers and there is a tower in the middle and if a tower is empty when your unit passes it you can build a tower there. Special units (e.g. Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker) have a special attack which you have to remember to activate. Collect cards and XP which you use to get new units and upgrade them... Overall kind of fun but it's basically all PvP battles and I'm not really into that.

Snapdragon Vietnamese Pho [+] Unlike their ramen offering (which is average) this one is quite good. Rice noodles with a savory beef-flavored broth and a little bit of spicy oil.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-10-23T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/571c01410093bd7f8c270deb8788c0b8-801.html#unique-entry-id-801https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/571c01410093bd7f8c270deb8788c0b8-801.html#unique-entry-id-801Gangnam Beauty is a South Korean romance/drama running the standard 16 episodes at an hour per episode.

Taking place during Freshman year at Korea University the main character is Kang Mi-rae (Im Soo-hyang), a formerly unattractive girl (though in the plenty of flashbacks we never see her face so whether she is physically unattractive or she just thought of herself that way is never said), who during the Summer gets extensive plastic surgery to make her into a beauty.

Unfortunately as the series progresses Mi-rae finds that her beauty doesn't fix her anxiety or social awkwardness. She is torn between wanting to be average, which is hard when is maybe the best looking girl in the Chemistry Department, and wanting to be invisible. Later on she becomes fearful that her classmates will shun her if they find out she is "Gangnam Beauty" which is slang for someone who's had so much plastic surgery they look a bit unreal and fake.

Meanwhile Mi-rae befriends Do Kyung-seok (Cha Eun-woo), the most handsome Freshman in the Chemistry Department. They actually come from the same high school and even though Kyung-seok was only there for a year she did leave an impression on him. A lot of the series is them slowly becoming attracted to each other but taking a long time to do it because he is very reticent and non-communicative.

And because it's not explicit everyone else thinks that Kyun-seok and class beauty Hyun Soo-ah (Jo Woo-ri) make the perfect couple. Soo-ah is outwardly the nice girl who befriends Mi-rae but as the series goes on Soo-ah is shown to be fairly manipulative and always wants the limelight and wants all the boys to like her in preference to any other girls. Still, she is not a totally unsympathetic character as late in the series we find out about her childhood and about her current hangups, for example an eating disorder.

Other characters:

Yeon Woo-young (Kwak Don-yeon) - Chemistry Department senior and rival for Mi-rae's affection

Oh Hyun-jung (Min Do-hee) - Mi-rae's childhood friend and roommate, studying Psychology and attracted to Woo-young though by the end of the series that hasn't panned out

Na Eun-sim (Kim Sun-hwa) and Kang Tae-sik (Woo Hyun) - Mi-rae's mom and dad, she supported her daughter's decision to get plastic surgery behind his back so when he finds out it creates a rift in the family.

Na Hye-sung (Park Joo-mi) - Kyung-seok's estranged mother, who left the family when they were young and now wants to reconnect. She is CEO of a cosmetics company and becomes Mi-rae's mentor.

Do Kyun-hee (Kim Ji-min) - Kyung-seok's teen sister who has her own influencer channel.

Do Sang-won (Park Sung-geun) - Kyung-seok's father, a politician who lied about why mom left the family.


The romance angle is about average as the show pays more attention about how toxic beauty can be for the one who is attractive. Overall it's a watchable series and I enjoyed it though it's not one of the best.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-10-21T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231021-the-hammer-of-god-1993.html#unique-entry-id-800https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231021-the-hammer-of-god-1993.html#unique-entry-id-800The Hammer of Gold is an Arthur C Clarke novel written in 1993 and set in the early 22nd century. An asteroid, Kali, is heading towards Earth and will wipe out most life if it hits. Captain Robert Singh and the crew of the Goliath are tasked with intercepting Kali outside Saturn's orbit, attaching giant rocket engines on it, then having the engines infinitesimally push Kali so that it misses Earth.

The novel is a bunch of short chapters jumping around from topic to topic. Some of them are about Singh and his life, which illustrates how humanity has changed in a hundred years. Other chapters cover SPACEGUARD, which is the detection network that found Kali. And then other chapters cover the mission and the plot twists to saving Earth.

There is little characterization and even Singh is not much of a main character. I guess because it jumps around there is also not much sense of suspense and the various plot twists are overcome rather easily. Overall I'd say not one of Clarke's better novels.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-10-18T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241018-spot-reviews-10-18-24.html#unique-entry-id-798https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241018-spot-reviews-10-18-24.html#unique-entry-id-798Cheese in the Trap (2018) [-] This is a Korean drama-romance film based on a web toon (and also was made into a regular 16-episode tv series. Hong Seol (Oh Yeon-seo) is a freshman at university who attracts the attention of the aloof Yoo Jun (Park Hae-jin) and his "brother" Baek In-ho (Seo Kang Joon). For romance it has very little romance and it's ambiguous whether Yoou Jun actually likes Hong Seol or is dating her for a different reason. I watched the first hour and it's quite lackluster also the movie is divided into chapters so it kind of skips ahead which doesn't help. (One joke I missed until writing this review. In the first episode students compare Hong Seol to actress Kim Go-Eun, who played Hong Seol in the tv series.)

Crossy Road+ (2021) [/] Apple Arcade version of Crossy Road, a Frogger-type endless hopper. Collect coins and accomplish tasks (e.g. scare five birds or get hit twice by a train). Every 100 coins you can buy a random character (and you get coins fairly easily). There is a two player simul mode if both have controllers. With touch this game is a little annoying since any random touch moves you forward. With controller it's much easier to play.

Tiny Wings+ (2021) [/] You're a bird sliding down a bumpy hill. Tap and hold to speed up downwards (i.e. if you're going downhill you speed up, if you're going uphill you slow down more). If you go fast enough then on the uphill summit you fly off which lets you skip a bunch of terrain and the objective is to get to the end as fast as possible collecting coins if you can. It's a cute game but it's surprisingly difficult.

Urban Kitchen, Burlingame - Asian Chopped (Salad) [/] "chopped romaine and cabbage, carrots, scallion, won ton crisps, mandarin wheels, cilantro, sesame seeds, miso ginger dressing". $16. Presentation is good considering it's in a to-go plastic container. Tastes fine though I think I like the Trader Joe's Chinese Chicken Salad better even if I omitted the chicken. I like sesame taste and this salad doesn't have quite enough. I also go french fries ($6) which were quite good and enough for four people.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-10-16T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241016-constellation-s1-2024.html#unique-entry-id-799https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241016-constellation-s1-2024.html#unique-entry-id-799Constellation is a science fiction drama series that ran one season of eight episodes on Apple TV+.

Set in the present day, an accident on the International Space Station leaves one astronaut dead and another, Johanna Ericsson (Noomi Rapace), stranded with about a day of oxygen and barely enough time to repair the second escape capsule. Meanwhile though she's kind of hallucinating, hearing and seeing things.

Once back on Earth Johanna finds things are not quite how she remembered. Her husband Magnus (James D'Arcy) says she's as cold as before, her daughter Alice (Davina and Rosie Coleman) doesn't understand Swedish, their car is a different color, and she doesn't remember one of the experiments that the ISS was conducting.

It's fairly clear early on to viewers that there are two alternate universes and Johanna is in the wrong one. But it's not until midway that we are shown this is not Johanna that was shown at the beginning but the other Johanna. Also we learn that some astronauts go crazy once they return to Earth, that it's been happening since the early days of space exploration, and that the various space agencies have been covering it up.

There is a subplot with Henry Caldera (Jonathan Banks) whose experiment, the CAL (Cold Atom Laboratory and apparently a real experiment on the ISS) was running when the accident occurred. Johanna brought the CAL core back to Earth and apparently some people when close to the core can see and temporarily travel to the other universe. It turns out Henry is from the other universe, stranded here decades ago during the Apollo 18 mission. In the last episode he switches places with Bud Caldera who has turned into a bit of a psychopath during the decades stuck in the wrong universe and now he's back and unpredictable.

I like this series. It's a science fiction mystery which slowly reveals new things and surprises. There is a good setup for season two. Unfortunately the series was cancelled so I'm mixed about whether or not to recommend it. I guess it's still worth watching as it's good science fiction without having fantasy, horror or action mixed in.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-10-14T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241014-temple-run-puzzle-adventure-2021.html#unique-entry-id-797https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241014-temple-run-puzzle-adventure-2021.html#unique-entry-id-797Temple Run: Puzzle Adventure is a match-3 game set in the Temple Run franchise.

Switch two adjacent gems to make a match of 3+ horizontally or vertically. You can also match to a 2x2 square or a 5-gem T. The bigger matches create special items: bomb, vertical or horizontal laser, scarab that eats a random (though general useful) gem, color killer that destroys all gems of a color, color converter that converts gems of one color to another. The items don't automatically activate and if you switch two items the effect is much greater, for example bomb + laser both explodes and does a 3-width horizontal and vertical laser.

As the levels progress the "gems" get more difficult: they can be in ice and you have to match to free them, there can be boards you need to break, ore carts you need to empty by making multiple matches next to them, stone floors you have to lay by matching from a stone floor to a non-stone floor. And all this in a limited number of moves. If you get stuck you can skip the level with 50 gems

You can start a level with a power-up which you spend some gems. You also have various power-ups during a level although limited charges and I'm not sure if the charges carry over. Things pick axe to kill one gem or obstacle or cannon to clear out a row or column.

When you complete a level you get 1 to 3 stars depending on how well you did (and you get 10 to 50 gems for finishing). This advances you through the "world" by 1 to 2 spaces and there are stopping points where you have to get 10 or 15 or more stars to unlock a door or get past an obstacle. The world view is also where you have tour three companions talking to you and where you see the overall story progressing.

I guess this is pretty much Candy Crush. It has good graphics, sounds and gameplay and at least if you get stuck you can skip with gems instead of spending a bunch of power-ups to maybe finish a level. Not a game I'll keep around but quite fun for a few hours.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-10-11T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241011-spot-reviews-10-11-24.html#unique-entry-id-794https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241011-spot-reviews-10-11-24.html#unique-entry-id-794Monsters (2010) [/] Small British science fiction film. In the near future a NASA probe crash lands in Mexico and soon after alien monsters appear and overrun the country whilst America builds a giant wall to keep the monsters out. Photo journalist Andrew (Scoot McNairy) is convinced to bring back heiress Samantha (Whitney Able) through the Infected Zone. As they travel through the zone they interact with the Mexican people and find that the monsters, although dangerous, are a danger that people can live with side by side... I guess it's mostly a character piece as Andrew is the jaded veteran who's seen it all and is attracted to Samantha who is more idealistic and I'm not sure we find out why she was in Central America. Not that bad a film and the monsters for the most part are not seen or briefly glimpsed until close to the end (and the CGI holds up pretty well).

Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls (2021) [/] A combat platformer in the Castlevania universe. You play Dracula's son who has to go into ancient grumoires and defeat the boss monster inside them. You can also play previous Castlevania heroes and heroines. Lots of customization (skill trees, weapons and weapon upgrades, cosmetics) and lots of controls (makes more use of my XBox controller than most Apple Arcade games). A professional game from Konami and maybe a bit too complicated for me.

Bibigo Korean Style Crunchy Chicken with Sweet & Spicy Sauce [/] Bibigo has various Crunchy Chicken packages each with a different sauce. Oven bake (it's raw) then heat sauce in warm water and pour over chicken. Tastes fine. Hard to get it crunchy without burning it -- first time I undercooked it and had to microwave a couple of larger pieces. Then I burned some of the smaller pieces. Piece size varies a lot which I guess is part of the problem. Third time at the 10m turnover I removed the small pieces then finished cooking the rest and that batch came out fairly good.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-10-09T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241009-furiosa-a-mad-max-saga.html#unique-entry-id-796https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241009-furiosa-a-mad-max-saga.html#unique-entry-id-796Furiosa is a prequel film to Mad Max: Fury Road (2015). It's post-apocalypse Australian desert (using a zoom in from space, I don't remember if Fury Road set the location of events). A world where vehicles, gasoline and bullets are all important.

A young Furiosa (Alyla Browne) is kidnapped from the Green Place and ends up "adopted" by Dementus (Chris Hemsworth), leader of a Biker Horde. A bit later (maybe months or a year or two) Dementus captures Gas Town and seals a bargain with Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme), ruler of the Citadel. As part of that bargain Furiosa is given over to Joe and his War Boys. But Furiosa manages to "escape" and hide among the Citadel's many workers

Young adult Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy) rises up in the lower ranks. She stows away on a war rig run and tries to hijack it after a rogue biker attack (where she also shows off her mechanic skills). She fails but impresses Praetorian Jack (Tom Burke) who takes her in as replacement crew. He teachers her more skills and we fast forward a bit.

Dementus runs Gas Town badly. In order to keep power over the increasingly unstable populace he attacks and takes over Bullet Town and ambushes the war rig. Furiosa manages to make it back to the Citadel and warns Immortan Joe. The 40 Day Desert War follows (in a montage sequence). With both forces exhausted it's time for Furiosa to take revenge on Dementus...

Like Fury Road, Furiosa has a lot of gorgeous desert scenes, road travel and combat. I guess because we have Fury Road this film doesn't seem as impressive with the same budget (which is probably effectively less budget due to inflation). I also watched this on my iPad and a theater viewing would have been more impressive.

Also like Fury Road all the characters around the lead are more interesting. Mad Max did not talk through most of his film. Furiosa after being kidnapped doesn't talk until she resurfaces as an anonymous wincher. She has a bit of a speech at the end (and other times she "talks" but the camera is farther away and we don't hear speech).

Dementus is a great character that dominates every scene he's in. Talkative, rambling, dissembling, and quite ruthless. He's the main villain that Furiosa can beat (Immortan Joe and his have to live to be in Fury Road) and at times he seems barely capable and other times he shows he's actually quite dangerous man-to-man.

Overall it's a good film and definitely a Mad Max-style film. Not quite as good as Fury Road simply because that was original for the time and this one has follow otherwise it's not a proper prequel.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-10-07T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241007-chronosync-express-v1.4-2024#unique-entry-id-795https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241007-chronosync-express-v1.4-2024#unique-entry-id-795ChronoSync Express (the Mac App Store version) a few years ago and it's worked just as well because my needs are modest.

ChronoSync is a folder syncing app that can run schedules. Choose source and target folders and choose syncing mode and that's it for the simplest and very common use cases.

Source or target can be network drives in which case ChronoSync will mount the drive if needed and can also unmount after it's done.

For syncing you can do Backup (if source and target file differ then copy to target), Synchronize (changes on either side will be copied), Blind Backup (changes on target are ignored), Mirror (changes on source or target trigger copy). Optionally Bootable backups if you purchase ChronoAgent (though for that I use Carbon Copy Cloner). I use Mirror with Delete Immediately because I want my target to be a duplicate of source.

There is a page for configuring specifics like reporting, how to copy and what changes trigger copy, how to handle deleted files (you can delete them or archive them in a folder), running scripts before or after (oops I don't see that so probably regular ChronoSync feature). I never set these though I have in the past when ChronoSync was always copying certain files because the a trigger was being tripped.

Another page for filtering rules so you can filter in or out which files to copy. Mostly I use rules if I have to syncs. One for specific folder and one for the rest of the folders in which case I want the second to be "sync all except these folders" so that it'll pick up new folders without me remembering.

Analyze page you can see what files are going to be copied and why and it's great for debugging issues. You can also force an immediate copy of a file from here.

Archive page to see your archived (deleted) files.

ChronoSync is not really a backup solution, there is no real restore to timestamp option for example, but for keeping two folders synchronized it's great. I use it to keep my web site updated -- I can update my local copy and have it sync overnight. I also use it as a way to manually mirror my backup hard drives without needing an active RAID system. For actual backups I rely on macOS Time Machine.

For whatever price I paid for it (it's currently $30 in the Mac App Store) and free updates for years it's well worth it.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-10-04T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241004-spot-reviews-10-04-24.html#unique-entry-id-793https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241004-spot-reviews-10-04-24.html#unique-entry-id-793The Exchange (2021) [/] NZ or AUS film. Mexican foreign exchange student Annie (Mirene Castelltort) comes to stay with Sabina (Lucy Wyma) and her dad and her presence eventually causes Sabina to break up with her girlfriend Esther (Celine Dam) who in turn falls for Annie. A small indie film with no bad guys -- the three characters each have their own issues and Sabina and Esther would have probably broken up regardless. It is a slow story which picks up in the last third to finish with a satisfying ending.

Zookeeper World (2021) [/] Apple Arcade match-3 game with a meta-story about building a zoo. As you complete levels you get coins to buy zoo components and animals and attracting more crowds gives you passive income. The match-3 game play is typical of the genre. I like that you can place zoo components wherever you want on the grass and that you can walk around in 3rd-person view and interact with the zoo stuff.

Snapdragon Miso Ramen [/] Pretty typical cup of noodles. Does include a small an oil packet for a bit of extra flavor.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-10-02T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241002-queen-of-tears-2024.html#unique-entry-id-792https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20241002-queen-of-tears-2024.html#unique-entry-id-792Queen of Tears is a South Korean modern-day romance drama running sixteen 1-1/2 hour episodes. Baek Hyun-woo (Kim Soo-hyun) is the long-suffering husband to the cold and beautiful Hong Hae-in (Kim Ji-won). She is CEO of Queens Department Store and the scion of the powerful Queens family whilst he heads the Law Department of Queens Group and comes from a prosperous farming family in the country.

On the day he finally summons the courage to serve divorce papers to his wife she tells him she has a terminal brain disease. Her doctor says she only has six months to live but she's determined to beat it and at the last second he decides to stay and suffer for another six months. But it turns out this crisis, which she wants to keep secret from everyone especially her family, starts to bring the two back together, coinciding with short flashbacks to how they met, courted, got married, and the crisis that started driving them apart.

Meanwhile enter Yoon Eun-sung (Park Sung-hoon), an old university mate's of Hong Hae-in who now represents a big American investment company that wants to invest in Queens Group. But Eun-sung's real motives are to take oust the Hongs and take over Queens Group and marry his long-time obsession Hong Hae-in. As the series goes on he is shown to be more and more unstable, willing to have people killed, and is more of an evil villain than a romantic rival. I didn't like his scenes because the character is rather scary.

There is also the Hong family and the Baek family. Later on the Hongs hide out in the country at the Baek's which forces the two families together and gets them to understand each other better. Previously the Hongs were rich and looked down on the country bumpkins of Baek's family.

One nice subplot is Cheon Da-hye (Lee Joo-bin) who is the wife of Hae-in's younger and very naive brother Hong Soo-cheol (Kwak Dong-yeon). She betrays the family as she was working the bad guys and she leaves with their child. But by and by she starts to regret it and eventually switches sides and comes back even though she'll probably go to prison. It's a nice little love story subplot.

For the most part I like the series. As usual it takes until episode 4 before the characters start becoming sympathetic and then the romance slowly builds up. As I mentioned I didn't like the bad guys because they are dangerously bad and jars with the romantic mood. Usually bad guys are not this evil or they're not this competent; so a real danger of winning.

Still, it's a good romance with two photogenic leads and a good ending.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-09-30T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240930-zen-pinball-party-2021.html#unique-entry-id-791https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240930-zen-pinball-party-2021.html#unique-entry-id-791Zen Pinball Party is first of all a pretty good arcade pinball simulation. There are over a dozen pinball games:

Animated Heroes - 6 children's pinball cabinets featuring Garfield, Snoopy, How to Train Your Dragon, Trolls, Kung Fu Panda, and My Little Pony. Although a bit simpler than the other cabinets these games are still challenging.

Zen Originals - 5 original games (Biolab, Son of Zeus, Wild West Rampage, Adventure Land, Castle Storm)

Williams Pinball - 7 games based on real arcade machines (Theatre of Magic, The Getaway, Attack from Mars, Medieval Madness, Champion Pub, Black Rose, Junk Yard)

Star Wars Pinball - 4 Star Wars themed games: The Clone Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, The Force Awakens, Boba Fett.

Each game has a table guide which goes over the various targets and combinations to achieve power ups and multi-balls and such (and modern pinball games can be fairly complicated).

Controls are simple. Tap on the left or right for the flippers. Swipe left, right, or up to tilt in that direction.

You can play in portrait or landscape, with landscape being more squashed so you can see the whole (or at least the main) playing area at once. Portrait is closer to what it looks like in real life but I kind of prefer landscape as the ball doesn't track as fast vertically.

I didn't try the party stuff. Four players on a special party game. Each player plays in their own table but your actions affect other players. Every 30 second or minute the lowest scoring player is eliminated.

I appreciate that it is a realistic pinball simulator rather than a fantasy computer pinball-like game. Not really a pinball fan but I'll probably keep this game around just in case. There is also Zen Pinball which is the regular version without I guess the party game and with more pinball tables but they're in-app purchases.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-09-27T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240927-spot-reviews-09-27-24.html#unique-entry-id-788https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240927-spot-reviews-09-27-24.html#unique-entry-id-788Terminator Zero (2024) [+] Anime story running 8 episodes. Resistance soldier Eiko (Sonoya Mizuno) goes back to 1997 Tokyo to stop scientist Malcom Lee (André Holland) from activating Kokoro (Rosario Dawson), an AI he designed to stop Cybernet from destroying the Earth... Good animation and soundtrack, action and gore, voice acting, story, and pacing. Nice throwaway line about how Skynet keeps sending back Terminators and the Resistance sends back protectors and each time it creates a new timeline, hence why all Terminator stories set in the "past" don't need to be coherent.

MasterChef: Let's Cook (2021) [/] Apple Arcade game where you make dishes for a cooking competition show. You get a recipe then gather the ingredients from the cupboard. Cut up ingredients (with precise swipe motions), roll things (swipe up and down), spread sauce (tap, hold, move around to spread sauce). Cook. Prepare the plate -- you get a couple of choices for each ingredient then have to hover and place the ingredient correctly. Then judges score it with comments so you can guess what you did right or wrong. An ok kids game -- I didn't play it much because it's a little laggy on my old iPad Pro.

Giovanni Rana Beef & Short Rib Lasagna [/] I guess this is a Costco exclusive as the regular Giovanni Rana site doesn't mention this exact product. Anyway, it's lasagna with mostly little beef meat ball and the occasional bit of short rib. Tastes fine and it's pretty heavy so quite filling.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-09-25T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240925-love-now-2012.html#unique-entry-id-789https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240925-love-now-2012.html#unique-entry-id-789Love, Now was a modern-day Taiwanese romance/drama that ran 72 45-minute episodes.

Workaholic Yang Yi-ru (Annie Chen) is tricked by her family and co-workers into thinking she has a terminal illness which is the only way to get her to go on a lifetime vacation to a tropical island. There she meets Lan Shi-de (George Hu) and they fall in love and get married (but it's an island marriage and not a legal marriage). Eventually Yi-ru finds out and rushes home leaving Shi-de what happened.

Later on they meet again because Shi-de, who runs the family company, hires Yi-ru's video production company to do a job. But now Shi-de thinks Yi-ru tricked him so he puts her through the wringer with unreasonable work requests. Once the misunderstandings are explained they fall in love again and eventually get married around episode 35. Then it's about getting pregnant and then she gets cancer but eventually everything works out by the end.

The second half of the series is a lot less interesting. We do have two minor romances to keep it interesting. In the first, Sun Qi-ming (Bobby Dou), Yi-ru's playboy boss, falls for Oncologist He Tsai-jung (Mandy Wei). It's neat that Dr He came in as a bit of a rival for Shi-de's affection but was pivoted to be Qi-ming's love interest once their on screen chemistry was apparent. The other one involves Shi-de's author sister Shi-yun (Vivi Lee) who is pursued a much younger "fan" of hers, Zheng Yu-xiang (Harry Chang), who secretly blames Shi-yun for a failed romance and wants revenge (but later comes to love Shi-yun).

The first quarter is really good with the developing romance. The next quarter is not bad with them finally getting married. After that the series kind of drags on a bit. It's nice seeing the characters continuing but it's not really exciting. Overall though it was a nice series to watch all the way through.

]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-09-23T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240923-khan-academy-financial-literacy-course.html#unique-entry-id-790https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240923-khan-academy-financial-literacy-course.html#unique-entry-id-790Khan Academy is a non-profit offering online courses for everyone. From the selection it seems to be mostly high school level material and some amount of college level material.

I went through the Financial Literacy course which took me a couple of months at maybe an hour a day. It covers:

• Budgeting and saving
• Consumer credit
• Financial goals
• Loans and debt
• Insurance
• Investments and retirement
• Scams & fraud
• Careers and education
• Taxes and tax forms
• Employment
• Banking
• Car buying
• Housing

I would guess it's at an early high school level and some of this would be covered in a home economics class but since I think few people take home economics this course is quite useful. I think it's mostly common sense but I did learn a few things.

A topic is broken into lessons. Each lesson has videos, text, and a quiz all reinforcing each other. At the end of the topic is an overall quiz. Overall I found this an effective format.

There are two additional topics which at this point in time seem to be works in progress. The last topic is split into lots of topics and mostly videos, many of which you've seen previously. It does end with two unusual topics: how to pay for college with videos done by a third party college strategies company, and how blockchain works also done by a third party and a bit too much like promotional material.

So overall I'd recommend taking this course because it has a lot of basic things people should know. And I'd recommend skipping the last two topics (teacher resources, additional resources).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-09-20T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240920-spot-reviews-09-20-24.html#unique-entry-id-787https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240920-spot-reviews-09-20-24.html#unique-entry-id-787A Family Affair (2024) [+] Netflix movie. Zara (Joey King) is the overworked assistant to action movie star Chris (Zac Efron) who is shocked and vehemently against the budding relationship between Chris and Zara's mother Brooke (Nicole Kidman)... This movie contrasts the other older-woman/younger-and-famous-man romance of The Idea of You (2024) which concentrates more on how paparazzi and fans affect that relationship whereas in this movie that doesn't come into play at all. In this movie it's Zara that's the main obstacle and two-thirds through the film I realized this is actually a story about Zara's coming of age going from self-absorbed young adult to someone who starts to be a better daughter and friend. Overall a fairly nice film and much better than The Idea of You.

Super Stickman Golf 3+ (2021) [+] The Apple Arcade version of SSG3, an excellent cartoony side-view miniature golf game. IIRC SSG3 was disappointing because it had lots of ads and micro-transactions but in Apple Arcade no ads and everything is un-lockable without paying money.

wurdweb (2021) [/] Apple Arcade word game. A bit like a simple Scrabble: a grid with some spaces that give you +1 or +2 words (and points if that is the variant), a list of words and a starting word in the middle of the board. You take a word from your list and connect it with an existing word on the board by overlapping one of the letters (and as far as I know you can only touch one board word so you can't do vertical and horizontal words in one go like in Scrabble). The objective is to get 10 (or more) words down and you need to hit the +1 to +3 bonus squares so you get more words to pick. All puzzles are randomly generated so that's interesting. An ok game but not terribly interesting.

Chicken Meets Rice [/] Fast food (Singaporean-style?) chicken and rice. Fried or steamed chicken, rice, two of about six sauces, broth, sliced cucumbers, sliced carrots, cilantro. I had the fried chicken which is more like asian style chicken nuggets with a light fried batter and the rice is good, made with chicken broth. Tasted fine and it's $14 + tax so not bad for fast food meal.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-09-18T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240918-bizaardvark-2016.html#unique-entry-id-786https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240918-bizaardvark-2016.html#unique-entry-id-786Bizaardvark was a Disney Channel sitcom that ran three seasons. The show focuses on YouTube creators Frankie (Madison Hu) and Paige (Olivia Rodrigo) as they balance school and creating videos at Vuuugle Studios where they also interact with fellow creators -- mainly Dirk (Jake Paul) and Amelia (DeVore Ledridge). There's also Bizaardvark's "agent" Bernie (Ethan Wacker) who may be younger than everyone.

Season 1 is a typical sitcom format with the occasional video clip. Season 2 has a Bizaardvark video in most episodes and adds meme stunts that the actors perform as their characters with no script. Season 3 drops Dirk and has the remaining cast live in a content house adding two boy creators, Zane (Maxwell Simkins) and Rodney (Elie Samouhi).

It's an enjoyable Disney Channel sitcom and nice to see Olivia Rodrigo before she switched to a music career.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-09-16T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240916-dungeons-and-dragons-expert-rulebook-1983.html#unique-entry-id-785https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240916-dungeons-and-dragons-expert-rulebook-1983.html#unique-entry-id-785Dungeons & Dragons Expert Rulebook is part of the second BECMI boxed set and covers level 4 to 14. In 64 pages it covers:

Player's Information

• Progressions for each class to level 14 or maximum level for demi-humans (dwarves to 12, elves to 10, halflings to 8). For the most part quite simple and logical except for more Cleric and Magic-User spells.
• A bit more equipment.
• A bit on adventuring outdoors.

Dungeon Master's Section

• Miscellaneous rules for creating keeps and strongholds, attracting followers, hiring mercenaries and specialists.
• Sample wilderness area (Threshold) and rules for wilderness travel and exploration.
• 50+ new monsters
• A few pages of more magic items

BECMI Basic Set I was quite impressed with as it was a complete rewrite and reformat. Expert Set rules seem not that much different from the previous edition. There is a lot of information but not really dense writing the way D&D 3E became. Overall I guess it's a functional ruleset but not as exciting as Base Set.

Expert Set also came with X1 Isle of Dread which I will review someday.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-09-13T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240913-spot-reviews-09-13-24.html#unique-entry-id-784https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240913-spot-reviews-09-13-24.html#unique-entry-id-784Delicious in Dungeon s1 (2024) [/] Netflix anime series based on a manga. In a fantasy world with dungeons, a party of four -- Laios (Damien Haas) the human fighter/leader, Marcille (Emily Rudd) the elf mage, Chilchuck (Casey Mongillo) the halfling rogue, and Senshi (SungWon Cho) the dwarf fighter/cook -- venture deep into the dungeon to rescue Laios' sister. But to do that they have to travel light and so resort to cooking up and eating the dungeon monsters, the various dishes of which are presented as in a cooking show... The cooking part gets a bit boring but there is a larger plot, good characters, and ok humor so the anime is still worth watching.

Doodle God Universe (2021) [/] Apple Arcade game. You start with two elements which you combine to form a third element (element being generic, material maybe better as you can create sand or lava). Now you have three elements you can combine to create further elements. Objective is to create 138 elements with a trial and error game play. Nice graphics and animations and little quotes whenever a new element is created. Seems rather limited of a challenge though which makes me see this as a game for youngsters.

Izakaya Mai - Yaki Udon (Stir Fried) [/] "Stir fried udon noodle with mixed seafood, pork, fish cakes, veggies, yaki soba sauce, sesame seed, and fish flakes on top." ($20) I had it with pork and yellow noodle. I guess too much like a Chinese stir fry noodle dish and not remarkable. Steph ordered fresh oysters which were a bit lemony and maybe would have tasted better with the sauce (which we didn't see).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-09-11T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240911-star-wars-the-clone-wars-2008.html#unique-entry-id-783https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240911-star-wars-the-clone-wars-2008.html#unique-entry-id-783The Clone Wars is an animated series set during the Star Wars Clone Wars, between episodes 2 and 3 of the movies. Early seasons scatter the stories among a variety of characters -- Anakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (James Arnold) and sometimes separate, various clone troopers, some other Jedi like Mace Windu (Terrence C Carson), Padmé Amidala (Catherine Taber) sometimes with Jar Jar Binks (Ahmed Best). One episode here, the next episode there, and then an episode that continues from a previous episode.

Later seasons are a bit more coherent with two to four episode stories. This culminates in Season 7, produced for Disney+ six years after season 6. That has three excellent story arcs, the first one with The Bad Batch to establish a spin-off series with that group of Dirty Dozen-like clone troopers. The second arc is what happened to Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein) after she left the Jedi order (and before she became involved in Star Wars: Rebels and later her Ahsoka live-action series). The third arc is Ahsoka with Bo-Katan (Katee Sackhoff) and her Mandalorian forces joining with Anakin, Obi-Wan and their forces to free Mandalore from Darth Maul (Sam Witwer).

I previously tried watching The Clone Wars but was unimpressed and stopped after three seasons. I'm not saying a second viewing is better, though as mentioned I like the last three or so seasons better (there's a neat arc with Yoda (Tom Kane) finding out about Dagobah and explains why he ended up there), but it's watchable for the most part once I know what to expect. Now that I've seen the Ahsoka series it's nice to see her in The Clone Wars going from a young teen Padawan to an accomplished almost-Jedi Master.

Overall I'm glad I gave the series a second chance.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-09-09T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240909-asphalt-8-airborne-plus-2021.html#unique-entry-id-782https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240909-asphalt-8-airborne-plus-2021.html#unique-entry-id-782Asphalt 8: Airborne+ is a re-made version of the 2013 game bur for Apple Arcade. Previously I gave the game 4 of 5 stars as it was a pretty good racing game. As far as I can tell this version's game play is the same as previous. I think there are more tracks and cars and maybe it adds Mastery (each car has 15 mastery races), Gauntlet (pit your best five cars to get a best time then try to beat other people's best times), or World Series (3+ vs mode) modes (and a Motorcycle Blitz mode which I didn't try).

The racing is much better with a controller which I may not have had in 2013. The cars for the most part are barely different from each other -- I'm assuming acceleration, top speed, handling but you will have cars that seem to be the same or barely different.

When I first tries to play this version I bought cars willy nilly and got confused since it's hard to keep track of which car I had upgrades and with a long list of cars it's hard to find the right car. I reset the game and this time didn't buy any cars since the game gives you a new car every five or so Career mode races. Those car I improved and it was a funner experience for me.

In the end it's still quite a fun racing game and surprisingly performs well on my 2017 iPad Pro.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-09-06T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240906-spot-reviews-09-06-24.html#unique-entry-id-781https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240906-spot-reviews-09-06-24.html#unique-entry-id-781Madame Web (2024) [/] Netflix movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Hard luck paramedic Cassandra Webb (Dakota Johnson) starts developing precognitive powers which she immediately has to use to save three girls -- Julia (Sydney Sweeney), Anaya (Isabela Merced), and Mattie (Celeste O'Connor) -- from the spider-powered supervillain Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim). The movie is about Cassandra coming to grips with her powers and responsibilities (although a paramedic Cassandra is a rather "that's none of my business" sort of loner). The three girls don't get to do much which I suppose sets up future tv series or movies. That first third of the movie is quite boring but it gets better and the final act is fairly exciting.

Tetris Beat (2021) [/] Apple Arcade's version of Tetris. It's Tetris but you want to drop the blocks to the rhythm of the song which makes it very hard, especially without a controller. There is also a classic mode. Oh, it's no longer in Apple Arcade.

Monster Hunter Stories+ (2021) [/] Apple Arcade version of MH Stories ($20) with no changes. A third-person JRPG set in the world of Monster Hunter where you play a kid capturing and taming monsters. It plays better with a twin-stick controller than using the virtual sticks.

The Last Astronaut (2019) [/] Science fiction novel by David Wellington. In 2034 an extra-solar asteroid is found to be decelerating towards Earth which means it's Humankind's first alien contact. Unfortunately with NASA scaled down to almost no budget they have to put a middle-aged Sally Jansen, who led the last NASA manned mission and it ended in disaster, in charge of a crew with three non-astronauts. Oh and it turns out they have to compete with KSpace, a commercial space exploration company, who is sending their own ship with a three-person crew... Once they get inside it's a very alien environment and there's the mystery of whether or not the aliens are friendly. It's the kind of setup I should like but the tone is a bit more horror than wonder so in the end I'm ambivalent about the story.

Morey's Fine Fish & Seafood - Wild Alaska Salmon Seasoned Grill [+] Individually wrapped salmon fillets already seasoned. Cook in a toaster oven for 30 minutes (from frozen) and it comes out very tasty and juicy and goes well with plain rice.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-09-04T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240904-military-prosecutor-doberman-2022.html#unique-entry-id-780https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240904-military-prosecutor-doberman-2022.html#unique-entry-id-780Military Prosecutor Doberman is a Korean military drama. Captain Do Bae-man (Ahn Bo-hyun) is a successful prosecutor in the Korean army's justice department of the 4th Division. But it turns out he's quite corrupt as he throws cases based on the wishes (and payments) of his boss Yong Moon-goo (Kim Young-min), who in turn works for the ambitious Major General Noh Hwa-young (Oh Yeon-soo) who claws her way to command of 4th Division.

Enter Captain Cha Woo-in (Jo Bo-ah) assigned to be Do Bae-man's junior prosecutor. Turns out though her secret agenda is recruiting Do Bae-man to join her in taking down Yong Moon-goo and Noh Hwa-young. Yong Moon-goo had a hand in Cha Woo-in's father fall from grace and suspicious death whilst a then Major Noh Hwa-young murdered Do Bae-man's military prosecutor parents.

The first part of the series is working cases and then some courtroom drama. As the series goes on the two leads get more evidence against Noh Hwa-young and there's a larger corrupt organization within the Army, the Patriotic Association, that leads even to the head of the National Defense Department. There are some fights to show off Cha Woo-in's vigilante fighting skills and that Do Bae-man is not so bad himself. A hint of a romance between the two but nothing happens 'til the last minute of the series.

This was a series I struggled watching mostly because I wanted a romance not a drama. Both leads look great in uniform so I kept watching. The military corruption and twists are not that interesting -- maybe because it feels like the plot is moving rather slowly. Overall a nice enough series but replace the two lead actors and maybe I wouldn't recommend.

Previous appearances:

Ahn Bo-hyun
- Her Private Life as the female lead's adopted younger brother and a bit of a romantic rival to the male lead.
- See You in My 19th Life as the male lead

Kim Young-min
- Crash Landing On You as the NK intelligence analyst working for the bad guy
- Queen of Tears as one of country town's residents who has a semi-senile mother
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-09-02T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240902-spell-tower-plus-2021.html#unique-entry-id-779https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240902-spell-tower-plus-2021.html#unique-entry-id-779SpellTower+ is a word game and another excellent game from Zach Gage.

In the base game you have a 9x13 letter grid with some dead spaces and some yellow (double score) and blue (eliminate row) letters -- blue letters are the harder to use ones like Q and X. Tap and trace to make words anywhere on the grid with bonus points for using yellow and blue letters. Those letters disappear (and long words take out surrounding letters) and higher letters fall down to fill the space. No new letters appear so it's all about making the big words and thinking ahead to get letters to come down so you can make other words.

Search is a 7x7 grid where you are trying to make words that use the central letter, which has a star. Letters three squares away are yellow and score 3 points (regular letters are 1 point). Find the word that scores the target 1-, 2- or 3-star points. I guess it's setup so you can make one good word at the start and you need to find it. You can also make zero-scoring words to make letters fall so you can make the big word but that's a lot of thinking.

Puzzle starts out with a 5-high letter tower but after each word a new line is added at the bottom and game ends if a letter reaches the top. My favorite mode.

Rush is like Puzzle but if you take too long a line is automatically added. I don't think quickly so this game mode is quite difficult.

Graphics are nice and simple. Sounds are subdued so you can think. Quite polished UI and game play. It's also a fun word game.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-08-30T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240830-spot-reviews-08-30-24.html#unique-entry-id-778https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240830-spot-reviews-08-30-24.html#unique-entry-id-778Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024) [/] A $150M budget Netflix movie. Thirty years later Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) returns to Beverly Hills to find missing old friend Billy Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and also help his estranged defense attorney daughter Jane (Taylour Paige). Jeffrey (Paul Reiser) is Foley's boss back in Detroit, John Taggart (John Ashton) is now Chief of BHPD, and Serge (Bronson Pinchot) makes a cameo appearance. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Detective Bobby Abbott, Jane's ex-boyfriend who ends up being Axel's partner in crime... It's an 80's style action movie with modern sensibilities. Better writing than BHC 1 and 2 which I just watched. Acting is mostly good though Murphy lacks a little vitality (then again he is playing an old wise-cracking cop).

Super Leap Day (2021) [+] This is an Apple Arcade cartoony arcade game vertical platformer. Your little guys is constantly moving back and forth (he bounces off walls) and you have one control: tap to jump, though you can also double jump. You are constantly moving up platforms and sometimes side to side to different screens. Collect fruits. Various items to interact with such as trampolines, grab handles (to make you stop), and pipes that suck you in. Also supports two players playing on the same level for maximum chaos. Seems quite polished and a fun game though not for me. Seems like a game kids would like but it maybe requires too much skill.

INKS.+ (2021) [/] INKS is a pinball puzzle game. Each level is a different pinball layout with flippers on the bottom and maybe other places. You are trying to hit all the targets in the fewest number of balls. Visually appealing game and fairly challenging if you want to get gold star on every level.

Falling Free (1988) [/] Science fiction novel by Lois McMaster Bujold. Although set in her Vorkosigan Saga it's like a couple of hundred years previous to anything else and is a standalone story. Human engineer Leo Graf is assigned to a corporate space station that's been developing Quaddies, a genetically modified human race with two extra arms instead of legs. When the corporation decides the project is a failure Leo comes up with an audacious plan to save the Quaddies from extermination... The story moves quickly, mostly interesting, and I like the engineering bits (Leo often has long speeches about various space engineering things).

Trader Joe's Braised Pork Shoulder in a Fig & Apricot Sauce [/] This is pretty good. Pre-cooked so you just heat it up. I opened the package and cut out some slices and used some sauce, microwave then eat with rice or spaghetti. It is sweeter than I'd like (which is close to zero sweetness). $8 per pound and comes boxed about 1-1/2 pounds.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-08-28T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240828-doctor-who-series-14-2024.html#unique-entry-id-776https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240828-doctor-who-series-14-2024.html#unique-entry-id-776
14.0 (Prequel) The Church on Ruby Road. Airship goblins steal a baby because even goblins need to eat.

14.1 Space Babies. A space station where ultra-smart babies operate it and hide from the Boogey Monster.

14.2 The Devil's Chord. A 1963 after music was killed in the mid 1920's.

14.3 Boom. The Doctor steps on a futuristic land mine and needs Ruby's help to disarm it.

14.4 73 Yards. In this Doctor-light episode he disappears and Ruby is stalked by a mysterious woman who always keeps 73 yards away from her. This is a really creepy episode and reminds me of when the Weeping Angels first appeared. The ending though leaves the question of what the woman was saying to anyone who talked to her.

14.5 Dot and Bubble. In a world where everyone lives in a VR bubble that even tells them where to walk, people are disappearing because there are monsters outside which the VR system apparently does not detect.

14.6 Rogue. Georgian era England. A posh party is infested with cos-playing aliens who use human bodies as their costumes.

14.7 The Legend of Ruby Sunday. The Doctor enlists Kate Lethbridge-Stewart (Jemma Redgrave) and UNIT's help to find out who Ruby's mother really is but instead unleashes a great evil (from the Tom Baker era) on the Universe.

14.8 Empire of Death. With everyone in the Universe dying it's up to the Doctor, Ruby, and Mel Bush (Bonnie Langford) to save life itself.

I love this Doctor. I love the episode 73 Yards. Everything else is fairly good if you accept the bonkers that is current Doctor Who (it's a show that is mostly internally consistent with itself but not with reality, even sci-fi reality).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-08-26T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240826-apple-notes-app.html#unique-entry-id-777https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240826-apple-notes-app.html#unique-entry-id-777Apple Notes app for years. The best thing is that it's on all Apple devices and syncing has gotten really good so it's a reliable information repository.

I used to organize notes by folders but that's a little inconsistent between Apple devices (Mac shows it a bit different than iOS/iPad OS). I find it's easier to have one big folder and just name the notes with Category: Note Name then favorite/pin my 7 often used note pages. That keeps the notes list consistent between devices.

I often use lists and also todo lists. TODO lists are slightly finicky -- I sometimes try to double tap to change a word and sometimes it selects the line and moves it. It's not a real TODO list app since all a Notes TODO list is a bubble checkmark -- it doesn't archive the done entries nor can you prioritize them.

I stopped using the table feature. If you just create a simple table and don't update it then it works fine. If you edit entries a lot often the cursor not track the text correctly. Also hard to reorder entries and there are no table formatting options.

I do like the search since it searches all notes at once, though I guess I don't use it much since each of my Note pages is fairly small.

What I used to do is have BBEdit and a folder of notes and have one window hold multiple open files. Then on the left is the file list and I could just click to get to a note page and edit it. And BBEdit auto-saves the working copies so I've never lost data.

Notes app replicates that experience and adds syncing (and tables and lists).

Actually Notes app undo is quite bad. BBEdit I can edit a document, edit a second document, go back to the first document and start undoing (unlimited undos). Notes app you can only undo while you're on the page. Even going to another Mac application and back to Notes undo has already reset to 0 undos.

+ List view organization of notes pages
+ Simple text editor pages for info
+ Syncs quickly between Apple devices

- Undo is not dependable
- TODO list support is minimal
- Table support is both minimal and a little buggy

As an example of usage these are my frequent Notes pages:

Diary - jot down entries which I then copy weekly to a Journal entry.
Purchases - things to buy, with links
Purchases from Podcasts - Fear of a Black Dragon and Between Two Cairns reviewed RPG products
Reviews - list of things to review later, sometimes small reviews I can copy to Spot Reviews
TODOs - my main TODO list but mostly a "what did I do today" tracker for the last two or three days
Twitch Streams - info about Twitch, mod notes
Watching - tv shows I'm watching so I remember what episodes I'm on and make sure I watch broadly not narrowly
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-08-23T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240823-spot-reviews-08-23-24.html#unique-entry-id-775https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240823-spot-reviews-08-23-24.html#unique-entry-id-775Lessons in Chemistry (2023) [+] Eight episode drama mini-series on Apple TV+. Elizabeth Zott (Brie Larson), a chemist in the 1960's, falls in love with fellow chemist Calvin Evans (Lewis Pullman). When he dies she's kind of shoved out the door because she's a woman and never got her PhD and (skip a few years) she somehow becomes the host of a popular cooking show. Now a single mother she and her strong convictions are at odds with television behind-the-scenes reality and meanwhile her daughter Madeline (Alice Halsey) goes searching for more information about her father... Episode one not that interesting but it picks up and by episode three it's a surprisingly interesting story. I'm not sure there's much of a point to the story other than looking at this two periods in Elizabeth's life.

Beverly Hills Cop II (1987) [/] After Captain Bogomil (Ronny Cox) is shot while working on a case Detroit Detective Axel Foley (Eddie Murphy) returns to Beverly Hills to find the mastermind behind the Alphabet Crimes. Once again he's joined by Detectives Rosewood (Judge Reinhold) and Taggart (John Ashton) and they have to do the investigation on the down low... I think this is better than the first movie. A bit more polished and more focused on the story and the action scenes are better.

Jetpack Joyride+ (2021) [/] This is the Apple Arcade version of Jetpack Joyride, an endless runner where you are a man with a jetpack running forever to the right. The only control is tap on the screen to launch yourself up and you keep your finger down to keep the jetpack going. It's all about carefully jumping or jump gliding to pick up coins and avoid obstacles. There are powerups which change your behavior, like a small mech that hops and doesn't stay up in the air but can absorb one hit. Graphics are like a coin-op arcade game and gameplay is smooth.

Neko Atsume: Kitty Collector+ (2021) [-] Apple Arcade version of the 2014 Neko Atsume. In this game you accessorize your back yard in order to attract stray cats. There are lots of different cats, some of them rare, so it's about finding the right combination of stuff to attract them and then seeing how they play with things. A cutesy yet boring game.

Signature Select Classic Crinkle Cut French Fried Potatoes [-] Even bad frozen french fries come out ok and these are bad frozen french fries. I cooked half according to instructions and they came out a bit cold. Second time I cooked three or four minutes longer and they came out ok. Perfectly fine with thousand isle but not great like Ore Ida fries (then again about half the price).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-08-21T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240821-oh-my-ladylord-2021.html#unique-entry-id-773https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240821-oh-my-ladylord-2021.html#unique-entry-id-773Oh My Ladylord is a Korean romance drama running 16 hour-and-a-half episodes. Han Bi-soo (Lee Min-ki) is a brilliant crime drama television writer who is a perfectionist and sees actors as merely props that must say the script exactly as written. Oh Joo-in (Nana) is the leading lady of romantic dramas but wants to get a serious role and Bi-soo has rejected her three times.

Joo-in finally buys her childhood home not knowing that Bi-soo has been living there. But Bi-soo has written all his hits there and his work area is the only place he can write. They make a deal: Joo-in can star in Bi-soo's drama and he can room there and use his work area until all sixteen scripts are written. Naturally close contact lets them see that Bi-soo is actually a fairly decent human being and Joo-in is a serious actress.

One complication is Yu Jin (Kang Min-hyuk), an childhood friend of Joo-in just returned to Korea in part to confess his love to her. The other bigger complication is that Bi-soo is going to die in 49 days. He was in an accident that should have killed him but a spirit saved him but only delayed the inevitable so that he can become a better person.

I like this story. The romance is good. Joo-in is doing the most emotional suffering as the two fall in love then Bi-soo rejects her in order to save her the pain of his dying soon. But she never gives up on her love and even though she hides it well every time Bi-soo seems be coming back to her she breaks down again.

I'll spoil it and in the end he does die and then there's a year break and we see how Joo-in's life has changed and that she is coping and still feels his spirit.

I see that this show did very poorly though as I said I quite enjoyed the story and actors.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-08-19T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240819-homebrew-2009.html#unique-entry-id-774https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240819-homebrew-2009.html#unique-entry-id-774Homebrew is a package manager for macOS. It allows you to easily install various Linux/Unix applications and libraries in the macOS subsystem (i.e. these are applications that either don't have UI or their UI is based on X-Windows or something not native macOS).

One thing is that everything installs in /usr/local/opt (Intel Macs) or /opt/homebrew (Mx Macs) so it shouldn't overwrite existing macOS stuff and it updates your path to use homebew directories first. You can search their web site for packages and when you find the one you want the page has the command needed to install. Most package are pre-compiled so it's merely download and unzip which install fast. Similarly run "brew update" and "brew upgrade" to update everything to latest version and it even warns you when packages are obsolete and no longer being updated.

I've used Homebrew to install various packages on my server machine:

Apache 2 - web server
certbot - to update ssl certs from Let's Encrypt

postgresql@15 - database
pgadmin4 - UI admin tool (this is a Mac app and the brew script downloads it from pgAdmin web site)
node@16 - Node JS, this and postgres is for running Wiki.js

emacs - editor cause I'm an emacs guy not vi
wget - sometimes you need to download stuff

Homebrew installs any pre-req packages as necessary.

Homebrew is easy to use. It's very popular so has lots of packages and they are frequently updated as the base applications are updated.

Other package managers:

Fink - older than Homebrew but does not currently support macOS 14 (and 11-13 supported added last year and you need Xcode installed), which brings up the point that Homebrew only support latest macOS, currently 12+ and they'll probably drop macOS 12 when 15 comes out. Fink on the other hand is supported on macOS 10.9+

MacPorts - easy install on macOS 12 to 14 and more complicated on older macOS (down to macOS 10.5 Leopard). Tends to be more download source and compile though now also supports pre-compiled binaries.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-08-16T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240816-spot-reviews-08-16-24.html#unique-entry-id-772https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240816-spot-reviews-08-16-24.html#unique-entry-id-772Jolt (2021) [+] Action film on Amazon Prime Video. Lindy (Kate Beckinsale) was born with a condition where she is easily triggered and rages out against people and it makes her stronger while raging out. She controls it via an electric shock system. When she finally meets a nice guy and he is murdered she goes on a rampage after the criminal boss who had him killed... It's a better film than I expected. Good cinematography and fight scenes on what is probably not a huge budget. Lots of humorous bits. Beckinsale is fit and believable as a tough girl fighter. Stanley Tucci is great playing Lindy's psychiatrist who also made her shock system.

Beverly Hills Cop (1984) [/] Eddie Murphy plays Axel Foley, a streetwise unconventional Detroit detective who visits Beverly Hills in order to find out who had his best friend murdered. Fish out of water comedy as he clashes with the prim and proper police department and high class society... I watched this again and it's definitely dated though still funny at times because Murphy is quite good. But I wouldn't say it's an 80's movie that new people need to watch.

Mr Cooper [+] My current mortgage is held by Nationstar Mortgage LLC and their consumer website identity is Mr Cooper. it's actually a pretty well implemented site in that you can login see your status and make payments quite easily. You get email notifications and once I make a payment the site is updated in a couple of days so I can see what went into principal and what went into interest. It is a bit aggressive trying to get me to refinance or apply for a line of credit. I've used several mortgage companies over the years and this is the best one.

Game Dev Story+ (2021) [/] The Apple Arcade version of Game Dev Story. 8-bit retro-graphics simulation of a small game development studio. Hire four people who each have scores in four skills: programming, story writing, graphics, sound. Pick the next game you'll develop (choose two attributes) then go at it. At each stage you can hire third party people to help out and random events are thrown your way. Meanwhile bugs accrue and at the end the debug phase you can keep going until you run out of money. Then the game is released and you start getting reviews and revenue. Train your people, fire and hire people, then start the next game. Eventually the company grows and you hire more people... I found the game ok. Concept is not bad but even with four people the learning ramp up was a bit steep. I'm fine with the graphics but the UI menu system is clunky although perhaps the game would play better with a mouse and keyboard. Overall after an hour I didn't find it compelling enough to continue.

Angry Birds Reloaded (2021) [-] This is a new game developed for Apple Arcade. Physics-based knock 'em down side-view game where you slingshot various birds to knock down buildings where pigs live. Different birds have different capabilities. Cutesy graphics and challenging gameplay especially to get three stars on a level... I've never been into Angry Birds and this version does not change my mind.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-08-14T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240814-soundtrack-1-2022-and-soundtrack-2-2023.html#unique-entry-id-771https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240814-soundtrack-1-2022-and-soundtrack-2-2023.html#unique-entry-id-771Soundtrack 1 and Soundtrack 2 are two Korean romance dramas revolving around music.

In Soundtrack 1 long time best friends, photographer Seon-woo (Park Hyng-sik) and lyricist Eun-soo (Han So-hee), end up living together for a couple of weeks so that Seon-woo can help Eun-soo write song lyrics about unrequited which she doesn't understand at all and he's been living with for almost a decade as he's been secretly in love with her (though he explains it as an unrequited love for Jennifer, a woman he met while studying in the USA).

The complication is a competitor seems to have struck first so Seon-woo doesn't tell Eun-soo how he feels and would rather support her in a relationship with someone more compatible. Meanwhile Eun-soo has been suppressing her feeling for Seon-woo because she doesn't want to ruin their friendship if a romance between them fails. It's only when Seon-woo leaves for a year on a photography gig that she comes to realize she loves him.

Soundtrack 2 is a new story. Su-ho (Noh Sang-hyun) and Hyun-seo (Keum Sea-rok) are a couple that broke up. Now a decade later Su-ho is a successful CEO of a media company specializing in YouTube shows while Hyun-seo is a former pianist with a failing piano teaching school. They end up living at Su-ho's place for a couple of weeks along with potential star Kei (Son Jeong-hyuk) as they help him create his debut music video and Kei becomes a competitor for Hyun-seo's affections.

The complication here is that Su-ho ends up with Hyun-seo but her hangups force them apart again. She has no self-love and he's rich so every time he takes her to an expensive restaurant or helps her out with rent she feels inadequate because she can't pay him back. The story ends when she realizes she needs to reflect on herself and decides to walk the Camino de Santiago and in the airport Su-ho surprises her ready to do the walk with her and she accepts.

Soundtrack 1 is a good story. Four 45-minute episodes so it's quite fast. Soundtrack 2 is an ok story not as engrossing. It runs six 45-minute episodes. Overall I recommend Soundtrack 1 whilst Soundtrack 2 can be skipped.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-08-12T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240812-the-liberation-trilogy-2002-2013.html#unique-entry-id-770https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240812-the-liberation-trilogy-2002-2013.html#unique-entry-id-770Liberation Trilogy which focuses on the American Army in WWII's European Theater of Operations.

v1 An Army At Dawn (2002) - the invasion of North Africa
v2 The Day of Battle (2007) - Sicily and Italy
v3 The Guns at Last Light (2013) - D-Day to Victory in Europe day

These are big volumes with extensive end notes so he did his research. Atkinson gives the overall picture, operations, battles and small unit fights with lots of quotes and anecdotes from the highest level to the fighting soldiers. But of necessity it's still more of an overview with lots of stuff omitted (for example Sicily is 150-odd pages which is a lot but, even omitting the British side, is a lot less detail than the Sicily book I read recently).

There are a good number of maps though not for the tactical stuff. Atkinson covers the British in summary since his focus is the Americans but they often fought with the British. Similarly Army Air Corps and the US Navy is not dwelt on except as they impacted Army operations or in summary.

I'm not sure I actually like these three volumes. On the one hand a very thorough work. On the other hand it's such a big area and he wants to cover it down to low level that I feel I didn't get as much out of it as I should have. I think the low level stuff I'd rather read separate books because what he has gives a feel without substance..

The other thing I didn't appreciate is that he doesn't like Patton, doesn't like Eisenhower, doesn't like Montgomery, doesn't like most of the generals, sort of in that order. I guess he wants to bring up deficiencies for a more balanced coverage but Atkinson has a "this is shameful and disappointing" tone which is a bit grating.

Overall it's a series good enough to keep in my library but mostly because I have nothing else like it. Perhaps when I read another multi-volume series on WWII, even if more broad than Atkinson's treatment, I will find a replacement for The Liberation Trilogy.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-08-09T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240809-spot-reviews-08-09-24.html#unique-entry-id-769https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240809-spot-reviews-08-09-24.html#unique-entry-id-769The Idea of You (2024) [/] American rom-com. Single 40-year old mom Solène (Anne Hathaway) meets and has a romantic European trip with veteran boy band member Hayes (Nicholas Galitzine) -- I think he's supposed to be late 20's and his band has been around for about a decade. Unfortunately the attention from photographers and hate from fans threatens to break them apart... This is a Prime Video original film. Good production value. Story and acting are quite good. Ending maybe misses a bit though it's not a bad ending. I enjoyed it.

Cute Bodyguard (2021) [-] Chinese romance drama. Wealthy heir Gu Rong (Liu Te) hires Su Jing Jing (Ling Mei Shi) as his feisty bodyguard/assistant because she seems to be the only person he can touch without panicking. They don't get along and he keeps interfering with her attempts to get closer to childhood crush Han Ran (Chang Zhe Kuan), now a successful author... I watched four episodes and I'm sure the turn is coming but boy is the guy really annoying and the girl not much better. My Prime Video is expiring and with the remaining time I'd rather watch something else.

The Intrepid Saga (2016) [/] This three novel series mostly follows Tanis Richards, disgraced ex-special forces assigned as new head of security for the Intrepid -- a new class of colony ship -- which will be completed in a year if terrorists don't destroy it. In book 2 the Intrepid is on its way but suffers sabotage near a desolate star and Tanis has to save the ship. In book 3 the Intrepid limps into an uninhabited star system to repair but finds an unexpected ship of refugees who they help over the next 100 years whilst a criminal mastermind plots the downfall of Tanis and the Intrepid's leadership... This series is set in the Aeon-14 universe and starts in Mars of the 41st century. Lots of high tech and body mods but no FTL (later in the universe timeline FTL is developed which sparks an interstellar war). It's an interesting universe but I found these three books not that engrossing and I don't think I'll read the Orion War series set in the same universe. Perhaps if I had read it instead of listening to an audio book.

Leo's Fortune+ (2021) [/] This is the Apple Arcade version of Leo's Fortune, a side-scrolling platform puzzle game where you maneuver Leo (a furry head muppet) using left, right, and jump buttons. You go from start to finish picking up coins, pushing buttons, and avoiding traps. It's a cutesy game though better with a controller than touch.

Izakaya Mai, San Mateo - Curry Champon [+] "Creamy pork broth with Japanese Curry topped with stir fried veggies, pork, seafood mix, fish cakes, sesame seed, jalapeno, and green onions." I had this with Champon Noodle (wheat flour and egg). It has a light curry flavor and maybe a little spicy though I didn't notice. It has cabbage but very soft. Quite filling. $21 via Doordash.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-08-07T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240807-the-expanse-2015.html#unique-entry-id-768https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240807-the-expanse-2015.html#unique-entry-id-768The Expanse is a science fiction series that aired on SyFy for three seasons then Amazon Prime Video for another three after SyFy cancelled it.

It's set maybe 100 years in the future where mankind is split into three polities: United Nations of Earth and Luna with the bulk of humanity and bulk of resources, Martian Congressional Republic with a bit better tech to offset the UN's numbers, and the independent Belters downtrodden by both major powers.

The series is mostly two parallel tracks (they're based on books written by two authors each of which wrote one plot line). The crew of the Rocinante is the primary plot: James Holden (Steven Strait) as Earther captain and moral compass, Naomi Nagata (Dominique Tipper) as Belter engineer with a dark past, Amos Burton (Wes Chatham) as Earther mechanic quick to resort to violence but in an unfeeling way (violence is an easy tool not that he enjoys or hates it), and Alex Kamal (Cas Anvar) as Martian pilot and former military. An eclectic group worthy of the settings (which was originally developed to be an RPG).

In season one the other plot line follows Belter detective Joe Miller (Thomas Jane) trying to track down the runaway daughter of a business tycoon. There's also UN official Chrisjen Avasarala (Shohreh Aghdashloo) investigating terrorist Belter activities. After season one Avasarala is the focus of the second plot line.

It's a setting of rising political tension between the UN and Mars which escalates once Protomolecule is discovered. It's an alien organic compound that can transform Earth life and one of the big corps has been developing super-soldiers with it (humans changed into alien lifeforms with super-human abilities and alien thoughts such that they're no longer human). Mars wants it, then Earth wants it, then the Belters want it as the WMD that can bring recognition for an independent Belter Nation.

This through-line continues as the Protomolecule establishes a base on Venus which is then launched into the outer planets and forms the Ring. Investigation reveals it's a portal into Ring space which is not that big but has thousands of portals to other places in the galaxy (and beyond?). But no alien inhabitants who were all apparently wiped out by something that humanity is now attracting with its usage of the Ring portals.

The series ends with maybe humanity knows how to use the portals safely and maybe the hostile entities now know humanity exists. Unfortunately season 6 is both short and sets up a continuation of the universe (it introduces a family living on a colony world and then stuff happens that's not resolved at series end). That makes season 6 the weakest of the series though in general I think the series starts strong and slowly gets less interesting from season to season, with the exception of Camina Drummer (Cara Gee) who is a freaking badass Belter minor character in season 2 and 3 and a regular afterwards.

Each season tends to be a standalone-ish story (makes sense since they follow a series of books) and the settings vary. Season 1 has Ceres, the largest Belter city, season 4 is mostly on the colony world of Ilus, season 5 has subplot on Earth.

It's a fairly hard sci-fi universe with the big human tech being a space ship engine that can pull high Gs quickly and uses almost no fuel but humans still need aids to handle high Gs. Weapons are mostly projectiles and ships have missiles and rail guns. Computers are easy to use but no AI. Body mods are low, the big thing is Belters being tall with weak bones not suitable for gravity. The Protomolecule bends existing laws, like perhaps cancelling the mass of an asteroid so it can dodge missiles and instantaneous communication across the solar system.

Overall it's a good science fiction series that is hard sci-fi and tells a large story. Compares favorably with Babylon 5.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-08-05T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240805-d-and-d-basic-set-1983.html#unique-entry-id-767https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240805-d-and-d-basic-set-1983.html#unique-entry-id-767
The boxed set (from what I remember) is two rules books and plastic dice. The Player's Manual starts with a tutorial section and even has a small solo adventure and that's the first 22 of 64 pages. Character classes -- 4 human and 3 demi-human -- is another 30 pages.Th rest is advice about group play and some more advanced rules (e.g. weapon damage is 1d6 and advanced is variable so that small weapons do less damage than large weapons).

Dungeon Masters book is 52 pages which starts with an intro dungeon with level one described out and that's about 10 pages. About 10 pages of rules situations advice like how to handle certain spells or how to do timekeeping. About 20 pages of monster descriptions, some fairly high level and you have to have dragons as a possible monster. About 5 pages of treasures and another 5 pages on dungeon design.

When I was 10 or so and read this as my first RPG it was a great introduction. I think it's still a good introduction although I do miss not having a real adventure module included (previous editions had one rulebook and one module). The one level of dungeon in this set is good enough for a session or so but B2 Keep on the Borderlands has lots of intro advice and enough material for a few sessions of play.

Overall I still think this is a good introductory RPG especially for D&D-like play (which I guess is obvious but there are a lot of OSR RPGs nowadays that try to do Basic Set better).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-08-02T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240802-spot-reviews-08-02-24.html#unique-entry-id-764https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240802-spot-reviews-08-02-24.html#unique-entry-id-764The Bloody Hundredth (2024) [/] Companion documentary to Masters of the Air. Post-war interviews (not sure anything really recent but into the 2000's I think) with the real people portrayed in the series. War-time footage and narration by Tom Hanks. It's 100 minutes long so it's easy to follow the story and plots that went into the series. It's a nice contrast to the series, which did use a lot of the elements in the documentary.

Promise in the Summer (2023) [-] Chinese romantic drama. After finding out she's the only person Han Qilu (Ma Haodong) can touch safely, An Chuxia (Liu Nian) is hired to be his constant close companion to cure him. But being the new girl in high school who is suddenly close to handsome Qilu brings jealousy from rivals... This is 24 episodes each about 6 to 10 minutes long. Each episode is like a regular Chinese tv show episode but cut down to its essentials so that over the course of the series you get the same sort of subplots and twists as in regular length series. Still, it does kind of make everything superficial, including the characters and main romance plot. I'd say this is not a good format for romantic dramas and though this series was pleasant to watch I wouldn't recommend it.

US Air Force Doctrine Document 2-3 - Irregular Warfare (Aug 2007) [-] This is an old version but I couldn't find the current version on the Air Force docs site. Although 100+ pages it's more of a beta doc of how the Air Force can contribute to Irregular Warfare (insurgency and counter-insurgency being the two primary IW). I guess it's mostly common sense which is why I was unimpressed with this document.

Harborview Restaurant and Bar, San Francisco [+] We've had ex-WCBS dim sum here two or three times. You need to reserve and want to get there early like 1100 on the weekend. You order the dim sum and they bring it out to you. This week we had 10 dishes including porridge for five and it was $140 with tip. So not cheap but it's really good food. Atmosphere is nice -- we sat on the patio and it was a cool day. Plenty of parking.

Kirkland Everything Seasoning Breaded Cod [/] Small cod fillets breaded. You bake for 25 minutes and it comes out ok. I guess about as good as others I've tried -- tough to get breaded fish right.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-07-31T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240731-deadpool-and-wolverine-2024.html#unique-entry-id-766https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240731-deadpool-and-wolverine-2024.html#unique-entry-id-766Deadpool & Wolverine is the third Deadpool movie and brings him and Wolverine (and by extension the X-Men) into the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) on his Earth used time travel to make sure nobody that he loved died and he has his friends and a boring job. Unfortunately Paradox (Matthew Macfadyen) takes him out of the time stream to recruit him. Paradox is a supervisor at the Time Variance Authority (from Loki series) and he says that Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) was the anchor of Deadpool's universe and now that he's dead his universe will die in a thousand years, except Paradox has a Ripper that will do it today which is much more efficient.

That out the way, Deadpool breaks out and looks for a Wolverine to be the new anchor and he finds one that is all mopey because his inaction let all the X-Men get killed by the government. Deadpool drags Wolverine along, fighting all the way, and they end up in the Void, the garbage dump planet (which is where we found out all the TVA derezzers send people to) and to get out of the Void they'll have to defeat Charles Xavier's psychotic twin Cassandra Nova (Emma Corrin). And after that they still have to stop the TVA from destroying Deadpool's universe...

This is a romp movie as the two principals go from place to place fighting various enemies and each other (which is a pretty cool fight). It's a very graphic movie though comic-book like so not very PTSD-inducing. Lots of sexual jokes and profanity. A good amount of 4th wall breaking. There are some surprise guest heroes in the Void portion and that was pretty cool.

Overall a very entertaining film but heavily R-rated.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-07-29T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240729-trilemma-adventures-2019.html#unique-entry-id-765https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240729-trilemma-adventures-2019.html#unique-entry-id-765Trilemma Adventures is a collection of 48 1- to 3-page no-stat adventures for fantasy RPGs by Michael Prescott. These were originally developed at a regular interval and as he wrote them he eventually developed a world and this book includes a bestiary, magic items, history, gazetteer sections.

Each adventure has an isometric map (more of an illustration with labelled areas). Then the text gives the situation and describes each area and major inhabitants and items. Many adventures have random tables for encounters or spells or monster characteristics. Key words and phrases are in bold and things that are described later in the adventure are in red italics.

The world is one where there was an old mage empire of which there are remnants today (and there was another empire and a war and there are hints in various adventures). Many adventures deal with these remnants since they are ancient and haunted ruins. Some adventures have items or people related to another adventure. In the gazetteer there is a big map showing where each adventure resides (there is also a fairly extensive big underground land).

The various races and monsters are fairly unique (and the appendices collects the various bits scattered in the adventures so you get better descriptions there). For the most part you can substitute your RPG's races and monsters. Since there are no stats here you can substitute with appropriately-leveled creatures, though in general the adventures are more mid- to high-level is my impression.

Thinking about it too many adventures are rather specific to this world, especially background wise and why some monsters are there. As its own emergent campaign world Trilemma Adventures is fine (and there are companion Bestiaries with stats for D&D 5E, D&D B/X, Dungeon World, or Year Zero). As ready-to-run one-shots for my campaign I don't think I'd use more than a few. In the end I had higher hopes that this book would be usable but turns out I'll not be using it in my D&D campaign.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-07-26T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240726-spot-reviews-07-26-24.html#unique-entry-id-763https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240726-spot-reviews-07-26-24.html#unique-entry-id-763Whitney Cummings: Jokes (2022) [/] One hour comedy act from her Newark, NJ performance. Sex with a younger man, sextortion and online privacy, kids and social media. It's raunchy and funny.

Manhunt (2024) [-] A drama mini-series about the hunt for Abraham Lincoln's assassin John Wilkes Booth (Anthony Boyle). Secretary of War Edwin Stanton (Tobias Menzies) is the main protagonist as he organizes the hunt while new president Andrew Johnson (Glenn Morshower) and the rest of the government wants to move on. Meanwhile you get lots of flashbacks to witness Lincoln (Hamish Linklater) when he was alive. I watched the first two of seven episodes and unfortunately it's rather boring.

Gamecraft (2023) [/] A limited series podcast about the video game industry business, although they did do a season 2 so we'll see if there are more. Video games veteran Mitch Lasky (development manager, producer, executive, then into venture capitalism) has been around a lot and has certain ideas of where the industry is moving to. I listened to the first three episodes and turns out the business of video games is not as interesting as I expected (but when Lasky tells anecdotes those are good). It's a polished podcast with lots of useful info I think.

Trader Joe's Blueberry Muffins [+] $5 for four regular-sized muffins. Moist and tasty. Half a muffin with a couple cups of coffee means it lasts a week and still fairly good at that time. Compares well with the Milano cookies I buy ($7.50 for 15 which lasts longer if I eat less).

Del Real Chile Verde [/] A 15-oz pack of pork chunks and chile verde sauce which you microwave for a few minutes and serve (there is a warning that internal temp must reach 165 degrees since pork can have parasites). I had it with brown rice and corn and it tastes fine. $13 retail is reasonable.



]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-07-24T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240724-cute-programmer-2021.html#unique-entry-id-762https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240724-cute-programmer-2021.html#unique-entry-id-762Cute Programmer is a Chinese romance/drama running 30 45-minute episodes.

Lu Li (Zhu Xudan) is a Computer Science major just graduated from university and desperate to work at a video game company owned and run by her crush Jiang Yi Cheng (Zing Zhaolin). But they never hire female programmers so with the help of her best friend Gu Xiaoqi (Guan Xin) she interviews disguised as a man and manages to get hired.

The first third of the series is Lu Li being a male computer programmer who just wants to be near Yi Cheng. Lots of comedic situations including using the wrong rest room, a team bonding trip to a hot spring (with separate male and female bathing areas), and Yi Cheng being strangely attracted to another man.

Eventually her secret comes out and we go into phase 2 where Yi Cheng's parents think he's finally found a girl he likes so they force them to get married. Yi Cheng makes it a secret marriage and she moves in with him and stays in a separate room. Enter a complication: Yi Cheng's first love Li Man (Joy Sheng) who also betrayed his company three years ago. Li Man wants to reconcile with Yi Cheng but he in return doesn't care and is even forced to reveal he's married to Li Man.

But because Yi Cheng and Li Man keep hanging out together and because she deviously puts doubts in Lu Li's mind, eventually Lu Li decides that her one-sided love and dedication to Yi Cheng will get her nowhere so she asks for a divorce and moves to another city (and she's pregnant with Yi Cheng's child but doesn't tell him).

In phase 3 Lu Li gets a job as network admin (making it hard for Yi Cheng to find her as he expects her to go into game programming like her old job). Lu Li is pursued by the owner Lu Zhengguo (Wang Weihua) who turns out was a classmate of Yi Cheng and their companies have a partnership for a movie so they eventually find each other again at a business dinner. Now Yi Cheng tries to win Lu Li back, who is hesitant because she wants to make sure he's not in love from regret, pity, or make up for being a bad husband.

Eventually he does win her back and they have a VR wedding. There are three other couples that form from various subplots. The End.

The first third is really good and the second third is fine. The last third is a bit weak because Yi Cheng pursing Lu Li does not come off as romantic. The other romantic subplots were kind of uninteresting. I feel let down by the last third of the series. Overall below average but the first third is quite good.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-07-22T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240722-amazon-prime-video.html#unique-entry-id-761https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240722-amazon-prime-video.html#unique-entry-id-761Amazon Prime Video App. Much like the Netflix app you can browse or search for videos and play them, although APV also shows you videos on other services or that are on Amazon Video for rent and I do find that annoying -- just show me the stuff I can play without spending more money.

In comparison APV is quite worse than Netflix. On my old iPad the UI is fairly laggy with perceptible fractional second delay as you use the UI, including when using video playback commands. My iPhone SE is newer and works fine so it's just that APV is not designed for older iPads, unlike Netflix which runs great on my iPad.

On the plus side, when I watched The Expanse (produced by Amazon for seasons 4 to 6) and paused it showed me a list of actors and their roles in the scene. Unfortunately when I watched some Asian shows that info wasn't there. Similarly when you view The Expanse episode list there is a little blurb for each but for Asian shows it's the same blurb over and over, which is the show description blurb. And that show description reads like a transliteration -- it doesn't read natural.

Another plus is that Prime Video is a Mac App Store app and supports handoff which worked pretty well.

APV is rather aggressive stopping a show when you go out of the app and back in after a minute, so then you have to find the episode and restart viewing. Netflix I can go to another app for a few minutes and when I come back the video is still paused and I can continue (though maybe that means I'm holding one of the two viewing instances for the account).

APV has commercials. A pre-roll and one or two mid-rolls during a tv show. It's the usual television-style ads where the volume is at max no matter what you were watching. It also jarringly comes one without a fadeout/fadein -- I think it algorithmically tries to find the end of a scene and puts the mid-roll there. Sometimes a character finishes their sentence and commercial immediately starts.

As for content I'm not sure. The Expanse is great but it was a Sci-Fi channel show and it was good then also. I watched a Korean romance drama and a Chinese romance drama and they were fine though not as good as the ones on Netflix (but APV might have recommended less stellar fare to me). Both Asian dramas had good translations on par with Netflix. Still, the Asian dramas selection seems quite smaller than Netflix and I'm really into Asian romantic dramas right now.

In the end I wouldn't subscribe to Amazon Prime Video over other services. If you get it effectively free because you have Amazon Prime for the other benefits then it's worth it. But for me it's a pass.

What I Watched

The Expanse (2015) (62 episodes) - 46.5 hours
Good Omens #1.1 (2019) - 1 hour
Cute Bodyguard #1.1 to #1.4 (2021) - 3 hours
Cute Programmer (2021) (30 episodes) - 22.5 hours
Jolt (2021) - 1.5 hours
Oh My Ladylord (2021) (16 episodes) - 16 hours
My Roommate Is a Gumiho (2021) (16 episodes) - 16 hours
Promise in the Summer (2023) (24 micro-episodes) - 3 hours
Fallout #1.1 (2024) - 0.75 hours
The Idea of You (2024) - 1.75 hours
My Undead Yokai Girlfriend (2024) (8 episodes) - 4 hours

Total 126 hours
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-07-19T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240719-spot-reviews-07-19-24.html#unique-entry-id-760https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240719-spot-reviews-07-19-24.html#unique-entry-id-760Fallout #1.1 (2024) [/] The story follows three people (separated in episode 1) two hundred years after nuclear war devastated Earth: Lucy (Ella Purnell), a Vault Dweller stepping out for the first time in order to find her dad, kidnapped by raiders; Maximus (Aaron Moten), a squire of the Brotherhood of Steel, and perhaps not militant enough for the job; and Cooper (Walton Goggins), an undead Ghoul who remembers life before the bombs fell. Turns out the retro post-apocalyptic Fallout world is nice to play in but not interesting to me as a television show.

My Undead Yokai Girlfriend s1 (2024) [/] Japanese romance-horror-comedy with eight half-hour episodes. Teenager Tadashi (Hayato Sano) uses a magic ritual to summon a girlfriend, Izzy (Ai Yoshikawa) who is actually a Yokai (demon) determined to behead the Five Spears and free her people from imprisonment. But in order to stay on Earth Izzy binds herself to Tadashi, then has to pretend to be his girlfriend and starts to develop feelings for him. But the show is more focused on Tadashi who is a bit more vacillating than I'd like in a character. Special effects are ok and although s1 is standalone there is a setup for a possible s2.

Solitaire Stories (2021) [/] A second solitaire game on Apple Arcade but unlike MobilityWare's basic functions this one puts more effort into it. There are lots of deck themes and each one has a story mode (with voice narration) so you can play with slowly increasing difficulty. For non-story mode quick play you can set difficulty and whether it's always solvable or not. Three game modes: Klondike, Spider, Tri Peaks. For a solitaire game this one is somewhat interesting.

Ajinomoto Chicken Gyoza Dumplings [+] Easy to prepare in medium heat and no oil needed as the dumplings have a special batter. Cooks in about 15 minutes and the bottom is a bit crispy. Pretty pasty by themselves (or maybe there is more salt than is healthy cause they do have a nice salty taste).

Trader Joe's Watermelon Cucumber Cooler [/] $3.50 for a half-gallon. Made from concentrate. Tastes fine with watermelon and maybe a hint of cucumber. If I water it down still tastes ok though it's not that sugary in the first place.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-07-17T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240717-my-roommate-is-a-gumiho-2021.html#unique-entry-id-759https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240717-my-roommate-is-a-gumiho-2021.html#unique-entry-id-759My Roommate Is a Gumiho iuniversitys a Korean romance drama running 16 episodes. Through happenstance university student Lee Dam (Lee Hye-ri) is entangled with Shin Woo-yeo (Jang Ki-yong), a millennial-old Gumiho (nine-tailed fox) who has spent 999 years trying to become human. Dam accidentally swalloed Woo-yeo's marble, which is used to absorb human energy. She moves in with Woo-yeo so that he can keep the marble safe. Also he eventually mentions that if he can't remove the marble she will die in a year.

It's a usual formula: two people forced to live together, one person is reserved and the other is more emotional, they slowly start to be attracted to each other. There is an inevitable romantic rival -- Gey Sun-woo (Bae In-hyuk), university playboy who finds Dam intriguing after she flatly turns him down. Dam's friends who don't know she's dating which is more complicated once Woo-yeo's takes a teaching position at the university.

My favorite part is Woo-yeo's friend Yang Hye-sun (Kang Han-na, who played the lead's sister/rival in Start-Up), formerly a 700-year old Gumiho who became human five years ago. She is portrayed as less intelligent, often getting words wrong and misunderstanding idioms, though I think that's more unfamiliarity with current culture. I like her developing romance with Dam's friend Do Jae-jin (Kim Do-wan) since she's model beautiful and he's rather dorky.

Overall it's a watchable series but not one of the best ones.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-07-15T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240715-macwhisper.html#unique-entry-id-758https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240715-macwhisper.html#unique-entry-id-758MacWhisper is a transcription app that can run standalone or in the cloud and it uses OpenAI's tech. I bought the Pro version (39 Euros) -- the free version you can only use a smaller language set (which still worked great when I tried it).

Set your default settings: Language (auto or specific language), Model (small, 500 MB; medium, 1.5 GB, large, 3.0 GB). Drag an audio or video file onto app window and it starts translating, eventually giving you an estimated time to completion. Since I bought it I use medium (free only has small) which translates at best x0.8 speed (i.e. a 4 hour file takes 5 hours) but it's more like x0.5 speed or slower if I'm doing light stuff on my MBP (last Intel version). AI translation is really designed to use an M1 or better CPU as they have dedicated neural engines. (Small model is about twice as fast so if you want speed use that in which case you don't really need the pay version.)

Once it's done you can export a raw text or a segmented text (with timestamps) or a MacWhisper file which I guess makes it easier to just load it and re-export without another transcription phase. There's also a capability of assigning speaker names, though I haven't tried it.

There's a batch mode though you have to set how it saves all transcription outputs (i.e. I can run a batch and have all transcriptions saved as raw text). One thing it lacks is ability to pause which I'd find convenient since when it's running it's at 850% CPU (Handbrake uses 1200% CPU though that does have a pause function).

I use this to transcript Twitch VODs. Accuracy is pretty good. It can detect music and put [music] or even [high energy music] and it seems pretty good about filtering out background music. It can detect languages and put [Polish speech] and I assume would translate it language is set to Polish.

The app i think is a one-person developer and it's in active development with multiple updates per month. I think without an M1 or better Mac it's too slow to be useful unless you're patient.

I also tried Aiko which also uses OpenAI tech though not sure which language model size -- maybe medium based on it's speed. Aiko has almost no customization options though on the other hand it's free and available on the Mac App Store.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-07-12T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240712-spot-reviews-07-12-24.html#unique-entry-id-755https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240712-spot-reviews-07-12-24.html#unique-entry-id-755Good Omens #1.1 (2019) [/] I saw the first episode. British show based on Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett's novel. The demon Crowley (David Tennant) and angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) team up to secretly stop Armageddon because they both like humans and civilization, such as it is. In the first episode the duo spend years trying to influence the young anti-Christ to be a good, or not so evil, person but turns out they got the wrong boy... It's a British humor comedy and I think I'd find it more entertaining reading the book because the first episode didn't do it for me.

Trying #1.1 to #1.3 (2020) [-] Half hour British sitcom. Nikki (Esther Smith) and Jason (Rafe Spall) are a London middle-class couple who find out they can't have children so they try to adoption (and I suppose eventually succeed). It's done four seasons so I guess it's popular but the comedy really didn't work for me.

Justinian: Emperor, Soldier, Saint (2023) [/] History book by professor Peter Sarris about the Byzantine Emperor Justinian, his life and accomplishments. Sarris covers Justinians religious reforms and laws as well as expanding Byzantium to its greatest extent. I read almost half the book and it's an easy read. Lots of detail but not dense. I had to return the library book and it wasn't interesting enough to check it out again.

Ball Park Franks [-] Haven't had these in a while. They are cheap hot dogs that really need condiments. Overall I'd rather get more expensive sausage goods.

Ball Park Hot Dog Buns [-] Cheap white bread buns. Frozen then toasted works fine: outside is toasty inside is steamy warm. At least the eight buns matches the eight hot dogs in the franks pack.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-07-10T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240710-see-you-in-my-19th-life-2023.html#unique-entry-id-757https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240710-see-you-in-my-19th-life-2023.html#unique-entry-id-757See You in My 19th Life is a Korean romance/drama running 12 episodes.

Yoon Joo-won (Kim Si-a) is a young girl who recently started remembering her seventeen past lives. This has made her a weirdly mature and world-weary 12-year old. But she befriends 6-year old (or so) Moon Seo-ha (Jung Hyeon-jun) and becomes enamored. Unfortunately on his birthday they are involved in a car accident and she dies.

On to her 19th life when a young Ban Ji-eum (Park So-yi) starts remembering. Unfortunately this time her family is one where mom ran away and dad exploits her talents. She runs away and finds Kim Ae-kyung (Cha Chung-hwa), who is the now middle-aged niece of her 17th life when she was Ae-kyung's beloved uncle. Ji-eum convinces Ae-kyung of her reincarnation and ends up living with Ae-kyung.

Fast forward and now recent college grad Ji-eum (Shin Hye-sun) is ready to find Seo-ha (Ahn Bo-hyun, who I've been watching in Military Prosecutor Doberman) and kindle an adult romance...

The first episode is setup which is somewhat interesting. Then once the adult Ji-eum comes on the scene it gets really interesting as she is a driven character who is superbly skilled due to her past lives and supremely confident that she will win Seo-ha's love. It's the female lead that initiates the romance which I guess is not that unusual in K-dramas but still nice nonetheless.

The second half gets a bit more muddled as we find out that there is a reason, which Ji-eum doesn't know, that she keeps remembering her past lives. Also turns out that re-establishing relationships with previous life people ends up doing those people harm due to mystical karma. In order to save her loved ones: Ae-jyunh, Seo-ha, and her Joo-won's younger sister Cho-won (Ha Yoon-kyung, who played the lead's best friend in Extraordinary Attorney Woo).

I like hyper-competent characters who know a lot more than they should. Vaguely reminiscent of Star Trek scenarios where Kirk and Spock go back in time and they become advanced knowledge visitors to distant (i.e. modern-day) Earth. When those secrets are revealed is great tension and more so when the audience knows the secret.

Anyway, I really liked this series and recommend it.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-07-08T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240708-battle-cry-of-freedom-the-civil-war-era-2003.html#unique-entry-id-756https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240708-battle-cry-of-freedom-the-civil-war-era-2003.html#unique-entry-id-756Battle Cry of Freedom is a United States history book by James M McPherson covering from the early 1800's to the end of the US Civil War. It is part of the 12-volume Oxford History of the United States series (9 of 12 volumes published).

This is not a military history book. Although McPherson covers the wall well enough and devotes some focus on major battles this is more a book on the culture and politics. A lot of time is spent on the pre-war years showing how the country evolved into basically two separate regions. Contrast on how the slave economy took over in the South and how manufacturing and big cities took over in the North East. Lots of quotes from various speeches and writings to illustrate various attitudes and at least gives the Southern viewpoint a little legitimacy.

The politics evolved as the slavery issue came to dominate agendas and cause the Whig party to splinter into a couple of parties. One party was very anti-Catholic and therefore anti-immigration because most immigrants at the time were from Catholic regions. Eventually though the Republican party got lucky in an election and got enough of a coalition of Whigs, Northern Democrats and others to become a major power and elect Abraham Lincoln.

This kind of treatment continues during the war years. There are lots of politics on each side with war and peace factions. Not a huge amount on international efforts to make the Confederacy a legitimate state. A lot of stuff on how each government handled war-time governing and military organization. The battles themselves are more important on their larger effects than the battles themselves.

It's an interesting book and good history, though not the kind of book I'd keep in my library. I listened to it on audio book format read by Jonathan Davis. Almost 40 hours and Davis has a pleasant enough diction. I think this is the 2003 edition which is a bit abridged.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-07-05T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240705-spot-reviews-07-05-24.html#unique-entry-id-752https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240705-spot-reviews-07-05-24.html#unique-entry-id-752Underworld (2003) [+] Modern-day urban fantasy. Selene (Kate Beckinsale) is a Death Dealer, the elite warriors of the Vampires. When she finds some werewolves hunting a human, Michael Corvin (Scott Speedman), her investigation uncovers a conspiracy aimed at the vampire elders... This was such a low budget film with excellent CGI and special effects that still ups today. Interesting characters and good back story (that gets its own theatrical film).

The Beekeeper (2024) [/] Jason Statham medium-budget action film. Adam Clay (Statham) is a reclusive hobbyist beekeeper who is friends with his landlord but when she commits suicide after being defrauded by online scammers he decides to go after the scam company and wreak bloody vengeance. Turns out he's a retired Beekeeper, an extra-governmental organization created long ago to protect the USA with no oversight from the government... Lots of 1 vs lots fights where Clay rarely uses a gun unless it's from an opponent and then only momentarily. There is a bee motif but actual bee attacks never occur.

The Ausperg Affair (2012) [/] Written by Nick Marsh this is a short story novelization of a Call of Cthulhu session prequel to Horror on the Orient Express. From the POV of one of the characters it is suitably ok and was a bonus add-on for the Express Diaries novel. The characters attend an auction where there is a gruesome murder and they are asked to investigate on behalf of the auction house. Since it's POV from one character it is the only one that is sort of developed while the other four are rather vague.

Gao Viet Kitchen, San Mateo [/] Dined in. 4 Item Banh Hoi ($46) ok; Mr. Gao Fried Chicken ($29) it's a dine-in only item, pretty big chicken (like a quarter chicken), not really a crispy fried style; Shaking Beef - Bò Lúc Lắc )$32) this was pretty good, steak chunks and thicker noodles; Crab Noodle ($25) also fairly good, has crystal noodles. I guess in the end maybe too upscale of a Vietnamese place. Decor is nice though often I see a bit of a line to be seated.

Rao's Homemade Marinara [-] Maybe I'm used to Trader Joe's marinara now but this one was a bit sour and not appealing eating with just pasta and parmesan cheese. About twice as expensive too.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-07-03T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240703-masters-of-the-air-2024.html#unique-entry-id-754https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240703-masters-of-the-air-2024.html#unique-entry-id-754Masters of the Air is a 9 episode dramatization of the 2007 book by Donald L Miller, which is about the 100th Bomb Group flying as part of the US 8th Air Force in WWII.

There are three major characters, all pretty much present from beginning to end: Gale "Buck" Cleven (Austin Butler, who I just saw in Dune: Part Two playing Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen) and John "Bucky" Egan, both good friends and B-17 bomber pilots; and Harry Crosby (Anthony Boyle), navigator on a B-17 and later group navigator so he stayed behind in HQ.

For the first two they go on missions, Bucky is promoted to group commander, Buck and his bomber go missing, Bucky is shot down and ends up in a POW camp with Buck. So through them (and others) we get to see bombing missions and fending off German fighters (quite exciting sequences but really only see a lot of action one or two episodes) then life as a prisoner in a Luftwaffe POW camp (enemy airmen got put into camps run by the German air force, which was significantly laxer than a the German army or SS) to eventually liberation.

Crosby's journey is different as he is England most of the series. You get a bit more of the HQ stuff. He has an affair with a British WAC. He's wracked with guilt as he sees his friends go missing.

There is maybe half an episode focusing on the 99th fighter squadron, the Tuskegee Airmen. Three are shot down in a mission and end up in the same POW camp with Buck and Bucky.

My biggest problem with the series is all the characters that are in varied places and the narrative is rather fragmented. The bombers fighting their way through scenes are great and for the most part the CGI is good but I guess the last half of the series doesn't really have good bomber combat scenes.

Overall I liked the series and it started out strong but kind of tailed off as the series progressed.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-07-01T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240701-the-arthurian-companion-2e-2001.html#unique-entry-id-753https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240701-the-arthurian-companion-2e-2001.html#unique-entry-id-753The Arthurian Companion by Phyllis Ann Karr is the second edition of a book that is a great complement for King Arthur Pendragon RPG. Encyclopedia format so there is one entry for each knight, place, item in Arthurian lore with alternate spellings included. First edition used the Vulgate Cycle (13th century French) and Thomas Malory (15th century English) as primary sources and second edition adds the works Chrétien de Troyes (12th century French). There is also a little bit of modern Arthurian literature when it is significant.

Entries include coat of arms if known, or sometimes created by Greg Stafford. In general if there is disagreement among versions Karr picks the one she thinks is most correct (consistent or aesthetically pleasing) and notes major differences. Malory's version seems to be the most prominent (and that's what KAP uses I believe). Karr also tries to give locations to most places, using other scholarly sources, though it seems a lot more guesswork. There are also family trees for major characters.

Since there are many unnamed people in the literature Karr often gives them appropriate names. I guess that would make this book less scholarly but more convenient as an adjunct to a role-playing game and easier when an entry refers to otherwise unnamed characters.

The appendices include discussions on the literature and lore and medieval life though focusing on knightly pursuits and how they're portrayed in the literature.

I think it's quite a fine work and very useful for KAP. Apparently a third edition is in the works at Chaosium and they will also publish an annotated version of Malory's cycle.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-06-28T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240628-spot-reviews-06-28-24.html#unique-entry-id-744https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240628-spot-reviews-06-28-24.html#unique-entry-id-744The Princess and the Bodyguard (2022) [/] A pleasant made for video romantic movie. New Yorker Lexi (Emily Alatalo) has been a normal adult life for 15 years but when her royal parents come calling she has two weeks to decide whether or not accept being next in line to rule. Meanwhile she's assigned a local bodyguard, Noah (Ryan Bruce), whose charming down to earth normalcy contrasts with the high society dates her mother starts foisting on her... I like the bit where Noah can lip read and it's used to advance the plot a bit though less than I had imagined.

Backcountry (2014) [-] Canadian film. City girl Jen (Missy Peregrym) and her boyfriend Alex (Jeff Roop) go on a multi-day hike to a lake that Alex has been to before several times but not since high school. They meet a suspicious Irish tour guide (Eric Balfour) and then get lost on the way... It's an hour of buildup before the action starts but then it's over and Jen trying to get back to safety in a no-dialogue sequence. The movie poster is quite exciting with Jen hanging partway down a cliff with a bear at the top and I was expecting more of a woman vs bear story but this film was not it.

Rolling Thunder in a Gentle Land: The Vietnam War Revisited (2006) [/] A collection of essays about the Vietnam War. Articles on the history before US involvement, various articles about the US and South Vietnam side, and some articles from the North Vietnam and Vietcong perspective. Since this are essays the quality varies and all lack polish but there are different viewpoints here that you don't often get. Certainly not to be used as a first or even first two or three reads on the war. Osprey now has a 2013 edition though not sure what it changes.

Avenida Restaurant, San Mateo [/] We had delivery for a Wednesday dinner. Avenida Fried Chicken ($24) comes with french fries. Chicken & Pork Adobo ($25). Chicken Inasal ($24) is grilled half chicken. Adobo Rice ($18) is fried rice with lots of adobo sauce and pork bits. Garlic Rice ($4). It was all ok but nothing particularly delicious. A bit too expensive I think so probably won't order from there any time soon.

Trader Joe's Organic Cheese & Tomato Pizza, Family Size [/] A perfectly ok $6 cheese pizza and quite good for the price. Tactical mistake on my part since it's too big for a toaster oven so you have to cook it in a bigger oven. Possibly you can cut it in half and cook each half separately in which case the value goes up. In any case, it's a lunch for two people (or four if there are other things to eat like a salad).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-06-26T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240626-thirty-nine-2022.html#unique-entry-id-751https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240626-thirty-nine-2022.html#unique-entry-id-751Thirty-Nine is a South Korean drama romance with 12 episodes. Three 39 years old women and best friends deal with relationships and an impending tragedy.

• Cha Mi-jo (Son Ye-jin, who I first saw in Crash Landing On You) - dermatologist who has her own clinic along with older sister Mi-hyun (Kang Mal-geum) who is the administrator. She is a former orphan but grew up in a loving adopted family. Mi-jo starts a relationship with newly hired dermatologist Kim Seon-woo (Yeon Woo-jin).
• Jeong Chan-young (Jeon Mi-do) - acting teacher who due to an accident missed her chance at acting. She's been in love for a decade with talent agent Kim Jin-seok (Lee Moo-saeng) but unfortunately he's married and doesn't want to divorce because of his young son.
• Jang Joo-hee (Kim Ji-hyun) - manager of a cosmetic counter at a department store and rather unhappy with her job due to rude customers. She becomes attracted to Park Hyun-joon (Lee Tae-hwan), owner and chef of a small new restaurant and quite younger.

Early on the three go for a long-overdue checkup then later Mi-jo is told that Chan-young has terminal cancer. Chan-young decides to forego chemotherapy since she only has a 1% chance of recovery and doesn't want to be bed-ridden until the end -- later on we see in a flashback that the three helped Jo-hee's mom beat cancer but that's the reason Chan-young doesn't want to go through the experience if she's dying anyway.

The series is about helping Chan-young live her last six months without regrets. Chan-young also has two goals for her friends: hook up Joo-hee and Hyun-joon (though he has a girlfriend) and help Mi-jo find her birth mother (which does not turn out to be a happy ending). Meanwhile now that she's dying Cha-young wants Jin-seok to stay married though her impending death has made him realize that he'd rather divorce and spent all his time with Cha-young.

It's a rather sad series but not depressing. Lots of cathartic crying but lots of happy and funny moments. All the women and their boyfriends have character subplots and arcs. The ending is well done and not depressing and they have ten episodes to build up to it. Overall it's remarkably good.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-06-24T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240624-altos-odyssey-remastered-2021.html#unique-entry-id-750https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240624-altos-odyssey-remastered-2021.html#unique-entry-id-750Alto's Odyssey - Remastered is an updated version on Apple Arcade. I have and enjoyed Alto's Odyssey and at first glance it's hard to see what's new.

I think the big new addition is one new biome: The Lost City (hence the old title Alto's Oddysey: The Lost City). It's more ancient ruins and introduces special Lost City goals that run parallel to your normal "three goals per level".

Otherwise though I think it's the same game so if you have Alto's Odyssey you don't need to get Apple Arcade to play a 10% better version.

But if you do have Apple Arcade and haven't played previous Alto games then give it a shot. It's a chill endless runner where you are snowboarding down sand dunes doing flips and grinds. It has different characters each which changes what you can do a bit. Lots of challenges urge you to do a bit better each time and as you level up the game gradually adds more stuff. Quite fun.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-06-21T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240621-spot-reviews-06-21-24.html#unique-entry-id-743https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240621-spot-reviews-06-21-24.html#unique-entry-id-743Run Silent, Run Deep (1958) [+] During WWII US Navy Commander Richardson (Clark Gable) finagles his way into command of the submarine USS Nerka perhaps making Lieutenant Bledsoe (Burt Lancaster) resentful as he was due for promotion and command of Nerka and it certainly makes the crew resentful when in addition Richardson endless drills a specific anti-destroyer attack. Tensions mount as the crew realizes that Richardson is taking them to Bungo Straits where a Japanese destroyer, the Akikaze, has sunk four previous US submarines... A good submarine movie with lots of tension.

Come From Away (2021) [-] Musical performance. The story is set during 9/11 when all air traffic over USA was grounded and that happened to leave a couple dozen passenger plane passengers stranded in a small Newfoundland town. It's about the townspeople coming together to help out and the passengers from many places coping with this strange place. A mixture of narration, dialog and song... I watched half of it and I guess I didn't like the format.

Warhammer Quest: Silver Tower (2020) [-] Free to play fantasy combat game based on Warhammer Quest board game and set in the Warhammer Fantasy universe. Turn-based, square-grid, battles only. Collect heroes, level them up, equip them (one item slot so not that complicate4d) and give them a boon (once again only one slot per hero). Several resources to collect: summoning stones (so you can summon new heroes), experience (to level up heroes), gold (to buy stuff). Watch ads to get more resources... Graphics are good. Gameplay is good if a bit boring since it's a linear story line of battle scenes. FTP mechanic can be addictive which is why I'm stopping after an hour.

Trader Joe's Tarte aux Champignons [+] This is a thin pizza with mushroom and a blend of cheeses. I thought it had meat but I guess not -- it just tastes like it has bits of meat. It's a tasty light meal of 580 calories for $4.80.

Hummus Mediterranean Kitchen, San Mateo [/] We ordered delivery. Stuffed Eggplant (Vegetarian) ($18.50) - baked eggplant with onion, garlic, bell peppers and tomato sauce, with rice, salad and pita bread. It's a lot of sliced onions and tastes fine with the rice (less so by itself). Greek Fries ($6.50) small thin fries topped with parmesan, garlic, feta. It's a lot of fries and pretty good. For a vegetarian meal this was ok though not as good as Indian food. I guess I'd try it again with a more meaty meal.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-06-19T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240619-because-this-is-my-first-life-2017.html#unique-entry-id-749https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240619-because-this-is-my-first-life-2017.html#unique-entry-id-749Because This Is My First Life is a Korean romance/drama.

Failed assistant drama tv show writer Yoon Ji-ho (Jung So-min) moves into a cheap bedroom rental in very logical chief software developer Nam Se-hee's (Lee Min-ki) condo. It's funny because they manage not to see each other for several days and believing that the other party is the same sex.

Eventually though the truth comes out but after some awkwardness they decide to continue the landlord/tenant relationship. She really needs a cheap place to live and she's also the best tenant he's ever had. A couple episodes later, to fend off pressure from his parents to get married, Se-hee proposes to go into a contract marriage with Ji-ho and it takes another episode or two for her to agree.

They both want to keep it strictly professional but being around each other more and more they develop hidden feelings. Se-hee is amazingly poker-faced so Ji-ho just doesn't know how he feels. Meanwhile Se-hee is not great at interpreting facial expressions so he also doesn't know how Ji-ho feels about him.

That goes on for half the series and when you think they're actually going to admit their feeling for each other -- and by then everybody around them knows one or the other is in love but perhaps only one person knows it's a mutual hidden love -- they instead break up. The last half of the last episode flashes forward a few months when they happen to run into each other again and finally admit their feelings for each other.

There are two other relationships involving Ji-ho's childhood friends. Ho-rang (Kim Ga-eun) has had a boyfriend (Kim Min-seok) for seven years and is yearning to get married but when she pushes him into it it eventually leads to them breaking up then eventually realizing they still love each other. Meanwhile Soo-ji (Esom) is a businesswoman who is sexually harassed by her coworkers and being pursued by Se-hee's friend company CEO Sang-goo (Park Byung-eun). Her arc involves accepting a long-term relationship -- previously she's always been a one-night stand kind of gal -- and finally standing up to her coworkers.

This is a very thoughtful series with conversations about what it means to be in love and how it contrasts with marriage and we also get Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs relating to both. Besides the three main relationships we also have the parents and how their imperfect marriages work. Part of why Ji-ho breaks up with Se-hee is to see if it's their marriage that is keeping them together or if there is actual love between them.

I did love this series and watched it over a few nights. The chemistry between the leads is good (and there is little romantic competition for the two leads so the story can concentrate on their inner conflicts). Jung So-min is very charming yet playing a fairly subdued character that still contrasts well with Lee Min-ki's performance which has to be very deadpan with hints of emotion.

Although I think the ending didn't quite stick it (I'm not into the break up then skip a few months for the reconciliation) overall it's a good and touching romantic drama.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-06-17T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240617-the-mote-in-gods-eye-1974.html#unique-entry-id-748https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240617-the-mote-in-gods-eye-1974.html#unique-entry-id-748The Mote in God's Eye is a science fiction novel by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle. It's set about a thousand years in the future after mankind has expanded into the stars, built a star-spanning empire, had that empire torn down into a long night, and is now being consolidated by a second human empire.

In the middle of this consolidation where the second empire is pitted against the outward systems there is a ship with aliens though due to mishap all the aliens are found dead. Still, this is the first alien contact in human history and they know where the aliens came from.

Two ships are sent to establish first contact. The Battlecruiser MacArthur is commanded by Captain Roderick Blaine and has a team of civilian scientists and experts on board. The Battleship Lenin is there to be a silent witness, isolated to avoid any contamination, and prepared to destroy MacArthur to keep its tech secret from the aliens.

The aliens are Moties. Very class based in that different Motie classes are physically quite different and some interbreeding is possible. The Moties seem quite peaceful and agreeable and although a lower tech level have an amazing grasp of learning things and building/modifying tech on the fly at a speed that is impossible for humans. And they have a huge secret that if revealed would make humans see them as a mortal danger to humanity...

The storytelling is excellent. The first part introduces our main human characters. The Moties are alien and mysterious and you rarely get to read their thoughts and inner workings -- it's a story mostly from the human POV.

I liked this story as it is "shiny space ships with a big mystery". As the story gets to the climax the questions is whether or not human and motie can live peacefully together or if it will be war (and really with humanity having a temporary tech advantage the question is more to commit genocide or not).

Overall a gripping classic science fiction story. There was eventually a sequel, The Gripping Hand (1993), though it did not review well so I'll probably skip it. Even though The Mote in God's Eye is set in the CoDominium universe with other novels, it is very standalone and I had no trouble reading it without reading other novels.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-06-14T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240614-spot-reviews-06-14-24.html#unique-entry-id-742https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240614-spot-reviews-06-14-24.html#unique-entry-id-742Megan Leavey (2017) [/] Biographical drama. Megan Leavey (Kate Mara), a 20-something who can't keep a job, decides she needs a change and enlists in the US Marine Corps. During training she's not that good a Marine but falls in love with the K9 unit and transfers there where she is partnered with Rex. They ship out to Iraq where after seven months of duty they're injured by an IED. Megan returns stateside and eventually leaves the Corps but Rex remains and when it's time for Rex to be "retired" Megan works tirelessly to become his guardian and eventually manages to do so... It's a nice family movie.

Echo (2024) [-] After the events in Hawkeye (2022), Maya "Echo" Lopez (Alaqua Cox) flees New York for her hometown of Tamaha, Oklahoma where she has to face her family and friends that she abandoned. Meanwhile Wilson "The Kingpin" Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio) is not dead and follows Maya in order to bring her back into the fold, or exact revenge... This is not the superhero power level I really like so this street level story was often subpar to me. It is great that it has both a lot of Choctaw (American Indian) characters and that our heroine (and actress) is deaf. Lots of sign language used in the film and lots of dialogue scenes that are almost silent.

Frenzic: Overtime (2021) [/] Apple Arcade and removed May 16 2024. This was a speed matching game. There are pie wheels that take six pieces (sort of like completing a Trivial Pursuit pie). A piece appears and you can flip it. Move the piece to one of the pie wheels and place it. Complete pie wheels with bonus points if all the pieces are the same color. Each level has three goals and you have to complete at least one to advance. It is frenetic action that plays well with controller or touch.

Oceanic Restaurant, San Mateo [/] We had delivery from here: beef and broccoli, sweet and sour pork, west lake beef soup, garlic eggplant, complimentary fried spring rolls. They messed up CSr's beef chow fun and we got a different beef dish (maybe kung pao beef). It's perfectly fine Chinese-American food and they have a pretty big menu.

Trader Joe's Mushroom & Black Truffle Flatbread with Mozzarella Cheese [-] It's just what the title says. 720 calories for two small servings, maybe the whole thing for a one-person lunch. $5.50 and about 20 minutes to prepare. Taste is ok but not as good as other flatbread-type dishes I've gotten at TJ's so I wouldn't recommend based on price + taste.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-06-12T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240612-when-the-weather-is-fine-2020.html#unique-entry-id-747https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240612-when-the-weather-is-fine-2020.html#unique-entry-id-747When the Weather is Fine is a Korean drama/romance in the standard 16 1-hour episodes format.

Cellist Mok Hae-won (Park Min-young) returns to her small hometown for the winter and falls for the quiet and enigmatic Im Eun-seob (Seo Kang-joon) who has secretly liked her since high school.

This is the winter that her former best friend Kim Bo-young (Im Se-mi) tries to patch up their differences though their rift is much deeper than either thinks and it takes on and off through most of the series to resolve to a truce.

Then there's Hae-won's aunt Sim Myeong-yeo (Moon Jeong-hee) and mom Myeong-joo (Jin Hee-kyung). Mom murdered dad, who had been abusing mom. But the truth is worse and aunt has been self-destructing for a decade.

For Eun-seob there is also family drama -- his father was a vagrant living on the mountain and raised Eun-seob there until dad disappeared leaving Eun-seob to be adopted by a kind family but always seen as the "mountain boy" by the other kids. Eun-seob is very much a loner but has depth -- he runs a book store, holds book club meetings, and is quite literate.

Anyway, there are a lot of issues for the main characters to work out which kind of drags down the romance part. It seems like our two protagonists finally get together for two or three episodes before more drama breaks them up as Hae-won returns to Seoul leaving Eun-seob behind and then they come back together in the last bit of the last episode.

Park Min-young is fairly good. Saw her in Her Private Life (2019) where she plays an energetic fan girl. Here the character is quite reserved though unlike Eun-seob she holds all her emotions inside rather than being kind of indifferently emotionless. I also love Eun-seob's younger step-sister Im Hwi (Kim Hwan-hee), a high-schooler who talks a mile a minute and crushes hard on the top student of the school.

Overall a bit too much drama and the last couple of episodes are bit muddled. At the end of watching it's not like I was satisfied but there was 10 episodes in the middle when it was good.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-06-10T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240610-legends-of-kingdom-rush-2021.html#unique-entry-id-746https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240610-legends-of-kingdom-rush-2021.html#unique-entry-id-746Legends of Kingdom Rush is a turn-based tactical game where you take a team of three heroes through four campaigns. In each campaign you travel a point-to-point map where each node is a battle, trader, or skill-based event. In the second half of each campaign you are joined by a (random?) fourth member.

Battles are turn based with an initiative order. Each unit can move then fight (ranger and another unit can fight then move). Every unit has a couple of special skills which can be used then take one or more turns to recharge. Attacks do damage (+/- 1 or 2 around the base damage for the attack) which first goes through armor (some attacks bypass armor) then subtracts life points. Units can be stunned (lose a turn), immobilized (can't move but can attack), poisoned/on fire (damaged each turn), and have other effects on them.

Each battle or encounter gives you experience which can be used to level up your units to level 2 and the maximum level 3. At the beginning of a campaign all units start at level 1 which keeps the campaigns balanced as you redo them with different units -- which you do because there is a separate experience each unit gets at the end of the campaign which eventually increases their tier to 2 or 3 (max for common units) or even 4 or 5 (max for legendary units). Each tier adds an ability option and when a unit levels up they get one more ability (with higher tier units getting a choice of abilities to add).

Each campaign has distinctly different enemies: orcs; ice people; fire people (lots of burning effects); wood people (poison effects). Each campaign ends in a boss battle which can be tough the first time until you learn the mechanics and patterns of the boss (two or three turns is enough to see the pattern). Unit life points carry over from node to node (before travel you can heal with potions and some units can regenerate during combat). If a unit dies then after the battle they come back with one less max life point (though that can be cured with an item). If all units die in a battle the campaign ends and you have to restart.

Graphics are cartoony and sounds/voices are suitable for kids. Mechanics are not hard either though the game is more suitable for 12+ rather than the 9+ rating. There are 18 units (6 legendary -- a party is one legendary and two common units and the fourth is also a common) so good amount of variety as you play different combinations even though each campaign stays the same (the map node contents are random each play and each combat node you see a unit type so you can go around hard combats, though travel is always forward and never side or backwards).

I think I played this game about 20 hours before I got bored and I've used about 2/3rds of the units. It's a fairly worthwhile game to play an Apple Arcade.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-06-07T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240607-spot-reviews-06-07-24.html#unique-entry-id-738https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240607-spot-reviews-06-07-24.html#unique-entry-id-738Easy A (2010) [+] Nerdy student Olive Penderghast (Emma Stone) sees a small boastful lie blow up until she becomes the school harlot with a nod to The Scarlet Letter. At first she takes advantage of it but as her infamy grows she finds that school ostracism is not as fun as she thought it'd be... Great performance by Stone. Charming characters in her witty parents Dill and Rosemary (Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson). This is a rewatched movie and it's still quite good (with a few misses).

Argylle (2024) [-] A spy comedy action film. Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard) is a best selling spy novelist but one day Aidan Wilde (Sam Rockwell), a real spy, shows up, saves Elly's life from a team of assassins, and tells her she is also a spy who lost her memory... Other than Elly is the real spy twist the rest of the story is quite bad in terms of plot, dialogue, and action scenes. $200M budget but it looks like an over-ambitious $100M CGI-filled action movie (maybe too much money spent on name stars). This is like the third Apple TV+ recent spy film but The Family Plan (2023) is good and Ghosted (2023) is ok both having better writing and better chemistry between the leads. Argylle is a hard pass.

Aiko (2023) [/] Mac app that uses OpenAI's Whisper (running locally) to transcribe audio to text. Very simple UI: drag an audio or video file to the window, or you can use a microphone. When you start the app it warns that it's meant for Mx CPUs not Intel and when I tried a video it was transcribing about 1/2 speed of the video using 800% CPU. When it's done you can copy/paste the output. It seems fairly accurate and splits up sentences into paragraphs.

Impossible Burger Patties [+] Mom bought me a 6-pack. Fries very well and tastes close enough to a beef patty that it's satisfying. Though once I looked at the nutritional label there's a lot of protein and fat and sodium. I guess it makes sense why it tastes good though this is a product for vegans (no meat) rather than vegetarians (want to eat healthier).

Trader Joe's Italian Tomato & Red Onion Focaccia [/] Small pizza crust with cheese, tomatoes and red onions on top. About 20 minutes to make from frozen and when it comes out it's hot and bread-y goodness. 830 calories. This would not be my favorite pizza-like meal at Trader Joe's but for $3 this is perfectly fine.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-06-05T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240605-prometheus-2012.html#unique-entry-id-745https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240605-prometheus-2012.html#unique-entry-id-745
A team is sent out to investigate and they eventually find remains of the alien inhabitants. And they find something else alive in the ruins...

I've reviewed Prometheus after I saw it in a theater. Recently rewatched it on my iPad. It's still a pretty good science fiction movie. Shiny spaceships and space suits, unlike previous Alien movies that are more grungy. But the alien base somewhat makes up for that being fairly dark and creepy.

There is no actual "Alien" alien until the credits. Instead we have a snake-like life form that kills and has acid blood; Body horror when one of the crew is infected and is transformed into a creature; and eventually one of the bipedal aliens is awoken and causes havoc because it turns out he is the most danger to mankind.

It's nice that it's a standalone story. A couple of characters survive and they're off to find the alien home world. But that's more of an epilog thing after the conclusion to the main story.

Overall it's still a good film and the CGI still good a dozen years later.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-06-03T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240603-nexus-magazine-1982.html#unique-entry-id-733https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240603-nexus-magazine-1982.html#unique-entry-id-733Nexus: The Gaming Connection was an adventure gaming magazine published by Task Force Games and almost exclusively focused on their games. It ran 18 issues and then TFG went under.

I'd say about half the content was Star Fleet Battles and Starfire. History, stories, scenarios, rules and errata. Rules and errata less interesting nowadays since both lines have publishers with the latest corrected rules. For the other materials some of it has probably been reprinted especially SFB since ADB owned all that even in Nexus.

TFG also published pocket games and war games and these are supported. Battlewagon has several articles and scenarios. History of the Second World War has lots of material considering only two games were published but it does like it was an interesting grand strategy game. There are other articles for their other games but not as much those first two.

Towards the end TFG published Delta Force RPG so there are articles for that. A couple of scenarios, which are basically detailed background, maps and setup and then once the clock starts the GM is on his own. Also weapons and equipment articles and an article on playing a SWAT team with accompanying scenario.

I remember quite liking the magazine because of the SFB and Starfire material though I remember Battlewagon looked interesting. On rereading all 18 issues it's quite nostalgic and made me interested in HOTSWW, Delta Force, and Viceroys. Unfortunately I think everything is out of print with no publishers except for SFB (going strong) and Starfire (mostly PDF rules but still being developed).

No I was wrong. ADB does have the right to some of the stuff. Nexus on DTRPG (Warehouse 23 has some of the issues) and Battlewagon 2E on Wargame Vault.

Overall this magazine mainly of interest for historical purposes unless you have some of those TFG games. I like the focus of the magazine and it did have a lot of useful content for TFG buyers.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-05-31T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240531-spot-reviews-05-31-24.html#unique-entry-id-737https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240531-spot-reviews-05-31-24.html#unique-entry-id-737Elektra (2005) [/] Elektra (Jennifer Garner) is back from the dead doing assassin jobs but her latest assignment involves a father (Goran Višnjić) and his daughter Abby (Kirsten Prout) and she instead decides to protect them from various The Hand ninjas and Kirigi's (Will Yun Lee) superhuman team of assassins... I reviewed this back in Dec 2009 and it seemed average. Just rewatched it again (this time Director's Cut version) and it's still a perfectly ok superhero-ish action film.

Mother's Day (2023) [-] Polish action film. Former special forces sniper Nina (Agnieszka Grochowska) comes out of hiding to rescue her estranged son Max (Adrian Delikta) from criminals who want revenge on her. It's a rather confusing film though and a bit anti-climactic big confrontation towards the end. Also immediately sets up a sequel. Overall not worth watching.

Taiko no Tatsujin Pop Tap Beat (2021) [/] This is an Apple Arcade music rhythm game from Bandai Namco. Your instrument is a Japanese drum which you hit solidly (left or right) or on the side (left or right) and sometimes a two-handed tap. The songs are a mix of popular, video games, and classical. Even on easy this game is quite difficult for me but it seems like a fun game.

Trader Joe's Sour Cream Spinach Dip [/] Not too much sour cream taste so you can maybe taste a bit of the spinach. Ate it with yellow round tortilla chips and it tasted quite fine. $4 for 11 oz and 800 calories. If I buy it again maybe also buy artichoke hearts and mix them in.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-05-29T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240529-dune-part-two-2024.html#unique-entry-id-741https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240529-dune-part-two-2024.html#unique-entry-id-741Dune: Part Two completes the novel. Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) becomes a Fremen warrior and slowly is seen, much to his chagrin, as the prophesied Lisan al Gaib here to bring independence to Arrakis. Paul has the support of Chani (Zendaya) who as a Northerner doesn't believe in the prophecy. His mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) plays her part by becoming the Reverend Mother of Sietch Tabr.

Meanwhile the Harkonnen try to wipe out the Northern Fremen rebellion (they believe the South is uninhabitable where in truth most of the Fremen population is in the South). Lord Rabban (Dave Bautista) is headstrong and blunt and Paul's hit-and-run tactics chip away at the Harkonnen forces and spice harvesting machinery. na-Baron Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler) replaces Rabban and his scorched earth tactics have greater effect.

Things come to a head when Paul goads Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken) and Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh) to come to Arrakis and when they do, with the Imperial Sardaukar Army, a final battle is set that pits the Southern Fremen against the Imperial and Harkonnen forces...

This is a 2-1/2 hour movie that moves as stately as Part One. The desert environment is gorgeous. The big machines are imposing. Various locations seem real and not sets. I watched this on my iPad and it's quite cinematic. The characters are great and there are lots of them so not a huge amount of focus on any one character, even Paul. Action scenes are well done and the climactic duels are fast and satisfying.

The movie ends on a slight cliffhanger which I suppose leads to a possible Part Three (based on Dune Messiah) being in very early development.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-05-27T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240527-the-oregon-trail-2021.html#unique-entry-id-740https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240527-the-oregon-trail-2021.html#unique-entry-id-740The Oregon Trail you lead a party of four characters from Kansas to Oregon during the mid-1800's. You start with an empty wagon and cash to purchase supplies (there are three bundles so you have an effective setup for generic, hunting or fishing).

The journey is in five chapters, each with about half a dozen locations. When you journey to the next location you are presented with a map that has points and trails and you will generally hit four or so points before reaching the next location. Each point has a feature or may be unknown so you can kind of plan on hitting specific points in order to hunt, rest, gather herbs, etc.

As you move to a point there will be one random encounter. Many encounters are part of subplots where you meet the same people and kind of follow along their story. As you move along you use up supplies (there are three food consumption and three speed settings), things break down and repairing takes up supplies, and you gain supplies by hunting/fishing or finding stuff or meeting people.

Meanwhile your four characters have four tracking attributes (health, morale, stamina, hygiene) that you need to maintain high, four social attributes (loyalty, attitude, composure, wit) that help when talking to people, and four skills (shooting, carpentry, wayfinding, medical) used during the journey. Social and Skills are unknown at start and you learn their scores by having a character try the skill or if you stop and tell stories. Characters also have one or more advantages or disadvantages such as Funny (occasionally tells a joke that raises party morale) or Shy (won't bargain with traders).

It's basically a resource management game. Balance what you can carry in the wagon. At each location you can talk to people and trade for stuff (which is usually one item for another and rarely advantageous). At the end of each chapter you arrive at a fort or city where you can both trade and buy supplies with money (though supplies get more expensive as you go along). My strategy is to concentrate on fishing -- you can get 75 to 100 lbs of fish per fishing run which (with bargaining) you can sell for $2 per lb and you build up quite a bit of money that way.

Graphics are nice -- kind of 16-bit retro style. There is a soundtrack which is pleasant. There are different journeys you can take, for example The California Trail which is a journey to Sutter's Mill during the Gold Rush. Three difficulty levels, though the lowest is designed for sight-seeing not danger.

The full journey is several hours of play time and with two difficulty levels and different characters you can get a fair amount of play. The other journeys give variety and can be hard (e.g. Bitter Winter is one chapter where you start with one person and almost no supplies and need to find the other three party members who will all be fairly injured). So if you like the format there can be several dozen hours of game play.

Personally I did The Oregon Trail three times, Bitter Winter, and The California Trail. Probably 15 hours and that's enough for now. Fairly worth it on Apple Arcade maybe not worth $30 on Steam.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-05-24T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240524-spot-reviews-05-24-24.html#unique-entry-id-735https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240524-spot-reviews-05-24-24.html#unique-entry-id-735The Horse Soldiers (1959) [/] Based on a novel loosely based on American Civil War events. Colonel John Marlowe (John Wayne) leads a Union cavalry brigade deep into Mississippi in order to destroy a supply depot at Newton Station. He has a new chief surgeon, Major Kendall (William Holden), who clashes with him and later has to drag along Miss Hannah Hunter (Constance Towers), a Confederate belle who overhears his plans. Nice cavalry actions (without any blood or bullet hits even) and a weird love story addendum at the end. I liked this movie.

A Love So Beautiful (2017) [-] This is a Chinese high school/college drama. Chen Xiaoxi (Shen Yue) has a crush on Jiang Chen (Hu Yitian) who always ignores her until transfer student Wu Bosong (Gao Zhiting) arrives and starts hanging round Xiaoxi. I watched the first ten episodes (of 24 total) and it's high school situations and people liking each other but being secret about it leading to A likes B who likes C situations. Unfortunately Xiaoxi is incredibly whiny and incompetent -- she is both bad at every subject and has to have her friends constantly bailing her out of situations. She's the main character so it makes it too rough to keep watching.

The Secret Garden (1911) [+] This is a children's novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett. I listened to an audio book version narrated by Karen Gillan. It's the story of a spoiled girl, raised in British India, whose parents die in a cholera epidemic. Mary is sent to England to live with a distant relative who lives in a mansion with a lot of gardens. There she finds a secret garden that belonged to the lady of the house, who died a decade ago. Along with her budding friendship with Dickon, a local lad, and Colin, the lord's son and even more spoiled, Mary learns to sympathize with other people and become a better, healthier person. This is a wholesome coming of age story that kind of builds slowly but interestingly.

Clay Oven Cuisine of India, San Mateo [+] We had delivery from here. Onion Bhaji, Fish Pakora, Naan, Chicken Tikka Masala, Saag Paneer, Lamb Biriyani, Rice Pilau x2. $75 with tax and enough food for six people and all pretty good though Lamb Biriyani a little too spicy (Christopher wanted no spice). Saag Paneer was mine and it was really good and comes to mind that the Trader Joe's version is fairly close especially for frozen food.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-05-22T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240522-start-up-2020.html#unique-entry-id-739https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240522-start-up-2020.html#unique-entry-id-739Start-Up is a South Korean romance/drama of sixteen 75-minute episodes.

Fifteen years ago divorce split up two sisters, Dal-mi (Bae Suzy) and In-jae (Kang Han-na). Dal-mi stuck with her entrepreneurial dad who unfortunately died after getting hit by a car leaving Dal-mi and grandmother Won-deok (Kim Hae-sook) struggling to maintain a lower-income household.

During that bad time Won-deok took in emancipated orphan Ji-pyeong (Kim Seon-ho) -- because in Korea when you're an orphan and become an adult they give you some money and kick you out into the world -- and later had Ji-pyeong become Dal-mi's pen pal friend Do-san, a name taken from a newspaper article.

Fifteen years later Dal-mi is struggling to establish herself, having never gone to college (I forgot if she graduated high school or not). At an entrepreneurial event she runs into In-jae who is a successful CEO due in part to mom Ah-hyun (Song Seon-mi) marrying a wealthy man who unfortunately treats mom and daughter more like property or people to be used. Dal-mi claims she's starting a business with Do-san, who for the past 15 years she's never written to or contacted but whose ideal friendship sabotages all Dal-mi's boyfriend relationships.

In order to prove to In-jae she's doing well Dal-mi has to find Do-san. This is when Ji-pyeong re-enters Won-deok's life and he still feels he owes her for helping him out 15 years ago. Won-deok has Ji-pyeong find Do-san (Nam Joo-hyuk) to convince him to pretend to be Dal-mi's childhood pen pal for the upcoming event. Do-san, who is trying to get his start-up off the ground with his two best friends, eventually accepts and with Ji-pyeong's help impersonates himself.

But things start getting complicated when Do-san starts falling for Dal-mi, who is already infatuated with the old Do-san, and of course eventually Ji-pyeong also starts to have feelings for Dal-mi. All three are kept in contact when Dal-mi and Do-san get into Sandbox, a start-up incubator campus, and where Ji-pyeong is a mentor and partner of the venture capital company that runs Sandbox...

As usual episode one is fifteen years ago setup while episodes two and three are more setup. It's about episode four or five that it starts to get interesting. Bae Suzy is quite charming playing Dal-mi. Do-san character is a bit too pathetic at times so it takes until the last few episodes when he finally grows up and maybe deserves Dal-mi. As is typical the last episode is a bit hurried trying to tell a story and wrap-up various subplots and doesn't really even do that until the end credits.

Overall it's a good romance and I also like the start-up incubator environment.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-05-20T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240520-waging-modern-war-2001.html#unique-entry-id-730https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240520-waging-modern-war-2001.html#unique-entry-id-730Waging Modern War General Wesley K Clark (ret) writes about his early experiences in the US Army in Vietnam and his later experiences rising through the ranks, but mostly this book is about his experience as Supreme Allied Commander, Europe (i.e. head of NATO's Allied Command, in charge of all the military troops) and in particular how he had to handle NATO's air campaign against Serbia during the Kosovo War.

As SACEUR Clark had to oversee the air campaign, get the allied nations to commit military resources, keep those same allied nations informed, and handle the same on USA side -- the last complicated by the fact that SACEUR, who represents the NATO allies, is also EUCOM and therefore top military commander of US forces in Europe. Therefore under the command of NATO on one hand and under the command of the USA on the other hand.

The book is about the planning and politics of the air campaign. The USA and Europe had different approaches to the problem and different solutions. Europeans were more for diplomacy and stop-and-go operations (hit Serbia, stop and negotiate, hit Serbia again if they continue) whereas the USA was more for hit them hard and do a ground invasion (and yet the USA didn't want to commit their ground troops but were willing to contribute with logistics and air assets).

There was lots of diplomacy going on. Different people talking to the Serbians and promising slightly different things. Clark, who knew Serbian president Slobodan Milošević fairly well (well, at the time of the Kosovo War it was Yugoslavia which was Serbia and Montenegro but the latter is really small so it was really Serbia doing the dirty and the book reflects that), was mostly in the middle though leaning to the USA's POV.

Clark wanted the air campaign to be continuous since stopping to see if Serbia blinked would mean it'd be hard to get NATO countries to approve restarting it. He wanted planning for a ground campaign because even if you don't intend to do it the planning and getting the forces together takes so long it needed to be done otherwise by the time you want a ground option it's winter. But he wanted a limited ground campaign to protect Kosovo whereas the USA was more into "let's take the Serbian capital and depose Milošević".

Clark also writes about various misunderstandings he had with people in the USA and NATO, though mostly USA. Clark was headquartered in Europe so he had more contact with European politicians and military at normal hours whereas with the USA it was mostly telephone, teleconference, video conference at odder hours. Also since Clark is more familiar with US Army and armed forces politics he had a better idea of why he was getting friction from the USA.

Ultimately NATO was able to get Serbia to agree to pull out of Kosovo, though there was a last minute crisis when Russia tried to do an end round to establish an independent demilitarized zone -- based on what Russia did in Bosnia their zone would have allowed Serbia to do whatever they wanted. But it was handled and afterwards, perhaps due to miscommunications with the US and misunderstandings that he couldn't quite decipher, Clark was replaced as SACEUR.

The final chapter is Clark's thoughts on warfare today. Coalition warfare where there is lots of news coverage and lots of real-time intelligence so a commander has in effect lots of people looking over his shoulder and nitpicking every mistake. Military leaders need to see that as a challenge to embrace otherwise you're not going to get anything done.

Overall I liked the book. It is one person's perspective and it's talking about personal history from his POV so there might be unreliable narrator problems. But taken at face value it's well written, interesting story, doesn't try to throw anyone under the bus, and at times tries to be self-critical. It's a book I'll keep in my library.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-05-17T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240517-spot-reviews-05-17-24.html#unique-entry-id-731https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240517-spot-reviews-05-17-24.html#unique-entry-id-731The Green Knight (2021) [/] On Christmas Day Sir Gawain (Dev Patel) accepts the mysterious Green Knight's (Ralph Ineson) challenge and proceeds to cut off the Green Knight's head, which doesn't kill him. One year later Sir Gawain must now travel six days north to meet the Green Knight who will strike Sir Gawain the same blow... Based on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. This is an Arthurian tale told in sort of a gritty Shakespearan dark tragedy style. It is more realistic in depicting the world as dirtier and the knights as lightly armed and armored. Lots of showing but not telling so you have to pay attention. Also lots of cut scenes and "magic" but could be hallucinations. Alicia Vikander plays two characters, one made up for the film and one from the story. This is a good King Arthur Pendragon adventure type of film though I do think you have to know the tone of the film before seeing it since it's so different than most Arthurian films.

Love O2O (2016 film) [-] This movie came out 10 days before the tv series and both are based on the same novel though since this is a movie there are less characters and less subplots. In comparison it's astonishing how good looking the tv series actors are compared to the movie. The core love story in the movie seems hurried and not as much of a central focus as in the tv series. Overall the movie felt very hurried especially the ending. This is a fairly disappointing experience.

Solitaire by MobilityWare+ (2021) [-] It's Klondike where you turn over one card (though you can change it to 3 cards in the settings) at a time from the draw pile and can redo the draw pile unlimited number of times. No other variants and instead you get various theming options. Rather boring version of a fairly boring game.

Daimo, Richmond - Shrimp Wonton Soup [+] Came here for lunch with my parents. Had shrimp wonton soup and it was really good. Large wontons full of shrimp like how my dad makes them. Soup broth was good too. May be the best restaurant wonton soup I've ever had. Parking though was fairly hard during a Saturday lunch time.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-05-15T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240515-pretty-woman-1990.html#unique-entry-id-736https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240515-pretty-woman-1990.html#unique-entry-id-736
Vivian is a charming free spirit who didn't graduate high school and got stuck in Los Angeles after her boyfriend dumped her. Edward finds her refreshing and because he needs a presentable girlfriend for a week he hires Vivian to be his +1 in various social functions. It's during this week that they start falling for each other and she starts changing his outlook on work and on what he does for a living (basically destroying companies)...

I haven't watched Pretty Woman since maybe it came out in theaters back in 1990. Maybe watched it again the mid 90's before I started my web site. Rewatching it again it's still a great romantic comedy though if made today would be significantly different but you can say that for many films.

Great soundtrack, which I own, though all the songs are played for 15 seconds to maybe a minute. This movie would look so great in HD but as a 1990 film it has a quaint graininess. Great supporting cast with Jason Alexander playing a bad guy role as Edward's lawyer/partner, Héctor Elizondo as the fatherly hotel manager who helps out Vivian, and Laura San Giacomo as Vivian's roommate.

As I said, still a great film.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-05-13T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240513-the-room-two-plus-2021.html#unique-entry-id-732https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240513-the-room-two-plus-2021.html#unique-entry-id-732The Room Two+ is Apple Arcade's version of The Room Two. This is a puzzle game where you are stuck in a room with various locations, e.g. a table with a map, a shelf with a sailing ship model, a dresser with stuff on it. Double tap to go to a location where you can usually look around a bit or move the object a bit. Double tap to zoom in on a particular feature which allows you to see clues or manipulate buttons or solve a small puzzle.

As you push buttons or solve the small puzzles you find items or reveal new puzzles/locations. Every item is used -- and some items you have to examine and manipulate -- and when you are done with an item it's removed from your inventory (and I think I had a max of three items in inventory).

You also have an eyepiece that lets you see hidden things in red. Sometimes there are clues in red and sometimes even items have red clues so you use the eyepiece often even though it's a bit of hassle turning it on and off (because on it also makes everything a bit blurry).

It's a very gated puzzle sequence and you rarely work on multiple puzzles at a time. There is a hint system which waits a bit before allowing you to get the next hint. Each step has several hints going from vague until finally telling you what to do. I used the hints a few times and usually the first hint is good enough telling you where to focus for the next step (e.g. a hint like "maybe you should examine that key you found" or "take a closer look at the map").

There is a bit of eerie music in the background. There are notes to find telling a story of a previous person trapped in the rooms (when you solve a room you go to the next room with new puzzles). There are a couple of minor scary surprise reveals but no monsters appear.

I think there were like half a dozen rooms each taking half an hour or more. Probably something like a 5-hour game and there Room games that you can buy for a few bucks each. Overall this was a fun game.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-05-10T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240510-spot-reviews-05-10-24.html#unique-entry-id-726https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240510-spot-reviews-05-10-24.html#unique-entry-id-726Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023) [/] Aquaman (Jason Momoa) needs the help of his imprisoned brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) in order to defeat Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) who wants to free the ancient Atlantean Kordax (Pilou Asbæk) and his undead legions... It's kind of a fun underwater romp action movie. I guess because so much of it is underwater the special effects are a bit campy. Overall a better film than I expected.

Slow Horses s3 (2023) [-] In this season the slow horses are tangled up in a scheme to find a specific document in cold storage, a document that will bring down the head of MI5 who is in turn willing to have all the slow horses killed to protect her secret. This season is not as good as previous ones though maybe because the show lost its newness factor. I was kind of going through the motions watching it, i.e. it was on but wasn't really paying attention much too often.

SongPop Party (2021) [/] A muti-player song trivia game on Apple Arcade. Choose a category for the game, e.g. Essential 90's or Best of 1998 (I think other decades open up as you complete more games. Part of a song starts playing. There are four choices of either all song names or all bands. Choose the right one faster to get more points. After 10 rounds there is a winner. Has a wide variety of songs and you can play with people on other devices.

Crepevine, Burlingame [/] We had delivery from here and there are several locations in the Bay Area. It was a while ago but I think I had the San Francisco crepe and remember it was both good and bigger than I thought. Comes with french fries so quite a filling meal for $19.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-05-08T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240508-shadow-in-the-cloud-2020.html#unique-entry-id-734https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240508-shadow-in-the-cloud-2020.html#unique-entry-id-734Shadow in the Cloud is a WWII bomber horror/action movie.

New Zealand, 1943. Maude (Chloë Grace Moretz) talks her way onto a midnight-departing bomber. She has mission orders and a secret package that must not be opened. During take-off they put her in the empty belly turret where she spends about 2/3rds of the movie talking with the crew, who become suspicious of who she is, and sees a man-sized bat/rat gremlin slowly tearing the ship apart. The bomber is also attacked by Japanese fighters and Maude ends up making her way underneath the flying bomber in order to retrieve her package from the grasps of the gremlin.

The first part of the movie is mystery because from the opening credits you have a pretty good idea that she wrote up her mission orders. So what is in the package and why must it not be opened? Meanwhile there's lots of cloud cover and it's dark with moonlight so what is that creature out there, or is she imagining it? Meanwhile she's in the ball turret trying to talk her way through with the crew. First she wants out then she has to block their attempts to get her out and there's a gremlin menacing her.

It's a pretty well done film and engrossing. I watched it one sitting. Seems fairly small budget but the internals of the bomber are just fine and there is enough darkness that the gremlin and Japanese fighter CGI bears up well. And actually even when we see the full gremlin for quite a bit it's fairly good CGI.

Overall an excellent film and Moretz is so good and believable as a tough pilot who has her emotional side.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-05-06T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240506-aphrodite-ix-the-complete-series-2023.html#unique-entry-id-728https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240506-aphrodite-ix-the-complete-series-2023.html#unique-entry-id-728Aphrodite IX: The Complete Series is an omnibus collection of the following comics:

Aphrodite IX #1-11 - Cyborg hunter-killer Aphrodite IX wakes up a thousand years in the future after Earth has been devastated. She is an amnesiac caught between two warring factions which represent genetically-engineered humans and technologically-enhanced humans.

Aphrodite IX/Cyberforce #1 - a one-shot continuation that answers questions and ties the thousand-year future to today's Cyberforce (which has an earlier Aphrodite version in its team).

Aphrodite IX: Time Out of Mind #0-4 - In New Chicago (home to the tech-enhanced humans) Aphrodite IX keeps waking up with no memories because after every assassination mission she forgets everything. She needs to find out what's going on before the police figure out she's the killer. I suppose this series is set a few years after A/C 1.

The series is intended to be science-fiction in the old sense of being scientifically/technologically accurate and the primary science is genetic manipulation and cybertech. Stjepan Sejic is the artist and I like his works. Not a bad read though many too many unanswered questions left for the future, which is fine for a comic book but not so for a work of literature.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-05-03T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240503-spot-reviews-05-03-24.html#unique-entry-id-722https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240503-spot-reviews-05-03-24.html#unique-entry-id-722Damsel (2024) [/] In this Netflix fantasy film Elodie (Millie Bobby Brown) -- the oldest daughter of a small lord with a struggling holding -- is married to the prince of the neighboring rich kingdom. But turns out they do that in order to sacrifice royal princesses to a dragon (Shohreh Aghdashloo) that lives in the mountain. The story is mostly Elodie evading the dragon, trying to escape the mountain, and discovering the background story of why the dragon demands such specific sacrifices... It's an interesting fantasy (well, the dragon is the only fantasy element) story wherein the princess is the one who has to save herself from danger.

Company of Heroes (2013) [-] Direct to video action film. During late 1944 a squad of American soldiers ends up having to go behind enemy lines to Stuttgart to stop the Nazis from deploying an atomic weapon... I watched an hour and it's a bit boring. The first combat scene is well done for small budget but then it's a lot of mist, darkness and closeups though maybe the final combat has more effort.

Simon's Cat - Story Time (2021) [/] This is a match 3 puzzle game in the Simon's Cat franchise. The theme is actually pretty good in that there's a story where characters talk and the cats do things and each puzzle advances the story a bit. The puzzles start out easy and get more challenging since you only have a certain number of moves and there are blocks and obstacles. But doing bigger matches unlocks power-ups so there is thinking involved trying to setup a big match for a good power-up. Not my type of game but was entertaining for an hour or so.

Sama Coffee Shop, San Mateo [/] This is a small family owned coffee place that also has Thai tea and various Turkish Delight desserts. We visited Saturday night after dinner and it was full (most/all seats taken the half hour we were there) though not packed. I had a Toffee Ginger Blast ($7, 16 oz) - caramel, ginger, espresso. It was pretty good though as indicated did take a while to make as they have one espresso machine.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-05-01T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240501-love-o2o-2016.html#unique-entry-id-729https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240501-love-o2o-2016.html#unique-entry-id-729Love O2O is a Chinese romance-drama. Bei Weiwei (Zheng Shuang) is a 2nd year computer science student and known as the department belle (and 2nd prettiest girl on campus). She plays the MMO A Chinese Ghost Story as a kick-ass female who is the 6th best duelist on her server, though since she's never revealed any personal details there are some who think she's a male player.

Anyway, after getting dumped by her current in-game husband -- marriage being a part of the game for game bonuses mostly and not really romantic for most players -- she is pursued by the best player on the server. It's only about a third of the way through the series that they finally meet and she finds out he's campus hottie and computer whiz Xiao Nai (Yang Yang) who she and every other girl on campus have been pining over. On the other hand Nai knew Weiwei's MMO character earlier having accidentally seen her playing in a computer cafe.

The series revolves around their budding relationship, Nai's startup with his computer buddies, and how Weiwei interacts with his friends and his company. There's a rival for Nai, campus belle Meng Yiran (Ma Chunrui) who kind of indirectly has schemes against Weiwei (it's mostly Yiran's friends doing it as it turns out she is not really that mean). There's top foreign language department student Cao Guang (Bai Yu) who views for Weiwei's affections though that's very one-sided as she has no interest in him.

It's a pleasant story with a very photogenic lead couple but ultimately it's a miss. I like the MMO stuff, which reminds me of Falling Into Your Smile's use of League of Legends, but with Smile the LoL competition is throughout the series whereas here the MMO stuff tapers off after a few episodes and you rarely see gameplay after -- though I did like how they did the MMO gameplay by using the actors in the game costumes doing stuff on CGI game backgrounds that made it obvious it's a computer game.

The lows weren't that low and the highs not that high. It's a rather subdued story where the drama is not extreme and the emotions are blunted. I think I'm starting to prefer Korean dramas which do have more emotion and more extreme drama to the point of nearing soap opera scenarios.

Which reminds one thing K-dramas I've seen do much better is flashbacks that show how the lead characters have known each other all along but had forgotten or had not mentioned it. The last scene in LoveO2O has a slight flashback to when Nai saw Weiwei playing the MMO but it didn't reveal anything new. For some reason that scene reminded of how lackluster Love O2O ran throughout.

Overall I wouldn't watch this one again and feel Falling Into Your Smile is a better implementation of a love story revolving around a computer game.

2024-05-6: Forgot to mention one of the subplots involves this vaguely gay attraction between two characters. It goes on for several episodes appearing every now and then. But at the end it's left unresolved and without saying whether that's what it was about. I guess for a China mainland show that was already a bold subplot.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-04-30T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/5d144185d252b6f359865fd18024be18-727.html#unique-entry-id-727https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/5d144185d252b6f359865fd18024be18-727.html#unique-entry-id-727Good Sudoku+ is the Apple Arcade version of Good Sudoku by Zach Gage ($5). Sudoku is a numbers puzzle game where you have nine 3x3 houses arranged in a 3x3 pattern. The puzzle starts with some numbers filled in and the objective is to place the numbers 1-9 in each house such that no number repeats in a house, nor in any row of the whole puzzle, nor in any column of the whole puzzle.

In play Good Sudoku+ has many conveniences:

You can manually put in the possible numbers (in grey) in each cell or you can auto-note and have all possible numbers filled in for all cells. Although part of pencil and paper sudoku filling in all possible values is both quite simple and quite boring and auto-note easily saves you 10 minutes.

You can mark possible numbers in blue. The purpose of this is to show when only two cells can have a given value and it makes it visually distinctive.

When you put in a final value Good Sudoku+ automatically fills in final values in the same house (e.g. you put in a 5 that means that other cell with a 4 or 5 must be a 4 and then the third cell with a 4 or 5 or 7 must be a 7 etc.)

You can tap a number in the numeric keypad and it will highlight any squares where that number is a possibility. It makes it very easy to then see if there are only two of a number in a cell or if a house has that number and no other house has that number in the same row or column. Also easy to see if the number is a house singleton.

There is an unlimited undo and more importantly if you've gotten to where it is impossible to solve (you can tell if a cell has no possible numbers) you can Recover Board which does undo until the puzzle is in a finish-able state.

You can ask for a hint, which reduces your score. Puzzle score is time to finish (hints reduce that score) times the puzzle difficulty -- there are five difficulty levels though puzzles in each level vary in difficulty and have different difficulty scores. The great thing about a hint is that it tells you what rule is being used and based on that you can do the number elimination yourself or then go ahead and have the hint do it for you.

To go along with the above conveniences there is an excellent help system. You can learn how to play and how the notes work. Then you can go through each of the 22 techniques used to eliminate possibilities. Each technique is explained and you can practice as much as you want. I've only learned the first 12+ techniques which is good enough to, with difficulty, finish Pro puzzles (fourth highest difficulty).

There are three play modes. Good is pretty much as described. Arcade you have three 4-piece hearts; each hint removes a piece and at the end each full heart gives you bonus points. Eternal you also have the three hearts but now at the end of a puzzle you gain a heart piece and carry over your hearts to the next puzzle and the puzzles slowly get harder.

There is a Create mode to make your own puzzles.

There are three Daily puzzles. Good and Arcade as in the game modes and Classic which doesn't do number highlighting nor auto-complete house. Daily puzzles start out easy on Monday and get harder each day until two Pro puzzles on Saturday and Sunday.

In summary this is a great Sudoku app. If I had started with Sudoku by MobilityWare+ I would have quit long ago. Good Sudoku+ takes away the tedious parts of Sudoku and adds highlighting so you can concentrate on the fun part of Sudoku.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-04-26T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240426-spot-reviews-04-26-24.html#unique-entry-id-721https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240426-spot-reviews-04-26-24.html#unique-entry-id-721The Challenger Disaster (2019) [/] TV movie about the engineering team at an unnamed corporation (referred in the film as the company that made rocket boosters) as they realize that with a launch temperature near freezing the O-rings on the space shuttle Challenger might fail and their efforts to warn NASA which eventually fail due to bureaucracy and NASA's insistence on launching as scheduled after multiple previous attempts were cancelled.

Has a poignant scene where the television shows an interview with teacher Christa McAuliffe being interviewed and saying that even after several launch cancellations she still believed that the thousands of people working on the launch were doing their best to keep everyone safe. There's also footage of President Reagan's speech after the disaster.

Although a talky drama film I found it interesting and watched it in two sittings. Note that there's a 2013 tv movie of the same name with more star power so it comes up first in searches.

Napoleon (2023) [-] I watched the first 1-3/4 hours then parts of the last 45 minutes. This Apple TV+ movie focuses on the adult life of Napoleon (Joaquin Phoenix) and his love and relationship with Joséphine (Vanessa Kirby). A lot of talking, politics, and more talking. A few battle scenes with Austerlitz and Waterloo getting enough coverage to be interesting. Sadly though it was quite a struggle to watch.

Cut the Rope Remastered (2021) [/] In this Apple Arcade game you are trying to get all the fruits in the level into the mouth of a gremlin. The fruits are tied to ropes tied to anchor points and you swipe to cut a rope so that the fruit(s) swing down correctly. You try to hit three stars for extra points. There are also other gadgets like blowers and bubbles or the level might be underwater in which case stuff floats up. Physics based and cute. Puzzles get tricky and require timing.

Hellboy: The All-Seeing Eye (2008) [-] In this novel Hellboy, Liz Sherman and Abe Sapien travel to London to stop a bunch of cultists from releasing the All-Seeing Eye using sacrificed victims. Hellboy meets a nice coroner and they go on a date and then she gets kidnapped and eventually sacrificed but I kind of expected that Bonanza-like subplot. In the end though our heroes do very little to solve the problem: the cultists release a great evil that consumes them then Hellboy fights said evil but it's with the help of two other NPCs that he wins. Overall I think this is a churned out mass-market paperback novel and a waste of time to read.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-04-24T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240424-she-would-never-know-2021.html#unique-entry-id-725https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240424-she-would-never-know-2021.html#unique-entry-id-725She Would Never Know is a South Korean romance drama set in the small marketing department of KLAR, a higher-end cosmetics brand. Chae Hyun-seung (Rowoon) is a first or second year employee still under the guidance of third year Yoon Song-ah (Won Jin-ah), who he's been attracted to since meeting her at a college recruitment event.

Unfortunately Song-ah is having a secret affair with department head Lee Jae-shin (Lee Hyun-wook) but then Hyun-seung sees Jae-shin with his fiancé Lee Hyo-joo (Lee Joo-bin). Hyun-seung hides it for a bit but soon shows Song-ah the truth which she actually doesn't really appreciate and at first she rather she didn't know. But eventually shock turns to hate and she breaks it off with Jae-shin without revealing she knows for several episodes. Instead the excuse is she found a new boyfriend in Hyun-seung (which is what he wanted and she didn't want to do but a situation kind of forced it on them).

It takes a few episodes of them pretending to be a secret couple before she starts to like him. Then there's happiness for a while and the rest of the team at first realizes something is going on and then the truth is revealed and they're happy for the couple. Unusual, there is never a romantic rival for Hyun-seung's affection and there's never like parents or family that is against their relationship.

Episode 13 is a twist as she decides to take a job in the new Europe branch for five years and they commit to keeping their love alive. But episode 14 starts three years later with her returning to Korea early and apparently they had broken up a year before. So the last episode and a half is Song-ah trying to woo Hyun-seung and fortunately there's a happy ending.

Several subplots

Hyun-seung's oldest sister Ji-seung (Wang Bit-na) catches the eye of Jae-shin's manager Lee Jae-woon (Lee Kyu-han) who is the grandson of the company's owner. Jae-woon spends a lot of effort trying to be mysterious and cool to impress Ji-seung until she falls for him.

The middle sister Yeon-seung (Ha Yoon-kyung) is married with a cute daughter. There's a bit where maybe she's getting to friendly with her husband's best friend. But then a dark secret is revealed that sends her marriage spiraling down.

Jae-shin's impending marriage is almost against his will. He owes Jae-woon a lot and Hyo-joo is so in love with Jae-shin she tried to commit suicide when he didn't reciprocate. So he's marrying her because there doesn't seem to be another solution but he still loves Song-ah and his deadbeat dad keeps asking him for money. All in all Jae-shin starts out the most troubled in the story but manages to carve out a somewhat happy life for himself by the end.

Comparison

When I read the description of this show I thought it would be more like The Rational Life which I loved. In that show the age gap is 12 years which becomes quite an obstacle. Also the romance moves slower so it's more like half-way through the series that the woman realizes the man likes her. That series has more ups and downs while this one is a gentle rise until the rollercoaster drop in episode 15. So unfortunately this series was a bit disappointing even though it's still an ok story.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-04-22T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240422-the-last-hill-2022.html#unique-entry-id-724https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240422-the-last-hill-2022.html#unique-entry-id-724The Last Hill: The Epic Story of a Ranger Battalion and the Battle That Defined WWII is an account of the 2nd Ranger Battalion during World War 2. We get a bit on how the 1st Ranger Battalion was conceived and formed and their success during Operation Torch led to the formation of the 2nd Ranger Battalion.

The main narrative is their training then going to England then D-Day with their job of taking out the guns at Point Du Hoc and the fierce battle once they got up the cliff. They did some refitting then participated in taking Brest on the western coast of France. More miscellaneous missions and refitting until we get to the final part of the book.

During November 1944 the allies were attacking towards Aachen and the Roer river in Germany. The Germans were building up for Wacht Am Rheim (Battle of the Bulge) so were desperate to keep the Americans at bay so they wouldn't find out. The Hurtgen Forest was to the side of the advance and General Hodges wanted to secure the forest to protect the advance.

On the other side of the forest was Schmidt and the 28th Division was assigned to take it but couldn't (exciting to me since The Gamers' Objective: Schmidt game covers the Nov 2-6 attack by the 112th Regiment of the 28th Division). Anyway there is a hill near there, Hill 400, used by the Germans for artillery observation. After several failures to get close to the hill and take it the 2nd Battalion was called upon to do the job that would normally be assigned to a Regiment.

The last exciting part of the book is the attack on Hill 400 by essentially two Ranger companies -- I think there were 6 in the Battalion but the other four were holding the town before the hill and would come up as reserves, which unfortunately they did not do for a while. The Rangers secured the hill then held on as their numbers dwindled and then were finally supported.

Throughout the book we've gotten to know various Rangers, although I guess it was all commanders, captains, lieutenants and sergeants but not sure if Rangers had lower ranks. Anyway half the book is anecdotes woven into the narration so it's one overall story (I've read books where the anecdotes are told one after the other and it's reading this little separate episodes that together eventually give you a story, but it's a rather piecemeal way of telling it). On Hill 400 a lot of them die and it's a bit teary for me.

The book pretty much ends once the 2nd Ranger Battalion returns to the States. There is a long Afterword where each of the survivors gets a brief mention of their post-WWII life. There are some footnotes and a bibliography which is always nice.

Apparently the official US Army History of WWII doesn't really mention the Rangers much and of course there's the depiction that Point Du Hoc was a wasted effort since the guns had been moved, which this book dispels since the Rangers did a lot more than just get up on top of a cliff and find empty gun emplacements. Also the Hurtgen Forest battles tend to get sidelined by the Battle of the Bulge so it's nice having more detail there (make no mistake this book is focused on the Rangers so what the rest of the US Army did in Hurtgen Forest is barely covered).

The writing style is a bit too breezy for me -- I'm more for more detail on what the unit did than on knowing the people in the unit. But you still get a fair amount of detail and the book is intended to have more of a human touch.

Overall it's a fairly interesting book and I think I'd recommend it.]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-04-19T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240419-spot-reviews-04-19-24.html#unique-entry-id-717https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240419-spot-reviews-04-19-24.html#unique-entry-id-717Taken (2008) [/] Rewatched this on streaming, though I mostly skipped the first half hour of setup. That leaves about 55 minutes of action as Bryan Mills (Liam Neeson) searches for his kidnapped daughter in Paris. He's got some clever techniques such as hiring an Albanian language tutor to do a spot translation. The action is also good. After 16 years the film is still entertaining.

When Worlds Collide (1951) [-] A few astronomers discover a rogue star, Bellus, that will collide with Earth in 8 months. Nobody believes them but they get private funding and volunteers to build a space ship that will take 40 people from Earth to Zyra, an Earth-like world orbiting Bellus. But the timing is tight since the trip has to be made at the closest point when Zyra brushes past Earth... It's an old film and the drama is people vs people. There's also a bit of a love story. I did find it surprisingly watchable but doubt most people would like it.

Mahjong Titan+ (2021) [-] Apple Arcade tile matching game using mahjong tiles. There are different backgrounds and tile sets and each board is a set puzzle (1900 regular boards, 600 premium boards). It's what you'd expect, nothing remarkable and maybe only the minimum you'd expect from a competent implementation. I think I played a couple dozen boards and it was still boring.

Trader Joe's Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce [+] Like $2 for a 24 oz jar and it tastes good. Unlike the Olive and Basil Pesto I give this a plus because it tastes like what I expect. Perfectly fine with pasta and fine if you add a bit more to it like cooked chopped lettuce.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-04-17T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240417-bridge-of-spies-2015.html#unique-entry-id-723https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240417-bridge-of-spies-2015.html#unique-entry-id-723Bridge of Spies is a Cold War spy drama based on historical events.

In 1957 Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) is arrested as a Soviet spy and to show the fairness of the American justice system a competent attorney, James Donovan (Tom Hanks), is asked to represent Abel. Although his expertise is insurance law, Donovan was a prosecuting attorney at the Nuremberg Trials and besides nobody else wants the job since it'll make Donovan and his family quite hated by their neighbors.

Donovan tries his best even though the judge, and a friend of Donovan mind you, is quite fine with bending the rules to stymie his efforts to assemble a credible defense. Naturally they lose, though Donovan does convince the judge to not impart the death sentence; but Donovan persists in appealing and willing to appeal to the Supreme Court even though he has no obligation and nobody wants him to do it. It's his personal honor and his high regard for Abel's character.

Throughout the above we get occasional scenes of Francis Gary Powers (Austin Stowell), hotshot US Air Force pilot who, along with a few others, are assigned to work with the CIA flying the U2 plane over the USSR taking photos. On his first mission, in 1960, Powers is shot down and captured by the Russians (and the scene is apparently somewhat accurate to what happened).

Through some machinations the CIA realizes that the USSR wants to trade Abel for Powers but the US government can't be officially involved in such talks so they turn to Donovan who accepts. He's taken to West Berlin and with CIA guidance is sent across the newly built Berlin Wall to make contact at the Soviet Embassy; East Germany being a sovereign country hence the embassy.

Oh, almost forgot. US student Frederic Pryor (Will Rogers) was arrested in East Berlin as the wall was being completed and he was charged with espionage. Donovan's negotiations are complicated by the fact that he wants to also bring back Pryor which the East German government wants but the East Germans have their own goals not quite in sync with the USSR so Donovan has to somehow get the East Germans to release Pryor for essentially nothing.

The last scene is the actual exchange which is a bit tense. Abel and Powers are to be exchanged at one crossing point and Pryor will be released at another crossing point. There is a bit of drama when the East Germans are late and Abel returns a bit of friendship by refusing to cross for a few minutes, long enough for Pryor to be released...

This was a surprisingly interesting film. Tom Hanks does a great job. It's a character drama and both Donovan and Abel are interesting characters. The story has lots of drama with practically like no violence. Definitely worth watching.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-04-15T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240415-sudoku-by-mobilityware-plus-2021.html#unique-entry-id-720https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240415-sudoku-by-mobilityware-plus-2021.html#unique-entry-id-720
Sudoku by MobilityWare+ (2021) [/] This is the second one I tried. MobilityWare seems to have a bunch of basic card games and such on the App Store. Their version of Sudoku is also fairly basic though colorful.

You get a partially filled board. There are two edit modes: one to put in the little numbers (to specify possible values of a cell) and one to set the number on the cell.

When you are adding little numbers it helpfully highlights numbers that are not currently in the same house (though ignores rows and columns so you have something to do) and if you tap an invalid value it gives you a little shake "no".

When setting a number if you get it wrong it gives another little shake then removes the little number since you know it's wrong. If you set the number right it removes the little number from house, row and column cells. Once there are only a few cells left (and maybe also if the solution is certain) then you can just auto-finish the puzzle.

Other than there's no other helpful bits. You can't do other highlighting. There is no undo. No recover board to solvable state in case you really mess up (though I guess unnecessary since it doesn't let you put in invalid cell numbers).

I'd say this version would be more familiar to people who are used to pen and paper sudoku where you get no help so any help is great. I would not recommend this version though, especially for beginners because there is no help, tutorial, nor learning techniques section. Wait until next week when I review a better Sudoku app.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-04-12T00:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240412-spot-reviews-04-12-24.html#unique-entry-id-714https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240412-spot-reviews-04-12-24.html#unique-entry-id-7142010: The Year We Make Contact (1984) [+] Recently rewatched this movie and I like it. Nine years after 2001: A Space Odyssey scientist Heywood Floyd (Roy Scheider) finagles himself and two other Americans on board the Soviet ship Leonov in a mission to recover the Discovery and investigate the huge monolith David Bowman (Keir Dullea) found. Meanwhile back on Earth tensions mount as the USA and USSR redo the Cuban Missile Crisis... Like 2001 ASO this is a low action film though fairly suspenseful at times with several 2001 ASO mysteries to unravel. Much like Star Trek: The Motion Picture this is a very think-y, high concept story.

Bloodshot (2020) [/] An origin film based on the super-hero comic book from Valiant. US Marine Ray Garrison (Vin Diesel) is murdered by a terrorist then brought back to life with nanite-infused blood by Dr Emil Harting (Guy Pearce) who then uses Ray as an unkillable assassination machine against Harting's former co-workers. KT (Eliza González), another enhanced soldier, helps Ray break out of his prison but Ray has to battle other enhanced soldiers and then finally defeat Harting who is also enhanced... Does have a bit of a deus ex machina ending and the plot is more complicated than I can summarize in two sentences. The movie is not bad though, other than the ending.

Trader Joe's Olive and Basil Pesto Sauce [/] It's a bit chunky and less saucy than other brands. It has bits of olive and definitely has that flavor (almost too much at times). Tastes fine but the chunkiness makes it a bit hard to use with pasta. It's like $2.50 for a 6-1/3 oz jar so for the price it's great.

Mini Metro+ (2021) [+] In this game you build a metro railway layout. Locations pop up, each with one shape. Connect the locations so that people of each shape can reach any location with that shape. Every week you get a new resource such as a new train line, passenger car, tunnel, or bridge. If too many people stack up long enough you lose the game so you need to build efficient networks (and it's easy to reconfigure networks on the fly or while paused). This Apple Arcade version is essential identical to the App Store version (released in 2015) and the gameplay is still quite addictive.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-04-10T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240410-use-for-my-talent-2021.html#unique-entry-id-719https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240410-use-for-my-talent-2021.html#unique-entry-id-719Use for My Talent is a Chinese romance drama. Shi Shuang Jiao (Shen Yue) is a recent and jobless college graduate who gets a job at Clean First, a cleaning company that is transitioning from manual to robotic cleaning. There she attracts the attention of mysophobic CEO Gu Ren Qi (Jasper Liu) who finds that his phobia mostly goes away whenever he's with Shuang Jiao...

This is either a remake of the Korean Clean with Passion for Now or an adaptation of the same web toon. I found this series not as good. For the most part the Chinese cast is more photogenic and there are two romance subplots which are quite nice.

But the plot elements are more muted. Lu Xian (Dai Yun Fan) is the psychotherapist next door vying for Shuang Jiao's affections but after one episode he quickly gives up. The Korean version has a major end plot element where the Gu family did the Shi family a big wrong but in the Chinese one it turns out to be a misunderstanding. Similarly Ren Qi and his grandfather have an animical relationship but it's only touched upon here. Mysophobia is not nearly as emphasized her.

I guess all the above mens the Chinese show does not hit the dramatic lows of the Korean show but it also doesn't hit the highs. So other than a pretty cast and cutesy storyline there's no reason to watch this after watching Clean with Passion for Now.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-04-08T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240408-star-trek-legends-2021.html#unique-entry-id-718https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240408-star-trek-legends-2021.html#unique-entry-id-718
The main story arc is sending four people on missions where you interact with characters cut-scene-like, use your skills to choose paths (not that big a deal though if you want 100% completion you have to redo missions), and do lots of fighting. The main story is eight episodes of six missions each as you collect people and try to find out who is using the Nexus as some sort of power source/weapon.

You collect Nexus shards which allows you to summon random crew (duplicates let you rank up that crew).

You collect items then upgrade your characters. Kind of like the Marvel combat game I was playing you can:

• level up characters
• rank them up (not sure what it does in this game)
• unlock to the full four abilities on each character
• level up abilities to level 2
• equip four slots on each character
• level up equipment to level 5
• rank up equipment
• equip two particle slots (Nexus particles for bonuses)
• level up particles to level 5

You have three shuttles to send three 4-person teams on shuttle missions which take time and then you get rewards. There is a percentage chance of bonus rewards that depends on the crew so you have to send at least some competent crew. Crew on shuttle missions can't be used elsewhere but it gives you something to do with all the extra crew.

There is PvP and Operations which are basically just 4v4 combats either against players or set computer opponents. Daily goals to keep you playing.

Combat is 4v4 in order of speed. Each character has a basic attack and up to three other abilities (which all have cool downs). There's a lot of buffing and debuffing so combinations are nice. Usually two characters on each side start with some cover and some characters can create cover (and as long as cover has 1 hp it'll completely protect the covered character).

You can let the computer fight for you which is fine for most Mission combats since you overpower the enemy so much. But computer control is not very efficient and characters don't try to synergize.

Overall it's an entertaining game for what it is and not one of the best of the genre. Not really what I'd choose to play but at least in Apple Arcade it's not trying to sell you stuff all the time.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-04-05T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240405-spot-reviews-04-05-24.html#unique-entry-id-713https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240405-spot-reviews-04-05-24.html#unique-entry-id-713Ballerina (2023) [/] South Korean action film. Martial arts expert and former VIP bodyguard Jang Ok-ju (Jeon Jong-seo) finds her old friend committed suicide and left a note for her. Tracking down the note she finds the man, Choi Pro (Kim Ji-hoon), who had turned her friend into an escort. Bloody vengeance follows... It's fine as an action film where the plot doesn't need a huge budget.

Liaison (2023) [-] A six episode French/British drama on Apple TV+. Terrorists have burrowed inside the UK's secure networks. A Syrian hacker and refugee might have the code to stop them. Former French DGSE Gabriel Delage (Vincent Cassel) is sent bring the hacker back to France while his former lover Alison Rowdy (Eva Green), a British Home Office special advisor, wants him so he can stop the terrorists... A bit of a confusing plot and not much thriller to it. Episode five has some nice action. But overall I think this series is a waste of time.

Laughing Monk Brewing and Gastropub, Sunnyvale, CA [/] Upscale-ish American bar/restaurant and micro-brewery. Kind of typical for this area. I had the Fish and Chips which was ok. An Apple Cider mixed drink which was also ok. Perfectly fine food and atmosphere though no reason to ever come back here.

Chameleon Run+ (2021) [/] Apple Arcade auto-runner. In each level you want to get to the end as fast as possible. You have a change color button (your guy has to match colors with the ground) and a jump button (and you can do double jump). There are globes to pick up, speedups to run over (and you also get a speed boost by changing color just before you land on the ground), and probably other things. It's a fairly polished reflex game.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-04-03T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240403-crash-landing-on-you-2019.html#unique-entry-id-716https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240403-crash-landing-on-you-2019.html#unique-entry-id-716Crash Landing On You is a South Korean romance drama that ran sixteen 70-minute episodes.

South Korean business mogul Yoon Se-ri (Son Ye-jin) while doing a paragliding publicity shoot is caught in a tornado and dumped on the wrong side of the DMZ. Captain Ri Jeong-hyoek (Hyun Bin) finds her and believes her story. He decides to hide her and help her get back to South Korea.

The first half is in North Korea where Se-ri gets to see life in a typical small village and it's quite a culture shock -- little electricity, no hot running water, very little meat in their diet. Besides being noticed by State Security Department officer Cho Cheol-gang (Oh Man-seok) who senses something suspicious about her (and later he becomes intent on murdering Jeong-hyoek to cover his criminal activities) Se-ri has both a romantic rival when Seo Dan (Seo Ji-hye) arrives intent on marrying Jeong-hyoek and Se-ri also has a potential love interest in Gu Seung-jun (Kim Jung-hyun), a South Korean con man who almost married Se-ri.

Anyway eventuall Se-ri realizes that Jeong-hyoek loves her and she loves him. But they can't ever be together once she returns to South Korea. Of course when she does return Jeong-hyoek follows her because Cho Cheol-gang is also in South Korea plotting revenge by murdering her. The second half of the series Se-ri is now the one with power and Jeong-hyoek is the handsome outsider who poses as her new bodyguard. Meanwhile the four members of Jeong-hyoek's squad follow him to bring him back and they end up having adventures of their own as South Korea is quite different than what they imagined (except for the one guy who is addicted to K-Dramas)...

Once again it takes three or four episodes to really get going and then it's pretty good. Romance is great and the contrast between North and South is pretty cool. The ending is not the best but at least a mostly happy ending for the main couple. I quite enjoyed the series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-04-01T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240401-fantasian-2001.html#unique-entry-id-715https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240401-fantasian-2001.html#unique-entry-id-715Fantasian is a JRPG from the creators of the Final Fantasy series. You're playing a young man with amnesia exploring a fantasy world being invaded by tech globes that poison the land and people. You gain two female companions -- one raised by a hermit mage and has healing magic and the other a princess with cold magic -- who kind of vie for your affections. Later on there is adventuring in the Machine Realm which has been invading your world.

This has a typical 2-1/2 D perspective as you move around, though photo-realistic diorama backgrounds which is a nice effect. Combat is turn based and everyone has special abilities that use magic points. A lot of the exploration is picking up random items, mostly consumables and components (though I didn't get to the part where you use components to upgrade items). In general the UI is easy to use and responsive.

One thing I hate about JRPGs is random combats as you wander around. In this game early on you gain a device that stacks encounters with a limit of 30 monsters. So if you get a random encounter of 4 monsters the device count goes up by 4. At any time you can initiate combat with all stacked monsters which goes into a special combat arena. In the arena you fight 9 monsters at a time (when you kill some more are added not quite immediately) and there are power-ups (regular combats don't have power-ups). In general you can go quite a while before having to fight the monsters which cuts down on annoying combats.

The story is not too bad. You can talk to most people and there are a few side-quests. The game has a nice log where you can see your main quest, side quests, by location and their status. Later on you also get a teleporting device so it's easy to jump around from main quest to side quest. As usual the main quest is gated and fairly plain what you need to do next -- this is not an open world game.

I've played 11 hours and this game is 60 to 90 hours long. Did stop playing because it's kind of a slow game, though typical of JRPGs -- lots of moving around, talking to people in slow dialogs, cut scene-like dialog expositions where you have to keep tapping, also backstory recollections which are just walls of text which are also a bit slow and tap-heavy (though fairly well done for walls of text format). I think JRPGs are not my style.

Still, it's a polished and mostly interesting game that I might come back and continue later.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-03-29T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240329-spot-reviews-03-29-24.html#unique-entry-id-709https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240329-spot-reviews-03-29-24.html#unique-entry-id-709Sisu (2022) [+] Sisu is an over-the-top Finnish action film set during the Lapland War (when Finland declared war on Germany and the German northern troops had to retreat to Norway). A platoon of fleeing Germans encounter a Finnish prospector with some gold. Trying to kill him sets off an orgy of destruction because Aatami Korpi (Jorma Tommila), a war hero during the Winter War versus the USSR. Korpi is relentless and first flees from the Germans then goes to hunt them down. This film reminds me of Tarantino films with creative and graphic deaths. Not a classic but above average.

The Accountant (2016) [/] I rewatched this Ben Affleck film where he plays an autistic accountant for criminals who also happens to be an expert hand-to-hand combatant and shooter. When his current client decides to off him because he knows too much the accountant gets away but has to return and kill everyone in order to protect Dana (Anna Kendrick), a kind woman at the company who was helping him out and is also a witness that they want to silence… Ok action film. Interesting character. A little bit of a weird final fight. Interesting enough that I watched it in two sittings and yet not necessarily a movie I’d recommend.

Pizza My Heart - Vegan Big Sur [+] Went to dinner with my brother on Friday during Lent so he couldn’t eat meat so we shared this. It looks like a normal pizza with pepperoni and sausage. The meat tastes pretty close to meat and the cheese is pretty close to cheese and there are other ingredients so together it’s pretty tasty and I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference without actual comparison to a meat pizza. I’d be quite fine eating this again.

Flipflop Solitaire+ (2021) [/] A solitaire game from Zach Gage who has several polished Apple Arcade games. The base game is that you have five columns of cards, the bottom revealed and you're trying to get them into the top four spots. You can move cards between the columns but the destination and connecting card have to be in sequence. I've played similar games before. This one you can select from one to five suits (more suits is harder) and every game is solvable. Not really my sort of game though.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-03-27T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/52d64d11e01780580fbc36d0dc29dc2c-712.html#unique-entry-id-712https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/52d64d11e01780580fbc36d0dc29dc2c-712.html#unique-entry-id-712Delicacies Destiny is a Chinese romance drama set of 16 episodes in Imperial China. Ling Xiaoxiao (He Ruixian) is a female chef hired to be chief chef for Crown Prince Zhu Shoukui (Wang Xingyue) who is a very picky eater. She's a blunt person whose creative cooking and quick wit soon entrance the Prince. As his attraction grows she's quite dense to his feelings.

In general the series does mini-subplots that take one or two episodes. Each features some sort of culinary challenge for Xiaoxiao who has to use her skills and cleverness. For example one challenge is to cook a simple meal for Shoukui's brothers even though they have quite different tastes and if they don't like it the Prince will lose face. She accomplishes this with a neat little trick. Later in the episode she also manages to get the Prince to reconcile with his brothers.

Eventually the Prince makes it clear that he wants Xiaoxiao to be his Crown Princess. But eventually we come to the big decision: to be Crown Princess she has to give up cooking as it is too lowly for royalty. Although they manage to solve this conundrum the last couple of episodes are still a bit disappointing in how everything is done.

For the most part I loved this series, I think maybe from the first episode and it just kept building up. Xiaoxiao's cleverness with food and words is endearing and there are no big drama reverses (I watched it on Disney+ and this series is quite up to Disney story standards). As I said though the ending is not amazing but the first 14 episodes are great.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-03-25T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240325-fallen-empire-series-v1-3-2016.html#unique-entry-id-710https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240325-fallen-empire-series-v1-3-2016.html#unique-entry-id-710Fallen Empire series spans eight novels and some short stories. I listened to the first three books on audio narrated by Kate Reading.

This is a universe where a star-spanning Empire has just fallen six months before and though still around is now confined to one world. The Alliance, which overthrew the Empire, has a core homeworld and a shaky hold on nearby worlds. But it seems like much of the inhabited planets are near or totally lawless.

Alisa Marchenko is a former alliance fighter pilot. In the first book she finds herself out of the hospital after six months -- having been shot down in one of the final battles of the war -- and stranded on a backwards and now unaligned world. She manages to repossess her mother's freighter Star Nomad and gets herself a misfit crew and passengers hoping for transport off world.

This is told in first person from Alisa's point of view though the other main character is Leonidas, former Colonel in the Empire's Cyborg Corps. Although he was an enemy now he's someone with his own mission which might conflict with Alisa's loyalties. But as the story goes on he turns out to be a taciturn but decent person and they have a definite attraction by the end of book three.

Book 1 is getting the people together, getting off planet, then exploring an abandoned science station and tangling with space pirates. Book 2 Alisa returns home to find her daughter has been kidnapped by Star Seers (a psionic faction that almost overthrew the Empire several generations ago). Book 3 they visit a Star Seer temple for information though the Star Seers are not that friendly to outsiders.

It's an ok series. Moves along in a slow way but always forward. It does seem like not much happens in each book so it's not surprising it took eight books to tell the whole epic. Don't think I'd recommend it though. Not that I regret listening to these novels but there must be better stories out there.

Just noticed that all the books seem to have been written over the course of less than a year so i guess that explains the lack of progress in each novel.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-03-22T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240322-spot-reviews-03-22-24.html#unique-entry-id-706https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240322-spot-reviews-03-22-24.html#unique-entry-id-706The Menu (2022) [/] Psychological thriller. At an exclusive island restaurant the guests are horrified when Chef Slowik (Ralph Fiennes) announces everyone here tonight will die and he has his fanatical sous chefs to make sure of that. But that’s because all the guests were chosen by Slowik because of their sins. Except for Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy), a last minute replacement, who threatens to derail Slowik’s carefully prepared menu and plans… Not so much a kill kill sudden death movie as a horrible fascination seeing one person die here or there until the final destructive orgy. It’s a very talky movie. In the end I’m not sure if this is a worthwhile movie to watch or not.

Heroes of the Sky: The Mighty Eighth Air Force (2020) [-] National Geographics 90-minute documentary about World War 2's US 8th Air Force which operated out of England and was used to bomb Germany. Lots of period footage, interviews with audio though also voice actors reading letters and reports. I'm not really enamored with how military history programs are presented and this one is kind of typical and seems old-fashioned.

Taste of Sha Xian, San Mateo [-] Came here for dinner with C3, W3 and Dave S. Bright and new, you use an iPad to enter the wait list, can order from your phone, and staff was friendly. Chinese food and it wasn't that great. I think the less trendy Chinese restaurant a few doors down has better food at cheaper prices, though once again it went through an ownership change so wasn't open that night.

Wibbly-Wobbly Dicey-Wicey (2020) [/] A podcast dedicated to Cubicle 7's Doctor Who RPG. Not that many episodes and they experimented with format: converting famous characters to DW RPG; GM advice; RPG book reviews. After a one year hiatus they came back with three episodes covering DW RPG 2E. Now it's on another 14+ month hiatus so we'll see if it comes back. The podcast is of average quality for a table-top RPG podcast and I like the focus on a non D&D game.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-03-20T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240320-the-legend-of-the-white-snake-2019.html#unique-entry-id-711https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240320-the-legend-of-the-white-snake-2019.html#unique-entry-id-711The Legend of the White Snake is a 36-episode Chinese drama-romance set in ancient China. It's loosely based on a Chinese legend of the same name.

The concept is that Bai Suzhen (Ju Jingyi), a 1000-year old white snake spirit, is commanded to mingle among humans in order to progress further into the Buddhist enlightenment. In the city of Lin'an she falls for a young physician, Xu Xian (Yu Menglong), and vice versa. But is opposed by Jin Ruyi (Yu Lang), daughter of Xian's employer and infatuated with Xian, though he doesn't feel the same. Bai also befriends a 500-year old green snake spirit, Xiao Qing (Xiao Yan), who is a lot more impulsive and careless than Bai. It's sort of an older/younger sister relationship.

The romance is good at times with Bai using her supernatural powers but secretly whilst Ruyi tries to sabotage them both and does so in more and more bloodthirsty ways as the series progresses. Both Bai and Qing are demons so they are constantly threatened by Fahai (Pei Zitian), a Buddhist monk Demon Slayer. But since they're both trying to be good he keeps appearing just in time to threaten or stop them from crossing the line.

Comparing with Who Rules The World (2022) which is also ancient China romance drama, I prefer the latter. The two main characters in Who Rules The World are fairly balanced in power and are more animated and alive. In this one Bai is much more powerful and even at times a better physician. Both Bai and Xian are very reserved so it's up to Qing and Ruyi to display emotions.

Who Rules The World the last few episodes seemed a bit meaningless. Here also the last two episodes are a bit of a letdown. Bai is finally forced to commit an evil act (could have been prevented if she communicated more with her by then husband Xian but there's a real lack of communication and constant misunderstandings throughout the series). There is a punishment from Heaven and a couple of decades of atonement before she is freed to be finally happy with Xian, although the final scene cuts short so we have to assume there is finally a happy ending... Oh, and I almost forgot that Qing has her own romance storyline that ends badly.

Anyway, I'd say this is a series to skip. There are a lot of good parts but in the end a bit disappointing so why spend the 20-odd hours watching it when there must be better stories out there.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-03-18T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240311-morgan-is-my-name-2022.html#unique-entry-id-707https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240311-morgan-is-my-name-2022.html#unique-entry-id-707Morgan Is My Name is an Arthurian fiction novel by Sophie Keetch and as the title implies it is the story of Morgan le Fay as told in first person by Morgan. This is the first book in a trilogy and it covers Morgan's childhood through to the birth of her son Ywaine.

She sees her father go off to war and then "return" to begot the future King Arthur and she also sees Merlin and the Lady of the Lake take Arthur away at birth. She is quite rebellious against her new father King Uther, falls in love with a squire and later knight, and is sent to a convent where she learns healing and a bit of magic. Eventually recalled and made to marry King Accolon and live in the North where her marriage starts out fine but sours after a few childless years. Arthur becomes King and she meets him and Merlin reveals their relationship. They are friendly and she returns home, becomes pregnant, and has a final confrontation with King Accolon (who has been cheating on her for years) before she leaves him.

I like all the references since the story interweaves with events that are in the Great Pendragon Campaign, though there are many small differences since Arthurian lore was written over hundreds of years by several people. I also like that she's basically a decent and good person at the start and even at the end of this book still a good person though one willing to use magic to hurt in self defense. She also starts with a fairly good relationship with her half-brother Arthur. In future books she will probably turn darker though from her point of view maybe quite justified.

I listened to the audio version read by actress Vanessa Kirby. Overall I enjoyed it especially as it is a fantasy-type book that is not YA romance.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-03-15T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240315-spot-reviews-03-15-24.html#unique-entry-id-702https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240315-spot-reviews-03-15-24.html#unique-entry-id-702For All Mankind s4 (2023) [/] Last season was getting to Mars and establishing a base. Now it’s a decade later, 2003, with Mars base probably a few hundred people with a sort of mining town feel. Class divisions threaten to break the colony when the Helios Aerospace workers, most of whom are the tech and maintenance people on the base, go on strike for better pay and working conditions. Later on there is a huge opportunity when a valuable asteroid is discovered heading towards Mars but the governments back on Earth want the asteroid redirected to Earth orbit which would then consign Mars colony as a backwater…

This is still an ok series. I loved the first couple of seasons because it was so epic. Seasons three and four seem less epic even though they went to Mars. But I guess adding Helios Aerospace more normal non-astronaut people makes it seem like space is becoming civilized and therefore boring.

Doona! (2023) [-] Korean romantic series of nine 45-minute episodes. College student Lee Won-jun (Yan Se-jong) moves into the second floor of a house that has two other guys. He discovers that the first floor tenant is the beautiful and distant Lee Doo-na (Bae Suzy), former lead singer of a popular K-Pop girl group until she quit due to anxiety. They form a friendship and slowly it becomes more, with brief hiccups when a couple of Won-jun’s female acquaintances show up again in his life.

But then Doona is forced back into the business on pain of breaching her contract and as part of that has to break off contact with Won-jun who takes it stoically hard. The last episode is four years later where they run into each other and confess they still love each other but I guess they realize her career can’t afford a boyfriend so they part amicably to live their own lives…

Has kind of a bummer ending. As a character Doona is attractive and rather annoying in that she does things without telling people why which leads to misunderstandings. It’s a series I kept hoping would get better (which it didn’t) or at least have a good ending (which it didn’t). Even when they finally admitted their feelings it was a bit of a letdown. At least this was only nine episodes.

Progresso Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup [/] Not bad as a chicken tortilla soup (though would be better if you add your own tortilla chips because this has nothing as far as I can tell and would be too soggy if it did). I like the medium spiciness which is not too much to override the flavor, though it’s definitely too spicy if you don’t like spicy.

Pride and Prejudice audiobook (2018) [-] Apple has a nice 12-hour version narrated by Kate Beckinsale. I hadn’t realized how much the Dickinson tv series borrowed from Pride and Prejudice. Anyway, this novel was kind of a slog. It feels very stodgy British unlike Anne of Green Gables which had a more childlike and happy feel. So I did not really enjoy listening to this for 12 hours and it took me a long time to get through it. On the other hand the narration is just fine and Beckinsale has a pleasant British voice.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-03-13T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240313-love-to-hate-you-2023.html#unique-entry-id-708https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240313-love-to-hate-you-2023.html#unique-entry-id-708Love to Hate You is a 10-episode Korean romance comedy. Yeo Mi-ran (Kim Ok-vin) is a lawyer and martial arts expert who cannot stand by if she sees something that needs to be righted. She ends up being the lawyer for Nam Kang-ho (Teo Yoo), the most popular and handsome actor in Korea, but she believes he's actually a misogynist. Meanwhile he thinks she's crazy.

Naturally she ends up having to pretend to be his girlfriend and more contact makes them realize they've misunderstood each other. But once their relationship becomes real various scandals threaten to derail it, such as that Mi-ran has beat up people in the past. Also there's the inevitable ex-girlfriend, actress Oh Se-na (Lee Joo-bin), who wants to get back with Kang-ho.

As usual it takes a few episodes to get going and then there are only a few episodes to complete the story. The male lead is a bit stiff and not that appealing but I guess Korean handsomeness is different than the USA. The story leans more towards Mi-ran and Kim Ok-vin is pretty good in that character. It's a watchable series but not one of the better Korean rom-coms.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-03-11T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240311-b6-the-veiled-society-1984.html#unique-entry-id-704https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240311-b6-the-veiled-society-1984.html#unique-entry-id-704B6 The Veiled Society is a module for Basic Dungeons & Dragons. This is a city adventure set in Specularum, capital of the Grand Duchy of Karameikos.

Part 1. Characters arrive. Due to lack of Inn space they are split into two groups and each group is contacted by a faction: Torenescu (the nobles) and The Veiled Society (a bit like anarchists but controlled by the Radu family).

Part 2. Investigate mysterious sounds coming from an old woman's basement. This leads into a mini-dungeon with maybe a fight or two and a body.

Part 3. Investigate the death of the woman they found.

Part 4. Get embroiled in a riot where they could end up siding with the city guard or the rioters.

Part 5. Both groups are given missions that will end up with each PC group on two sides of the same fight.

Part 6. By now enough clues to lead the PCs to the final encounter. Before then an ambush then chase through some city streets.

Part 7. Mini-dungeon into The Veiled Society HQ. Could be by the front door or back door depending on the clues they found.

There are several problems with the adventure.

• The PCs are set up to be in conflict but it only happens once and in the end it's assumed they are not siding with The Veiled Society (though if they do the module eventually says Lawful characters become Chaotic).
• It's a very linear adventure. Theoretically their investigations may take them anywhere but...
• The city is not described. No NPCs are described. There's a half page at the beginning briefly describing the three factions with some names and bare facts but other NPCs are listed in the adventure and none even describe class/level, demeanor, goals (other than the final fight which has two NPCs statted out for the PCs to fight).

I think the reason so much detail is left out is that 9 pages (plus one side of the back cover) are for cutouts and figures so you can depict the action on your table. Not that impressive since, from the battle map diagrams, you're not setting up a large enough are for PCs to maneuver a lot in which case theater-of-the-mind descriptions are just fine. The Part 6 chase scene could be nice with a diorama but it feels too large for the amount of cutouts you get.

I was thinking of running this adventure but probably not. It feels like I'd have to make up too much stuff on the fly. Possibly Parts 2, 3 and 7 I can string into a one-session murder investigation adventure in the big city.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-03-08T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240308-spot-reviews-03-08-24.html#unique-entry-id-698https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240308-spot-reviews-03-08-24.html#unique-entry-id-698Anna (2019) [/] I rewatched this spy action film starring Sasha Luss as Anna, European model by day and KGB operative by night. Some neat action scenes. A bit too much doing flashbacks to fill in the back story or reveal plot twists.

Four Falls of Buffalo (2015) [-] Hour and a half long documentary about the Buffalo Bills and their four consecutive Super Bowl appearances (and losses). Lots of archival footage and going over the season and the game mixed with current-day interview clips with the former players/coaches (with at most two people being interviewed in a session)… Very pedestrian but I guess typical of the time. I’d rather have 20 minutes on each season and playoff run with no current-day interviews (sort of a “this is what happened then” nostalgia trip), or 5 to 10 minutes quick recap of the season and Super Bowl game then 10 to 15 minutes of a group interview with former players/coaches reminiscing (which is more of a “what does it all mean 25 years later”).

Pasta Prima Spinach & Mozzarella Ravioli Club Size [/] Fairly good ravioli. Has herb and cheese packs to add flavor though you can also add your own sauce. The pasta is strong so you can overcook without it falling apart.

Game Design Deep Dive (2022) [/] This is an interview podcast with tabletop wargame designers. I like this niche since I'm not as into computer wargames nor tabletop board games in general. It feels a bit more professional than other podcasts in this area.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-03-06T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240306-her-private-life.html#unique-entry-id-705https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240306-her-private-life.html#unique-entry-id-705Her Private Life is a Korean romantic comedy in 16 hour-long episodes. Sung Deok-mi (Park min-young) is a art gallery head curator who is secretly an super fan of K-Pop singer Sian (Jung Jae-won) and has the most popular web site dedicated to him.

Deok-mi clashes with new gallery director Ryan Gold (Kim Jae-wook) which gets complicated when she is mistaken for Sian's new girlfriend. That brings her a lot of hate from fans so Ryan has to pretend to be her boyfriend which is more complicated when another super fan, Sindy (Kim Bo-ra) starts working at the gallery with the intention of exposing their fake relationship.

Seon-joo (Park Jin-joo) is Deok-mi's best friend and fellow super fan. There's a small subplot for a few episodes where Ryan thinks they're in a relationship which makes him protective of their privacy. Eun-gi (Ahn Bo-hyun) is Deok-mi's sort of foster brother who later in the series reveals he likes Deok-mi so is a competitor with Ryan.

The first three or four episodes are tough to get through because it's setup and I didn't like the characters. Then it gets really good for about ten episodes, once they start "dating" and their relationship begins. The last three or four episodes get back to being a bit boring. It's like they ran out of story so there are these episodes where it's all sad as new background is revealed for each character.

I love the fan girl subplot though it kind of ends in a dud as her secret identity is never revealed to Sian (there are some close calls though).

Overall though I enjoyed the series. I did quit after two episodes then came back later and tried again so I'm glad I did that.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-03-04T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240304-cross-channel-attack-1951.html#unique-entry-id-703https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240304-cross-channel-attack-1951.html#unique-entry-id-703Cross-Channel Attack, by Gordon A Harrison, is one of many that US Army historians published to document World War II. Although the main combat covered is from D-Day to the capture of Cherbourg the first half of the book (about 250 pages) the history of planning for Operation Overlord, the politics of making it all happen (the British were mostly against an invasion through France), and the logistics of assembling men, supplies and ships.

Once we get to the invasion the combat details are fairly good though it does have to jump around a lot as there were many units involved — luckily British activities are outside the scope of this book other than broad overviews of how the affected American activities. Combats have a lot of small anecdotes and a lot of names and places. There are also many backs at the back of the book so you can follow the general action.

Overall still mostly relevant seven decades later. Lots more stuff has come out since then (for example Allied decryption efforts are maybe mentioned once or twice but much of that stuff was still secret when this book was written) but I think for the most part it’s a mostly accurate telling. It’s readable enough that it makes me interested in reading the other volumes (well, not all of them but at least some).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-03-01T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240301-spot-reviews-03-01-24.html#unique-entry-id-694https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240301-spot-reviews-03-01-24.html#unique-entry-id-694Doomsday (2008) [+] A zombie virus ravages Scotland, which is isolated behind a wall and its people left to die. Almost three decades later there is incipient zombie outbreak in London. A small team led by Major Eden Sinclair (Rhona Mitra) is going into Scotland because it turns out there are survivors which means there must be a cure. Mad Max-style action ensues… I watched this in the theaters and a couple of decades later watched it again. I liked it before and still like it. The film holds up well because it keeps to the Mad Max paradigm (other than the beginning scene there are no zombies in the main part of the film) and has a kick-ass lead heroine.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) [/] Animated action movie. Plumber brothers Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) step though the wrong New York sewer portal and end up in the Mushroom Kingdom, though Luigi actually ends up in the shadow land and is soon captured. Mario arrives just in time to help Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) in her quest to form an alliance against Bowser (Jack Black) and his army bent on conquering her Kingdom. Mario games action ensues… It’s a fine kids movie and animated is better than live action version (which I love for it’s corny-ness).

My Happy Marriage (2023) [-] Anime with 12 half-hour episodes. Set in maybe pre-WWI Japan. Miyo Saimori (Reina Ueda) grew up in a noble family but as the daughter with no magic talent she was abused and treated like a maid. She is sent off to possibly marry Kiyoka Kudo (Kaito Ishikawa) if he doesn’t drive her out like previous wife candidates. But it turns out that Kiyoka likes Miyo because she’s so different, and then later it also turns out that Miyo has powers (Kiyoka himself is a powerful magic wielder)… I guess I was expecting more romance and maybe the first few episodes are like that but the second half is more standard people with magic powers fighting spirit monsters except the characters are uninteresting.

The Science of Discworld II: The Globe (2002) [/] In the first book (which I haven’t read) the wizards of Unseen University created a tiny simulated universe with a round world that has no magic: Earth. Now the wizards have to save Earth’s ape creatures from Elves. In between the chapters of that short story the authors, with British humor and condescension, expound on what makes civilized people, which eventually boils down to imagination and the ability to tell stories. A mostly good read.

Vicky’s Kitchen - Broccoli Cheddar Stuffed Chicken Breast [-] This is from Costco. Two 1 lb plastic wrapped packages which you can microwave or take out, wrap in foil and bake. It could be mine was two years past expiration (though frozen all that time) but when I baked it it’s very dry and I guess all the liquid seeps out. The cheddar broccoli is a mushy mess and doesn’t have much taste while the chicken breast is soft but dry.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-02-28T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240228-falling-into-your-smile-2021.html#unique-entry-id-701https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240228-falling-into-your-smile-2021.html#unique-entry-id-701Falling Into Your Smile is a 31 part Chinese romantic series of 45-minute episodes. The story follows Tong "Smiling" Yao (Cheng Xiao) as she joins ZDGX and becomes the first woman to join a top-tier e-sports team. She struggles with developing her skills while building a fan base, dealing with an ex-boyfriend that's on another team (and the unwanted attention of a couple of other players), and a budding romance with team captain Lu "Chessman" Sicheng (Xu Kai) which brings a lot of Internet trolls against her.

The series takes place during one season of the top tier league. I'm fairly sure they're playing League of Legends though probably a fictionalized version with new characters but the gameplay seems LoL from what I know: three lanes with a jungle in between; trying to take out the opponent's base; top, mid, solo, jungler, support roles; banning characters before a match; farming kills and gold to upgrade your character... A good amount of time is spent on the game action -- seeing players, seeing their screens, and then animated sequences of big fights.

The LoL stuff was done well and with an audience I kind of see the appeal of watching games live in a stadium. It does feel a bit weird that a match can be two or three games (first to win 2 games wins the match) since games are 45 minutes it's a high variance between a normal match and one that goes into overtime.

The romance itself is not too badly done. There is not that much pushback against it in terms of the team or Yao and Sicheng's families. It's mostly Internet pressure that puts obstacles in their romance so I felt the stakes weren't as high as in other romance drama's I've watched.

Overall I'd say it's a B for the romance story but an A for the e-sports stuff of the fictional behind the scenes and actual game play.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-02-26T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240226-friday-1982.html#unique-entry-id-700https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240226-friday-1982.html#unique-entry-id-700Friday is a future Earth novel set in the latter half of the 21st century. The main protagonist is Friday, an Artificial Person who can unerringly pass for human and is employed as a specialized courier for a private spy/merc organization.

After her personal life is turned upside down when she reveals her AP-ness to her New Zealand "family" and they reject her Friday is then caught up in Red Thursday, a worldwide string of assassinations that destabilizes governments and causes all nations to close their borders. About half the book is Friday trying to get back to her organization while meeting people and touring North America, which is now a bunch of balkanized small countries (e.g. Quebec is independent, California is independent, Chicago and the central states are their own thing).

Once she's back home another shock as her organization is shut down. With nothing better to do with her life she takes a hazardous assignment off-world and we get a bit more info on the various colonies. Meanwhile Friday has a last challenge in escaping from her employers once she realizes that she's have to be eliminated to keep her package secret from ever being revealed...

Everything is told in first person from Fridays POV but as memoirs she's writing a couple of decades later and based on notes she made at the time. There are a few larger events that she narrates because she found out later but for the most part it's a lot of Friday stumbling about with little information.

Besides this being a sort of tour of the world the other main theme is Friday's humanity. She doesn't consider herself human and a lot of things that human she thinks she does because she's imitating. It's not until after the story in her two decades later epilogue that she admits that it doesn't matter whether or not she thinks of herself as human as what other people think and how they treat her.

I listened to an audiobook of this novel in the mid 1980's and it was quite exciting to a young teenager hearing a woman narrating her story -- and it's not like there's really any sex but Friday does a lot of kissing of both sexes so that was something. Reading it for the first time it's kind of funny how much Heinlein makes fun of liberals and taxes and governments.

For the most part a readable novel with an interesting protagonist. It is a bit archaic for today's audience and Friday writes colloquially for her time and that also did not age well. Still, a story I still like and a story that updated would be cool to read or see on tv or film.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-02-23T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240223-spot-reviews-02-23-24.html#unique-entry-id-689https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240223-spot-reviews-02-23-24.html#unique-entry-id-689Super League: The War for Football (2023) [+] A four-hour (in four parts) documentary centered on the four days when the European Super League was officially announced in April 2021. Each episode is one day though lots of looking back at history and looking forward at today (with this scrolling timeline segue-way so it's clear we're moving forward and back in time). With interviews from some of the notable participants. For the most part tries to give the ESL representatives their fair say though they do come off a bit as deceptive and self-serving. The documentary is done in a way to heighten drama so it's very watchable.

What If...? s2 (2023) [/] Nine more animated half-hour-ish long episodes about alternate universe Marvel Cinematic Universe characters. #2.1 Nebula Joined the Nova Corps? Is a nice noir story. #2.3 Happy Hogan Saved Christmas? Is the CMU version of Die Hard. #2.4 Iron Man Crashed Into the Grandmaster? Has Iron Man doing Thor: Ragnarok. Other episodes not so good though the finale is nice since once again it ties in past episodes.

Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me (2022) [/] Documentary, all of it behind the scenes and some interview footage, covering early life (a bit) then the Revival Tour and its cancellation midway when she had a breakdown, and then recovery and comeback. It’s good behind the scenes, not trying to tell a coherent story, showing the trials Selena was going through.

Variable Star (2006) [-] Science fiction novel by Spider Robinson based on an outline from the late Robert A Heinlein. I read the first 1/4th of the novel, which is told from the first-person of Joel, a Ganymedean who runs away from one life-changing choice to the life-changing choice of enlisting on Earth’s first colony ship to another star. I finished reading when he actually gets on the ship for takeoff and at that point he’s unlikeable enough that there’s not much reason to keep reading. I’m sure he becomes a better, more mature man but I don’t think I want to devote that much time to get to that point in the novel.

Bell & Evans Air Chilled Breaded Chicken Breast Nuggets [+] Pretty good tasting chicken nuggets. Not heavy breading and a bit oily. Baked it in a toaster oven and does not come out crispy in case that’s what you want, but the inside is juicy not dry.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-02-21T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/3aba165adf56d412b13c711f8427f339-699.html#unique-entry-id-699https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/3aba165adf56d412b13c711f8427f339-699.html#unique-entry-id-699Star Trek: Prodigy is an animated teens series set in the current Star Trek Universe. A group of teens enslaved and working at an asteroid mine find a starship, USS Protostar. Using the Protostar they manage to escape and with the aid of the ship's hologram, a replica of Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), they make their way from the Delta Quadrant towards Federation space.

Dar R'El (Brett Gray) - back-talking and clever "leader" of the group. He has to do some growing up to actually earn the leadership.

Gwyndala (Ella Purnell) - her father was the one who imprisoned the others. She knows it was wrong and her loyalties are torn between her new friends and her father.

Jankom Pog (Jason Mantzoukas) - Tellarite 3rd class assistant engineer and the group's mechanic.

Zero (Angus Imrie) - a Medusan in a workbot. Her very appearance would drive almost any sentient mad. Not sure there have been any Medusans in canon Trek since that one TOS episode.

Rok-Tahk (Rylee Alazraqui) - a Brikar (a race introduced in Star Trek: New Frontier novels and this is the first time in canon). She is this big rock monster but still a little girl and doesn't want to be pigeon-holed into the security role.

Murf (Dee Bradley Baker) - a blob sort of pet who gets a more anthropomorphic body in the second half of the season and a bit more intelligence to go along with it.

In the first 10 episodes they're trying to flee the Diviner (John Noble), Gwyndala's father, whilst the Janeway hologram teaches them how to be Starfleet Cadets. In the second 10 episodes the real Janeway on board USS Dauntless is after the Protostar and the thieves who stole her. But the kids can't let her catch them because there's a virus on board that will bring about the Federation's destruction.

I think the episodes are good. The teens are not annoying as is often the case in stories. It's still trying to be Star Trek with Federation ideals. Certainly better than I expected considering it was cancelled after one season, though Netflix picked it up and season two is in production. I like the spirit of the show and it's a show that can be watched by an audience not familiar with Star Trek.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-02-19T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240219-airpods-pro-2nd-gen-2022.html#unique-entry-id-697https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240219-airpods-pro-2nd-gen-2022.html#unique-entry-id-697AirPods Pro 2nd Gen for about a month. Audio quality is good. Microphone I haven't had complaints -- my friends said I sound fine. Sometimes the Bluetooth drive on my MBP gets wonky and I've had audio sound like it's really slowed down but I think that's my MBP's Bluetooth.

The battery lasts 5 to 6 hours or so and you get warning beep at 10% It does recharge fast in the case and taking a half hour break replenishes the battery. The case also has memory so it tries to keep the AirPods Pro at 80% until just before it thinks you need it (i.e. once you end at night and through the night). The case itself can charge the AirPods Pro 3 or 4 times so it allows you to kind of use it all day without plugging into power. Sometimes though one pod or the other isn't seated right and doesn't charge and there is no indication this is the happening until you try to use it later.

There's been some drilling work in our building. Noise cancellation is not bad. Definitely not as good as AirPods Max (which has great noise cancellation with regards to construction work) but helps to keep noises down to where you can hear audio content just fine.

In-ear buds means both can be a bit uncomfortable and also they can slip out. I changed one of the buds to smaller tip but I'm having trouble getting the other bud's tip off so I can downsize it. It comes with four tip sizes in total (and besides the USB-C case a USB-C to USB-C nylon connector but no charger -- I have a USB-C charger from my Apple Watch).

Switching from Mac to iDevice and back is about as good as before as it's more OS than AirPods doing it. Sometimes audio switches without warning which is probably because I might have audio sources playing in multiple devices and it's trying to use near field communications to determine which is the one I'm actually using. It's still annoying that if I start Netflix on my iPad there is no way to set audio output so I have to start a TV app video, set audio output, then switch back to Netflix.

Overall I do like these AirPods Pro 2nd Gen. Not my preferred form factor (I'm more of an over-ear headphone user for comfort, noise cancellation, and battery life) but they work remarkably better than I expected for such a small device.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-02-16T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240216-spot-reviews-02-16-24.html#unique-entry-id-685https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240216-spot-reviews-02-16-24.html#unique-entry-id-685Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023) [+] Set in 1969 Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) is now an old professor who gets embroiled into finding the Dial of Destiny by his god daughter Helena Shaw (Phoebe Walter-Bridge). It's a globe-trotting adventure of pulp action vs Nazis led by Jüegen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen) who wants to use the Dial to go back in time and change WWII. Cameo appearances by John Rhys-Davies as Sallah and Karen Allen as Marion... I liked it a lot because it harkens back to the first film. Dial of Destiny is a fun romp and doesn't try to be more like what the in-between films tried and failed.

The Sky is Everywhere (2022) [/] Apple TV+ drama film. Gifted musician Lennie (Grace Kaufman) grieves a year later after losing her older sister Bailey (Havana Rose Liu) so much that her music is gone. Enter Joe (Jacques Colimon), handsome newcomer at school who plays the same instrument. There’s a budding romance there though Lennie’s grief threatens to ruin it… It’s an ok film with an unusual cinematography showing Lennie’s imagination going wild at times.

Run On (2020) [-] South Korean romance drama. Seon-gyeom (Im Si-wan) is a national track athlete. Mi-joo (Shin Se-kyung) is a struggling translator trying to break into the movie translation business. After she gets a temp job translating for him during a week-long press event they start forming a bond which gets stressed because he’s very taciturn and often leaves out important clarifying details when he speaks. Overall not really that great of a romance. There’s a B plot involving Dan-ah (Choi Soo-young), who runs her own ad agency, and college artist Yeong-hwa (Kang Tae-oh) who’s art captivates Dan-ah. But she has low empathy which stymies his attempts at romancing her. I liked the B plot more because it seemed more romantic whereas the main plot didn’t feel all that romantic to me. In the end a disappointing series which I almost dropped after watching three episodes but the fourth was finally interesting enough to keep going.

Tejas y Chocotejas Sra Buendia, Lima, Peru [+] Receive a package of chocolates from my cousin. It’s chewy chocolate and either plain or along with a filling. Covered with a hard candy shell that breaks easily. It’s quite good and feels like it’s loaded with sugar and calories.

Hitchhiker - A Mystery Game (2021) [/] Apple Arcade first-person-view game, though you're always the passenger in a car so the pfw is looking around at the driver, car interior, and the outside. The driver talks to you and you have two response choices. You can examine items, some of which go into your backpack. Mysterious things happen like items can suddenly appear or the driver knows a bit too much about you. It was getting interesting even with the first of five drivers but I hit a bug where my backpack was emptied and I needed to look at one of the items to progress. Restarting didn't seem to work and I didn't want to restart the whole game (there are no save points to go back to). Still it's light and interesting enough that I might have played it through... Actually it was removed from Apple Arcade Jan 18th so the backpack bug might be because of that. You can get the game on Steam for $15 which would be too pricey for me.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-02-14T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240214-well-intended-love-2019.html#unique-entry-id-696https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240214-well-intended-love-2019.html#unique-entry-id-696Well-Intended Love is a Chinese romance series that ran for two seasons.

Xia Lin (Simona Wang) is a small time aspiring actress who is diagnosed with leukemia and the only available donor is Ling Yizhou (Xu Kaicheng), CEO if the Lingshi Group, a family conglomerate. She is able to convince him by agreeing to pose as his girlfriend/fiancée/wife for two years.

He's reserved and she's more emotional but an attraction develops. There's competition from Yizhou's best friend Chu Yan (Ian Yi), an accomplished actor who doesn't trust Xia Lin yet later falls in love with her. There's machinations from Yizhou's estranged mother and half brother. And there's the secret that Yizhou arranged for the leukemia diagnosis in order to force Xia Lin into his life.

It's not an especially different romance series than I've seen before.

I do like the twist of the season two where they reset everything as an alternate universe. Xia Lin now starts out as a rising actress with much more fame than previous and Chu Yan is her friend and mentor actor. Ling Yizhou is still CEO of Lingshi Group and once again, though this time through happenstance, manages to get Xia Lin into a secret girlfriend/fiancée/wife contract.

In season two Yizhou's assistant Wen Li (Huang Qian Shuo) and Xia Lin's best friend Jia Fei (Liu Jia Xi) begin a romance of their own which gives them more screen time. Season two is a few episodes shorter which is good because season one's last few episodes were quite gonzo.

Season one had a few episodes where Yizhou loses his memory right at the time when Xia Lin realizes she likes him. In Season two it's Xia Lin's turn to lose her memory after finally falling for Yizhou and this time as she reviews publicly what happens she comes to believe Yizhou has been manipulating her all along. Until the final episode when she regains her memory for a happy ending.

I liked the series. I like Chu Yan as a possible rival. The main protagonists are attractive and a good-looking match. Season one latter half had some plot lines that were a bit too much but they fixed it in season two. Overall an enjoyable series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-02-12T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240212-a-frozen-hell-the-russo-finnish-war-of-1030-40.html#unique-entry-id-695https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240212-a-frozen-hell-the-russo-finnish-war-of-1030-40.html#unique-entry-id-695A Frozen Hell by William R Trotter is an account of the Russo-Finnish Winter War which the Soviets started about 18 months before Germany invaded the USSR. It has the usual background on Finland and it's relation with their big neighbor and the politics as Stalin tried to negotiate to lease prime territory in Finland to use as bases to defend against the eventual German war.

The majority of the book details the fighting. Most of that concentrates on the Karelian Isthmus where the bulk of the fighting took place. A few chapters detail other operations and in general more material from south to north of the eastern front since the farther north it went the colder and sparser the terrain and the worse the Soviets did.

There are some simple drawn maps which you can kind of use to follow the fighting but often there are place names given in the text not on the maps. There are also a couple of photograph sections so you can see the principal generals, troops, places and equipment.

Trotter is an American with I guess Finnish roots. He did a bunch of research in Finland: reading and interviews. He also cites a bunch of American sources, mostly academic type materials. Although he does cover of the Soviet side this book is mostly from the Finnish point of view and has more details about their side of the story.

I have not read other books on the Winter War but overall this seems to be a nice one. It gets into a fair amount of battle details though still written for a general audience.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-02-09T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240209-spot-reviews-02-09-24.html#unique-entry-id-683https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240209-spot-reviews-02-09-24.html#unique-entry-id-683Doctor Who 2023 Specials [/] Three specials in Nov and Dec was an arc where the new 14th Doctor turns out to be David Tennant, who is quite confused about it. He reunites with Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) for three stories: The Star Beast, based on the first Doctor Who story I ever read in Marvel's Doctor Who comics #1; Wild Blue Yonder, a bottle episode with the Doctor and Donna alone on an abandoned space ship, except for two creatures that take the form of the Doctor and Donna; The Giggle, bringing back and old old nemesis, the Toymaker (Neil Patrick Harris), and forcing a bi-regeneration as the 15th Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) splits off from the 14th leaving both present at the same time. The 14th Doctor ends up taking a vacation on Earth with Donna and her family while the 15th becomes the new Doctor... The first story is nostalgic for me, the second a bit of a letdown, the third made up for the second. These episodes are on Disney+

Flight (2012) [/] Flight is a character drama starring Denzel Washington as alcoholic and drug-addicted airline pilot Captain Whip Whitaker who dramatically saves his airplane from crashing when a serious malfunction endangers everyone on board. The resulting media and investigation threaten to reveal his addiction, which would mean he never pilots again. Most of the story is Whip coming to the realization that he should be truthful to himself and the public… The “airplane is going to crash” sequence is great. The rest of the film a bit too dark and heavy though I did watch all of it.

Messi Meets America (2023) [/] A documentary series of six half-hour episodes chronicles Lionel Messi as he joins Inter Miami of the Major Soccer League. Each episode has its own little story and often focuses a bit on the city Inter Miami is playing and one or two Inter Miami players. It’s kind of nice seeing how his arrival changed the team and invigorated the fans not just in Miami but all over the USA.

Trader Joe’s Coffee Bean Blast Ice Cream [+] This is really tasty with a delicious coffee flavor and very creamy and rich (320 calories per 2/3rds cup which is more than other ice creams).

Farm It! (2021) [-] Apple Arcade game for kids, like four to six years old. Two activities: (1) cut down and gather produce by swiping a huge scythe up and down (this is a portrait mode game), then a back-and-forth bar you have to stop at the best spot to put all the produce in the truck; (2) cook a meal by tapping and dumping produce into a pot, then tap more to make the fire hot. You unlock new produce to “grow” and new buildings and furniture to add to your farm. Naturally it’s an amazingly boring game for my age group.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-02-07T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240207-blue-eye-samurai-s1-2023.html#unique-entry-id-693https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240207-blue-eye-samurai-s1-2023.html#unique-entry-id-693Blue Eye Samurai is an animated series of eight 45-minute or so episodes. The story is set in ancient Japan where two decades ago the Emperor closed off the land to outsiders.

Mizu (Maya Erskine) is an intense blue-eyed half Japanese women who poses as a male ronin wandering the land seeking revenge on four white men, one of whom must be her father. Along the way she is followed by Ringo (Masi Oka), a handless noodle maker who wants to be a samurai, and keeps crossing paths with Taigen (Darren Barnet), a samurai who used to be one of her childhood bullies and who she's defeated and wants a rematch...to the death. Mizu crosses path with Princess Akemi (Brenda Strong), a head-strong woman who runs away from home to find and marry Taigen but the real world is no place for a Princess.

There are some fairly cool samurai fights and Mizu has some pretty cool tools that enhance her sword fighting when needed. It's also quite graphic at times both showing some brutal deaths and showing a good amount of male and female nudity. The part where Mizu breaks into castle home of Abijah Fowler (Kenneth Branagh), her primary target this season, is also cool due to the traps and challenges inside.

Season one ends with Mizu leaving Japan in pursuit of her final two targets (oh, apparently the first one is already killed when the series starts). Season two has been greenlit.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-02-05T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240205-fruit-ninja-classic-plus-2021.html#unique-entry-id-692https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240205-fruit-ninja-classic-plus-2021.html#unique-entry-id-692Fruit Ninja Classic+ is an enhanced version of the old iOS game, which I've never played so won't compare.

The basic gameplay is that whole fruits fly up, gravity stops them in the air then they fall down off screen. You make swipes on the screen to simulate a blade slicing each fruit. If you split three or more fruits in one swipe you get extra points.

Occasionally there is a black bomb that flies up. If you slice that it explodes and game over. If three fruits fall down off the screen it's also game over. Naturally as a game goes on you get more and more fruits and bombs and it's quite hectic.

There are also power-up fruits that don't necessarily arc and fall with gravity. Sometimes they come from on top or the sides and streak across the screen. Power-ups include freeze (which actually just slows down everything), frenzy which sends a whole lot of fruit flying in (though in frenzy missing fruits doesn't count against your three strikes), and double where everything is double points.

You collect two types of currency. You unlock different blades and dojo backgrounds. You can upgrade blades and each blade has two minor and a major power.

Graphics are cartoony. Background music and sounds are appropriate.

This is really more of a younger person's game. At the time Fruit Ninja did a great demonstration for touch screen swipes. It's still a good arcade game though I played it for about an hour before I got bored.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-02-02T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240202-spot-reviews-02-02-24.html#unique-entry-id-680https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240202-spot-reviews-02-02-24.html#unique-entry-id-680The Family Plan (2023) [+] Apple TV+ movie. Dan Morgan (Mark Wahlberg) is a car salesman who likes his boring life with loving wife Jessica (Michelle Monaghan) and kids. A life which is upended because he used to be an assassin and his old organization has found him. Dan takes his family on a surprise road trip vacation from the East Coast to Las Vegas all the while fending off assassins without alerting his family who wonder what's gotten into him... The action is quite well done and there are good funny bits. Besides having good actors the story is well written and the cinematography is good; certainly a better than I expected based on having seen this concept executed less well before.

Blue Beetle (2023) [/] In this DCU film Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) becomes bonded with an alien scarab that manifests as an eco-skeleton suit with morphing appendages. Unfortunately Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon) wants that scarab back so she can create super soldiers, though niece Jenny Kord (Bruna Marquezine), daughter of Ted Kord the first Blue Beetle, aims to stop auntie from corrupting Kord Industries… Perfectly fine super-hero movie. I do miss the 1990’s Blue Beetle, who was a lot more like Batman detective/gadgets with Spider-Man’s humor. Special effects are good.

Arcane (2021) [-] This is an animated series based on League of Legends video game lore. Set in a steampunk-ish city with the rich living on the upper stories of a very tall city while the poor live in the gloomy lower levels. Vi (Hailee Steinfeld) and her crew of thieves accidentally set off a power struggle and have to survive or maybe even stop it... I watched three episodes and it's not interesting. Perhaps if I was familiar with LoL lore.

Porridge & Things, Millbrae [+] Same owners as Noodles & Things. Had Hong Kong style porridge with minced beef. The porridge itself was quite good ($6) but the minced beef wasn’t that much for the +$6. And then adding green onions would have been another +$6. But if you just want plain but delicious porridge it’s a good price. We also got (something) fried rice, beef chow fun, fried chicken wings and potstickers an they were all good.

Let's Roll - Fire and Water's Role-Playing Podcast (2013) [+] When it first started out it covered DC Heroes RPG as the Hero Points Podcast. Then in late 2020 it renamed and now covers RPG games in general though emphasizing the hosts long-running GURPS multi-dimensional campaign and older RPGs. It comes out once every month or two and is reasonably interesting and nice that it covers smaller RPGs for the most part.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-01-31T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240131-my-demon-2024.html#unique-entry-id-691https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240131-my-demon-2024.html#unique-entry-id-691My Demon is a Korean romance/drama starring Kim Yoo-jung (Clean with Passion for Now and Backstreet Rookie both very good) and Song Kang (who I haven't seen before).

Do Do-hee (Kim) is CEO of Mirae F&B, a dessert company. One night she is targeted by a serial killer and Jeong Gu-won (Song), a mysterious stranger shows up to "save" her. But he wants to offer her a deal in order to save her and before they can do that they end up pushed into the cold river and miraculously survive.

Turns out Gu-won is a demon who, for the past 200 years, has made deals with desperate people: a wish is granted but after ten years the wisher is sent to hell. But due to the accident his power tattoo ends up on Do-hee, who can't use those powers herself but if he grabs her wrist he can access his powers.

Do-hee's mother dies, perhaps murdered, leaving the Mirae Group (parent company of Mirae F&B) chair to Do-hee if she marries within a year. This makes the rest of the Noh family members quite angry since Do-hee is an adopted "sister". There is a further attempt on Do-hee's life and now that Do-hee knows Gu-won is a demon she enlists him as a bodyguard in return for helping him get his tattoo back.

Later they get "married" so she can secure the CEO of Mirae Group and forced to be together they develop feelings for each other...

Typical Asian romantic series. Very good production with more special effects than usual. Kim Yoo-jung is brilliant in these roles. There is a bit of deus ex machina in the last episode which I found more jarring than usual (spoiler: he dies and she grieves for an episode then she wishes him alive and suddenly he's back and there is no setup for this nor real reason why he comes back).

Did like this series though, as a commentary, now that I think of it most of these romance series the man is wealthier or has more power yet is emotionally detached and it's the (usually younger) woman who brings out his emotional side. Exceptions are The Rational Life (2021) which reverses the gender/age roles and Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021) which partially reverses the gender roles.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-01-29T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240129-backgammon-checkers-chess-on-apple-arcade.html#unique-entry-id-690https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240129-backgammon-checkers-chess-on-apple-arcade.html#unique-entry-id-690Backgammon+ (2021) [/] from Adikus is a nice looking board game on Apple Arcade. You can play vs computer, PvP on the same device, online vs a random opponent, online vs a friend. You can play a series of games and have a doubling cube, which I've heard is how you turn this mostly random game into a game of skill.

Checkers Royal+ (2021) [/] from Gamma Play Limited has quite a bit more customization than Backgammon+. You can choose ruleset (different countries have different rules) or use custom rules, change board size (6x6, 8x8, 10x10), change board and piece design, and there are five difficulty levels. PvP on the same device but no online play. So a better game than Backgammon+.

Really Bad Chess+ (2021) [+] from Zach Gage. Apple Arcade doesn't have a chess game (and chess.com is the best site with a good enough app). Really Bad Chess is a chess variant where each side starts with random pieces and piece layout (though the Kings are set). The better you get the worse pieces you get and the better pieces meanwhile the AI doesn't get better or worse. I really like that when a piece is taken the taking piece has a little icon showing what piece was taken. Overall this is a simple concept and well done.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-01-26T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240126-spot-reviews-01-26-24.html#unique-entry-id-677https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240126-spot-reviews-01-26-24.html#unique-entry-id-677The Marvels (2023) [+] After their powers become entangled Captain Marvel (Brie Larson), Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris), and Ms Marvel (Iman Vellani) team up gallivanting across the galaxy trying to stop the Kree leader Dar-Benn (Zawe Ashton) from destroying three planets in order to save her homeworld… It’s a fun intragalactic action film reminiscent of Thor’s space movie. The biggest problem is that Monica and Ms Marvel’s backstories were more developed in WandaVision (where Monica got her powers) and Ms Marvel (which has her origin story) and if you haven’t seen those then this movie doesn’t really try to catch you up.

Invasion (2021 TV Series) [/] A global catastrophe strikes Earth and we see the results through the eyes of four people: Aneesha (Golshifteh Farahani), a mother of two who is afraid her neighbors will think it’s 9-11 again and attack her family out of fear; Trevante Cole (Shamier Anderson), a US soldier in Afghanistan whose squad is wiped out by a mysterious floating thing; Mitsuki (Shioli Kutsuna), a comm tech at Japan’s space agency investigating the loss of a Japanese crew traveling to the ISS; Caspar (Billy Barratt), a bullied English high-school-type student who is stranded with his classmates when their bus crashes in a remote area of England… After three episodes it’s moving a bit too slowly for me and it doesn’t help that half the stories are not that interesting.

Loki season 2 (2023) [-] Loki season 1 was quite good. Come back a couple of years alter and season 2 is a bit of a mess. The Time Variance Authority HQ is going to be destroyed because all the new timelines are overloading the flux capacitor (or whatever). Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is randomly shifting through time and using that opportunity to gather the people he needs to fix the problem. It’s a bit of a confusing deus ex machina ending which I had to research to understand what actually happened. Just a rather disappointing ending to the series.

Trader Joe’s Step Up To The Snack Bar Mix [/] $6 for a 12 oz can of mixed mostly non-nuts: honey mustard pretzel pieces, honey roasted peanuts, corn chips, cheddar cheese crackers, sesame sticks, chili lemon corn sticks. It’s good for the price though I guess I’d rather have mixed nuts.

SP!ING (2021) [/] Apple Arcade game where you try to collect all the gems on a level and make it to the exit while avoiding obstacles and traps. Anchor points are located in various places. Tap and hold and your ball attaches to the nearest anchor point and then revolves around it. Release at the right time to fling your ball, which can bounce off walls and is affected by gravity. Simple mechanics though requires timing and if you die you restart the level.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-01-24T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240124-love-and-leashes-2022.html#unique-entry-id-688https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240124-love-and-leashes-2022.html#unique-entry-id-688Love and Leashes is a Korean sexy romantic comedy movie. Ji-woo (Seohyun) is sort of the emotionless hard worker at her office who accidentally discovers new guy Ji-hoo's (Lee Jun-young) secret: he's into BDSM, specifically being a Sub.

Because she treats this non-judgmentally Ji-hoo is encouraged to ask her if she could be his Dom. They enter into a three-month contract and Ji-woo treats it like an experimental hobby. She studies then does it to Ji-hoo and slowly learns about the lifestyle. And somewhere along the way she starts to have more romantic feeling for Ji-hoo...

The BDSM is sexy. There's a lot of narration, as if from the BDSM web site they both read, explaining the various terms and situations and what each partner is getting out of their role. I like that this is neither a sex film nor a sex-is-bad film, nor is it a romantic comedy with BDSM flavor. It's BDSM as a positive lifestyle choice.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-01-22T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240122-apple-arcade-easy-come-easy-golf-2021.html#unique-entry-id-687https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240122-apple-arcade-easy-come-easy-golf-2021.html#unique-entry-id-687Easy Come Easy Golf is a golf game from ClapHanz.

As a golf game it's fairly traditional. There are different 9-hole courses (all original so no recreating real-world courses). Standard fairway, rough, bunkers, water, green. There is wind and rain. In making a shot you choose a club, adjust left or right, then either triple tap (start meter, stop at correct shot strength, then stop at correct left or right though you might want to hook or slice the shot) or do a slide down and flick up touch UI which I found difficult.

Crowd cheers or gasps. You have a caddy giving you encouragements. The courses get progressively tougher.

The strength of the game is you have a stable of characters. The 9-hole game is actually teams of 9 players and each player plays one hole. Each character has three different stats (distance, control, putting), a favorite club and a favorite disadvantage (e.g. maybe they're better getting out of a bunker than usual). Characters gain experience and level up and you collect more character as you go along.

Each character is quite distinct and has a range of costumes you can collect (and each costume also has different colors you can collect) -- and by collect means you play against that character in one of three challenges (distance, closest to hole, or match play which could go 9 holes). Character behavior -- when they make a shot, when a good or bad shot lands, when they make birdie, par, or bogey -- can change depending on their costume which is nice variety. Also costumes and colors are important because they increase the maximum level that character can achieve.

There is also online play. A weekly tournament where you can keep trying and submit your best score. You can create a room and invite your friends to play, or play on the same device. You can also play random people.

Main game play is Tour Mode where you play courses for stars, have a stage boss (which becomes a new character in your team), and unlock harder courses. Two other game modes: Survival where you keep going trying to make the shot count for each hole; Score Attack where you play 9 holes with one character.

Overall a fun game that plays like a real computer golf game with fun characters.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-01-19T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240119-spot-reviews-01-19-24.html#unique-entry-id-674https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240119-spot-reviews-01-19-24.html#unique-entry-id-674A Nice Girl Like You (2020) [-] Romantic comedy film. After her boyfriend breaks up with her because she’s very bad at sex Lucy Neal (Lucy Hale) makes a sex list of things she needs to do or improve in herself. This leads her to some embarrassing situations wherein this guy, Grant (Leonidas Gulaptis) always happens to be around to witness. This leads to attraction? I didn’t watch that long because people doing embarrassing things is not that appealing.

A Time Called You (2023) [-] Korean mystery/romance drama on Netflix. In 2023 Han Jun-hee (Jeon Yeo-been) is a young professional still in mourning a year after her boyfriend Koo Yeon-jun (Aha Hyo-seop) probably died in an airliner crash (his was one of the few bodies never found). Through some magical mean she’s transported to 1998 inhabiting the body of high schooler Kwon Min-ju (who looks like a younger Jun-hee) and Min-ju has a crush on fellow student Nam Si-heon (who looks like Yeon-jun). At the end of episode three Jun-hee is transported back to find that her actions in 1998 have apparently changed her life in 2023… This series is a bit more serious than I wanted to watch. It’s a little depressing at times, not romantic at all. Also the time travel stuff is a bit confusing.

Anti-Submarine Warfare (1984) [/] This book by Rear Admiral JR Hill, RN (retired) is an overview of submarines and the way to combat them as of the early 1980’s. Chapters include (1) introduction - history, (2) threat - submarine capabilities focusing on the Soviet Navy, (3) means - ways of detecting and destroying submarines, (4) weapons - ships, aircraft and weapons, (5) anti-submarine battle - the common scenarios from a NATO perspective: protecting convoys and maintaining barriers like the GIUK gaps, (6) epilogue - short cautionary anecdote about over-reliance on one ASW system, (7) bibliography - mostly articles and papers since there are few other ASW books… This was a lot of stuff I didn’t know about and covered at a level for the general public and I found it a useful read.

Young Hellboy: The Hidden Land (2021) [-] Set in 1947, Professor Broom and a young Hellboy (like a 10-year old kid) crash land in the Pacific Ocean and end up on a Lost World type island with dinosaurs and a jungle girl protector. But an evil vampire awakens to claim the island for her own… For a four-issue series it has little plot, setup is good but that last issue a bit anti-climactic. Overall I found it rather dull.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-01-17T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240117-the-boy-the-mole-the-fox-and-the-horse-2022.html#unique-entry-id-686https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240117-the-boy-the-mole-the-fox-and-the-horse-2022.html#unique-entry-id-686The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse is a half hour animated children's story based on a book. The Boy (Jude Coward Nicoll) is lost in a snowy wilderness. He meets The Mole (Tom Hollander) -- all animals talk -- who is willing to help The Boy find his way home.

They meet The Fox (Idris Elba) who at first wants to eat them. But The Fox falls into a river and is rescued by The Boy. Afterwards The Fox follows behind, part of the group and yet apart.

The trio meet steadfast The Horse (Gabriel Byrne) who gives them all a ride towards a village. At night The Horse is a bit philosophical.

Once they reach the village though The Boy decides he'd rather stay with his three friends. The End.

It's a nice slow moving story with not much going on. Pleasing animation and there's not a huge amount of dialog either. It's a short holiday story that's good for the spirit.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-01-15T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240115-apple-arcade-cozy-grove-2021.html#unique-entry-id-684https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240115-apple-arcade-cozy-grove-2021.html#unique-entry-id-684Cozy Grove is a kid's level survive on an island and craft stuff game. You are on a haunted island but you're here to help the ghosts resolve their issues and move on. That involves collecting stuff on the island, sometimes combining stuff, which then opens up new areas and brings more ghosts out. Each ghost has a story that is told as you complete missions for that ghost.

Navigation is simple and works well with a controller or touch. Items are usually easy to find -- even though there might be lots of visual elements as you move around the ones that would block your view fade out. And there are lots of ghost kids and creatures wandering about doing their things which makes for a visually interesting experience.

Graphics and sound are professional. It's a low stress game -- you can't die and there are no time limits. Not really my kind of game but it's quite polished.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-01-12T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240112-spot-reviews-01-12-24.html#unique-entry-id-671https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240112-spot-reviews-01-12-24.html#unique-entry-id-671Hannah Waddingham Home for Christmas (2023) [/] I’ve only seen her in Ted Lasso but turns out Waddingham is a stage singer and this special has her singing Christmas songs by herself and with guests and also has Ted Lasso co-starts making appearances. Not the usual Christmas songs you hear in America but maybe they’re traditional UK Christmas songs. It’s a nice holiday program.

Fingernails (2023) [-] Indie science fiction romance drama movie streaming on Apple TV+. Set in the near future when there’s a scientific fingernail test that can determine if two people love each other (or one loves and the other does not). Anna (Jessie Buckley) and Ryan (Jeremy Allen White) are a happy couple who say they don’t need the test to tell if they’re in love. But Anna has doubts and she starts working at a love institute that teaches couples how to fall in love and she uses those techniques on Ryan. But meanwhile she starts to fall for coworker Amir (Riz Ahmed) who seems to be more of a personality match for her… I think I watched about half an hour. It’s an interesting concept but the characters were a bit dull to me.

Snapdragon Thai Basil Chicken [/] - This is premade and comes in two packets, each with seven servings (more like 4 servings each). Not a bad amount of chicken and the sauce is fine. Not what I’ call especially tasty but serviceable enough.

Itty Bitty Hellboy (2014) [/] This 5-issue comic book series presents Hellboy and company as newspaper syndicated comic strip-style kid characters doing kid things and a humor level to match. Good presentation though the material is for a much younger audience (that somehow knows Hellboy mythology since the characters are not explained, they are just there) or the older dad crowd that appreciates kid humor.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-01-10T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240110-golda-2023.html#unique-entry-id-682https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240110-golda-2023.html#unique-entry-id-682Golda covers Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir (Helen Mirren) and her cabinet during the Yom Kippur War. From the decision whether or not to mobilize troops (there had been previous false alarms as the Arab states tried to wear down Israeli economy), then sending them in unsuccessful attacks due to new Arab tactics, relieving Minister of Defense Moshe Dayan (Rami Heuberger) when he had a breakdown, calling and playing hardball with US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (Liev Schreiber) in order to get military aid, to the final cease fire, we see Meir as an aging leader being strong for her country whilst the death eats at her inside.

It's a small movie and a drama but I still like the behind the scenes of the Israeli cabinet during the war. This is one of the rare films I watched all the way through in one go.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-01-08T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240108-the-giants-encyclopeia-1999.html#unique-entry-id-681https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240108-the-giants-encyclopeia-1999.html#unique-entry-id-681The Giants Encyclopedia (1999, 2003) is a big 500+ page hardcover book covering the history of the San Francisco Giants from founding in New York to the present (1999 season for first edition and I saw that there is a 2003 edition that goes to 2002).

Chapters

Through the Years - Year by year history. Season record, placement, manager, and attendance. Half to a couple of pages describing the season. A lot of it seems like box score statistics (baseball is great in that you can have a scorecard that pretty much describes what happened during a game) and season statistics written out in narrative form though a lot also seems to be from newspaper sources and historical records.

Owners and Executives - Biographies of owners, general managers, and some long-time employees.

Prominent Managers

Players Roll Call - A big section with lots of significant players. I think as long as they had at least a couple of significant seasons with the Giants they are included so you do get players that were good for a few years but better with other teams.

Famous Broadcasters

World Series Stories - Each World Series written up narratively with statistics if available (early WS's only have box scores, later also have player game statistics.

Playoff Pictures - Sort of the same as World Series chapter but since baseball playoffs are more recent this is a shorter chapter than you'd think.

No Hitters - Each no-hitter game gets a story section.

Ballparks and Stadiums

Bibliography

Appendices - 150+ pages of lists and statistics including career Giants statistics for many (all?) players.

Overall this is a great resource for San Francisco Giants fans who want to know the history. Writing style is readable and the content is interesting.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-01-05T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240105-spot-reviews-01-05-24.html#unique-entry-id-670https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240105-spot-reviews-01-05-24.html#unique-entry-id-670Mannequin (1987) [+] Department store display artist Jonathan (Andrew McCarthy) discovers Emmy (Kim Cattrall), an ancient Egyptian girl trapped in a mannequin comes to live if he’s the only one around. With Emmy’s help Jonathan turns around the fortunes of a failing department store but the competitor store will do whatever it takes to stop him… Rewatched this movie and it’s not bad for late 80’s.

Angel of Christmas (TV Movie 2015) [-] Journalist Susan (Jennifer Finnigan) was dumped on Christmas so now hates the holiday but she gets the chance to write a story about a town with a magical Christmas Angel that brings true love… Hallmark romance tv movie starring with Jonathan Scarfe as the love interest. I watched a few minutes but it wasn’t immediately interesting.

Haidilao Hot Pot, Cupertino [/] Apparently a world-wide chain of hot pot restaurants. In this one you have four containers, each with a soup base or water, and you dip your meats and vegetables to cook them (thinly sliced so that they cook in like 30 seconds, fish takes longer). There is a sauce bar where you can make a sauce for your food - various dry and liquid ingredients, I used chopped garlic, cilantro, green onions, diced beef and peanuts, soy sauce and another sauce, actually turned out good. Also a small salad-type bar (more Asian than American-style). Two desserts plus soft-serve ice cream. A performer came out to entertain the room for about 20 minutes. Overall a good dining experience with friends even if I’m not that into hot pot.

Arracourt — September 1944 (1982) [/] This is a thesis paper by Major Richard H Barnes studying the battle and comparing the opposing forces: US 4th Armored Division and German Fifth Panzer Army. It’s a scholarly work not intended for a mass audience but still fairly readable. Lots of maps and diagrams though the reproduction renders them hard to read. Lots of end notes and a nice bibliography if you want to read more. I probably got this link when BCS Arracourt game was released.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-01-03T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240103-wingwomen-2023.html#unique-entry-id-679https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20240103-wingwomen-2023.html#unique-entry-id-679Wingwomen is a French current-day heist film with a trio of women protagonists.

Carole (Mélanie Laurent) and Alex (Adèle Exarchopoulos) are partners -- Carole is the planner/doer and Alex is tech and weapons support -- specializing in break in and stealing very valuable items for their employer Marraine (Isabelle Adjani). After their last heist Carole wants to retire but Marraine won't let them unless they do one more job in Sicily. For that they'll need a third person and so they recruit Sam (Manon Bresch) as a driver.

I like it because there is a good friendship between Carole and Alex. Sam starts out as the outsider but eventually becomes another friend. The final heist is kind of funny because things keep going wrong and the trio have to improvise. There are some action scenes and not too many people are killed. The film does a good job on a lowish budget.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2024-01-01T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/417466fac0569da335a8e3d1bc0a49e1-678.html#unique-entry-id-678https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/417466fac0569da335a8e3d1bc0a49e1-678.html#unique-entry-id-678Survival Z is a zombie apocalypse action/rpg that plays great with a controller.

Choose a character and a scenario. The overview map gives you several choices of paths to take and the paths branch and can remerge. You will have to hit several nodes and a node can be: healing, free item, rescue companion, zombies, tougher zombies, end fight.

In a zombie fight there is a 2-1/2 D playing area that spans farther than the screen so you scroll about some. Zombies enter from multiple entry points in waves. Before the start of a wave you see where zombies are entering and can set up items which zombies drop when you kill them: Sandbags to block zombies, exploding barrels to kill them, automatic machine guns (good behind sandbags), etc. When the action starts you only have to move, firing is automatic at nearest zombies.

Rescue companion is regular zombie level but if you rescue the companion it's a playable character and for the rest of the scenario they will fight zombies independently of you (and if they die you can revive them).

Zombies also drop coins and you use coins to upgrade your weapons and items and the upgrades stick from scenario to scenario. When you die you lose most of your items and are back to basics and have to restart the scenario.

It's a fun light game.

Oops. This game removed from Apple Arcade Dec 19th so will probably stop working in a couple of weeks.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-12-29T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231229-spot-reviews-12-29-23.html#unique-entry-id-666https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231229-spot-reviews-12-29-23.html#unique-entry-id-666The Mummy (2017) [/] Action film set in the present. Nick (Tom Cruise) and Chris (Jake Johnson) are US Army Rangers in Iraq who also procure relics for the black market. Unfortunately their latest find leads to Ahmanet (Sofia Boutella), a mummified Egyptian queen who comes to life and decides Nick will be a great host body for her beloved… It’s big budget and it shows. Tom Cruise in a scoundrel anti-hero role which is unusual. They wanted to setup a Dark Universe so they include Dr Jekyll (Russell Crowe) and at the end Nick is left with Dark Powers.

20th Century Girl (2022) [-] Korean romance film. Most of the story is set in the past, 1999. While her best friend is in America getting heart surgery high schooler Na Bo-ra (Kim Yoo-jung) is tasked with finding and getting all the details of Yeon-du’s (Ron Yoon-seo) crush Hyun-jin. During that Bo-ra falls for Hyun-jin’s best friend Woon-ho. It’s only after Yeon-du returns that Bo-ra realizes there was mix up and it was Woon-ho (Boon Wook-seok) that was the crush… I’ve been watching some excellent romance drama series with great production and in comparison this movie is a bit flat in terms of music, cinematography and even story. There is no budget listed in Wikipedia so maybe this was more of an indie film. In any case, Kim Yoo-jung is very watchable so was worth it for me.

Offside with Taylor Twellman (2023) [/] Podcast from Apple TV+ and MLS (Major League Soccer). Twellman is a former MLS player with a couple of championships and a respected MLS analyst so he brings a lot of experience and knowledge to his podcast which mainly covers MLS. Lots of interviews with coaches and players. As someone trying to get into MLS I find it good for getting some history as well current news.

Trader Joe’s Organic Pasta - Spaghetti [/] I think twice as expensive as their regular spaghetti but it does taste a little better. Would not say it’s the best pasta I’ve had (Barilla is actually pretty good and there’s a better brand I liked but forgot the name).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-12-27T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231227-hometown-cha-cha-cha-2021.html#unique-entry-id-676https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231227-hometown-cha-cha-cha-2021.html#unique-entry-id-676Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha is a South Korean romance/drama series that ran sixteen 70-minute episodes.

City girl dentist Yoon Hye-jin (Shin Min-a) manages to get herself blackballed in the city and ends up opening a one-dentist practice in the small seaside town of Gongjin with her best friend Pyo Mi-seon (Gong Min-jeung). At first she clashes with the residents because she's rather frank and a bit condescending of village life and really clashes with Chief Hong Du-sik (Kim Seon-ho), a hometown prodigy who does all the little odd jobs that need to be done.

As the series progresses Hye-jin and Chief Hong slowly start to be attracted to each other and by episode ten they admit their feelings and start dating. We get a couple of episodes of them happily dating and driving their neighbors sick before Chief Hong's dark past is revealed which takes another episode or two to resolve. The last episode or two are winding down and ending a bit after they decide to get married.

The supporting characters are interesting and have their own subplots. We have a brief possible romantic rival to Chief Hong in Hye-jin's college friend Ji Seong-hyun (Lee Sang-yi) who is now a successful director and wants to shoot a series in Gongjin. I also like the triangle with Ywo Hwa-jung (Lee Bong-ryun), her ex-husband Jan Young-guk (In Gyo-jin), and recently returned friend Yoo Cho-hee (Hong Ji-hee) who was Young-guk's first crush until Choo-hee moved away and he "settled" for Hwa-jung. In a twist Choo-hee was never into Young-guk and was attracted to Hwa-jung years ago (gay/lesbian characters seem less common in Korean/Japanese/Chinese dramas than in current USA dramas).

Anyways, a good romantic series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-12-25T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231225-lumen-2021.html#unique-entry-id-675https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231225-lumen-2021.html#unique-entry-id-675lumen., from Lykkegaard Europe Limited, is a puzzle game played on a small grid (varies in size but 6x10 seems the biggest). Object is to get light emitters to trace their lights to end points, and over the three optional stars on the grid. There are one-sided and two-sided mirrors you can rotate to guide the light beams (and you can rotate the emitters).

Higher levels have double emitters (fixed to emit at opposite sides or two adjacent sides), four-way emitters (light in all four directions), rotatable pipe (which blocks light vertically or horizontally), T-pipes (which split an incoming beam into two beams), squares that block light, and probably others.

There is a daily challenge of four puzzles. There is a weekly maze challenge where your one beam navigates a maze to the end point. Lots of achievements. A bit of a backstory about a female inventor creating these various gadgets and the box you play on unlocks her journals. Lots of puzzles, maybe 300-plus.

Overall I had fun playing the first couple hundred puzzles and I guess that's enough for me.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-12-22T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231222-spot-reviews-12-22-23.html#unique-entry-id-665https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231222-spot-reviews-12-22-23.html#unique-entry-id-665I Hear You (2019) [/] Chinese romance drama with Riley Wang as a violinist and violin maker who is always stoic and doesn’t speak much and Zhao Lusi as an aspiring anime voice actress who wants to study Japanese in Japan. They’re thrown together on a couple dating reality series and to maintain the facade she moves in with him and eventually romance starts… The series has a real problem ending episodes almost mid-sentence. The last episode new drama a resolution is rather weak and maybe it should have ended one episode earlier (the series is 24 40-minute episodes). The best friends whoa are producers for the reality tv show and secretly attracted to each other but it ends badly is a rather sad subplot. After watching Hidden Love (2023) also starring Zhao Lusi I was expecting more from I Hear You but it was disappointing, though still pretty most of the time.

The Morning Show #3.1 to #3.5 (2023) [-] I watched half of season three but it was lackluster. Season one started well with their one big plot. Season two continued the main plot but it was getting stale so they killed it. Season three is chaos as the whole network might be going under and it lost the remaining appeal it had for me.

Shadowrun: The Forever Drug (1999) [/] A paperback novel by Lisa Smedman set in the Shadowrun RPG universe. This one is on the east coast of Canada in Halifax where Romulus — a werewolf, freelance agent for Lone Star, and kind of hated by regular humans and most of his co-workers for being a were — stumbles onto a new drug that leaves it’s victims dead but happy. Most of the plot involves him trying to rescue/protect/save perhaps the drug’s designer, an elven woman, called Jane because she’s an amnesiac… It’s a fairly fast moving story. Not too annoying. Told from Romulus’ POV. Not necessarily a happy ending but perhaps that’s Shadowrun. I haven’t read any other SR novels nor RPG materials so as a first exposure to the SR universe this novel tells a story without being confusing.

Mahatma Extra Long Enriched Rice [/] Seems ok for extra long rice but not my preference as it cooks a bit too dry and is worse when it’s old. Still prefer calrose rice which is bit more glutinous without being sticky rice and even a day or two old is ok.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-12-20T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231220-who-rules-the-world-2022.html#unique-entry-id-673https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231220-who-rules-the-world-2022.html#unique-entry-id-673Who Rules the World is a Chinese historical (maybe fictional historical) romance/drama that ran for forty 40-minute episodes over the course of a month. The setting is the Empire and six kingdoms. As the Imperial family wanes the kingdoms start getting ready for civil war.

Our two protagonists are the heroic martial artists Hei Fengxi (Yang Yang), the Black Fox, and Bai Fengxi (Zhao Lusi), the most beautiful woman in the land. They've been competing for years as to who's the best but they're also kind of secretly in love though neither admits it to themselves.

I like how both Hei and Bai have secret identities and both are royalty but nobody and themselves have figured it out. Nobody has seen Hei and the prince and same for Bai and the princess so without putting on any disguise other than clothing change their ruse has gone on for years.

The historical stuff is pretty good. Lots of period costume and I assume mannerisms and speech patterns. I do like the romance part. The last four or five episodes we get into big battles and lots of Wuxia action and I did find that part a bit boring. Still, it was a really good first 35 or so episodes and of course the last one which wraps up Hei and Bai's story.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-12-18T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231218-spire-blast-2021.html#unique-entry-id-672https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231218-spire-blast-2021.html#unique-entry-id-672Spire Blast by Orbital Knight is an Apple Arcade game of color matching. There is a hollow tower with walls (either round or square walls) made of colored blocks. You have a certain number of shots to knock out bricks (and all contiguous bricks of the same color) and eventually tear the whole tower down as bricks and walls fall with gravity and physics effects.

You collect coins which are used to buy boosters that carry over from level to level until they are used up. Boosters like knock out all bricks of the same color even if non-contiguous or knock out all bricks in a row. Stars are also collected (one to three stars per level depending on number of shots it takes to finish) and 20 stars is a special chest with three random rewards.

There are also complications. A dragon that you have to feed with blocks. Locked blocks that you have to unlock by knocking out an adjacent block. Blocks that take two hits, though seems to be the exact same behavior as locked blocks.

The game has nice graphics and sounds. It's fairly simple so I guess for a younger audience. It does feel like a free-to-play game without the FTP purchase mechanisms.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-12-15T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231205-spot-reviews-12-15-23.html#unique-entry-id-656https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231205-spot-reviews-12-15-23.html#unique-entry-id-656Tetris (2023) [+] Movie on Apple TV+ based on how Tetris came to the Nintendo Gameboy. Hank Rogers (Taron Egerton) is the owner of a struggling Japanese software company who sees Tetris at an expo and falls in love. He ends up going to communist Russia in order to get the worldwide rights for Tetris for game consoles meanwhile the people who had the rights for computer Tetris wanted the console rights too. There is a bunch of intrigue and suspense as the other guys have a Russian bureaucrat in their pocket while Rogers has optimism, personality and honesty… It’s an entertaining film. Fictional though based on history.

Gamera Rebirth #1.1-#1.2 (2023) [/] A six-episode anime series (each episode is about 40 minutes so more like a 12-episode series). A group of teens are caught up in events when giant Kaiju attack their city. It’s only the appearance of another Kaiju, Gamera the giant flying turtle, that saves them and may be the city’s only hope… This is really a story about the kids with the big monster battles being more of a backdrop. Not sure if that’s how Gamera movies go but I didn’t really sign up for watching teens doing stupid teen things. Good animation though.

Anne of Green Gables Audiobook (2016) [+] The 9-1/2 hour Audible version of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s book is read by Rachel McAdams. Set in the late 1800’s on Prince Edward Island. Anne is a 13-year old orphan accidentally adopted by the Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert (they wanted a boy). But her energy and overactive imagination an sense of drama win over the couple. The book is a lot of short chapters chronicling Anne’s experiences growing up in that environment — going to school, making friends, making enemies — and ends as she graduates from teaching school and gets the job as the teacher at her old school… McAdams did a good job bringing the characters to life. I didn’t think the story would be that interesting and yet it was.

Wellington: The Years of the Sword (1969) [-] Elizabeth Longford wrote two books on Wellington’s life. Book one is his birth through Waterloo and book two is his later life as a politician. Lots of details with footnotes and good research but I only got through 20 pages or so. Way too much detail. Too many little things and lots of names and places an it doesn’t help that Brits can have a birth name and a titled name. I guess as a second or third book this would be good but as a first book on Wellington it’s just too much.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-12-13T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231213-the-rational-life-2021.html#unique-entry-id-668https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231213-the-rational-life-2021.html#unique-entry-id-668The Rational Life was a Chinese romance/drama that ran 35 40-minute episodes. Shen Ruoxin (Qin Lan) is a lawyer and manager in the legal department of ZenPro Motors, East China Division. She's a workaholic and totally committed to her job and really not into her current boyfriend (and when she tries to break up he tries to get her fired because he loves her so much, yikes). Looking for a new assistant she decides to hire Qi Xiao (Dylan Wang) even though they had an argument a few days ago but he's quite persistent about needing the job.

Unfortunately Qi Xiao is hire just in time to get caught up when office politics force Shen Ruoxin out of the legal department and into the administrative department where careers go to die (upper management really want her to quit). But in those short few days Qi Xiao has seen a different side of Shen Ruoxin and is determined to follow her and continue being her assistant. Together they bring energy into a department where everyone slacks off. Qi Xiao's admiration for Shen Ruoxin starts to become attraction which Shen Ruoxin doesn't begin to realize until episode 21 or so.

Besides work there are other possible love interests for Shen Ruoxin. Xu Ming Jie (Calvin Li) VP of the new electric vehicle division (New Energy Cars as the translation goes). Later on a former classmate who returns to Shanghai from abroad. In both cases the attraction is pretty much on the men's side as Shen Ruoxin feels she doesn't have time for romance and likes being single. Towards the end the other obstacle is Shen Ruoxin's mother Zhou Yilan (Pan Hong) who thinks a romance with a man 12 years younger is doomed. Luckily there is a lot of talking between both moms (Qi Xiao's mom is quite fine with their relationship) and with Shen Ruoxin and Qi Xiao to finally convince Zhou Yilan...

I think as is usual the first couple of episodes are kind of rough with character introductions and showing their routines before meeting. Once you get past that boring part it gets interesting and the romance plays pretty well. Shen Ruoxin is a charming character who loves astronomy (she posts color-corrected astronomy pictures taken by big telescopes), loves spicy food, laughs like a kid, and is always looking out for her people. Qi Xiao is not quite as appealing especially when he's conniving in a young adult way. But when he's looking out for Shen Ruoxin he comes off well.

It was an engrossing series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-12-11T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231211-the-keep-on-the-borderlands-1981.html#unique-entry-id-669https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231211-the-keep-on-the-borderlands-1981.html#unique-entry-id-669B2: The Keep on the Borderlands for Basic Set Dungeons & Dragons is meant to be an introductory module and was included in the 1981 Basic Set. On DriveThruRPG it is $5 and includes a scanned version and an OCR version. I've been running this module for half a dozen short sessions using BECMI Basic Set rules (which is an edition later).

Part 1 is GM Advice. The module is intended for large groups with at least one magic-user and one cleric -- smaller parties should get hirelings. The Keep is intended to be home base from where the PCs can range out. There is a repeat of the Armor Class chart and notes that To Hit roll of 20 always hits and 1 always misses. Repeat of movement rates. Then advice on how to read the module,

More advice on being a good GM (be a neutral arbiter). Notes on time and sleep and natural healing (BECMI Basic Set doesn't specify natural healing rates). Notes on dividing up treasure and computing experience (which BECMI Basic Set kind of neglects).

Then a bit about the background of the area, notes about the keep, and a rumors table.

I like this section since older Basic Sets were not great with GM advice (BECMI is a little better). I found the rumors to be too much information to give to players, especially since there are also false rumors.

Part 2 is a description of the Keep. There is a map and each building is described along with inhabitants. Strangely nobody gets proper names so a GM has to come up with their own.

This section seems very old school. It's basically the same amount of detail as a dungeon, I guess in case PCs want to try to loot keep. Just listing the services available (with costs) and personalities would be sufficient. I don't need how many guards in each tower.

Part 3 is the area outside the Keep. There is a grid (squares) map, notes on exploring, and four encounter areas besides the Caves of Chaos (the main dungeon) and the Cave of the Unknown (a place where a GM can put in their own dungeon). I've run this area when I was a kid and wandering around was quite boring so I really simplified it into a hex for the keep and the six surrounding hexes to explore and then a die roll to see if the encounter is found.

Part 4 is the Caves of Chaos. 10 caves each with a different race of monsters. None, except maybe the last, are that big so each cave can be done as one adventure day. There are notes about what happens after a party attacks each cave. Vague notes about which races are allied.

This is very traditionally described. Each room is static and sometimes there is a bit of a plot set up with this format. It's up to the GM to start adjusting once the PCs intrude into each cave. There is no overall plot so the GM can make up their own (or borrow the one from Dungeons and Dragons Online wherein the Temple of Evil Chaos is trying to control all the caves and there are factions for and against the Temple).

Part 5 has a list of NPCs with a table for random personality. Notes on how to design a floor plan and includes a floor plan for the Guild House in the Keep. Player tips and a glossary.

Overall this is sort of the standard for introductory modules. A lot of GM advice packed into a few pages so necessarily broad not deep. A home base area though no subplots (i.e. none of the inhabitants have any sub-quests for PCs). An outdoor area without wilderness rules (found in Expert Set). A simple though big dungeon with enough stuff for several sessions.

It does the job well. I suppose lack of any plot or sub-plots means a GM doesn't have to worry about them or they can come up with their own. I think this is still a good first module for Basic D&D.]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-12-08T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231208-spot-reviews-12-08-23.html#unique-entry-id-654https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231208-spot-reviews-12-08-23.html#unique-entry-id-654Alias #1.1 to #2.9 (2001-2) [/] TV action/spy series. Sydney Bristow (Jennifer Garner) is a field agent for a secret branch of the CIA… until she finds out she’s actually working for SD6, a criminal organization. She turns herself over to the CIA who use her as a double agent and her only support is her handler Michael Vaughn (Michael Vartan) and her father Jack (Victor Garber), who is also in SD6 as a CIA double agent… I have fond memories of watching this series but on re-watch it’s a bit dated. I’ve been going through the motions watching s2 so I guess it’s time to stop this trip down memory lane.

Who is Erin Carter? $1.1/#1.2 (2023) [-] UK drama/action series on Netflix. Erin Carter (Evan Ahmad) and her daughter Harper (Indica Watson) are hiding out living in Spain when Erin’s former crew finds out where she lives now. Can she keep living as a substitute teacher with a normal boyfriend or will she be forced to do violence (or one last heist, I didn’t get that far to find out)? The first two episodes were very uninteresting.

Real Science Adventures - The Nicodemus Job (2019) [/] Set in Constantinople 1095 CE. A group of rogues are going to do a complicated heist in order to frame a corrupt official. New characters so we get their backgrounds as the main story progresses. I liked the non-modern-day-heist aspect and because the characters have backgrounds they’re somewhat interesting. The story is complete though the end sets up a sequel that has yet to appear.

Gourmet House, Fremont [/] Chinese restaurant. Perfectly fine food. They have dim sum though we were there for dinner. Beef chow fun was good. Steamed fish I didn't like the fish. Salt and pepper fish (fried fish nuggets) was good. Would come again.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-12-06T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231206-clean-with-passion-for-now-2018.html#unique-entry-id-667https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231206-clean-with-passion-for-now-2018.html#unique-entry-id-667Clean with Passion for Now was a South Korean romance series that ran 16 episodes each over an hour long. Jang Seon-kyul (Yoon Kyun-sang) is a tall, meticulous, mysophobic (fear of germs and contamination) who is CEO of a small cleaning company, Cleaning Fairy. Gil Oh-sol (Kim Yoo-jung) is a messy post-high schooler who can't keep a job.

They've had a couple of unfortunate run-ins but somehow Oh-sol is hired at Cleaning Fairy and turns out she both loves the job and is good at it, though outside of work is still clumsy and messy. Seon-kyul and Oh-sol continually clash but are slowly drawn to each other and it turns out Oh-sol's presence mitigates Seon-kyul's mysophobia.

One obstacle Seon-kyul's grandfather who wants to both cure the mysophobia and control his life by having Seon-kyul take over the family conglomerate. A second obstacle is the mysterious boarder at Oh-sol's house, Daniel Choi (Song Jae-rim) who turns out not only to be Sen-kyul's secret psychiatrist but has love Oh-sol from afar for several years. And a third obstacle towards the end is that the Jang conglomerate indirectly caused the death of Oh-sol's mother...

Seon-kyul is rather annoying for the first few episodes but he eventually becomes a sympathetic character. Kim Yoo-jung is very charming and shows off how she can cry on command (she's been acting since she was 4). Production is good. I found this series quite entertaining.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-12-04T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231204-sharpes-assassin-2021.html#unique-entry-id-663https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231204-sharpes-assassin-2021.html#unique-entry-id-663Sharpe's Assassin by Bernard Cornwell is the first Sharpe novel since 2007. It starts like the next day after the Battle of Waterloo (as told in Sharpe's Waterloo) wherein Colonel Richard Sharpe, Sergeant Major Patrick Harper, and Sharpe's South Essex battalion are tasked with advancing hard, ahead of the army, to free political prisoners kept at a fortress 60 miles away.

Having done that Sharpe, Harper and a few men are sent to not-yet-occupied Paris to find if La Fraternité, a cabal of Napoleon loyalists, are plotting to assassinate the Duke of Wellington when he arrives in Paris. That mission is complicated by Alan Fox, dilettante art dealer who knows about La Fraternité but is more interested in repatriating the vast store of stolen artworks held in Napoleon's Museum (the future Louvre).

In part three Sharpe has found La Fraternité in the form of the last survivor, Colonel Lanier, who has a battalion of light infantry hidden at a nearby vineyard. Sharpe now has the South Essex again and along with a Prussian battalion they plan to storm the vineyard against a foe most likely waiting for them...

The tactical actions are described well. Cornwell is good at depicting action and mayhem and groups doing tactical maneuvering in a way that is easy to picture in my mind. Characterization is fair though not that deep -- not that it needs to be since there are so many novels each building up Sharpe and Harper bit by bit. I like the bits of history thrown in though since the story doesn't revolve around a battle I'm not familiar with the history.

Overall it's a good Sharpe novel and a good read. I wouldn't say a literary classic but well worth reading for Sharpe fans.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-12-01T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231201-spot-reviewws-12-01-23.html#unique-entry-id-653https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231201-spot-reviewws-12-01-23.html#unique-entry-id-653Meg 2: The Trench (2023) [/] Jonas Taylor (Jason Statham) returns to battle Megalodons and mercenaries bent on hijacking his employer’s research. Meg 1 had one or two giant prehistoric sharks. Meg 2 has three plus a giant octopus and raptor-crocs (almost man-sized fish with lots of sharp teeth and can run on land) and the aforementioned mercenaries. It’s fine as a mindless big-budget action film.

The Collective (2023) [-] Small budget spy/action film with Lucas Till as the new recruit of The Collective, a group of assassins that target bad guys, and Ruby Rose as the lead bad guy assassin… Very direct to video quality which means fights/gunplay looks low budget. Could be saved with a good and/or witty story but this film lacks either. Incredibly bad film.

Jack’s Prime, San Mateo - Whiskey Town burger [/] “Seasoned Angus beef patty with Cheddar cheese, covered in bourbon glazed mushrooms, crisp onion strings and Prime Burger Sauce”. I ordered it medium rare with regular fries. It was a bit sweet which I didn’t expect and since it was delivery “crisp onion strings” are not crisp. Still not bad but not something I’d order for takeout/delivery.

Real Science Adventures - The Flying She-Devils in Raid on Marauder Island (2017) [/] 1946 set in the Pacific Ocean area. A group of female pilots set out to steal the big sea plane of a nearby marauder band. Lots of air combat in a Mad Max-style (e.g. marauder planes that will shoot you with grapples and send boarding parties) over a merciless ocean. Interesting but not terribly so because this is their second book so I’m not familiar with the characters and this adventure doesn’t really flesh them out more.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-11-29T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231129-ahsoka-s1-2023.html#unique-entry-id-658https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231129-ahsoka-s1-2023.html#unique-entry-id-658Ahsoka s1 ran 8 45-minute episodes. It's in the current Star Wars TV shows post movies timeline. Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) is tasked with investigating Imperial-remnant activity and finds a conspiracy to bring back Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) from his exile in a far away galaxy.

She recruits Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) to help her and also be her Jedi Padawan as Sabine has unrealized Force potential. Along with Ahsoka's robot companion Huyang (David Tennant) the three will face off against Morgan Elsbeth (Diane Lee Inosanto), a witch, and her two Jedi mercenaries, Baylan Skoll (the late Ray Stevenson) and Shin Hati (Ivanna Sakhno)...

The story is one big setup to introduce Thrawn, the big villain in the post episode 4-6 novels that started off a whole bunch of Star Wars novels by Bantam books. It also leaves Ahsoka in the other galaxy so I guess they have something for season two.

I like the characters though they are all from the Clone Wars series I think so I'm missing lots of the background. I think it would have been more enjoyable if I knew that lore. But still I like this series and look forward to season two.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-11-27T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231127-apple-arcade-alba-a-wildlife-adventure-2020.html#unique-entry-id-657https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231127-apple-arcade-alba-a-wildlife-adventure-2020.html#unique-entry-id-657Alba is a third-person exploration game where you play a teenager visiting her grandparents living on an island (or next to the ocean anyways). You go around doing tasks and taking pictures of animals and learn more about them. Often animals are in trouble and you need the aid of the townspeople to help them. You also get a nice Spanish Mediterranean vibe.

This is a game suitable for kids. There's no timer. In general the game indicates where you need to go next or you're free to wander around. I did find some of the controls confusing (there's a camera, a diary/journal, a map, something else and they each have no the clearest UI). Graphics are not bad, a bit basic but bright. Lots of dialogue which can get tedious. A good vibe-y soundtrack.

Overall seems to be a pretty good experience game.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-11-24T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231124-spot-reviews-11-24-23.html#unique-entry-id-651https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231124-spot-reviews-11-24-23.html#unique-entry-id-651The Battle of Britain (1969 film) [/] British war film starting from when France falls and the British fighter pilots flee to Britain. Then preparations to repel an invasion while the Germans prepare. Then the actual Battle of Britain: several months of the Germans trying to blow up the British airfields and destroy their fighters until they kind of give up and go over to bombing cities. Has stuff about the use of radar and observers and the home front. A coherent story that leaves out a lot of things while hitting the highlights, like the use Big Wings of defending fighters which took a long time to set up so they often missed the bombers but when they did hit… This is an average war movie of the time. Entertaining but not engrossing.

The Clone Wars (2008 film) [-] This is an animated film that precedes The Clone Wars (2008) tv series and the film continues from Clone Wars (2003) shorts. Most of this film centers on Anakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter) and Obi-Wan Kenobi (James Arnold Taylor) though other characters have small bits, such as Padmé Amidala (Catherine Taber) investigating an arms smuggler on Coruscant. We also have the introduction of Anakin’s first and only Padwan, Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein)… As a stand-alone film I found it was all action no plot maybe because the regular series will continue plots and themes.

Running a Game Publishing Company (2006) [/] This is a work-in-progress book written by Steve Cole of Amarillo Design Bureau (publishers of Star Fleet Battles). It’s based on his at-the-time 30+ years experience in the Adventure Gaming industry (i.e. miniature wargaming, table-top wargaming, role-playing games). It’s a lot of good practical advice if you want to start a small business that includes publishing your stuff, having a warehouse and shipping to distributors/wholesalers. Not the most readable of documents (if you’ve read the SFB rules you know what I mean) and I’m not starting a business but I still found it interesting and educational.

The SportsEthos Sacramento Kings Podcast (2019) [-] This podcast started when Monte McNair took over as general manager and it has gone through various hosts. One lone host for a season. Then Jill Adge as cohost. Then the guy replaced with another guy. Then Jill Adge alone for a bit. Then Daily Sabonis added and then Jill phased out. With Jill as a cohost, not driving the show, it was the best incarnation since she’s more facts and info than commentary. The current incarnation is one or two guys plus a woman, mostly a podcast after each game, and mostly a few minutes commenting on the game then 2/3rds of the time taking listener voice messages. I find it quite boring now.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-11-22T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231122-hidden-love-2023-tv-series.html#unique-entry-id-655https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231122-hidden-love-2023-tv-series.html#unique-entry-id-655Hidden Love is a Chinese romance drama that ran 25 40-minute episodes.

At 14 Sang Zhi (Zhao Lusi) fell in love with her big brother's friend Duan Jiaxu (Chen Zheyuan). Over the years she keeps bumping into him keeping her love secret. When Jiaxu moves back to his home city she even studies hard and gets into that city's university. It's only in her second year at university that Jiaxu finally starts to see Zhi in a new light but the new problem is their age difference (7 years) which is not going to make her family happy...

It's a slow moving story with lots of endearing moments. One time 17-year old Zhi runs away from home and flies to see Jiaxu and when she sees him with a girlfriend her heart breaks. Meanwhile Jiaxu is always protective of Zhi and treats her like a little sister and misses all the signs. The final episode is kind of quick to resolve the plots but it does end in a romantically satisfying way.

Overall I love this series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-11-20T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231120-suck-it-wonder-woman-2010.html#unique-entry-id-652https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231120-suck-it-wonder-woman-2010.html#unique-entry-id-652Suck It, Wonder Woman!: The Misadventures of a Hollywood Geek by Olivia Munn with Mac Montandon is a collection of anecdotes from Munn's life: growing up of mixed race (German/Irish/English and Chinese) in Oklahoma; her experiences in Hollywood; her experiences at G4, with her fans, and being a geek girl. The writing is breezy and friendly. She likes to crack a lot of jokes even with some serious topics.

It's an entertaining book.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-11-17T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231117-spot-reviews-11-17-23.html#unique-entry-id-648https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231117-spot-reviews-11-17-23.html#unique-entry-id-648OmniDiskSweeper v1.14 (2022) [+] Mac app that examines your HD and gives you a view of where you are using the most space. List view with each folder showing total space and then you can drill down say from Users to specific user to specific folder that uses a lot of space. You can trash stuff directly from ODS (which allows it to immediately update its internal database). I’ve been using ODS on and off for a decade and Omni Group keeps updating this free utility.

Love Again (2023) [/] Netflix romantic movie. After her boyfriend dies a grief-stricken Mira (Priyanka Chopra) texts his old phone number as a way to remember him. Meanwhile journalist Rob (Sam Heughan) has a new work phone that keeps getting these messages. Intrigued he tracks down Mira, eventually meets her and they form a connection until the turn when Mira discovers Rob got her personal texts… Fairly typical movie for the genre. Has Celine Dion playing herself and providing advice to Rob (who is supposed to interview her for his magazine) and it’s organic.

Five Days at Memorial (2022) [-] Eight episode Apple TV+ drama miniseries based on a book. After Hurricane Katrina breaks the New Orleans levies and floods the city Memorial Hospital (and the co-tenant and smaller LifeCare Hospital on the upper two floors) is isolated and soon without power. Rescue efforts are minimal and sporadic and patients start dying and soon the staff has to decide who gets rescued first and who dies… It’s pretty bleak and I watched the first 3-1/2 episodes. In the first five episodes we cover one day per episode and the last three episodes cover investigation and case against one of the doctors, Dr Anna Pou (Vera Farmiga), who was accused of euthanizing critically ill patients. In any case not a series to watch unless you are ready for it.

The Shepherd’s Crown (2015) [-] This is the last Discworld novel written by Terry Pratchett before he died in 2015. It’s the 5th novel in the Tiffany Aching series, which is for young adults unlike the rest of Discworld. I guess by now Tiffany is an older teen or young adult an she’s thrust into the role of Head Witch, or as close to a leader as the witches have, just in time to repel an invasion by the elves… In the postscript it’s noted that Pratchett wrote five novels in the last year or two of his life when he normally would take two or three years to write a novel, often writing some of one then some of another then coming back to the first and adding or retouching. Unfortunately this novel reads rather perfunctory. The story is there and plot is complete but lacks a richness. It’s nice that it leaves Tiffany in a good place (unlike Raising Steam which leaves the universe in motion) though maybe Tiffany’s last novel also did the same.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-11-15T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231115-backstreet-rookie-2020.html#unique-entry-id-650https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231115-backstreet-rookie-2020.html#unique-entry-id-650Backstreet Rookie is a South Korean romantic drama of 16 hour-long episodes. The story revolves around Dae-hyun (Jo Chang-wook) -- a young man who runs his own franchise 24-hour convenience store in a sort of minor street of his city -- and his new part-time employee Saet-byul (Kim You-Jung) -- a parentless high school dropout supported her younger sister.

In episode 1 we start with a scene 3 years previous when Dae-hyun met a high schooler Saet-byul and her two friends and she ended up kissing him unexpectedly. Now it's three years later and she's back in his life with the secret agenda of winning his love. But Dae-hyun has a girlfriend, Yeon-joo (Han Sun-hwa), and they're in a happy relationship, though later it turns out there are people who want to break them apart because they think he is beneath her (financially and socially) and the rift that causes gives Saet-byul her window of opportunity.

As these shows go things move slowly. Bits of kindness and thoughtfulness pile up until Dae-hyun realizes he like Saet-byul more than as just a good employee. There is lots of cool character growth for both and some amount of sad moments (Kim You-Jung is good at being sad, tearing up and have a few tears roll down her cheek). There are no big setbacks so it's mostly a rocky but steadily progressive journey to love (I didn't notice but they never kissed and almost did at the end then it was a "psych!" moment).

There is also a good B plot romance with Dae-hyun's best friend Dal-shik (Eum Moon-suk) -- a struggling but passionate web toon artist -- and Saet-byul's best friend Geum-bi (Seo Ye-hwa) -- still in high school because she failed a grade and rather feisty. They hate each other due to some bad encounters but online the web toon artist and #1 fan love each other but don't know their real identities.

I guess the last subplot of note is with Saet-byul's younget sister Eun-byul (Ahn Sol-bin), still in high school but causing trouble for Saet-byul by hanging out with the bad girls and skipping class to audition and eventually becoming a member of an idol girl group. She's more trouble in the first half but disappears in the last few episodes.

The only problem I have is that at the end of episode 15 there are so many things unresolved. Episode 16 resolves all the plots by being a longer episode, doing half a slow episode then rushing through the last half to resolve everything. But in the end those plots are resolved and everybody is happy, even Yeon-joo.

Both protagonists are attractive and charming. Lots of closeups. Kim You-Jung is kind of stunning and they go all out to shoot good angles and plenty of closeups of her face and smile. Great chemistry between the two.

Overall a really good romance series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-11-13T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231113-atomic-robo-2007.html#unique-entry-id-649https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231113-atomic-robo-2007.html#unique-entry-id-649Atomic Robo is a comic book series revolving around the eponymous protagonist, a self-aware intelligent robot created by Nikola Tesla in 1923. His stories are mostly present day though there are stories set in the past and there's also a bit of time-traveling. Most of the time he's working with his team of action scientists -- Robo created Tesladyne as a think tank of researchers to invent technologies that will help mankind but Robo's adventures usually have a support team half of them scientists that can handle themselves in a fight (or in running away).

The collection I have are trade paperbacks and a partial run (though almost everything is free in web comic format at https://www.atomic-robo.com):

v3 Atomic Robo and the Shadow from Beyond Time - over the span of a century Robo battles an inter-dimensional horror that only appears every few decades.

v4 Atomic Robo and Other Strangeness - Vampires from another dimension invade Tesladyne.

v6 Atomic Robo and the Ghost of Station X - Someone is trying to kill Robo by sending him on really complicated missions.

v8 Atomic Robo and the Savage Sword of Dr. Dinosaur - Robo and team travel the Inner Earth and battle Dr Dinosaur (a hyper-intelligent, possibly also hyper-delusional, raptor dinosaur who wants to wipe out humanity and usher in a new dinosaur era) and his mind-controlled crystal-rock people.

v10 Atomic Robo and the Ring of Fire - Robo and Tesladyne survivors are on the run from world governments as Biomega's (e.g. giant monsters aka Kaiju) threaten Earth.

v11 Atomic Robo and the Temple of Od - This one is set in the 1930's China. Robo has to stop a secret Japanese lab studying Zero Point Energy, a power that can destroy the Earth.

v12 Atomic Robo and the Spectre of Tomorrow - Robo can finally rebuild Tesladyne without fear of arrest but random people all over the world are turning into weird android things.

One of the cool things with the TPBs is that they have extras and these are mostly Dr Dinosaur's rantings: recipes, plans to take over the Earth or kill Atomic Robo, haiku's, movie scripts, weapon designs, etc. He's really into using crystals to power everything. Actually quite humorous and a great treat to end each TPB.

The general theme is pulp science action. The art looks computer drawn (i.e. drawn on a computer) rather than regular superhero comics art. It kind of remind me of Hellboy which I think has a similar humor and pulp feel. Fairly entertaining comics and maybe I'll buy the other TPB PDFs.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-11-10T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231110-spot-reviews-11-10-23.html#unique-entry-id-646https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231110-spot-reviews-11-10-23.html#unique-entry-id-646Mila in the Multiverse (2023) [/] An eight-episode half hour Brazilian science fiction drama. Mila (Laura Luz) is accidentally zapped into an alternate universe where she and her friends attend an alchemical high school. She laters discovers her mom knows how to travel between multiverses and there is an organization, the Operators, trying to destroy the various multiverses. She and her alt-universe friends have to stop the Operators from destroying the alchemical universe and I assume next season it’ll be another universe… I watched four episodes and it’s ok. A bit of a MCU feel and fairly good production quality. Still, didn’t find it quite interesting enough to keep watching — a bit too teenagers-doing-stuff which I’m not really into.

Stay Tuned! (2019) [-] Japanese 5-episode drama/comedy tv series based on a manga (Channel wa Sonomama!). The setting is a small television station and the five new employees. Each episode showcases a different area of the tv station production (this series was made to celebrate a real tv station’s 50th anniversary). The central character is new news reporter Hanako Yukimaru (Kyoko Yoshine) who is quite incompetent but well meaning and tries hard and somehow her antics somehow end up helping her coworkers in the end… I managed watching two episodes but I don’t really like watching incompetence.

The Good Crisp Company - Sour Cream & Onion Potato Crisps [/] TGCP apparently makes Pringles-like potato chips (well not sliced potatoes but slices form formed potato flakes). I guess these are supposed to be healthier than Pringles. Tastes and feels mostly the same or close enough you won’t notice the difference. I don’t particularly like Sour Cream & Onion flavor but this was still good.

Space Station Down (2020) [-] Contemporary thriller novel by Ben Bova and Doug Beason. Two terrorists manage to seize the International Space Station (ISS) and murder the crew except for one survivor who has to somehow stop the terrorists from plunging the ISS into New York City… It’s fast paced with short chapters and a writing style aimed at younger teenagers I guess. I read about 50 pages and didn’t like the storytelling style though the concept is cool.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-11-08T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231108-she-ra-and-the-princesses-of-power-2018.html#unique-entry-id-647https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231108-she-ra-and-the-princesses-of-power-2018.html#unique-entry-id-647She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is a half hour animated show on Netflix that ran for five seasons (52 episodes). It's a reboot of the original She-Ra: Princess of Power (1985) which was a spin-off of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (1985). I don't remember the original She-Ra but did watch He-Man and I bet the old She-Ra was very similar in that it was more about introducing new characters so they could sell new toys.

Anyway, this series starts with Adora (Aimee Carrero) as a cadet in Lord Hordak's Horde army and having grown up as a child of the state. She and her best friend Catra (AJ Michalka) are looking forward to finally battling the evil Etherian Rebellion. But in the first or second battle Adora comes to suspect that it's the Horde who are the bad guys. She also finds a magic sword that turns her into She-Ra, a really tall and powerful warrior.

Adora deserts the Horde even though Catra is not willing to follow. She then gets herself captured by the Rebellion and pledges herself to their cause (it really helps when she reveals she's also She-Ra). Glimmer (Karen Fukuhara), Princess of Bright Moon and Glimmer's best friend Bow (Marcus Scribner) quickly become Adora's new friends and the three of them have adventures battling the Horde and protecting the free parts of Etheria.

Season two/three (13 episodes) or so Adora and crew start recruiting the other Princesses. Each has powers (e.g. Glimmer is a teleporter) and they used to be all in the Princess Alliance which fell apart due to internal squabbling. Besides the Princesses there is a sorcerers faction. Sorcery depends on innate potential plus lots of training, is more versatile than a Princess (who are more akin to superheroes) but not as strong.

Season four we have the final battle between the Princesses and Lord Hordak. We learn that Etheria is actually a planet-sized weapon and She-Ra is the trigger. But it's the kind of weapon that can destroy worlds so Adora will not use it and instead needs to stop Lord Hordak from activating the Heart of Etheria.

Season five is the arrival of Horde Prime, of which Lord Hordak (Keston John) is a flawed Clone. With the Rebellion on the ropes Adora is wiling to sacrifice herself using the Heart of Etheria...

Why I Love It

• good characters, especially Adora and Catra and their love/hate rivalry
• season-long plots that build on each other to the final season
• wholesome themes, ethnically diverse characters, LGBTQ characters
• a fair amount of humor

]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-11-06T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231106-ddo-crossover-vs-fusion-vmware.html#unique-entry-id-645https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231106-ddo-crossover-vs-fusion-vmware.html#unique-entry-id-645Dungeons & Dragons Online, a fairly old MMO with a fairly old engine but they still keep producing content. There used to be a Mac client but that broke a long time ago and they don't have the resources to maintain it. So currently you have to play it via the Windows client but, although this is a third-person virtual environment not-quite-shooter, the graphics requirements are not that high.

I usually run this with CrossOver, which is based on WINE, on my Mac. This is mainly Windows API translations to Mac APIs. The Windows app thinks it's running on Windows and as long as it uses the normal APIs it works fairly well. A lot of programs require installing .NET framework or various other libraries into the CrossOver bottle (a bottle being an environment so you can have each app run in a bottle custom configured for it) and getting any specific app working on WINE is a pain as you install dependencies and stuff and that's what CrossOver tries to ease by having app-specific scripts to configure a bottle correctly.

Anyway, it's not running Windows and it's fairly efficient. I can run DDO (at lower graphic settings) and it runs fine most of the time with some weird hiccups like when you stop running (take your finger off of the run key) you keep moving for a second or if you're in mouse look mode and go to another Mac app to do stuff when you get back to DDO it kind of goes haywire for a bit like your mouse is drunk.

And I can run two DDO clients to run two characters. Switching back and forth there is a second or two lag and if the DDO windows overlap they both might think the mouse is active in them. There is a utility for this use case where the utility can be set so that one DDO character auto-follows another and it's pretty good at it. But so far I haven't gotten the utility to run in CrossOver with DDO -- maybe it launches into a separate space so doesn't see the DDO window appear (normally when it sees that window it'll add an overlay toolbar).

I experimented with VMWare Fusion running Windows 10. Fusion is a virtual environment that maps PC hardware to Mac equivalent or virtual hardware. Windows thinks it's on a PC with an Intel chip and it runs normally. Theoretically the virtualization is not that much of an overhead with newer Intel chips since they support virtualization better. But on my MBP (last version that used Intel) it's definitely a bit slow. Kind of usable running an app or watching a video but I wouldn't want to run the latest Windows games on it.

I use Steam and DDO. DDO runs ok though mouse tracking is very off (Windows it's fine then click into DDO and either too fast or slow). I can run the DDO util and do auto-follow and that works fairly well (so I run on DDO client in CrossOver and the second on Fusion). But if I have to do anything complex with the Fusion DDO client (like actually fight) then it's kind of too slow to be usable (though doable if I wasn't running a second DDO and nothing else on my Mac).

In summary, from my experience, if the Windows game runs in CrossOver then it's a far more performant experience than trying to run a game on Fusion. Desktop apps like a word processor or spreadsheet are probably fine and maybe better on Fusion with real Windows and the various extras you get that way. But Windows games I'd stick with CrossOver and give up if I need Fusion.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-11-03T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231103-spot-reviews-11-03-23.html#unique-entry-id-643https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231103-spot-reviews-11-03-23.html#unique-entry-id-643Ramen Parlor - Crab Spicy Miso Ramen ($19) [+] Usually I get the Crab Curry Ramen (I think, it’s a curry one) and it’s good but not great. Changed it up and this is much better. First I had it medium instead of hot and that is still a bit too spicy so maybe next time mild will be perfect. It has no bean sprouts so that’s a big plus. It’s crab meat mixed into the soup so you don’t have to shell it. Miso soup is salty and tasty. Hiro Nori has a ramen that I like more but this one is pretty close.

Snoopy in Space s2 (2021) [+] Apple TV+'s Snoopy in Space s1 had Snoopy becoming an astronaut and going on a Lunar mission whilst the rest of the gang provided ground support. Season 2 focuses on the other planets in the solar system and the possibility of finding life. This time Snoopy and friends stay on the ground and in each of the 12 8-minute episodes we examine a planet or moon or robot. It's educational and entertaining.

Stephen Curry: Underrated (2023) [/] Apple TV+ documentary going through Curry’s childhood and high school and college career (with archival footage) mixed with recent interviews and threading in the 2021-22 Warriors season and into the playoffs. It’s a pleasant film though superficial enough that I’m not sure it’s trying to make any sort of point.

Physical #1.1 (2001) [-] Apple TV+ half hour dark comedy series set in the early 1980’s coastal California. Rose Byrne stars as Sheila, a housewife battling bulimia and an unhappy marriage who discovers aerobics exercise. I only watched the first episode and it’s really dark because we’re constantly hearing Sheila’s inner voice talking to her and that is one toxic and self-loathing inner personality. At first glance this is not my type of story.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-11-01T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231101-dcs-legends-of-tomorrow-2016.html#unique-entry-id-644https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231101-dcs-legends-of-tomorrow-2016.html#unique-entry-id-644Legends of Tomorrow and I think overall this is my favorite of the Arrowverse shows. It started out serious with a ragtag band of superheroes traveling through time fixing things. Then it became a group of heroes traveling through time, breaking something, then having to run around trying to fix it. The last two or three seasons it was not just heroes who break time and patch up their mistakes but full bore each episode parodying something.

It's great that Sara Lance (Caity Lotz) went from girl who dies in Arrow #1.1 to coming back to life with ninja training then main cast on Legends then leader of the Legends from season 2 or 3 onwards. Her romance with Ava Sharpe (Jes Macallan) is cute but doesn't give you the feels as they don't really go hard on it.

Gideon (Amy Pemberton) goes from voice to a physical (or human holograph) appearance in s6 and full on robot girl in s7 and I kind of like the "trying to figure out being human" subplot though once again kind of minor and not pushed. Nate "Steel" Heywood (Nick Zano) was always this doesn't quite fit character who almost never uses his powers so what good is he. But it's kind of redeemed in the last couple of episodes.

John Constantine (Matt Ryan) is a regular for s4 to s6 then he leaves and Ryan plays Gwyn Davies, inventor of the first time machine, in s7. That was a bit weird character switch. Was it that they couldn't use the Constantine character anymore?

Gary Green (Adam Tsekhman) goes from recurring to main in s6 and s7. He's the bungling assistant for Sharpe and then for Constantine and learns a bit of magic. And then he's revealed to be an alien in disguise all along which does make him a bit more interesting.

Zari (Tala Ashe) changes from s4/s5 as a post-Crisis Zari, totally different, appears. Zari goes from bleak future Earth activist hacker to social media mogul. Behrad Tarazi (Shayan Sobhian) is introduced after Crisis (as he was dead before) as "he was there all along in Zari's place" and only later is the post-Crisis Zari brought into the team.

Esperanza "Spooner" Cruz (Lisseth Chavez) is introduced and added for s6 and s7. Kind of a weird paranoid Texan who believes in aliens which turns out to be true. I like that she comes out as asexual and this is very accepting by the other characters.

It's interesting how the team started with "name" stars (the Atom, Firestorm, Hawkgirl, Heatwave, Captain Cold) and ends with Sara Lance, John Constantine, Steel and half the crew sort of unknowns or new DC characters.

Anyway, later seasons it's much more of a comedic series and has a Justice League International vibe which I appreciate.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-10-30T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231030-apple-arcade-zombie-rollerz-2020.html#unique-entry-id-642https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231030-apple-arcade-zombie-rollerz-2020.html#unique-entry-id-642Zombie Rollerz is a zombie-themed medieval fantasy pinball game.

Each level is a pinball layout with flippers on the bottom (no middle dead zone so if you leave the flippers down the ball can't exit) and a rounded field with areas you can get to, some with more flippers.

There are zombie generators which pop up zombies that then move slowly down towards you. Hit a zombie with a ball, or hit a generator with a ball, to do damage and eventually kill the zombie or destroy the generator. You also have special powers which power up as you do damage and then you release for effects like fireball or multi-ball.

When a zombie reaches the bottom you take damage and you can use the flippers to hit the zombies. Take enough damage and you lose the game.

Fairly good graphics and sound. Gameplay is ok, pinball like though arcade pinball not realistic pinball.

This game reminds a bit of The Pinball Wizard (2019), also on Apple Arcade. The Pinball Wizard feels more like a pinball game. Zombie Rollerz seems to have so much frenetic combat and things exploding that you don't have strategic hitting the ball like in pinball (though Zombie Rollerz helpfully, as a ball rolls along a flipper, show you with a curved arrow exactly where the ball will go).

Kind of an entertaining game though a bit too random for me.

Update: Oops, another game that left Apple Arcade.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-10-27T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231027-spot-reviews-10-27-23.html#unique-entry-id-641https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231027-spot-reviews-10-27-23.html#unique-entry-id-641Cha Cha Real Smooth (2022) [/] Apple TV+ Movie. Contemporary drama. Recent college graduate Andrew (Cooper Raiff) is sort of aimlessly going along searching for a meaningful career when he stumbles upon being a party starter at bar-mitzvahs — the guy who is there to make everyone is having fun and arranging things so that everyone can have fun (e.g. introducing people to each other, encouraging participation in dancing and party games, making sure small problems are resolved so that the hosts don’t have to stress). Anyway he falls for a decade-older single mother Domino (Dakota Johnson) who has a teen autistic daughter Lola (Vanessa Burghardt). Though maybe Andrew is a bit too young for Domino who is also engaged to a lawyer (and the only problem I have is that the lawyer is supposed to be a loving guy is is right for Domino but it just does not come off so the characters actually have to say this fact out loud)… Sort of a 20-something coming-to-adulthood story and not bad.

Secret Invasion (2023) [/] Secret Invasion is a 6-episode Disney+ drama series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s current timeline. Nick Fury (Samuel L Jackson) returns to Earth (apparently he’s been self isolated at the SHIELD space station after coming back from The Blip). A Skrull revolutionary, Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir), wants the Skrulls to rise up and secretly take over Earth. Fury needs the help of Talos (Ben Mendelsohn) and his daughter G’iah (Emilia Clarke) although it turns out the relationship between the three is going to be rocky… Marvel’s non-superhero secret agent stuff is not that interesting to me and Secret Invasion got mixed reviews. The lone light is Olivia Coleman’s standout performance playing MI6 field director Sonya Falsworth, an ally of Fury’s but also cognizant that the UK’s interests trump the USA’s in her book.

Raid: Shadow Legends (2020) on macOS [/] The base RSL is a great free-to-play game though a bit annoying trying to make you purchase stuff. Still worked great on my iPad Pro (top of the line back in 2017) though not on my iPad 5th gen from 2017. On my MBP (top of the line, last Intel version) it also works fine though it makes the fan kick and will use 200%+ CPU cores at times (and also you have to have Plarium Play running beforehand otherwise the game locks up in the start screen). Does feel clumsy using a mouse rather than tapping because you have to move around and click stuff a lot and I don’t think there are any keyboard shortcuts. So overall because it’s such a repetitive game I’d prefer to play this on a bigger screen touch device like an iPad (iPhone SE3 screen is still too small for this game). (On a PC there are automators that will play for you so that’s an advantage but I don’t think the terms of service allow that.)

Foundation: The Official Podcast s2 (2023) [+] This continues be a great companion to the Apple TV+ series. One podcast per episode and there are spoilers for the episode. Jason Concepcion is the host and drives the show. Executive Producer David S Goyer is in every episode and there is one guest per episode (actor, writer, production, etc). We do get a bit more on the tech and world of Foundation without spoilers and they're fairly good at bringing up things you may have missed on a first viewing.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-10-25T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231025-apple-series-foundation-s2-2023.html#unique-entry-id-639https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231025-apple-series-foundation-s2-2023.html#unique-entry-id-639Foundation season 2 jumps forward 140 or so years. After the Galactic Empire abandoned the rim worlds the Foundation on Terminus is now established on six or seven other worlds bringing technology as those worlds slide downwards without trade from Empire. This leads to the second crisis when Brother Day (Lee Pace) and the Empire realizes that the Foundation has become a rival power that must be brought to heel with an Imperial Fleet.

Meanwhile we have the trio of Gaal Dornick (Lou Llobell), her daughter Salvor Hardin (Leah Harvey) -- a daughter older than Gaal due to cryogenic travel -- and the Hari Seldon (Jared Harris) consciousness trapped in the Prime Radian and later given a body. They travel to a Ignis to establish the Second Foundation and on Ignis the find a colony of Mentalics (mostly telepaths, not sure if we see other powers). Turns out their leader knows about the three and wants to use them, especially Gaal, for her own purposes a bit at odds with being Second Foundation.

On Trantor, capital of Empire, we have a break with tradition as Brother Day decides to get married to Queen Sareth (Ella-Rae Smith) of the Cloud Dominion (a significant region of the Empire) and break the genetic (clone) dynasty. This would leave Brother Dawn (Cassian Bilton) out of the effective line of succession though to complicate it he kind of falls for Sareth who also likes Dawn because Day is one of the more unstable clones in history. As for Brother Dusk (Terrence Mann), he finds out Demerzel's (Laura Birn) secret history and for that he must die.

Back to Foundation on Terminus. The Hari Seldon there makes an appearance for the first time in 140 years. Then has two missions sent. High Claric Poly Verisof (Kulviner Ghir) and his assistant Brother Constant (Isabella Laughland) are sent to Trantor to make peace before there is war. These two are an example of how Foundation has been spreading, by proselytizing like a religion, the religion of Hari Seldon.

The other mission sends Hober Mallow (Dimitri Leonidas) to suborn the Spacers, a race created by Empire to navigate the FTL medium (Empire FTL travel requires normal people to be put in stasis or they'll go mad, leaving the Spacers to run the ship in FTL; but Foundation FTL doesn't require Spacers which is quite the tech leap). Hober was born on Terminus and raised on the church but went his own way to become quite the con man. He and Constant quickly develop an attraction even as their missions send them apart.

That was a lot of description and an indication that a lot goes on in this 10-episode season. Season one was also quite dense but had to establish baselines. Season two builds on season one and is very rich. It feels like Foundation is hitting it's stride and season three should be quite impressive.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-10-23T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231023-apple-arcade-reigns-beyond-2020.html#unique-entry-id-638https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231023-apple-arcade-reigns-beyond-2020.html#unique-entry-id-638Reigns: Beyond is the fourth Reigns title. I previously played and reviewed Reigns which I liked. It's a deck based story game. You're the king and each random card draw usually gives you a situation and two choices. Your choice changes various attributes of your kingdom (religion, population, military, wealth) and you're trying to build up your kingdom. As the game progresses new decks are shuffled in and the exact decks can vary so you get a fairly unique experience each run through.

Reigns: Her Majesty is the same basic gameplay but now you play the queen. Reigns: Game of Thrones you get a choice of which leader to play then it's the same trying to build up your kingdom goal.

Now we get to Reigns: Beyond which is quite different though still the same deck based story choices. This time it's set on another planet. You wake up with amnesia and the only survivor of an advanced spaceship with a secretive AI. You immediately fall with three musicians and become the guitarist of an interstellar rock band.

At that point it's kind of open. Each band member has subplots and you have your subplots. You are given the choice of about half a dozen directions to travel to and it tells you the planet names (important for some subplots) and some icons (e.g. planet has a merchant or a bar). You choose a path then draw cards and resolve situations as you travel to each planet and in the end you get another set of paths to take.

Unlike Reigns the card draws don't tell you what's being changed behind the scenes and really you don't even know what the various attributes are that you are changing. On the ship and on planet you also wander around which is done with cards but isn't really random events. There is a guitar playing scene which is a bit like a beat rhythm game but all you do is move left and right following the path and picking up beats and it seemed to be the same song twice but maybe it gets harder.

It's an interesting variant and the topic is at least more original than a medieval or fantasy ruling-a-kingdom story. I'm not that enamored with the deck based game play so like Reigns it's a game to keep around and occasionally play.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-10-20T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231020-spot-reviews-10-20-23.html#unique-entry-id-635https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231020-spot-reviews-10-20-23.html#unique-entry-id-635Totoro Ramen, San Mateo [+] Family dinner and had DoorDash delivered. I had Miso Ramen (comes with roasted pork as the meat). Pour the soup into the noodles bowl and need to kind of let it soak and break it up for a couple of minutes. Came out delicious but maybe it’s because I like salty food and both the pork and soup were rather salty.

Long Way Up (2020) [+] This is the third documentary series, following Long Way Round (London to New York) and Long Way Down (Scotland to South Africa). A dozen years later Ewan McGregor and best friend Charley Boorman gather the same production crew to do a ride from Patagonia (Argentina) to Los Angeles. This time they're using electric bikes and support vehicles (with I think one gasoline vehicle for backup, which could tow-charge the electric SUVs) and they ran into quite a few difficulties because of that. Still the charm is driving through amazing scenery and cities and interacting with friendly people. Altogether the three series are very chill watching though it doesn't inspire me to do the same.

Take Me Back for Christmas (2023) [/] Hallmark movie. Renée (Vanessa Lengies) and Aaron (Corey Sevier) are a happy couple though perhaps not professionally that successful. After a Christmas wish is granted Renée wakes up in an alternate universe where she is CEO of her own company and her mom alive. Unfortunately she and Aaron broke up years ago so now Renée is determined to win him back while somehow navigating her company through a bit of a crisis… it’s an ok Christmas romance movie.

The Survivalists (2020) [/] This is an Apple Arcade crafting game with a story and quests and can be played cooperatively with three other people. You are shipwrecked on an island. Gather materials, craft gear, survive. Then start exploring and meet the island inhabitants and do quests... Nice concept but I found gathering all these materials so I can craft up then craft up again cycle rather annoying.

Crush Depth (2002) [-] Crush Depth is Joe Buff's third novel in his series about USS Challenger, an advanced SSN (nuclear submarine). Ten years in the future in a world where Germany and South Africa form an Axis pact, conquer Europe and Northern and Southern Africa, and are only opposed by the USA. At least in the last book Challenger battles the top South African SSN... I read the first 40 pages which had little submarine action and dealt mostly with I suppose are the two main protagonists. The writing style is not that great. I prefer techno-thrillers and this one has practically no techno -- the technology might be realistic for 10 years in the future of 2002 but it's not really described or elaborated. Overall boring and maybe some of this is I'm coming in at the third book rather than the first.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-10-18T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231018-netflix-series-triad-princess-s1-2019.html#unique-entry-id-636https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231018-netflix-series-triad-princess-s1-2019.html#unique-entry-id-636Triad Princess is a Netflix comedy/romance series made in Taiwan which ran six episodes and does not seem to have been renewed for a second season. Angie (Eugenie Liu) is a 20-something action girl who is also the local mob boss' daughter. She wants a bit of independence so enlists as a bodyguard to actress Ling Yun (Cecilia Choi Sze-wan) who just happens to be in a fake relationship with co-star Jasper Yi-hang Xu (Jasper Liu) and Angie has been infatuated with Jasper since she was a teenager.

Angie shows off that she's a bit of a spaz but quite capable in a fight and she's always a bit unwillingly shadowed by her adopted brother Lin Gui (Chang Zhang-xing) and his men so it's quite funny when she gets in over her head and then a bunch of mob men appear to help her out.

She quickly falls for Jasper and Jasper slowly falls for her though a rival beau is introduced, Angie's sort of childhood friend Eddie Kim (Tsao Yu-ning), son of a mainland mob boss and Angie's fiancé against her wishes. But when Eddie appears he's not as bad as she remembers (though it turns out maybe a bit more evil than she thinks).

Angie also helps out Ling who is being blackmailed by a local criminal who uses his and Ling's son as a bit of a hostage. Angie gets into a couple of fights with the guy and beats him but hasn't managed to rescue Ling's son by the end of the season.

Season one ends with those two plot lines: Angie and Jasper but Eddie is going to try to break them up; and Ling and her son which Angie has pledged to rescue.

The series has good characters. I love the badass that everyone underestimates. The romance happens fairly quickly but still takes two or three episodes so it's not a prolonged will-they-won't-they thing. It's too bad the series ends(?) at such a bad point.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-10-16T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231016-apple-arcade-warp-drive-2020.html#unique-entry-id-637https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231016-apple-arcade-warp-drive-2020.html#unique-entry-id-637Warp Drive is a futuristic racing game with teleporting hovercraft. You have vehicles and you can customize various parts with money you get from winning races. The racing controls are basic accelerate, drift, and two or three action buttons to trigger effects (boost, though there are also ground boost rollovers; teleport to an alternate section of track which may or may not be easier depending on your driving style; attack forward or lay a mine). One simplification is that you collect action points (up to three) which can then be used for any action (I tend to just use boost).

It's a colorful game with an action soundtrack. Controls are pretty smooth on my iPad Pro + Xbox controller. It is one of those racing games where you need to conserve action points until you need them to either boost if you end up stopped or to boost in that final stretch to the finish line.

Kind of reminds be a bit of the old F-Zero game even though they're really not that similar. But more in term of gameplay. Keep speed up and try to not crash. Bide your time to the end and then use boosts to catch up to the leaders and pass them for the win.

I can't find the game on the App Store any longer though my install still seems to work. It is available on Steam for Windows and Mac though $25 seems kind of pricey.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-10-13T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231013-spot-reviews-10-13-23.html#unique-entry-id-633https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231013-spot-reviews-10-13-23.html#unique-entry-id-633Taqueria Los Gallos Express, Concord [+] Concord location is open until 0100 and Pleasant Hill open 24 hours. Had Bistec Milanesa plate so breaded thin-cut of steak with refried beans, Mexican rice, sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, 5 small corn (or flour) tortillas. Hard to do it wrong and this one tasted was quite all right (and a lot of food) for $19. Chips and salsa too if you order $7 or more. Staff is friendly and brings your food out to your table.

Book - Make Something Wonderful: Steve Jobs in His Own Words (2023) [/] Edited by Leslie Berlin, this book takes a bunch of Steve Jobs' emails, letter, speeches, and interviews and presents them in three parts as a coherent through-line of Jobs' philosophies. Other than editing for clarity and privacy these are Jobs' own words, including private notes and emails to himself, and show that his technology+arts theme was pervasive. There are also many photos throughout the years. Interesting book available online as a perpetual scroll-down work or you can get it in a more traditional book form (which is the one I read and it reads fine).

Hallmark Movie - Love in the Great Smoky Mountains: A National Park Romance (2023) [/] Archeologists Haley (Arielle Kebbel) and Rob (Zach Roerig) reunite at a Smoky Mountains dig. They had a romance at university but broke it off and now a few years later they still have feelings for each other... This is one of those safe, drama-free Hallmark Channel romances and is kind of enjoyable to watch when you're not in the mood for surprises or plot twists.

Podcast - Pushing Cardboard (2021) [/] I reviewed this a year ago and said it was a ho hum podcast then I unsubscribed. But turns out there are few even average wargaming podcasts so I recently resubscribed and caught up on the episodes. The host is an avid collector and gamer so he has lots to talk about in regard to new and old games being published. He also has some amount of interviews with both other wargamers and industry people. Still not an amazing podcast but pickings are slim so back on my listening rotation.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-10-11T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231011-apple-series-silo-s1-2023.html#unique-entry-id-634https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231011-apple-series-silo-s1-2023.html#unique-entry-id-634Silo season one is a 10-episode hour-long (more or less) drama on Apple TV+. The setting is a giant underground post-apocalyptic survivalist silo at least 140 years after a big revolt (so the Silo is older than that). Ten thousand people eke a living, though pretty much living recognizable normal lives (e.g. there is police and an IT department and small retail "stores").

The first episode turns out to be a bit of a preview, set a year or so prior. The sheriff (head of the police department, though the real power is the Justice Department's enforcers) and his wife (David Oyelowo and Rashida Jones) have this storyline where they're trying to have a baby (birth control is mandated by the government in order to keep the population at 10k) but not succeeding. The wife is an IT Department specialist and is asked by a "rebel" to examine an old hard drive (all tech is rigorously controlled and most research/inventions are strictly prohibited) which turns out to be pre-Revolution.

We culminate with the wife and later the sheriff asking to "go out". Every citizen can ask to leave the Silo but once stated it's an irrevocable decision. The citizen is ceremoniously fitted with a hazardous environment suit and given some cleaning supplies. They are asked to clean the outside video camera that shows the dead world outside. Apparently everybody, even if they insist they won't clean, end up cleaning the video camera. Then they try to walk around and die and that's what happens to the wife and sheriff.

Episode two the Silo needs a new sheriff and for some reason the old sheriff nominated Juliette Nichols (Rebecca Ferguson), a blunt-speaking lead mechanical engineer working at the bottom of the Silo where they have the power generator and air pumps and such. Juliette has a vested interest in the job as she wants to solve the murder of her secret lover, which the sheriff was investigating before he decided to "go out".

The rest of the season is Juliette, essentially an outsider, trying to investigate the murder (which nobody wants her to investigate) while somehow doing her job. She starts uncovering secrets and a conspiracy about who really rules the Silo and we get a cliffhanger sort of season ending.

It's a fairly interesting series since there are many questions that as they are investigated lead to more questions. The environment and culture of the Silo is also interesting as even with only 10k people there is a stratification of society. Also there's the big question of whether or not it's actually safe to go outside.

Hopefully season two will still be interesting. You need to make it different for variety but not too different to turn it into a different sort of story.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-10-09T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231009-tyson-panko-breaded-chicken-breast-tenderloins.html#unique-entry-id-632https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231009-tyson-panko-breaded-chicken-breast-tenderloins.html#unique-entry-id-632Tyson web site but mom must have bought them from Tyson Panko Breaded Chicken Breast Tenderloins from Costco. Bake (these are uncooked) at 450 degrees for 20 minutes then turn over for another 7 minutes. Comes out crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside (I guess they're soaked in chicken broth before being breaded).

These are the most delicious home-cooked/warmed breaded chicken products I've ever had.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-10-06T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231006-spot-reviews-10-06-23.html#unique-entry-id-630https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231006-spot-reviews-10-06-23.html#unique-entry-id-630Beyond Blue (2020) [/] Beyond Blue is a casual/timeless scuba diving game where you can swim to sea creatures and examine them. Each level you complete a sequence of tasks -- find creature, examine, find buoy, use sensors, find data collector, get data, find non-mobile life, collect specimen -- and there is no time limit or dangers. The underwater simulation is fairly good and it's kind of nice just swimming around and watching the sea life. There is a hint of a plot but I only played two or three levels.

Podcast - First Contact Gamer (2022) [-] There are few table-top wargaming podcasts. First Contact Gamer had its first real episode Jan 2023 and nothing since so maybe it's dead already. The episode showed some promise kind of going for bigger/more serious wargames which is more in my interest. But I can't recommend a podcast with only one episode.

Anime - Revisions (2018) #1.1 to #1.9 [-] When they were kids Daisuke (voice Kōki Uchiyama) was kidnapped and saved by Milo (Mikako Komatsu) and told he has a destiny to fulfill. Seven years later he's that weird survivalist militia teen whose only friends are the four other kids who were with him seven years ago. And then the city of Shibuya is dragged from 2017 to 2338 where giant Revisions -- humans with a deadly disease that use machinery to keep them alive -- are out to enslave the 2017ers. Milo reappears as a representative of the Anti-Revisionists faction (a small minority of this post-apocalyptic world) but she doesn't remember having saved Daisuke. She does have mecha, String Puppets, that only the five teens can use. It's up the five teens to overcome their fears and inexperience and save Shibuya, even though a good number of the citizens think allying with the Revisions wouldn't be so bad... It's 12 half-hour episodes with really good animation and voice acting. But the teens, especially Daisuke, are really annoying. After nine episodes I decided that I wasn't interested enough to watch the remaining three.

Dreyer's Slow Churned Cookies 'n Cream Ice Cream [+] I had the butter pecan ice cream and it was bad so I wasn't going into this with any expectations. But it's really good and I think because I love the cookie bits which are more like ice cream sandwich cookie than regular cookies. So it is kind of like taking an ice cream sandwich and mashing it up but with much better ice cream (I find ice cream sandwiches ice cream is not that rich and flavorful).

Movie - Rubikon (2022) [/] Science fiction movie. Aboard a space station three astronauts (played by Julia Franz Richter, George Blagden, Mark Ivanir) witness an apocalypse that wipes out most of the Earth. The astronauts have an algae that might help the survivors but it requires three people (for the CO2) to maintain the space station's habitat so either they all go down in a slim chance of saving the survivors or they all stay. Most of the movie is trying to solve that problem an the arguments as it's one astronaut who wants to stay, one who wants to go, and one who is not sure... I found the story interesting and the ending is foreseeable (though not necessarily predictable) from things set up in the beginning.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-10-04T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231004-anime-yakitori-2023.html#unique-entry-id-631https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231004-anime-yakitori-2023.html#unique-entry-id-631Yakitori: Soldiers of Misfortune is a 6-episode Netflix anime series based on a manga.

The setting is several decades in the future when Earth is contacted by space aliens and it turns out the galaxy is very inhabited with many factions and Earth is a primitive world with no resources except humans. There are lots of low-level brush wars out there and the various factions require disposable soldiers who come from the primitive worlds. The Trade Federation uses Earth as a recruiting depot for its low-budget army. Humans are called Yakitori due to a translation miscommunication.

The story revolves around a human infantry squad who are part of the garrison on a Trade Federation trade world. Trade Federation being cheap and exploitative the population is a bit restless, has lots of high tech weapons bought from the Trade Federation, and the TF embassy/military base is mostly fodder troops with a few TF Marines to command and back them up.

In episode one the natives launch their rebellion and the Yakitori are caught in the middle of it and they turn out to be surprisingly effective compared to the fodder. They are then tapped to infiltrate the rebel city and destroy their artillery then they have to somehow get back to base in time to be evacuated.

The whole series is this one battle plus flash backs to their training where it turns out they are an experiment. Trade Federation trains fodder troops using direct mind transfer. The experiment is training their squad using the old-fashioned method with a drill sergeant and lots and lots of physical training. In the end that results in a cohesive and flexible squad though they do bicker a lot.

Good graphics. Good infantry combat action. A short enough story that it doesn't get boring. Plots are resolved so a direct sequel is possible but not necessary.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-10-02T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231002-comic-swords-of-the-swashbucklers-1984.html#unique-entry-id-629https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20231002-comic-swords-of-the-swashbucklers-1984.html#unique-entry-id-629Swords of the Swashbucklers a few years ago and it was included in a Humble Bundle I bought. I wasn't expecting much but it's quite good. The reprint comprises a graphic novel (back when Marvel Comics had a specific Marvel Graphic Novel series) and then a 12-issue limited series.

Marvel Graphic Novel #14: Swords of the Swashbucklers. South Carolinian teen Domino Blackthorne Drake wandering the beach near her home discovers an alien device and accidentally activates it. This both infuses her body with alien energies that gives her elemental powers -- she will be able to turn her body into earth (invulnerability), air (flight and air blast), liquid (soak things and tidal wave form), or human flame (flight and fire blasts) -- and simultaneously summons a Colonizer scout ship.

Outside of our solar system the Colonizers have conquered this area of the galaxy. They go to a planet, kill all the natives, then colonize the planet for their exponentially growing population. Meanwhile they're opposed by pirate captain Raader and her Swashbucklers. On board the Starshadow -- in this universe space ships are actually sailing ships with cannons that use solar sails to maneuver -- she strikes back at the Colonizers though mostly in a pirate-y way, e.g. freeing captives but keeping all the loot.

Anyway, Colonizer scout arrives to threaten Domino and her family. Raader and Starshadow also arrive in time to rescue Domino who shows off her powers. Domino and her pet cat (who later becomes the sentient Cap'n Kidd) wind up on board Starshadow and enlist in order to help rescue Domino's parents who were captured the Colonizer scout. Turns out Raader's mother is Domino's great-great-great-...-grandmother, a pirate queen kidnapped by another Colonizer ship so Raader (half Colonizer, half human) is related to Domino (and family is very important to both Raader and Domino and guide some of their more suicidal missions in the future).

Oops, I've already gone into the limited series. In the 12-issue run Raader and Domino rescue Domino's parents then Raader has to be rescued then fighting the Colonizers, betrayal from Raader's XO, betrayal from a fellow rival pirate Black Bess, starting a rebellion against the Colonizers, then a final battle with the Colonizer fleet. The series ends with Domino and Cap'n Kidd back on Earth with her parents and some new relatives and it's a fairly good finish to the story.

Swashbucklers: The Saga Continues (2017) This is a five-issue story from Dynamite continuing right after the end of Swords of the Swashbucklers. Some dead characters need to be brought back to life an that's a bit deus ex machina and the Earth needs to be saved again which turns out to be more deus ex machina (and is commented as such by Cap'n Kidd). We do get everybody coming back though, the art is better, and the narration more contemporary (1980's comics are very wordy with lots of narration boxes and character exposition). Unfortunately I guess it didn't sell well because issue 5 ends with a cliffhanger shot and there hasn't been a sequel.

Overall, Swords of the Swashbucklers is an entertaining story and The Saga Continues is an ok sequel which unfortunately undercuts the ending of Swords.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-09-29T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230929-spot-reviews-09-29-23.html#unique-entry-id-626https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230929-spot-reviews-09-29-23.html#unique-entry-id-626South of the Circle (2020) [/] Kind of visual novel story of a man who's plane crashes in the Antarctic and he's trudging through the snow towards safety. Meanwhile he reminisces about his life. The UI is just tapping one of one or two mood buttons which slightly direct the dialog (and maybe it causes story branches, I didn't explore that far).

Book - Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story (1958) [+] This is Martin Luther King Jr's account of the Montgomery bus boycott mostly from his perspective from deciding to accept a ministry in Montgomery just before Rosa Parks was arrested to suddenly being in the middle of organizing the boycott and then being the leader and how nonviolent protest eventually won. King ends with a chapter on what can be done to continue the battle for equality in the American South. It's a well written account and King's philosophies shine through and he is quite compelling even in writing. The version I read is from Beacon Press published in 2010 with an introduction by Clayborne Carson who points out that King's account minimized the role of women in the boycott organization. Not so much a criticism as highlighting that this is not a definitive history and that other books should be read to get a fuller story.

Grocery Store - Whole Foods [-] Whole Foods has always been a bit more expensive but selection seems to be going down also. I like the bakery tarts because the crust is really solid and good. Also like getting split peas and they have a good selection of bulk beans and such you can buy like it's produce. I used to buy this certain bread but they stopped stocking it (this was before Whole Foods got bought out by Amazon). Also a certain brand of tagliatelle nests but no longer stocked either. Boils down to I only go there once or twice a year for the tart and/or split peas, and buy other things too but the bill comes out fairly expensive for what I get.

Movie - Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (1982) [+] Rewatched The Motion Picture and it was an excellent film. Rewatched Wrath of Khan and it's even better. The introduction with the Koboyashi Maru exercise is great and Kirstie Alley didn't reprise Saavik in later movies (not that Robin Curtis was bad just that her portrayal made Saavik a bit more Vulcan whilst Alley's was a bit more emotional). Chekov (Walter Koenig) meeting Khan (Ricardo Montalbán) for the first time (or again) is chilling. The final starship battle between Kirk (William Shatner) and Khan is a classic. Death of Spock (Leonard Nimoy) is tragic and the funeral is so sad and yet the movie ends hopeful. I mean, you can end the Original series movies here and it's a great sendoff. This is a great movie.

Movie - Devotion (2022) [-] Korean War drama. Lt JG Tom Hudner (Glen Powell) is the new fighter pilot on the aircraft carrier Leyte. Among his fellow pilots is Ensign Jesse Brown (Jonathan Majors), an intense African-American who is kind of standoffish because of the racism of the time. Hudner works hard to befriend Brown and the two become sort of friends. Then their unit is activated for Korea and in their last mission Brown is shot down near the Chinese border and Hudner crash lands so he can get down to save Brown... It's a nice movie, mostly about the intro, training and bonding and the war part is the last 15 minutes or so. I did though overall found it a bit boring because I wanted more action.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-09-27T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230927-tv-series-the-full-time-wife-escapist-2016-2021.html#unique-entry-id-628https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230927-tv-series-the-full-time-wife-escapist-2016-2021.html#unique-entry-id-628The Full-Time Wife Escapist (2016) is an 11-episode Japanese romantic-comedy drama based on a manga. Mikuri Moriyama (Yui Aragaki) is a recent graduate with a psychology degree but is laid off and then can't find a job. Her dad gets her a job as a part-time housekeeper to mid-30's introvert software developer Hiramasa Tsuzaki (Gen Hoshino). Working for Tsuzaki she does her best and finds housekeeping and cooking meals quite satisfying.

But then her parents decide to move to away and Mikuri won't be able to afford her own place. In desperation she comes up with the idea to become a full-time live-in housekeeper for Hiramasa, in a strictly employer-employee relationship. Hiramasa eventually agrees and to keep up appearances they tell their parents they're getting married (though secretly it's a common-law marriage which I guess is more of a formal thing in Japan).

The rest of the series is the two slowly becoming attracted to each other, starting to date, and eventually getting married for real. Meanwhile they have to keep their work relationship secret and inner conflicts that threaten to keep them apart: both do a lot of inner monologue and it's interesting how every little incident is misinterpreted by both parties. The series turns on the two leads but they're both attractive and nice people (Yui Aragaki is incredibly cute) with foibles but not nasty foibles.

Meanwhile there's a subplot between Mikuri's aunt, successful advertising manager but forever single Yuri Tscuchiya (Yuriko Ishida), and Hiramasa's womanizing and charming coworker Ryota Kazami (Ryohei Otani). Yuri finds Kazami quite annoying but eventually his charm wins her over and in the last episode they finally decide to start dating which is a neat older woman-younger man thing. As an aside it's a small miracle how all the plots are wrapped up in the last half of the last episode without making it looked hurried.

We Married as a Job Special (2021) "We Married as a Job" is I guess the official title in Japan though Netflix calls it The Full-Time Wife Escapist. Anyways five years later we get a two-hour special. Everybody is back about two years later and the main plot is Mikuri becomes pregnant and how that affects their relationship. It's more stressful after the baby is born because three months later Japan starts going into lockdown due to COVID-19. Hiramasa has to keep working so Mikuri and baby move in with her parents which makes for a stressful time.

All the characters get a bit of screen time to update their stories and unfortunately Yuri and Kazami broke up a few months before the start of the special, though by end there may be hope now that everyone has gone through the pandemic and maybe Yuri's insecurities (she broke it up because she thought she was too old to keep up with Kazami) may have been resolved due to isolation and a health scare.

In any case, the special as good as the series and I think you can omit it and be happier with the series ending.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-09-25T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230925-book-american-airpower-strategy-in-korea-1950-1953-2000.html#unique-entry-id-627https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230925-book-american-airpower-strategy-in-korea-1950-1953-2000.html#unique-entry-id-627American Airpower Strategy in Korea 1950-1953 (2000) by Conrad C Crane is a look at the Korean War through an Air Force high command perspective. The US Air Force had recently (1947) become independent from the US Army and they were transitioning to the jet age (early in the war the Air Force used mostly propeller fighters and bombers) as well as more of a nuclear force with Strategic Air Command component slowly gaining ascendancy.

Crane is focused on what was Air Force strategy and how did it change due to realities for the conflict, inter-service cooperation with the Army and Navy, and political directives and limitations from the President and Joints Chief of Staff. The writing is fairly scholarly with lots of quotes showing the opinions of various heads of the Army, FEAF (Far East Air Force), and the higher Air Force and SAC. Lots of endnotes, a selective bibliography and extensive index rounds out the book.

It doesn't really go over the war except in broad terms nor does it really go into various air campaigns. Although a bit of a scholarly tone I found it an interesting read. I like how the Air Force wanted to fight a certain way (and even then Tactical vs SAC differed in their approaches) whilst the Army and national authorities had different objectives and impressions of Air Force effectiveness.

Overall a specialized book but worthwhile to keep.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-09-22T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230922-spot-reviews-09-22-23.html#unique-entry-id-623https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230922-spot-reviews-09-22-23.html#unique-entry-id-623The Collage Atlas (2020) [/] A black and white hand drawn FPS relaxing adventure. You kind of wander around picking up poem fragments and listen to soothing background music. If you want excitement or puzzles this is not it.

Book - The World Cup: The Complete History (2006) [/] Terry Crouch. More of a data book. For each World Cup we get the qualification teams and results; then the group stage groups, narrated capsules for each game, and the raw/sports score results; then for each elimination stage we get narrated capsules for each game and the sports score results up and through the finals. Sometimes there is a bit of the background and behind the scenes drama but it's mostly terse game descriptions and though Crouch tries to live it up he kind of fails to make it interesting. First edition had the 2002 World Cup and this edition includes the run-up to the 2006 World Cup but final draft ends before World Cup group stage started (mind you this is the 2010 printing so I guess he's not going to update it with 2006 results)... I found the book interesting at first but got boring quickly. I guess it's more for people who are familiar with the World Cups and the teams and players but for a newbie like me just too much stuff left out that I'm supposed to know.

Kevin's Natural Foods - Korean BBQ-Style Beef [/] These are Sous-Vide prepared so already cooked but you're supposed to fry them for a couple of minutes on each side then cover them with the sauce and let it simmer for a bit. The beef is tender but it doesn't come out as good as restaurant. The sauce is perfectly fine and definitely better than the Lemongrass Chicken I've had.

2024-07-16: Had this again and it's worse than I remember. So if reviewed today I'd change rating to [-].
2025-03-14: Yet another try and this time tasted pretty good so I'd almost give it a [+].

Documentary - Love Notes to Newton (2018) [/] This is a documentary about Apple's Newton mostly told through interviews done for this documentary. Interview clips intermingle and they have Newton enthusiasts as well as some of the original team and even former Apple CEO John Scully. Fairly well done and somewhat interesting even though I was never into the Newton (I'm a Mac guy and Newton did not have good integration to any computer).

Movie - Hanna (2011) [/] 15 year-old Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) has been trained by her father (Eric Bana) to be a killer and their plan is get her captured and in the same room with CIA officer Marissa (Cate Blanchett) whom she intends to brutally murder. Most of the movie is about how Hanna escapes the CIA then tries to return to her father while being pursued... I watched the DVD 11 years ago and really like the movie. Rewatched it again now that female-protagonist action films are more common and I'm not as impressed with the combination of drama and action and it still feels a bit surreal at times.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-09-20T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230920-tv-series-the-flas-s6-to-s9-2019-2023.html#unique-entry-id-625https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230920-tv-series-the-flas-s6-to-s9-2019-2023.html#unique-entry-id-625I previously reviewed s1 to s5 several years ago then watched s6 then stopped watching for a couple of years. Last year and this year I took the time to watch the rest of the series.

The Flash s6 had Crisis on Infinite Earths which redid continuity for all Arrowverse shows (and that was also the last big crossover event ever). Later on Iris West-Allen (Candice Patton) is stuck in a Mirror Dimension and gets out maybe early s7. Ralph "Elongated Man" Dibny (Hartley Sawyer) leaves the show at the end of s6.

The Flash s7 introduces two new regulars -- Allegra Garcia (Kayla Compton), who has radiation powers, and gadgeteer Chester P Runk (Brandon McKnight). Chester replaces Cisco "Vibe" Ramon (Carlos Valdes) who leaves the show mid-season. Caitlin Snow (Danielle Panabaker) and Killer Frost are separated and for a while Snow leaves and Frost remains as part of the team. The last Harrison Nash (Tom Cavanagh) emerges and then goes into retirement as Nash leaves the series.

Nora "XS" West-Allen (Jessica Parker Kennedy) comes back for a few episodes in s7 and s8 which is cool because I love her character who goes from sort of a young headstrong pre-Crisis to more responsible post-Crisis because we also get her younger brother Bart "Impulse" West-Allen (Jordan Fisher) who pushes irresponsibility.

The Flash s8 starts with Armageddon 5-parter where Despero (Tony Curran) arrives from the future to kill Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) because The Flash ends up destroying the Earth. Then in the next arc Caitlin's dead boyfriend Ronnie Raymond (Robbie Amell) comes back from the death but he's actually Deathstorm and Frost dies stopping him.

Mark "Chillblaine" Blaine (Jon Cor), Frost's boyfriend, spends the rest of the season trying to resurrect Frost and with the help of Caitlin and an experiment gone wrong we get in s9 Khlone, sort of the third Snow sister, with life force powers.

In The Flash s9 Blaine becomes a regular. Joe West (Jesse L Martin) goes from regular to recurring. s9 is a half season with two arcs. In the first Barry recruits some super villains to fight the Red Death (who turns out to be an evil version of Batwoman (Ryan Wilder)). Arc 2 is the Negative Forces (and the Speed Force (Michelle Harrison) is one of the Positive Forces) wanting to stamp out the Positive Forces. Barry and other speedsters have to stop him (XS and Impulse return).

The series ends with Barry and Iris together and happy with a newborn baby Nora. Khlone ascends which allows Caitlin to reclaim her body. Joe West and Cecile "Virtue" Horton (Danielle Nicolet) finally get engaged. Barry released some of his speed energy into the world and creates three new speedsters.

---------------

Looking back there are a lot of high points though a lot of episodes are kind of ho hum. It's episodic but because arc base (6 to 8 episode arcs) and for the surprises and excitement you need buildup. The last two or three season had several Flash-light episodes where he makes a token appearance and then it's the rest of the team doing the heavy lifting. The show sort of became less about The Flash and Iris as the supporting characters got more and more story time.

In the end a fairly good super-hero series that borrowed a lot from the comic books whilst making it its own thing.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-09-18T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230918-books-dragons-at-war-1986.html#unique-entry-id-624https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230918-books-dragons-at-war-1986.html#unique-entry-id-624Lt General (ret) Daniel P Bolger wrote these two books about his units' experiences during two training tours in the USA.

Dragons at War: 2-34th Infantry in the Mojave (1986)

This book covers a battalions rotation (rotation 1-83, so first one in 1983) at the then new National Training Center in California. The first three chapters introduce the NTC (and how simulated battles are done using MILES, kind of like Laser Tag), OPFOR (a regular US Army unit assigned to Fort Irwin to be a Soviet mechanized battalion and serve for a year or two so they get really good about knowing the terrain and the tricks of NTC combat), and the Dragons (2nd Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division).

After that each chapter recounts one mission the unit did. Over the course of two weeks the unit had 11 missions, often one per day or night and only one or two breaks. The first half was against the OPFOR using MILES and the second half was on the live fire range where they got to use live weapons against remote-controlled stand up targets.

The unit gets their orders from brigade (which is their regular brigade command group who are also at NTC commanding a "brigade" though only the 2-34th is live and the of the brigade is partial and their actions are resolved by referees), then they have to plan, get ready, and do their mission within a few hours and often in the middle of the night. The book shows how little things (well, relatively little things) and misunderstandings can sabotage a mission though sometimes that applies to the OPFOR too.

Writing style is good and always from a third-person perspective. I think Captain Bolger was Company B commander which probably did the best and sometimes has a bit more of B's thinking in the text. Each chapter has footnotes and there is a bibliography.

The Battle for Hunger Hill: The 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment a the Joint Readiness Training Center (1997)

In this book Colonel Bolger is now commander of a light infantry battalion as they deploy in the 95-07 rotation at the JRTC which is the jungle warfare training center in Louisiana. NTC is more about fighting in the desert against a Soviet-style force (which turns out a lot like the Middle East though not sure that was the main intention) and JRTC is more about fighting an insurgency backed by regular forces in the jungles (so kind of like Vietnam).

Once again we have introductory chapters then each chapter is one mission written from the third-person perspective. You get a lot more insight into what the 1-327th's commander was thinking and how his intentions filtered down and changed in the subordinate units.

A bit better writing style and lot better graphics: Dragons at War has these maps which could have been screen shots from an Apple II whilst this book has maps generated by 1990's PCs.

Both books give a good account of what a unit goes through when doing a rotation at the Army training centers and shows the value of practicing as live as possible before a real war. I found both books interesting and worthy of keeping in my library.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-09-15T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230915-spot-reviews-09-15-23.html#unique-entry-id-621https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230915-spot-reviews-09-15-23.html#unique-entry-id-621Make My Day (2023) [+] Eight episode half hour Japanese animation science fiction series. The world of Coldfoot is blizzardly cold and a major exporter of Sig which is an extremely compact power source mined by convicts. Jim (Masaomi Yamahashi) is a part-time prison guard caught up in it all when a previously unknown species wakes up and starts killing everyone at the main mine site. As the creatures head to the city Jim and the survivors race back to save what they can... Other than Jim being really annoying the first half of the series (it's part of his character arc) it's a pretty good suspense/thriller story with about half a dozen distinct characters who at times almost self-destruct the group.

Apple Arcade - Game of Thrones: Tale of Crows (2020) [/] RPG/Strategy game where you are the general with a force sent to reinforce the entrance to a great wall. But the garrison has disappeared so you need to do their job (e.g. patrolling the other side of the wall) whilst investigating their disappearance. Game play is sending out parties on missions and you have three leaders (with different characteristics and I think there are missions than you can do comfortably so you have to prioritize) to lead each mission. Missions take time and this game is a bit real-time so you have to wait for a mission to complete (and missions often have waypoints where the mission leader messages back asking for what to do next). On my iPad the UI is a bit cramped but I like the concept so will try this game on my Mac.

Apple Arcade - Slash Quest! (2020) [/] Cutesy mostly top-down view RPG action adventure. The main difference is you're holding a magic sword straight out in front of you, movement is turn left/right or walk forward/back so you have to maneuver like a 2D airplane and stick your opponents (and also destroy a lot of the terrain).

Novel - Earth (1990) [/] David Brin novel set on Earth of about 2040. In the midst of a climate crisis (rising waters have already buried many coastal cities, deforestation and a failing ozone layer is causing mass animal extinctions, food supplies can barely sustain 20B people) disgraced physicist Alex Lustig finds a small black hole growing inside the Earth, threatening to grow and consume the planet within a year. He and his allies will try to expel the micro black hole before the big governments get wind of it because whomever controls that power controls the world... It starts interesting then gets a bit boring (I struggled to get myself to continue reading) leading to a minor deux ex machina ending.

Mexican Restaurant - Fletch's Taqueria, San Mateo [+] Burrito (carnitas, rice, beans, pico de gallo salsa) + regular french fries (crinkle cut) + complimentary chips and pico de gallo salsa for $22. I ate there. Burrito was really good, fries were perfectly deep fried, salsa was good but chips were very stale.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-09-13T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230913-disney-series-the-mandalorian-s3-2023.html#unique-entry-id-622https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230913-disney-series-the-mandalorian-s3-2023.html#unique-entry-id-622The Mandalorian s3 is eight episodes each half an hour to an hour in length. Season one was really good: first Star Wars drama series on Disney+, really good production, very old western movie feel, and a really cute meme "kid" in Grogu. Season two was still good but maybe a bit same-y though I think adding a cool villain and "mainstream" Mandalorians (because apparently The Mandalorian is part of a small, traditionalist sect). Also Grogu's arc kind of fizzled out in S3 as he found a Jedi teacher (forgot if this was at the end of S1 or beginning of S2) but decided to end his training and return to his "dad".

I like season three because it has a cool central arc: reuniting the Mandalorian sects and reclaiming Mandalore (which turns out is not a devastated wasteland that everyone thought because... secrets!). We still mostly center on The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) though his character changes little throughout the series. Which then makes Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) the central interesting character when she's around (the last half of the season) as she first joins the sect then proves herself and finally becomes leader of the unified Mandalorians.

Arc finished, we kind of reset and end with The Mandalorian and Grogu independent again ready for new adventures.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-09-11T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20130911-apple-arcade-creaks-2020.html#unique-entry-id-620https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20130911-apple-arcade-creaks-2020.html#unique-entry-id-620Creaks is a side-view puzzle game from Amanita Design who did the Samorost games among others and Creaks has that Amanita Design hand-drawn intricate graphics look. In this game you are a young man who finds a secret tunnel in his house and follows it across then down down down to a giant cavern wherein there is a tall intricate gothic looking building.

Each level is about a screen size, usually smaller, so there's not much scrolling. The basic gameplay is to get from beginning to end walking along horizontal paths, using ladders (sometimes jumping down small distances -- it won't let you fall to your death), flipping switches and avoiding creatures.

The big thing is avoiding creatures of which the first type is the mechanical dog. They move horizontally only and chase you if you get close. Lights are an important mechanic and if you turn on a light on a dog it turns into a dresser which you can move (though don't move it out of the light!) and climb on to reach a high ladder. Other creatures have different movement behaviors though they all turn into furniture when you light them (I think only the dogs turn into useful furniture, everything else is furniture you can move but otherwise can't climb on).

Meanwhile there is a bit of a story about three or four inhabitants fighting off this huge mechanical monster that is outside the mansion. You often see them a level below or above or through a crack in a bit of a cut scene. Eventually they see you and eventually you join forces to defeat the big monster.

This is a 20-hour game. There are many puzzles and some took a while to figure out but I never had to use a walkthrough. Graphics are impressive, game play is easy with touch or controller, and it has good background music that changes a bit. This was quite a fun game.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-09-08T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230908-spot-reviews-09-08-23.html#unique-entry-id-619https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230908-spot-reviews-09-08-23.html#unique-entry-id-619Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003) [/] This is a short animated series set during the Clone Wars with the Jedi and their clone army vs the Trade Federation and it's robot army. Mat Lucas voices Anakin and James Arnold Taylor voices Obi-Wan, though the action moves around to different areas. Episodes were 2 to 3 minutes long then 12 to 15 minutes long so the whole three seasons are about three hours. It's entertaining though extremely action-heavy with little story or character arcs.

Film - The Three Musketeers (1993) [/] Disney live-action action version. D'Artagnan (Chris O'Donnell) goes to Paris to become a King's Musketeer like his father before him only to find they've just been disbanded on Cardinal Richeliu's (Tim Curry) order. He then falls in with three of the musketeers -- Athos (Kiefer Sutherland), Porthos (Oliver Platt) and Aramis (Charlie Sheen) -- and joins them to stop a plot against the King... I saw it when it first came out and the film hasn't really aged well though still has the star power (Platt was a bit more of an unknown at the time).

Apple Arcade - The Last Campfire (2020) [/] Puzzle game where you play a cute little guy, Ember, lost from the rest of its people trying to find home. It's a 3rd person 3D view with good graphics and has voice acting.

Apple Arcade - Marble Knights (2020) [/] Arcade action game where you play medieval fantasy characters where the characters are torsos mounted on marbles (so you're kind of constantly rolling along and there are ramps and jump pads and you can fall off the map). Kind of a Zelda-type game and fairly well implemented by WayForward (who also did the Shantae series). (Apparently removed Aug 15th and will stop working soon.)

Restaurant - Sapore Express, San Mateo, CA [/] Apparently this is a spin-off small restaurant of Burlingame's Sapore Italiano. Came here for dinner with C3. Had Rigatoni Carbonara ($20). Was very good. Didn't look like that much food but was actually quite filling.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-09-06T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230906-netflix-movie-heart-of-stone-2023.html#unique-entry-id-618https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230906-netflix-movie-heart-of-stone-2023.html#unique-entry-id-618Heart of Stone Gal Gadot plays junior MI6 field agent Rachel Stone who has to save her team when the plan goes wrong and it turns out she's a lot more capable than they think because she's actually working for The Charter, an organization of rogue intelligence agents that try to keep the world stable by using The Heart, a quantum AI computer, though Stone is not particularly keen on blindly obeying The Heart's directives because they're too logical and doesn't take human intuition into account.

Anyways turns out there is some enemy after The Heart, one that is somehow keeping one step ahead of The Charter, and they're willing to kill Stone's MI6 team, whom she has gotten a bit attached to...

This must have had a good budget because a good number of outdoor locations, big fights, big car chases and really good CGI. Gadot is fairly charming and capable doing action. The supporting characters are pretty good and the story is James Bond-level gonzo that works (unlike a similar Netflix film she did, Red Notice, which I guess was trying to be more comedic than Heart of Stone).

This is a well done spy thriller movie more on the action side than thriller side and quite entertaining.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-09-04T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230904-podcast-the-kings-herald-show-2020.html#unique-entry-id-617https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230904-podcast-the-kings-herald-show-2020.html#unique-entry-id-617Kings Herald podcast (to go a long with the web site rebranding) in early 2020 and in late 2020 they brought Jerry Reynolds as the regularly featured guest. I guess Reynolds had just retired after spending many years in the Sacramento Kings' organization (maybe even before the move to Sacramento in the early 1980's) so he brings a wealth of Kings' anecdotes as well as his more old school basketball perspective.

This is a bi-weekly show and about an hour long. I like the pace -- I don't need a podcast that covers every game. There are two hosts who do stuff on the Kings Herald web site and they bring an enthusiast's perspective. Occasional they have guests some of them reporters.

I started listening a few months ago and then caught up since Reynolds joined the show so it went from getting kind of negative to where Luke Walton was fired to now positive after a surprising first full season under Mike Brown. The show was entertaining when the Kings were losing and even more entertaining when they're winning (but the former is more important because the Kings lose a lot -- hopefully that will change with Mike Brown).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-09-01T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230901-spot-reviews-09-01-23.html#unique-entry-id-616https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230901-spot-reviews-09-01-23.html#unique-entry-id-616Samurai Jack (2020) [/] Based on the Adult Swim cartoon. You are a samurai time traveling to different places fighting bad guys. It's a dual-joystick over-the-shoulder POV: one stick controls the camera and the other controls movement with buttons for jump, dash, fast attack, power attack. Collect money and upgrade your abilities. Much like Beyond a Steel Sky this game is a bit disorienting and not for me.

Movie - Becky (2020) [/] Violent thriller. Rebellious teen Becky (Lulu Wilson) and is visiting the family cabin with her father and soon to be step-mother and little step-brother. A group of four escaped inmates led by Dominick (Kevin James) arrives because Dominick hid a key in the cabin which Becky found once. To get Becky to give him the key Dominick kills her father, which only makes her mad for revenge... Small budget girl-becomes-murder-bot film which has some hilariously extra-gory death scenes.

Movie - Hoosiers (1986) [+] I watched Hoosiers 7 years ago and thought it was mid. On re-watching it now I think it's a pretty good movie. Gene Hackman is great as a disgraced former college basketball coach now coaching a small high school team but still has his do-it-my-way abrasive style. The basketball sequences are not too bad and fairly exciting drama. Good ending.

Food - Dreyer's Slow Churned Butter Pecan Light Ice Cream [-] Maybe because I got it on sale but this flavor is not great. Rather sugary though lots of ice creams are like that. Pecans are mushy which maybe that's how they turn out in ice cream. Overall I regret this purchase and should have stuck with Tillamook.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-08-30T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230830-apple-series-shrinking-s1-2023.html#unique-entry-id-615https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230830-apple-series-shrinking-s1-2023.html#unique-entry-id-615Shrinking is a half hour drama comedy. Jimmy Laird (Jason Segel) is a therapist kind of going through the motions almost a year after his wife's death in a car accident. After another day of dull sessions where his patients are not progressing he decides to shake things up and starts giving out less safe advice, taking a patient out on a road trip, even eventually having a patient stay at his guest room at his home.

Meanwhile he's slowly trying to patch up his relationship with teenage daughter Alice (Lukita Maxwell) who he ignored for a year. Luckily she's been getting help from Jimmy's boss and mentor, Dr Paul Rhoades (Harrison Ford), and from Jimmy's nosy but well-meaning neighbor Liz (Christa Miller). There's also the third therapist in the practice, the sunny Gaby (Jessica Williams), who goes into a breakup with her boyfriend...

The show has a lot of funny moments and some serious moments. Ford and Williams are hilarious but are infrequent which is good to not overdo them. It's a pretty entertaining show though when I think about it I don't know why I'd watch this in the first place.

2025-04-29: Finished watching season two and it's still hilarious and entertaining. No major characters introduced and it is nice that they can continue momentum without changing the primary cast.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-08-28T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2b6e95cb09fba138937ddf92984cc3ec-614.html#unique-entry-id-614https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2b6e95cb09fba138937ddf92984cc3ec-614.html#unique-entry-id-614
Red Sonja v1 (2005) - This is the longest run and has the most normal stories. Originally it went 49 issues then was ended to make way for Queen Sonja. Because of reader demand they re-continued it. Issue 50 was a special issue of reprinted stories (and the issue is not included in the trade paperbacks). Issues 51-80 are stories of Sonja though later in the run they reset and it is Sonja come back as a vampire (from events in some limited series I guess). So overall this makes for an uneven series.

Red Sonja v2 (2013) - Gail Simone takes over writing for an 18-issue run with a new take on Red Sonja. More filthy-mouthed, hornier, a bit bi-sexual, and the violence seems more graphic. It's the best run of the series though a bit different and maybe that's why it wasn't included in previous Red Sonja bundles until the last one.

Red Sonja v3 (2016) - A short 6-issue run comprising of one story. Unremarkable.

Red Sonja v4 (2016) - 25 issues. This one had a great start with Sonja going through a gateway and ending up in modern day New York. Sonja acclimating to this new world is quite interesting. Unfortunately in issue 12 she goes back to Hykarnia and although some of the modern day characters are still around she never returns to New York and it ends up being the usual sword and sorcery Red Sonja vibe.

Red Sonja v5 (2019) - 28 issues. For the most part this is one very long story. The Emperor of Shadizar invades Hykarnia and Sonja is made Queen of Hykarnia to lead the defense. This is a rather dark comedy vibe with some good military tricks. It continues with Queen Sonja going to Khitai for humanitarian aid, then later the Emperor's son seeking revenge on Sonja. Then a last story arc 10 years later when the former Queen Sonja is needed to save Hykarnia once again.

Overall I rank them:

v2 - great
v5 - really good first story running the first 12 issues, rest of run good enough
v1 - first 49 issues fairly good "traditional" sword and sorcery Red Sonja
v4 - first 11 issues in modern day America is a nice change of pace
v3 - seems more of a place holder story while Dynamite worked on the v4 concept
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-08-25T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230825-spot-reviews-08-25-23.html#unique-entry-id-613https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230825-spot-reviews-08-25-23.html#unique-entry-id-613Beyond a Steel Sky (2020) [/] This is a first person cyberpunk adventure game set in the same city as the first game (Beneath a Steel Sky, which is a side-ish view point and click), sort of a grungy city in the middle of a desert. Seems to have lots of story as the two or three people I talked to had lots of dialog choices and lots of voice narration. But at least on my iPad the first person view was a bit nauseating. Maybe better on a Mac with a good graphics card.

Drano Max Gel vs Liquid-Plumr. They both clear clogged sinks (they're both caustic and dissolve organics). Liquid-Plumr is two-part (caustic liquid and a gel to make it stick to sides of drain) and if you get it as one the gel kind of sits towards the bottom. Drano has both mixed and fairly even so easier to pour so I should use it more.

Movie - Jenny's Wedding (2015) [+] Reviewed this six years ago and thought it was really good. Rewatched it and it's still a very food film. This time I paid more attention to how the parents and sister react to how Jenny comes out to them and how their relationships are strained. Good drama without making anybody a bad guy.

Movie - Ghosted (2023) [/] Apple TV+ action/romantic-comedy. Cole Turner (Chris Evans) is taking over his family farm and meets Sadie Rhodes (Ana de Armas) at a farmer's market. They hit it off but then she ghosts him. But he tracks her down to London where he's kidnapped by arms merchants who think he's CIA operative the Taxman. Turns out it's Sadie who comes to the rescue and he has to tag along as she tries to stop the arms merchants from selling a bio-weapon... It's a fairly well executed film but lacks something. Maybe too much CGI, though some of it is done comedically rather than a substitute for practical effects.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-08-23T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230823-movie-mission-impossible-dead-reckoning-p1-2023.html#unique-entry-id-612https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230823-movie-mission-impossible-dead-reckoning-p1-2023.html#unique-entry-id-612Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning p1 is a 2-1/2 hour action movie that tells half of an epic story. Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) is brought back from semi-retirement to retrieve a key for stolen by colleague Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson) of MI6.

That intro mission leads and further investigation leads him to the big plot: a rogue and independent AI, the Entity, that has infiltrated all governments and private sectors. A two-part key will unlock something that can be used to control it and every government in the world will eventually go after it (though that doesn't happen in part 1).

With such awesome destructive power in the wild Ethan takes it upon himself to find the key and use it to destroy the Entity. To do that he is joined by his long-time IMF support team of Luther Stickell (Ving Rhames) and Benji Dunn (Simon Pegg). (As a side note those two characters way overlap in specialties leaving Ethan and guest star to do the actioning.) They are later joined by Faust and eventually recruit international thief Grace (Hayley Atwell) who becomes mixed up in this.

Opposing Ethan and team is the Entity, who wants the key that can destroy it. The Entity uses Gabriel (Esai Morales) as his agent though Gabriel is more of a sinister mastermind type and has assassin Paris (Pom Klementieff) to lead his mercenaries. In a flashback we see that Gabriel murdered one of Ethan's (team mates? loves? protection targets? I'm not sure) so he is an old enemy that was presumed dead long ago.

Lots of set pieces, traveling around the globe, interesting action locales. The McGuffin is very McGuffin-y and the Entity is rather over-the-top as a villain. It's a nice summer blockbuster type movie but, like Fast and the Furious, it's a series that's gone way too long with the same main characters. The heists and cons seem more spectacle and less clever. I did enjoy the film but in spite of Tom Cruise and company as it's the guest stars (Atwell, Morales and Klementieff) that kind of steal the show.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-08-21T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230821-apple-arcade-little-orpheus-2020.html#unique-entry-id-609https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230821-apple-arcade-little-orpheus-2020.html#unique-entry-id-609Little Orpheus is a light platformer with a visual novel vibe.

In the 1960's Russia had a secret mission to explore the hidden lands at the center of the Earth. Bumbling cosmonaut Ivan Ivanovich accidentally got into the mining drill and ended up manning the mission. Three years later he returns and the throughline story is Ivan telling his story to an incredulous General Yurkovoi in both black and white animated interrogation room scenes and via extensive voice-over narration.

There are eight chapters in the main story plus a bonus untold tale. Each chapter takes about 20 to 30 minutes and is basically a side-view platformer though usually only one level with the challenges being jumping over pits and timing to avoid bad guys. Sometimes there are switches to pull and ore carts to move so you can jump higher which is almost puzzle-like but there are never any obstacles I would consider puzzles.

So the gameplay is not much but what you're really doing is enjoying the story being told and watching the great backgrounds (the game uses a 3D engine so even though you're basically moving in 2D there is a lot of stuff going on in the foreground and background. The story is fantastical and fairly 1950's sci-fi hilarity. The ending gameplay is a bit simple to win and the story at the end doesn't quite do it for me either but it was still an enjoyable and kind of relaxing experience.

The bonus level is more of the same though the ending fight is quite different as you're playing a side-scrolling air ship vs bad guys coming from the right, though it's a fairly simplistic mini-game.

Once you finish level 7 you can replay levels and look for bonus orbs that unlock extra content like behind the scenes videos. I haven't tried it.

In the end I'd recommend this game for the story.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-08-18T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230818-spot-reviews-08-18-23.html#unique-entry-id-611https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230818-spot-reviews-08-18-23.html#unique-entry-id-611He's All That (2021) [/] A gender-swapped remake of She's All That (1999, which itself is based on Pymalion/My Fair Lady). Padgett (Addison Rae) is a popular livestreamer but her latest faux pas threatens to get her cancelled. To recover her viewers she takes on the challenge of turning humble student Cameron (Tanner Buchanan) into Mr Popular... With Rachael Leigh Cook as Cameron's mom and Matthew Lillard as the school principal. This is an ok movie, definitely lesser than He's All That but I guess that's mostly because the two leads are just not going to measure up to Freddie Prinze Jr and Cook.

Movie - Peter Pan & Wendy (2023) [/] One of Disney's retellings of Peter Pan. Wendy (Ever Anderson) has more agency than usual (and the Lost Boys include a few girls). Peter Pan (Alexander Molony) is a bit more annoying. Captain Hook (Jude Law) has a backstory that ties better with Peter's... Production quality is good but not a really engaging story.

Food - Nona Lim Traditional Ramen [/] If you've ever had the cheap Top Ramen or anything similar this Ramen is better but not as good as a restaurant Ramen. You boil it then add a salty broth which they sell separately. Each pack has two servings so $3 per serving is quite a bit compared to pasta.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-08-16T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230816-apple-series-slow-horses-s1-2-2022.html#unique-entry-id-610https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230816-apple-series-slow-horses-s1-2-2022.html#unique-entry-id-610Slow Horses is a British dark comedy spy series centered on a group of MI5 (domestic intelligence) agents assigned to Slough House, where they send the rejects who can't be fired because it's the civil service.

Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman) is the crusty head of the house, amazingly experienced but seemingly hates everyone especially his people, though it turns out he will all he can to protect them. River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) is the newest arrival, a bright field agent who royally messed up during a training run. Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas) is the ruthless second desk at MI5, Lamb's superior and willing to burn all of Slough House if it will get the job done.

In season one Lamb and crew decide to rescue a Pakistani student kidnapped by British ultra nationalists who plan to behead the kid when it turns out they're interfering with one of Taverner's black ops. In season two one of Lamb's old assets is murdered and Lamb decides to find the killer when MI5 determines the death was accidental.

This is a fairly tense show. Slough House people die. And yet darkly humorous at times as the team tries to do their jobs but are not especially good at it (though I guess mostly it's more lack of experience which Lamb could impart to his agents but doesn't). Each season is six hour-long episodes so the story goes through fairly quickly.

Definitely recommended.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-08-14T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230804-napoleonic-armies-1984.html#unique-entry-id-606https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230804-napoleonic-armies-1984.html#unique-entry-id-606Napoleonic Armies by Ray Johnson is a reference book detailing those armies to a level useful for miniature or board wargaming. It is divided by country with many of the smaller German kingdoms also detailed.

For each country there is an introductory section then their military organization in 1805 and then each year up to 1815. Many countries have gaps or only a few years due to being amalgamated/created/destroyed during that time period.

The yearly overview is usually type and number of regiments/battalions (sometimes divisions and corps are listed for countries that had them). Then infantry, cavalry and artillery sections to discuss organization at battalion/company levels. Lowest level is how many men in each company and gun type/number of guns in artillery batteries.

This is a semi-scholarly work. Writing style is ok. The reader is expected to know Napoleonic military history. Battle are named but not described. Events of the year may be referenced but not detailed. Politics are rarely discussed.

Layout is not great but acceptable. Obviously edited since I didn't spot any spelling or grammatical errors. But spacing could have been better, tables might have helped, making sure information doesn't split over from even to odd page (so you have to turn the page to compare) would have been nice.

Still, this is a cool book to have even though it's over three decades old. Probably a bit out of date but the level of description is high enough that it's unlikely to have many corrections (due to new research over the last three decades).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-08-11T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230811-spot-reviews-08-11-23.html#unique-entry-id-608https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230811-spot-reviews-08-11-23.html#unique-entry-id-608Tehran s2 (2022) [/] Tamar Rabinyan (Niv Sultan) is an Israeli Mossad agent undercover in Iran. After a successful mission in s1 she stayed in Iran for revenge on General Qasam Mohammadi (Vassilis Koukalani) who had her aunt and uncle hung for helping her. But Tamar has become a bit of a loose cannon which is a problem for her new handler Marjan (Glenn Close), also undercover in Iran (and in turn Tamar doesn't trust that Mossad won't sacrifice her and her boyfriend if it's expedient)... Tehran remains an interesting and entertaining show but a bit too many twists starts to push it into soap opera. Still, I'm willing to watch s3 which Apple green lit.

Netflix Movie - Make Me Believe (2023) [/] Turkish romantic film. Magazine editor Sasha (Ayça Aysin Turan) to try to convince award-winning photographer Deniz (Ekin Koç) to do an exclusive interview. It's awkward because they were teen sweethearts and it ended badly. But their grandmothers and two friends conspire separately to keep them together until the romance rekindles... Good enough romantic film.

Movie - The Huntsman: Winter's War (2016) [-] A sequel to Snow White and the Huntsman (2012) with Chris Hemsworth returning as Eric the Huntsman. There's a 30m prequel showing his origins and how he lost his love Sara (Jessica Chastain) to the Winter Queen Freya (Emily Blunt). Then we're back to post Snow White where Eric must save the kingdom from Queen Freya and her troops, some of them his old comrades... I barely liked Snow White and the Huntsman and I guess I was expecting a prequel movie. Once Sara dies and we move forward 7 years I lost interest and stopped watching.

Sushi Sam's Edomata, San Mateo [/] We went to dinner here. It's a bit more expensive and it's supposed to be good. I had salmon teriyaki and a sushi roll and both were ok. It's a nice place but don't see why it would be more popular than the other sushi places in downtown.




]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-08-09T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230809-tv-series-ms-marvel-s1-2022.html#unique-entry-id-607https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230809-tv-series-ms-marvel-s1-2022.html#unique-entry-id-607Ms Marvel is a 6-episode 45-min episodes series on Disney+ and is a prequel to The Marvels (2023). High schooler Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) finds a gauntlet from her grandmother in the house attic which gives her super powers. With the help of her best friend Bruno (Matt Lintz) she works on being a superhero fulfilling her dreams of being special. But she also comes to the attention of Damage Control, a government agency created to mitigate super hero and villains' destructive tendencies. Also Kamala is contacted by a group of Djinn, really aliens from another dimension trapped on Earth that want Kamala's help in creating a gate home...

A teen coming of age series where the teens aren't annoying. Good action sequences. Pakistani-American heroine is nice and there is an episode that visits the past during the last night before India-Pakistan partition on Aug 15 1947. This is a better series than I expected.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-08-07T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230807-mecha-press-magazine.html#unique-entry-id-605https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230807-mecha-press-magazine.html#unique-entry-id-605Mecha Press was a Quebec-created magazine covering mecha both in anime and hobby.

Contents

• News - new anime, models, gaming products, etc.
• Anime Overview - great anime synopsis with overview of the anime and descriptions of characters and mechas (with illustrations).
• Episode Synopsis - Detailed episode by episode summaries, mostly reprinted from college zines.
• Mecha tech articles - the in-universe tech behind various anime mechas
• Modeling - mecha model reviews and articles on how to build, kitbash and paint models
• Gaming - see below

The reason for collecting this was the gaming stuff, specifically BattleTech. Each issue has a few pages of gaming though it's mostly the other content so bang-for-buck is pretty low. Mekton (still in print I think), Mecha! (a small mecha game way out of print), and BattleTech are the main games and in the last couple of issues their own Heavy Gear Fighter and RPG (the people behind the magazine also created Heavy Gear).

Most of the gaming stuff is converted mecha stats in the appropriate gaming system, so taking a mecha from an anime and statting it in the target system. There were some optional construction rules for Mekton and BattleTech, optional battle rules for Mekton, scenarios for each system.

I like the production quality. For a small press the layouts are really good, type is small but very readable, and everything is in English (with very occasionally missteps to my American background -- keep in mind these guys are French-Canadians). Lots of illustrations and photos to show what they're talking about.

Overall, for a gaming guy, I'd say it's not worth collecting for BattleTech stuff since there is so much BT material out there. For Mekton maybe worth it and if you're a Mecha! fan the issues with that material is most likely worth it. You can buy PDFs on DriveThruRPG and I appreciate that the issue descriptions include article lists.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-08-04T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230804-spot-reviews-08-04-23.html#unique-entry-id-603https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230804-spot-reviews-08-04-23.html#unique-entry-id-603SpongeBob: Patty Pursuit (2020) [/] Platform continuous runner (in that for the most part you can go left and right but can't stop) where you play Sponge Bob trying to rescue his friends (which then become playable characters). Collect coins, beat up bosses, use special powers. Good enough controller support (unfortunately button actions are not standardized on iOS like on other platforms so every game seems to use a different action button, jump button, etc). Has spot voice acting. Entertaining enough I guess but not worth me keeping it around.

Movie - Evil Dead Rise (2023) [+] The fifth Evil Dead film though all new characters. In a rundown high-rise apartment building son Danny (Morgan Davies) finds an evil book and accidentally summons a demon that possesses mom Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland). Visiting sister Beth (Lily Sullivan) has to protect her nephew and nieces Bridget (Gabrielle Echols) and Kassie (Nell Fisher) from monster Ellie... Like other Evil Dead movies there are lots of jump scares, comically buckets of blood, and a chainsaw-wielding protagonist. It's pretty well done for a smallish budget and nice change having two female leads going at each other (though without the corny Ash Williams lines).

Movie - Mulan (2020) [/] Set during Imperial China, when invaders threaten China the emperor calls for an army. To save her aging father who has no sons to contribute, Mulan (Yifei Liu) disguises herself as a man and joins the army. She makes friends, saves their lives, is forced to reveal her identity, and then rallies the army to defeat the invaders... I haven't seen previous Mulan movies. Entertaining movie not especially good or bad. Imperial China, with it's magical elements, is not that interesting a setting to me.

TV Series - Better Than Us #1.1 to #1.5 (2018) [/] Russian science fiction series. A decade in the future androids are common enough (as workers and as companions) that there is a backlash against them. Arisa (Paulina Andreeva), an experimental android with feelings escapes from her company and imprints on little Sonya Safronova (Vita Kornienko) and her family... This is more drama and social commentary than action. Kind of got bored after five episodes.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-08-02T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230802-tv-series-andor-s1-2023.html#unique-entry-id-604https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230802-tv-series-andor-s1-2023.html#unique-entry-id-604Andor is a Star Wars universe series set during the height of the Empire and prior to A New Hope. The main character is Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), a small time thief/rogue in a backwater world who comes to the attention of the local Corps authority which escalates to Imperial attention. He is forced to take a job from shady broker Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) and that job is helping a group of rogues/rebels steal the pay shipment of an Imperial base.

On a parallel track the series shows the fledging rebellion. Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly) trying to keep the funds flowing to the rebellion while being a voice of civil resistance in the Imperial Senate. Rael turns out to be another rebel though more of a compatriot to Mothma as the rebellion doesn't really have a central leadership and arguably Rael is the closest thing to that central hub as he has several projects going.

This is a bit of a darker series showing a bit more of the Empire's pervasive oppression in the minor systems; activities which the big worlds never know about. Strangely it's an interesting series even though Andor is not that sympathetic a character and perhaps neither are the rebels. And the Empire is not shown in an amazingly bad light either. A lot of grays working against each other. But it is very watchable.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-07-31T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230731-marvel-strike-force-2018.html#unique-entry-id-602https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230731-marvel-strike-force-2018.html#unique-entry-id-602Marvel Strike Force is a free-to-play 5v5 non-tactical combat game using Marvel heroes and villains.

The plot is that Ultimus is taking over various universes, mind controlling their heroes and villains into his army. The heroes and villains of our Earth must join forces to stop Ultimus. This plot both explains why you can mix any hero and villain into your team and why you can fight duplicates (you never have duplicates in your stable, instead you can rank up your characters).

The main activity is 5v5 combat between your team and the campaign scenario or other players. In each turn you can tell your character who to attack and what power to use (everyone starts with two actions and as they level they get up to four actions). Or you can do auto battle which still allows you to choose the target and is about 80% as effective (but otherwise fights are slow and there are many so without auto battle it's very tedious).

The various activity sections:

• Campaigns are a sequence of scenarios per chapter with a storyline. Chapters are gated to your character level and perhaps team composition (i.e. Villains campaign you can only use villain characters). Campaigns use energy which regenerates at 1 per 5 min, about 5 to 6 hours to fully recharge which seems typical for FTP.
• Challenges are much like campaigns but they open for a day or two each week and you get 3 tokens to use but progress is tracked.
• Arena is PvP combat
• Events are like campaigns but limited time and much more restrictive of what characters you can use (which promotes having a large stable and upgrading everyone in your stable).
• Blitz is also PvP like Arena
• Raids are alliance (e.g. clan) activities. A raid has different branches and you do combat in each branch to get to and defeat the boss of each branch. A player can only do one branch and enemy damage sticks so you need your clan players to spread out and/or they can team up on a branch.

Besides Challenges, Events, and Campaigns which can gate on team composition, promoting getting and upgrading all characters, there are characters that can bring other characters into a combat as reinforcements. Maria Hill, who is a slightly below average combat character, can bring in my SHIELD Medic or SHIELD Trooper, both of which are below average but still welcome reinforcements. So even below average characters are useful (and I mean below average when upgraded to the same level/skill/equipment/rank as an average character).

As you do activities you can rewards, different activities have different rewards:

• Experience which levels up your commander. Commander level is both a gate to certain activities and caps the maximum character level.
• Materials used to equip your characters either directly or by combining materials.
• Character shards which are used to recruit new characters or rank up characters. Recruiting takes 15 or more shards and ranking up is progressively more shards so there's always a reason to collect shards.
• Orbs which you open to get random materials and shards.

Characters have many things to upgrade:

• Increase character level using money, up to your commander level. This is fairly cheap.
• Skills which take skill materials which is not that common so you should concentrate on your best characters. Skill upgrades are capped based on character level.
• Equipment are six slots that take materials. If you equip all six slots you can upgrade to the next tier which then takes the same materials or better materials. Equipping, combining materials, and tiering up all take money. Materials are fairly plentiful and the game tells you where you can get missing materials (almost everything can be farmed from Campaign scenarios).
• Ranking up to rank 7 max takes character shards. Shards in general you get often 1 or 2 and for random characters so ranking up is fairly infrequent.
• ISO-8 is still locked for me so don't know what that is.

This is a game with a lot of activities though not a 24x7 game like Raid Shadow Legends (where I left the game open so I could collect resources every few minutes). It's free-to-play so there is some incentive to pay money to do things faster.

Annoyances:

• Combats are tedious even with auto combat at x2 speed. Especially for campaigns I'd like instant combat and then if I don't get three stars I might do it non-instant to see how I'm failing. Ok I lied a bit. There is an Auto Win option if you've completed a Campaign scenario at 3 stars (i.e. none of your characters died) and for Events. And Campaign scenarios are limited to 5 or 10 per 24 hours unless you use a resource to reset timer. In any case PvP and Raids don't have Auto Win.
• On my iPad going from combat to combat always takes time. I think it's doing network activity each time and this takes 2 to 5 seconds so that gets annoying: start a combat, load screen, finish combat and exit, load screen, go to next combat, load screen.

Overall it's an ok game and fairly typical of the free-to-play energy-based 5v5 combat model. If you like Marvel that a draw (though the character models are not based on the tv shows/movies, not even sure they're based on the comics; I guess they didn't have a license for those). Other than the Marvel characters there is no reason to recommend this game over others.

]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-07-28T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230728-spot-reviews-07-28-23.html#unique-entry-id-601https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230728-spot-reviews-07-28-23.html#unique-entry-id-601Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003) [+] Recently rewatched this. Napoleonic-era sailing ship adventure. Captain Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe) commands British frigate HMS Surprise sailing down Brazil, around the Horn, and up to the Galapagos Islands dueling all the way with French frigate Acheron whom Aubrey is supposed to destroy. Based on two books of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series and Dr. Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany) is Jack's best friend, ship's surgeon, but not a military man so sometimes clashes with Jack. The film has some great ship to ship fight scenes.

Movie - Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023) [/] The second Shazam movie where Billy Batson (Zachary Levi and Asher Angel) and his siblings are all super-powered up-and-comers who now have to face the three daughters of Atlas -- Hespera (Helen Mirren), Kalypso (Lucy Liu) and Anthea (Rachel Zegler) -- who want their powers back (which was stolen and given to the Shazam champions)... It's an ok super-hero action film and although it tries to be humorous like the first film it doesn't pull it off as well.

Restaurant - Iguanas Burritozilla [/] A small chain with three locations in San Jose area and I went to the one near DunDraCon. It's like average taqueria food with the Burritozilla (5 lbs, 18 inches, $49) being the signature item. I had a burrito and it wasn't notable -- not sure if I'll come back next DDC.

Podcast - After the Whistle (2022) [/] Brendan Hunt (Coach Beard on Ted Lasso) and NBC soccer commentator Rebecca Lowe host this podcast. It ran for about 10 episodes in 2022 to cover the World Cup then went on hiatus and is now running again to cover the Women's World Cup. It's more enthusiasm and fun than insightful commentary but it is entertaining if you're not that into soccer.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-07-26T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/a9ab40e02a5d0ac9cb6e4ee546c69f75-600.html#unique-entry-id-600https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/a9ab40e02a5d0ac9cb6e4ee546c69f75-600.html#unique-entry-id-600Ted Lasso is a comedy/drama about Ted (Jason Sudeikis), a successful American college football coach, who unexpectedly takes the job of coaching an AFC Richmond, an English soccer team, even though he has no experience with soccer. With his good friend and assistant Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt) the two navigate a new sport, new players, new culture.

Season one was quite remarkable coming during COVID lockdowns. A very positive show as Ted is always supportive and understanding even when he's going through bad times internally. And that positivity slowly infects the team and its owner Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham), who started out wanting to tank the team to spite her ex-husband but started loving the team and wanting her team to win.

In season three AFC Richmond is back in the top tier league (as an aside, took me a long time to realize that outside the USA pro teams are individuals and can change leagues or even be kicked out of leagues for poor performance, i.e. relegation. American pro sports teams act a bit more socialist in that the pro league is owned by the team owners so adding/removing teams is a group decision).

Anyway, we have AFC Richmond starts out badly, then gets a star player and they win but sort of depend too much on that star, then he retires and they lose again and Coach Lasso and team come up with a new way to play that fits his style. Meanwhile we have various sublots: Rebecca kind of wants to sell the team and do something else; Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) and Keeley Jones (Juno Temple) break up early and will they reconcile or does Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster) have a chance now?; Nate Shelley (Nick Mohammed) starts out the season hating on Ted and moving to head coach of a rival team and his path to reconciliation is slow.

The season is 12 episodes but closer to hour-long episodes whereas season one was half-hour and season two was more like 40 to 45 minute episodes. The series ending is satisfying and leaves everyone in a good place emotionally.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-07-24T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230724-novel-snuff-2011.html#unique-entry-id-599https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230724-novel-snuff-2011.html#unique-entry-id-599Snuff is the third to last Discworld novel and apparently the 8th City Watch novel though the story concentrates on Commander Sam Vimes with a few cameos from other Watchmen.

Vimes takes a vacation and with his wife Sybil, son Sam Jr, and "butler" Willikins he is determined to be bored at his estate in the country. But then he stumbles onto a crime when the other nobles try to run him out of town by framing him for a murder -- and to do that they have a goblin girl killed for the blood which is not a crime yet because goblins are not protected under the law.

It's the goblin girl's murder that spurs Sam to investigate and find murderer and trace it back to the nobles. He also gets to meet goblins and find out about their culture (which is outwardly quite disgusting to outsiders but once you get to know them still fairly disgusting but out of necessity and beliefs). I guess this is the first in-depth look at goblins (and in the next novel, Raising Steam, they're everywhere).

It's a good novel. Vimes is one of my favorite Discworld characters and although he's gotten quite powerful (both from a demon inside him and from being a duke) this is still a story where he's mostly on his own (and Willikins). And it's sad that this is it for Vimes and the Watch. (Pratchett likes his puns and Snuff refers both to the murder of the goblin girl and the tobacco product.)
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-07-21T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230721-spot-reviews-07-21-23.html#unique-entry-id-598https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230721-spot-reviews-07-21-23.html#unique-entry-id-598Movie - World War Z (2013) [/] UN WMD investigator Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) and his family are caught in a zombie outbreak that threatens the world. He is sent all over the world trying to find the cause and/or a cure... Re-watched this recently and I guess I appreciate it a bit more. Good amount of action and set pieces. The different locations are sort of different stories but I guess in the novel each chapter focuses on a new character and in the movie it's Gerry Lane at the center of the action.

TV Series - Lucifer #1.1 to #1.6 (2016) [/] Police homicide investigator procedural. Detective Chloe Decker (Lauren German) is the detective whom no one wants to partner with. Lucifer Morningstar (Tom Ellis) is the former Lord of Hell who nows runs a high end night club in Los Angeles. He decides to help Decker because homicides bring out the worst in people and he likes that, though in a fun way not evil way... I watched the first six episodes of Lucifer and after the first episode it kind of went downhill. Probably gets better since it did run six seasons. Lucifer is a bit too smarmy which is really annoying if the whole series he's like that.

Novel - The Excalibur Alternative (2002) [-] David Weber novel about 14th century British army taken by aliens to be used in their wars, told mostly (all?) from the point of view of their leader Sir George Wincaster. I got through the first two chapters but found it uninteresting.

Software - Worldographer [-] Worldographer is mapping software that is Mac compatible (though uses Java runtime). $35 for base license which is just outdoor hex maps. $30 modules for cities and for dungeons ($90 bundle for all three). You can try it for free with limited though useful functionality. I found the UI pretty bad though much better than the previous incarnations (Hexographer, Dungeonographer). Don't think this would be mapping software I'd enjoy using.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-07-19T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230719-tv-series-cannes-confidential-s1-2023.html#unique-entry-id-596https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230719-tv-series-cannes-confidential-s1-2023.html#unique-entry-id-596Cannes Confidential is a British/French homicide police procedural with a romantic subplot. Aired on Acorn TV and season 1 had six 45-minute episodes.

Set in Cannes, France, we have homicide detective Lt. Camille Delmasse (Lucie Lucas) and her partner Lea Robert (Shy'm) investigating crimes. In episode one Camille encounters Harry King (Jamie Bamber), a British con man/rogue who helps her out with the case. He keeps getting involved in other cases and Camille ends up blackmailing Harry into helping her free her father from prison (which is one of the subplots: is dad, a former chief of police, really a criminal).

This sets up a Camille/Harry pairing. He's very smug and exasperating and yet she starts to find him attractive and they both keep secrets from each other. Meanwhile turns out that Lea is in love with Camille which might be the setup for an unusual love triangle in future seasons.

It's filmed in Cannes so lots of old buildings with coastal and hilly views because Cannes is really a fairly modest tourist town except when the film festival arrives. The mysteries are not really unusual and maybe a bit much of Harry using extra-legal means to find information (so I wonder how admissible it would be in an American court).

In any case the draw is the chemistry between our photogenic leads.

Anyway, I zipped through all six episodes in one day so it did keep me interested all the way through.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-07-17T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230717-apple-arcade-the-otherside-2020.html#unique-entry-id-597https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230717-apple-arcade-the-otherside-2020.html#unique-entry-id-597The_Otherside is a co-op modern-day horror/survival turn-based board game.

Start with 2-4 heroes (depending on map size. On their turn each hero has three action points to move, explore, trade, and fight. Explore abandoned buildings room to room. Find items, fight monsters, find the anchor and destroy it. Destroy all the anchors then head for the exit.

Monsters can appear whenever you enter a shadow location the first time. When you destroy an anchor it clears the surrounding rooms which allows you to search for items (one per room). Meanwhile there are monster generators (1-3 depending on map size) that each spawn 1 or more monsters each turn. As you destroy anchor the Risk Level rises which changes the monster deck to make it more dangerous (more of the smaller monsters or introduce bigger monsters) but that also changes the loot deck with better items. Once the last anchor is destroyed (or last box found in Follow the Light) the monster generators disappear.

Each hero can wield two items and stash four items. Each hero has (eventually) two active abilities and two passive abilities (addendum: but you have to choose one of each before the start of the game). Early gameplay involves finding items then distributing them to the appropriate hero. I like the cop (-1 with guns, twice as effective ammo search) and the hunter (-1 with ranged, not guns) and once they have good weapons they can suppress the monster generators allowing the other heroes to search.

As you complete games (there is no campaign mode) you get XP and level up which unlocks new items, monsters, heroes and game modes. Standard game mode is search and destroy all anchors. Follow the Light you have to get to a box in a lighted area. Open it and another box is shown which also lights that area. Open the last box and a Horror boss is revealed which you have to kill.

This is a board game simulation so you have a board and miniature figures for the heroes and monsters. Monster and item cards are flipped to reveal. One or more d10s are rolled when attacking (roll low to hit hence bonuses are -1; monsters hit automatically if they're in a hero space at the start of their turn). The map has stand up walls without roofs.

I found it a fun game and a bit challenging. Bad initial loot can put you way behind and unable to kill the monsters as they mass up. On other hand a couple of lucky cards can make the rest of the (sometimes quite long) game perhaps a bit boring.

Addendum Aug 08 2023

I reached level 17 which is max level unlocking everything. There is a slight implication that heroes get individual XP but it goes to the global pool and you unlock hero powers regardless whether the hero is used or not.

Game Modes

• Classic: all tiles are shadow (except start area), search for Spirit Anchor and as you destroy them it lights up the area and then you can search for items.
• Follow the Light: all tiles are shadow (except start area), one shadow tile has a light, get to the light to light up the area and reveal next light.
• Pull the Plug: your area is shadow all other tiles are lit, each area has a light and turn off all lights, as each light is turned off the area becomes shadow.
• Survive the Horror: the map is a mix of light and shadow areas, destroy monoliths while an unkillable horror chases you (and it teleports to a target player every three turns or so, though you see where it will teleport next turn), once you destroy all monoliths you can then kill the horror (horror boss in this and other game modes is not that fearsome because it only moves 1 so you can shoot shoot and backup and eventually kill it, unless you can't retreat...).
• Scientists Bodyguard: a scientist (move 1) is moving to various devices in shadow areas and turning them on which also lights the area, one he's done he heads for the exit, keep him alive. Unfortunately this game mode seems broken in that it doesn't recognize end game condition and gets stuck.

Heroes

• Sheriff: 2-dice when looking for ammo and -1 to hit with guns. I always take him.
• Hunter: -1 to hit with bows/crossbows (great because no ammo but low rate of fire). I always take him.
• Mechanic: free melee attack, to hit roll of 10 does 5 damage. This is my third character.
• Vet: heal a hero in same tile, can move first tile for 0 cost. This is my fourth character and if present main explorer.
• Kid: can trade for free, search grants 1 scrap (2 scraps are used to block a doorway).
• Enos (Planet of the Apes monkey guy): create a 3 health shield over tile, can block door without scrap (both are from telekinesis), can't use ranged weapons (he has a 0-2 range. 2 damage psychic shot) or heavy items. His alternate abilities are interesting: attracts enemies 3 tiles away and can do a 0 range 1d6 damage attack that hits all monsters (only) in his tile.

Sheriff, Hunter and Mechanic make a great combat triumvirate once they have appropriate weapons. Vet is nice for that effectively extra AP so she can grab stuff and trade with the others.

Creatures

• Lasher: 3 HP, 1 AP (action point)
• Hound: 2 HP, 2 AP
• Shambler: 5 HP, 1 AP (seems to have some armor, if you shoot it twice with 3 or 4 damage weapons it doesn't die)
• Slubber: 2 HP, 1 AP, range 1 shot
• Horror: lots of HP, 1 AP (not sure if it does 1 damage like everything else or is 1 hit 1 kill)

Lots of weapons do 2 damage (actually there are no 1 damage weapons) so 2 hits on Lasher but take out Hounds and Slubbers with 1 hit each.

Weapons

• Slingshot: 0-1 range, 1 damage, 1 attack die (attack dice are all d10s), 2+ to hit. Kid's starting weapon and not something you can pick up randomly.
• Revolver: 0-1 range, 2 damage, 1 die, 4+ to hit. Sheriff's starting weapon. Can wield two (some weapons you can wield a second which gives you +1 attack die).
• Wrench: 0 range, 2 damage, 1 die, 6+. Mechanic starts with 2. Kind of hard to hit with though so often I switch to 2 knives even though knives can't knock down barricaded doors.
• Knife: 0 range, 2 damage, 1 die, 5+ to hit.
• Spiked Knuckle: 0 range, 1 damage, 2 dice, 2+ to hit. I never use these.
• Baseball Bat: 0 range, 2 damage, 2 dice, 5+ to hit. Rarely use these.
• Long Bow: 1-2 range, 3 damage, 1 die, 5+ to hit. The most common and lightest bow but still a good weapon.
• Pistol: 0-1 range, 2 damage, 2 dice, 4+ to hit. Better than a revolver and like a revolver can be dual-wielded. But I'd rather do more damage even if less dice.
• SMG: 0-1 range, 3 damage, 2 dice, 6+ to hit. 3 damage is great but hard to hit though you can dual-wield.
• Hunting Rifle: 1-3 range, 3 damage, 2 dice, 4+ to hit. A great weapon with range and easy to hit for the Sheriff.
• Assault Rifle: 0-2 range, 5 damage, 3 dice, 6+ to hit. The ultimate gun that can take down three Shamblers in an action. Better if paired with a Hunting Rifle for ranged accuracy vs non-Shamblers.
• Crossbow: 1-3 range, 5 damage, 1 die, 4+ to hit. The best weapon for the Hunter.
• Hunting Bow: 1-2 range, 4 damage, 1 die, 4+ to hit. The extra point of damage rarely comes into play but better to hit than long bow.
• .50 Cal Pistol: 0-1 range, 4 damage, 2 dice, 5+ to hit. Dual-wielded it's a pretty good setup.
• Axe: 0 range, 3 damage, 2 dice, 6+ to hit. A good melee weapon you can get early. Good damage, 2 dice, breaks down barricades, can be dual-wielded. Mechanic with 2 Axes is pretty effective.
• Double Barrel (shotgun): 0 range, 3 damage, 2 dice, 3+ to hit. Can be good for the Vet or Hunter in case they get cornered.
• Katana: 0 range, 4 damage, 3 dice, 5+ to hit. A sweet melee weapon that can be dual-wielded (though I've never found 2 Katanas).
• Shotgun: 0-1 range, 4 damage, 3 dice, 5+ to hit. A nice weapon for Sheriff though not my favorite.
• Chainsaw: 0 range, 5 damage, 5 dice, 7+ to hit. Sure, a bit hard to hit with but 5 dice and 1 hit takes down a Shambler. Mechanic with a Chainsaw wading into a pile of enemies is something to behold.
• Pike Axe: 0 range, 3 damage, 1 die, 5+ to hit. Hunter starts with this. Axe is better -- I'd rather have 2 dice, 6+ to hit.
• Blunderbuss: 0-1 range, 2 damage, 6 dice, 6+ to hit. A weird weapon (and it requires an action to reload). I never use it as the damage is just too low and there is no way to increase it.

Ideally:

Sheriff: Assault Rifle and Hunting Rifle
Hunter: Crossbow and Pike Axe/Axe
Mechanic: Chainsaw and a Lucky Charm (or other item)
Vet: Katana and bow so I can concentrate ammo on Sheriff

Items

• Fire Cracker: makes noise. I've never used this.
• First Aid Kit: heals 1 HP, 1 use. Not sure it's worth the space even if your team doesn't have a Vet.
• Energy Drinks: +1 AP to this hero and all un-activated heroes. Rarely use this.
• Flashlight: allows search and gather ammo in shadow tile. Kid has this and you can't find it randomly.
• Grenade: 5 damage to all creatures/heroes, 0-1 range. I use this sometimes.
• Lucky Charm: allows re-roll of all dice for every dice roll. This is so cool I'd use it with Hunter/Mechanic/Vet and forgo a second weapon.
• Mine: 5 damage to all creatures/heroes in dropped tile at end of monster phase, 0 range. I've used this once.
• Shield: absorbs 1 damage per turn. I've very occasionally wielded it but never been attacked with one on.

Lucky Charm is the best though I rarely find it. Grenade is nice though not if all characters have two good/semi-good weapons. All other items are meh.

As a last word, I did play this enough to get to level 17 and most of the way to beating all game modes, all board sizes on hard difficulty.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-07-14T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230714-spot-reviews-07-14-23.html#unique-entry-id-595https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230714-spot-reviews-07-14-23.html#unique-entry-id-595Double Threat (2022) [/] Action-comedy-romantic movie. At a convenience store stop Jimmy (Matthew Lawrence) gets taken hostage by pretty cashier Natasha (Danielle C Ryan) who turns out to be wanted by her mob boss for embezzling. Turns out she has two personalities: nice girl who Jimmy is attracted to and danger girl that can take out mob hitmen. Meanwhile the pair are chased by mob boss son Ellis (Kevin Joy) and cleaner/mentor Ask (Dawn Olivieri)... Lot of interesting character bits. The action and locations are very low budget but they're trying and it has a certain charm. Overall I guess a better film than I'd have expected.

Apple Arcade - Crossy Road Castle (2020) [/] Side-view 8-bit graphics platformer. Enter on the left side of a room and make your way to the right side exit door. Platforms: some moving, some switchable, some timed switchable. Bad guys: jump on them to knock them out and others can't be killed. Collect coins and 100 heal one heart damage. Boss level every 30 or 40 levels. I did the first 50 levels and it wasn't really getting hard yet but maybe this is more of a kids' game.

Book - The Collected Stories of Greg Bear (2002) [-] A big 600+ hardcover of Bear's short stories published in various magazines and anthologies. I read over half (through "Webster") and am giving up. I like short stories with a cool twist or lightbulb moment at the end and his don't do that. His stories are science fiction but not my type of science fiction (I guess I'm more of a big starships, high tech, high drama kind of fan). Although he's one of the great science fiction authors I'm probably going to avoid his works now that I've read a sampler.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-07-12T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230712-netflix-movie-purple-hearts-2022.html#unique-entry-id-594https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230712-netflix-movie-purple-hearts-2022.html#unique-entry-id-594Purple Hearts is a drama/romance film, a romance but a bit heavier drama than a Hallmark Channel romantic film. Aspiring singer/songwriter Cassie Salazar (Sofia Carson) can't afford life-saving diabetes medicine. Marine Lance Corporal Luke Morrow (Nicholas Galitzine) owes $15k to his former drug dealer who is getting impatient.

The two decide to get married for the Marine Corps marriage benefits even though they kind of hate each other. She doesn't like the military and he doesn't like her liberalism. But he's shipping out the next day so they don't have to live together for months while he's deployed to Iraq.

Unfortunately Luke is injured in an IED blast and comes home to recuperate. HIs family finds out about his marriage so now Cassie and Luke have to live together and keep pretenses. This allows them to get to know each other more (which they were doing via video calls while he was in Iraq). But his secret getting out jeopardizes their bigger secret which could get them both in prison...

Actually pretty interesting and I watched this almost in one go (most films I watch in 15 to 30 minute increments). Carson sings a bunch of songs and the chemistry is good. The story is suitably dramatic leading to a satisfying ending.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-07-10T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230710-apple-arcade-spyder-2020.html#unique-entry-id-593https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230710-apple-arcade-spyder-2020.html#unique-entry-id-593Spyder is a third person puzzle game where you are a little spider-like robot, Spyder, sent by British intelligence on missions to stop the plans of SIN. In each mission you are this little guy maneuvering around the big people world doing tasks and keeping out of sight (actually in the missions there are no people that can see you).

In mission one you are in an underground bunker navigating around the central control area. Get to a box, open it, get a key, get into the computer innards, maneuver around without getting killed by moving parts, sabotage the computer. Mission two is on a bomber disarming a nuclear device and mission three is fixing a space capsule to bring the astronauts home (I've only done the first three missions).

Besides moving around you can interact with objects. A to press a button. A to interact and then rotate joystick to turn a knob or use a screwdriver (I use an XBox controller). A to grab an object and push it (or A again to throw it). A to harpoon an object and bring it to you. A to harpoon an anchor and zip yourself to it. As you might tell A button does a lot and the UI will show when you can press A to activate so you don't have to guess what you need to do. Also there is always an arrow with distance to show you where you need to go next so it's quite hard to get lost (which I think would be easy to do without the help).

The graphics are a little cartoony but good. The background music has a festive spy spirit. There is a handler who talks you via text messages (no voice acting here). The puzzles are fairly easy and the only hard part is maneuvering so I think this is a game for 10 and older (I'd say maybe a bit too hard for my 9-year old nephew but he's playing some Minecraft like game which is almost this complexity).

Overall I found it fun though a bit easy. Did have problems with motion sickness and about one level is all I can stand per couple of days.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-07-07T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230707-spot-reviews-07-07-23.html#unique-entry-id-592https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230707-spot-reviews-07-07-23.html#unique-entry-id-592Charrua Soccer (2020) [/] 11 on 11 soccer with penalties (fouls, yellow and red cards), penalty kicks, substituting players, setting the formation (lots of choices) and changing posture (offense, neutral, defense). Friendly matches, tournaments (vs computers I think), party tournaments (vs local players), career mode with experience points. Unlike Sociable Soccer I found this had better UI and funner game play.

Movie - The Perfect Game (2009) [/] César Faz (Clifton Collins Jr), who never cracked the big leagues, ends up in Mexico where he is convinced to teach the local kids baseball and the kids make a surprising showing all the way to the Little League World Series in the USA. Based on a true story. A bit more focus on the casual racism of mid 1950's USA.

Documentary - The Fighting I: The Story of the USS Intrepid (1995) [/] History channel 45-minute documentary on the USS Intrepid (CV-11) which fought in WWII and Vietnam, was present during the Cuban Missile Crisis, and recovered Gemini and Apollo capsules. Has interview clips with servicemen who were stationed on the carrier in WW2 and later (including interview clips with John McCain).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-07-05T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230705-movie-avatar-the-way-of-water-2022.html#unique-entry-id-591https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230705-movie-avatar-the-way-of-water-2022.html#unique-entry-id-591Avatar: The Way of Water is the first sequel to Avatar (2009) and set sixteen years later. Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) are living happily with their kids when Earth forces return in force to colonize the planet. The second wave of forces include Na'vi versions of Marine Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) and his men, who were all killed in the last movie. He's here to stop the resistance by killing Jake.

At the end of the first hour of the story Jake and his family are forced to flee and they end up with the water people who reluctantly take them in. The next hour or so is the family learning about the Way of Water and slowly integrating with their new tribe. This is hard for the kids as they're Na'vi-Human hybrids besides being air people but slowly they win respect from the other kids.

Then finally Quaritch finds were Jake and family ran off to so he sets off on a whaler to instigate incidents until Jake is forced to fight back. This leads to a big climactic battle that quickly becomes just Jake and family against Quaritch and his surviving forces. It ends on a bit of an interlude leaving threads open for the next film...

I watched this on my 10" iPad and the cinematography is pretty good though obviously better on a huge screen. It's a very long movie with three long parts and two distinct stories which leads to loss of focus. The last part is pretty exciting and almost makes up for the first 2/3rds of the movie. Overall I guess it's still a watchable movie.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-07-03T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230703-vmware-fusion-13-and-parallels-desktop-18.html#unique-entry-id-590https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230703-vmware-fusion-13-and-parallels-desktop-18.html#unique-entry-id-590VMWare Fusion 13 Player has a free personal license (you need to register to customer connect) so I tested that first. Player is normally $150 ($80 upgrade).

10.10.5 Yosemite
- after security update mouse/kb don't work
- doesn't recognize many ssl certs (this is a macOS problem because it's so old I guess)

10.11.6 El Capitan
- during install mouse/kb don't work
- VMWare Tools won't install on older macOS versions and when it installs it triggers a security warning

10.12.6 Sierra
- works fine

10.13.6 High Sierra
- works fine

Unfortunately with 10.12 and 10.13 ViDL couldn't update youtube-dl.


Parallels Desktop 18 is normally $100 ($70 upgrade) although 25% off on sale for a couple days. If you run it without a license it goes to 14-day trial mode and a few features are disabled.

10.10.5 Yosemite
- mouse and kb work fine
- Parallel Tools installs without issues

10.12.6 Sierra
- mouse and kb work fine
- Parallel Tools installs without issues

Unfortunately turns out ViDL needs 10.12 and won't update youtube-dl in any case.


I also had a Windows 10 Fusion VM which I updated and then you can import into Parallels though I had to use the command line tool to manually import it.


My impression is that Fusion has low development priority. Doesn't quite work with older macOS versions. VMWare Tools seemed to make the VM slightly glitchy. Also it seems like Fusion no longer officially supports macOS VMs.

Parallels didn't have the above issues. It's also gets yearly releases and supports more advanced features faster (such as Mx processors and Direct X 13 acceleration). Also a bit cheaper so if I was paying I'd go with Parallels.

That said I rarely use VMs (I'm more partial to CrossOver/WINE) so I'll stick with VMWare Fusion 13.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-06-30T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230630-spot-reviews-06-30-23.html#unique-entry-id-587https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230630-spot-reviews-06-30-23.html#unique-entry-id-587The Professional Bridesmaid (2023) [/] Hallmark Channel romance movie. Maggie (Hunter King) is a professional bridesmaid -- hired to make sure wedding preparation and executions go off smoothly. She's hired to help the mayor's daughter Alexis (Francesca Bianchi) with her wedding but has to do it secretly. Meanwhile former political beat reporter Henry (Chandler Massey) now working for a web news company is assigned to cover the wedding. Maggies is tasked with keeping Henry away from the mayor while also helping Alexis and keeping everything secret from everyone except the mayor, his assistant, and Alexis. And of course Maggie and Henry have a bit of a romance brewing... This movie hits the mark and is quite pleasant.

Restaurant - Bosc + Bartlett at Santa Clara Marriott [/] This is the house restaurant at the Marriott that now hosts DunDraCon. It's good and maybe slightly pricey; kind of standard for a hotel restaurant. I don't even remember what I ate here -- I think maybe just appetizers during Rainbow night.

TV Movie - Stargate: Continuum (2008) [-] Once Stargate the tv series ended there were two tv movies and this is the second one. The last big bad, Ba'al (Cliff Simon), manages to change history and in a last gasp Mitchell (Ben Browder), Carter (Amanda Tapping) and Jackson (Michael Shanks) use the same time travel device to end up on Earth a year at least before the Stargate program was started. No one believes who they are and a year later a Goa'uld invasion fleet arrives to conquer Earth... I don't remember Stargate that well so watching this movie (again) while missing much of the context is barely watchable (I'm sure I loved it when I watched it before).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-06-28T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230628-movie-extraction-2-2023.html#unique-entry-id-588https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230628-movie-extraction-2-2023.html#unique-entry-id-588Extraction which left a thin sliver possibility for a sequel (the protagonist was shot multiple times in the chest then fell off a bridge into a river seemingly unconscious and in heavy clothes). Extraction 2 starts with Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth) getting pulled out of the river and resuscitated by medical team from his mercenary company.

A few months later after rehabbing Tyler is retired but a mystery man hires him to rescue his sister-in-law Ketevan (Tinatin Dalakishvili), her teen son Sandro (Andro Japaridze) and her young daughter Nina (Miriam and Marta Kovziashvili) from a Georgian prison where they are being held by their criminal dad Davit (Tornike Bziava).

Tyler brings in his mercenary partner Nik Khan (Golshifteh Farahani), who I think runs the business. Nik and her brother Yaz (Adam Bessa) are much more involved in ops this time around, as well as other unnamed and almost unseen mercenaries in their employ (and boy do they have a lot of resources).

This being an action film there are some great set pieces. The prison break is almost real time following Tyler almost all the time with people jumping in and out of frame. It's not a one-shot scene but it kind of feels like it. Once they have the family out and "safe" there is an attack (Davit's brother Zurab [Tornike Gogrichiani] is the head of a Georgian criminal military organization) on a high rise building in Germany. Then finally Tyler goes it alone against Zurab and his remaining men as they prepare to get away from Germany before the army arrives to arrest them.

I like that Nik gets more action stuff to do and really that there are more mercenaries in the team. Extraction 1 it almost seemed like Tyler was by himself at the target site while his supporting mercs were far away with long range weapons and intelligence support. The action and special effects are good -- better than a mid-level budget theatrical action movie.

Overall a pretty good sequel.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-06-26T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230626-macos-utility-mist-0.9-2023#unique-entry-id-589https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230626-macos-utility-mist-0.9-2023#unique-entry-id-589MDS to download macOS installers but that is one feature of a rather big enterprise admin type utility. MDS 5.0 requires a license which is overkill. But I was looking at the 4.3 release notes and it noted that it replaced the installer downloader code with Mist.

Mist is "A Mac utility that automatically downloads macOS Firmwares / Installers." Launch Mist and it shows you a list of available macOS install downloads from Apple (and it generates the list from the Apple download site). For each entry you can click to download the installer or download and create a bootable installer. If you pick an installer incompatible with your Mac CPU then it'll warn you.

For download installer you can choose to have it save the app or the app in a disk image/ISO/package. It then shows an informative progress checklist so you can see where it is in the process (when downloading it shows download size and how much downloaded). Mist will download the installer, verify it, and unpack/repackage it as needed. (BTW downloading from Apple's site is quite fast, about 450 to 500 Mbps with Fiber Internet + 802.11ac WiFi).

For creating a bootable installer it needs a disk (or partition) that it will erase then create the bootable installer on.

Mist can also download firmwares but not sure that those are.

Anyways, an easy way to download installers which you then use to install macOS on a machine or a VM. Useful if you want to install not the latest macOS since Mac App Store won't really allow you to install older OSes. Also useful to install on a VMWare Fusion VM since Fusion wants an install image to work with (it won't download it for you). Theoretically you can also use the Mac App Store to download the installer as if you're going to upgrade then cancel and get the installer from the download location but that's a bit tricky.


]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-06-23T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230623-spot-reviews-06-23-23.html#unique-entry-id-586https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230623-spot-reviews-06-23-23.html#unique-entry-id-586Salt (2010) [+] CIA Analyst Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) is fingered as a Russian spy. To save her husband she immediately breaks out of the CIA building and therefore is chased by the whole agency including her former mentor and current manager Ted Winter (Liev Schreiber)... I think this is my fourth watching (theater, DVD with commentary and alternate endings, streaming with my brother) and it's still a fairly awesome film with Angelina Jolie playing a badass and a few twists throughout the film.

Movie - The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) [/] Alien spheres land on Earth. In New York's Central Park a figure emerges but is accidentally shot by the army. Astrobiologist Helen Benson (Jennifer Connelly) is brought in to treat him, an alien in human form named Klaatu (Keanu Reeves). Helen decides to help him escape from a government that is fearful and willing to dissect him for science but it turns out she may be helping the enemy when Klaatu declares Earth must be saved... from humanity.

I watched the original when I was a kid (barely remember any of it) and this version I watched twice. Both times I've been vaguely disappointed -- starts out great but I think I'd rather have a different middle and ending.

KFC Mac & Cheese Bowl [/] KFC macaroni & cheese is not my favorite because it kind of sits there and the pasta is fairly squishy (I like my pasta firmer). But add five chicken nuggets and it turns out edible.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-06-21T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230621-anime-luminous-witches-2022.html#unique-entry-id-585https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230621-anime-luminous-witches-2022.html#unique-entry-id-585Luminous Witches is an anime spinoff of Strike Witches (which I haven't seen). This is an alt-history WWII where aliens invade Europe (i.e. replace Nazis with mysterious aliens) and witches are young girls with magic abilities (which they lose in their early 20's I guess hence why they're all teenagers) that allow them to fly around and take the role of very maneuverable fighter planes.

In that world there are witches who don't fit well in the military. Former witch Grace Maitland Steward (Mikako Komatsu) decides to form a singing troupe of witches to go around raising morale like a USO troupe. She gathers representatives from the various armed forces, witches with erratic powers or who don't have the temperament for army life. The twelve-episode series is about forming the troupe, training them, then going on tour with various episodes highlighting a member or two and their back stories.

It's a pleasant story with interesting characters though I'd probably like a more action-oriented series like Strike Witches.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-06-19T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230619-ars-technica.html#unique-entry-id-584https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230619-ars-technica.html#unique-entry-id-584
Commentary system is fairly good with up/down voting and enough activity so that if you're just reading the comments they're mostly fairly good (exceptions when platform or political zealotry rears its head). RSS feed is good - you get a pic and a few paragraphs and the titles are good so that you often don't need to go to the article to get the main point.

I used to read Slashdot but that's more of an aggregator with a great commenting system than a platform with original content. I also read a few Apple News sites because they're more responsive though often repetitive (c.f. splitting up a topic that could be covered in one article into separate articles and when they all do it it's an avalanche of little news stories all kind of sounding alike). Ars Technica is not really a site for up-to-the-minute news but more like a newspaper where when they post an article a day or two later there is more research and thoughtful writing.

Overall Ars Technica is really good and the only general tech site I read nowadays.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-06-16T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230616-spot-reviews-06-16-23.html#unique-entry-id-583https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230616-spot-reviews-06-16-23.html#unique-entry-id-583Rice-a-Roni Spanish Rice [+] I finally made this with the required can of diced tomatoes and it's really good but I do like tomatoes a lot. Without the tomatoes it is still fairly ok. Cooking time is the same as other Rice-a-Ronis (about 25 min) and the recipe calls for 1/2 cup less water than usual.

Movie - Interstellar (2014) [+] Watched this again and it's still a really good movie. Knowing the plot twist doesn't make the movie less enjoyable probably because the twist didn't change everything that happened previously making you see it in a new light. The visuals are great even on my 11" iPad.

Movie - Army of One (2020) [/] Low budget action film. While on a camping vacation Special Forces soldier Brenner Baker (Ellen Hollman) and her husband discover a weapons cache, are captured by backwoods boys and her husband is killed. Brenner escapes but she's not leaving the area until they're all dead... Better than I expected.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-06-14T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230614-movie-kill-boksoon-2023.html#unique-entry-id-582https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230614-movie-kill-boksoon-2023.html#unique-entry-id-582Kill Boksoon is a stylish modern-day Korean assassins movie. Gil Bok-soon (Jeon Do-yeon) is the best assassin in the business but also a single mother of a teenager (Kim Si-a) who doesn't know mom's secret. Bok-soon is mulling retirement but head of the company Cha Min-kyu (Sol Kyung-gu) doesn't want her to leave and is willing to manipulate her into re-upping her contract. Meanwhile Min-kyu's sister Min-hee (Esom) hates Bok-soon is trying to get her killed by breaking the assassin's code...

There are some pretty good fight scenes. Two or three times we see Bok-soon envision a fight, see that it's not going to end well, then change her plans. Characters are interesting with no true good or evil and Bok-soon is a sympathetic character (and she only does like two contracts in the film the rest of the time fighting other assassins).

Overall quite entertaining.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-06-12T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230612-wiki-js-2.0#unique-entry-id-581https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230612-wiki-js-2.0#unique-entry-id-581Wiki.js to organize my Basic D&D campaign. So why use this instead of RapidWeaver?

Multi-user: I can have multiple people editing the site. For examples my players could update their characters or have online notes. With multi-user support that also means some sort of permissions which means I can keep pages for my eyes only and have game master notes.

Editing Speed: If I show a page to my players and it has wrong information I can edit the page, save and it publishes at the same time, the can reload page to see changes. With RapidWeaver I could edit the change, publish the changes, sync then to my web server machine then players can reload page. Not much slower I guess though with a wiki I could make those changes anywhere whereas RapidWeaver I need my laptop.

Search: My RapidWeaver site is simple and static with no search capability (though could be added via Google). Most wikis have search built-in and Wiki.js has both a simple one (just titles) or you can enable a db-based one which does keyword searches.

Versioning: If you make a mistake you can rollback to a previous version. Version comparison is also there by viewing page history.

Diagrams: Wiki.js supports diagrams.net. You can insert or edit a diagram, it opens a page in diagrams.net where yo can edit, then save it back to Wiki.js as some sort of ascii-non-readable format but one which Wiki.js can render into a graphic. This is actually kind of nice for a table-top RPG so I can draw a map of what players can see then add to it as they move around. Mind you it's a diagram so vector graphics: not as precise as a painting program but easier to then edit elements.

One thing I haven't seen from wikis do is automatically creating/updating a feed rss file, which RapidWeaver does for Blog page type. I'd guess WikiMedia has an extension for this and as far as I can tell Wiki.js does not support this.

Why Wiki.js over other Wikis?

I looked at a few other wiki platforms. MediaWiki (which runs Wikipedia) and derivatives are fairly big and complicated to install and setup. I wanted a wiki simple to install and setup and Wiki.js is one. BookStack is another though its library/books/chapters metaphor seems a little limited.

Wiki.js is written in JavaScript and runs on Node.js, which is a JavaScript runtime engine, and uses Postgres DB so it's very portable and even though it's not really macOS specific it runs fine. Installation is fairly simple, for a server service that is, and should be doable for anyone with lowish level of command line experience.

Features

Wiki.js docs site at https://docs.requarks.io is actually a pretty good example of site. It has a blue and white theme (you can change themes though there are few available -- I guess you can install others and there are also lots of extensions but I haven't added any). There is navigation sidebar which is setup in admin setup (admin setup includes a bunch of stuff that I feel is more for a wiki site manager and hopefully that will be split up in a future version). Main content area might show a page contents side bar if the window is big enough (and if the window is smaller the navigation side bar is hidden, adaptive layout is nice for handling mobile phones to large desktop monitors).

If you have edit access you can: Edit, History, View Source, Convert, Duplicate, Move/Rename, Delete.

When you create a page you have to specify the editor: Markdown, Visual Editor, Raw HTML. Markdown is a text-based format where some ascii characters indicate HTML tags, e.g. start a line with # means this is a Header 1 line. Visual Editor is a WYSIWYG word processor editor. Raw HTML is a page that will be served directly. There is also AsciiDoc which is kind of like Markdown (I prefer Markdown as that is more of a widely used standard).

Whenever you save a page Wiki.js converts it to an HTML page so that serving it users is fast. Convert allows you to change the editor of a page and it's fairly good converting from Markdown to Visual Editor, back again mostly good though Visual Editor has more richness especially with tables so you may lose some of that. Markdown has the diagrams.net support so you lose that with Visual Editor. In general I like Markdown unless I need a fancy table.

All pages are kept in a directory structure and the navigation sidebar allows you to navigate the folder structure. When you link using the command you can choose the destination page. You can also tag pages which I guess then allows you to search pages by tag.

As I mentioned above search is just page titles though you can go to the admin setup and for postgres enable advanced search (I think it install a package into postgres to do indexing) in which case search includes page contents. The search results show page title, page summary (which you typed in when you created the page), and page location -- I'd like a bit of the page contents context around the found search term. If you search for multiple words it returns pages that contains all the words. You can't search for strings though, just words.

Users and permissions are done in the admin area. You can assign users to groups then assign permissions to those groups. You can also setup page rules for each group which is a rules-based engine. I find it unintuitive and would rather be able to assign permissions from editing the page though since you can't edit a folder structure that would be a bit of a problem. For secret pages what I did is give the non-admin groups a rule that if a tag matches "secret" then read/write permissions are denied which seems clumsy but at least works.

You can upload images and really any file via Edit Page > Insert Assets command (a bit clumsy again but it works). Assets are kept in the same folder structure as wiki pages (the folder navigator doesn't show assets) and the files follow the same naming conventions. Like any web server assets have to be directly getable from a web browser -- I use assets to store podcast feed.xml files which I can then serve (which is something I can do in RapidWeaver too though the URLs would all have /resources/ in them since the assets folder is fixed).

Summary

Wiki.js is easy to install and has a clean, adaptive default UI. Creating and editing pages is easy. User administration, navigation bar setup and permissions setup is clumsy (Wiki.js is more of a small workgroup solution than one for dozens or more editors). It's a very portable solution. It's open source and the source code is on github. Overall I'm pretty happy with it.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-06-09T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230609-spot-reviews-06-09-23.html#unique-entry-id-580https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230609-spot-reviews-06-09-23.html#unique-entry-id-580Joy Sushi, San Mateo [/] Mostyl sushi with some Japanese bento and other dishes. I had the Mexicano Roll ($16, shrimp tempura, grilled beef, cream cheese, deep fried jalapeño, crab meat, avocado, unagi sauce, spicy mayo) and an Oregon Roll ($9, salmon and avocad0. The Maxicano Roll was big and quite filling. The Oregon Roll was good but by itself would not have been enough. It's sushi and tastes fine to me.

Movie - Taken 3 (2014) [/] Rewatched Taken 3 recently cause I was hankering for Liam Neeson action goodness and even though it's the third film in the series it's still pretty entertaining. I like Forest Whitaker playing the LAPD inspector trying to catch Bryan Mills (Neeson).

Book - New Tales of the Yellow Sign (2013) [/] A collection of Robin D Laws' short stories set in his Yellow Sign RPG universe. That universe has four eras and these stories span those eras. Eight stories and all good except one which I kind of skimmed through cause it wasn't for me.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-06-07T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230607-movie-dungeons-and-dragons-honor-among-thieves-2023.html#unique-entry-id-579https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230607-movie-dungeons-and-dragons-honor-among-thieves-2023.html#unique-entry-id-579Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is I think the best attempt that a D&D movie. Whereas the three previous movies (two of them non-theatrical) tried for serious fantasy drama using moderate/low budgets and mostly failed this one goes for more campy with a fairly big budget (and the special effects are for the most part quite good). Think of it as a D&D Forgotten Realms campaign brought to the big screen.

The Initial Party

• Edgin Darvis (Chris Pine) - former Harper and leader of the band, a bard who comes up with the plans
• Holga Kilgore (Michelle Rodriguez) - Edgin's barbarian friend who is sort of second mother to his daughter Kira (Chloe Coleman)
• Simon Aumar (Justice Smith) - a sorcerer who is not that good with magic, unless he's under a lot of stress
• Forge Fitzwilliam (Hugh Grant) - the face man of the group

Edgin lost his wife a few years ago. He and the party are hired by the wizard Sofina (Daisy Head) to break into the Harper stronghold and loot it. Edgin is willing to do that because inside the vault room is the Tablet of Reawakening which would allow him to resurrect his dead wife (in this version getting killed by a Thayan magic dagger is permanent, though I guess we never see Raise Dead used in this movie). The heist kind of succeeds but Edgin and Holga are caught and sent to prison.

Two years later Edgin and Holga escape and search for Kira who is living under the care of Forge who is now Lord of Neverwinter. Turns out Forge is a bit of an asshat who's been lying to Kira about her father. Forge and Sofina (his wizard adviser) kick the two out of Neverwinter. (I think by now the audience also knows that Sofina is a Red Wizard of Thay, who are the evil evil bad guys in the Forgotten Realms). Edgin decides to break into Neverwinter's vault, steal the Tablet of Reawakening, raise his wife and prove to Kira he was telling the truth. To do that he forms a party.

The Second Party

• Edgin
• Holga
• Simon
• Doric (Sophia Lillis) - tiefling druid though pretty much only does wildshaping into different animals and inflicting spells via a hand sling, she and Simon dated for a while but it ended badly though Simon still has feelings
• Xenk Yendar (Regé-Jean Page) - a paladin who joins the party for a bit for questing in the Underdark, he has experience with Thayan Red Wizards.

They have to get some items. Then there's a heist to get into the Neverwinter vault. When they're captured Forge gives them one chance for a pardon if they win the High Sun Games, five teams compete in a death maze to get to the end first though most teams get TPK'd (total party killed). The party cleverly makes it out through a loophole (and we briefly see the characters from the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon competing in the maze) and make their escape out of the city.

But that's when Sofina enacts her plan to turn all the audience into zombies so the party has to head back to save the day...

I think if you go in expecting this to be like an actual-play D&D campaign then you'll enjoy it more. There's a lot of silly stuff between the characters that you'd see in over-the-board D&D. I like that they don't really call out the classes showing that the classes aren't straightjackets. Also not everyone is casting spells, sometimes the spells are just their abilities.

All in all it's a better movie than I expected and pretty enjoyable.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-06-05T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230605-apple-news-plus.html#unique-entry-id-578https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230605-apple-news-plus.html#unique-entry-id-578Apple News+ and I won't be renewing because it's not for me. There are two categories of new material:

A selection of newspapers, many of which are only on + not the regular Apple News. This is more like a web-site view though. I kind of like my newspapers as issues. The selection is not that varied though for me The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle and Sacramento Bee are ones I might read.

A bigger selection of newsstand magazines with back issues going to Mar/Apr 2018. These seem to be the full magazines including ad pages. You can kind of swipe left and right to go to the next article though didn't seem to work all the time. It's kind of like a scrollable web view where most article are shown big and you have to swipe down. I'd rather read a PDF on my 10" iPad because one page looks fine in that screen size.

For $10 a month if you can read a newspaper and a couple of magazines I guess that's about the same price. For me though I don't really read newspapers and the magazine selection was not for me. There are three Mac magazines: MacFormat, MacLife, MacWorld and they're nice but I don't keep up with Mac stuff as much these days. There is Sports Illustrated and some other sports magazines though for secondary sports. Lots of adult hobby magazines: kitchen and gardening and so on. Life style magazines, celebrity-type magazines,...

Comes down to it there's nothing there I really want to read so I'll pass on Apple News+.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-06-02T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230602-spot-reviews-06-02-23.html#unique-entry-id-577https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230602-spot-reviews-06-02-23.html#unique-entry-id-577Charm Thai Eatery, San Mateo [+] Pad Kee Mao with Pork - rice noodles, pork, tomatoes, string beans, onions, (max spice) = good and eventually quite spicy. Garlic fish + Coconut rice = tasty and after the spicy really cooled off my mouth.

Novel - The Apocalypse Troll (1999) [/] David Weber science fiction novel about a Marine Corps Colonel and pilot Ludmilla Leonovna from the future who ends up crash landing on Earth and rescued by US Navy SEAL Captain Dick Aston. She has to stop an alien that also came to Earth, one capable of destroying humanity before they become a threat to his masters... It's kind of typical David Weber science fiction storytelling although a bit weird because everything is told from the POV of characters other than Ludmilla even though she's the through line of the plot.

Apple Arcade - LEGO Builder's Journey (2019) [/] Solve puzzles by building and changing LEGO structures. UI is a bit fiddly though and I'd hate to play this on an iPhone. Does look nice.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-05-31T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/29239531-tv-series-extraordinary-attoryney-woo-s1-2022.html#unique-entry-id-576https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/29239531-tv-series-extraordinary-attoryney-woo-s1-2022.html#unique-entry-id-576Extraordinary Attorney Woo is a South Korean legal drama with 16 hour-long episodes in season 1. The titular protagonist is Woo Young-woo (Park Eun-bin), recently graduated from the top university and now a junior lawyer at the prestigious Hanbada firm.

Woo is also autistic so the themes are about how she, her coworkers, and others deal with her disability. Woo brings a photographic memory and a love of whales to her work but at times she lacks empathy and social awareness. She does quickly win over her boss, senior attorney Jung Myung-seok (Kang Ki-young), and forms a stronger bond with former classmate Choi Su-yeon (Ha Yoon-kyung) who is also in Jung's team. Unfortunately there's Kwon Min-woo (Joo Jong-hyuk), a fellow junior attorney who resents Woo's rise and is kind of the bad guy in the group.

Finally there's Lee Jun-ho (Kang Tae-oh) in the litigation team, sort of a fixer/legwork guy who is often attached to the team on cases. Lee is quite attracted to Woo though it takes her a long time to realize this. Then it's an awkward relationship as she tries to be a good girlfriend but doesn't know how. Their relationship has ups and downs throughout the season and a highlight of the series.

Every episode has a court case and almost all of the cases last one episode. It kind of follows the format where the team goes in and starts arguing the case and there's a setback that they have to solve during the break before the next day's court session (these are big cases so they take several days). There's investigation and interviewing people and negotiating and usually Woo ends up connecting a few facts to achieve the breakthrough needed.

This is an entertaining series even watching with subtitles.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-05-29T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230529-comics-lady-mechanika-v1-6-2010.html#unique-entry-id-575https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230529-comics-lady-mechanika-v1-6-2010.html#unique-entry-id-575Lady Mechanika is an alt-history Victorian Steampunk comic book by Joe Benitez. Lady Mechanika is a British lady detective living in Mechanika, City of Tomorrow and a gathering place for inventors from all over the world. She goes around solving mysteries and fighting mechanical and supernatural monsters whilst trying to find out her true origins.

She was found as a teen without her memories and with a highly modified body -- arms and legs replaced with mechanical limbs (which give her great strength and speed), red eyes (which don't seem to do anything), a dark viscous blood (which gives her fast healing). Add to that gadgets invented by her friend Archibald C Lewis and Lady Mechanika is quite formidable.

This is a series marked by really good art, lots of dialogue and lots of people talking British, and a bit more clockwork and mysticism than steampunk. The stories are entertaining and bit bloody.

Volumes

v1 The Mystery of the Mechanical Corpse (5-1/2 issues) - A dead girl with mechanical arms much like Lady M's. Could the same inventor have created them both?

v2 The Table of Destinies (6 issues) - Lady Mechanika and her young friend Winifred travel to Africa in search of her Geographic Society father, who may be on the verge of finding an ancient mountain-breaking weapon.

v3 The Lost Boys of West Abbey (2 issues) - Orphan boys are going missing. Detective Inspector Singh of the Mechanika City Police needs Lady Mechanika's help.

v? La Dama de la Muerte (3 issues) - I haven't read this one though the events are referenced in v6.

v4 The Clockwork Assassin (3 issues) - Former colleagues of Mr Lewis are being murdered by a clockwork woman who is stronger and faster than Lady Mechanika.

v5 La Belle Dame Sans Merci (3 issues) - Mr Lewis falls in love with a woman who inspires great creativity in exchange for his life force.

v6 Sangre (5 issues) - Lady Mechanika is hired to excise demons haunting a boy in Spain, though those demons turn out to be vampires, but vampires being hunted by something even more dangerous than them.

v? The Monster of the Ministry of Hell (4 issues) - I haven't read this one.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-05-26T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230526-spot-reviews-05-26-23.html#unique-entry-id-574https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230526-spot-reviews-05-26-23.html#unique-entry-id-574Ivory (2023) [+] Tapbots made a well-regarded Twitter client and when Twitter shut down their 3rd party API they had to pivot and make a Mastodon client, so I guess the UI is much like Tweetbot. Compared with the official Mastodon client, Ivory is available as a Mac app not just iOS/iPad. I feel it has a cleaner interface (Mastodon client seems a bit too busy). Ivory is $25 per year subscription so if you're needs are very modest the standard Mastodon client is good enough.

KFC Secret Recipe Fries [/] Kind of salty french fries, more or less normal size. Bigger than McDonalds and Popeyes fries, which are very good fresh but because they're thinner they stale fast and are easy to overcook. By the time I returned home the KFC Fries were a bit cool but still tasted fine and had good texture.

Movie - Hunt (2022) [/] This is a South Korean spy thriller set in the 1980's. There's a high placed North Korean mole in South Korea's intelligence apparatus. National Security subchiefs Park Pyong-ho (Lee Jung-jae), head of the Foreign Unit, and Kim Jung-do (Jung Woo-sung), head of the Domestic Unit, are pitted against each other trying to discover which of them is the mole. Although there's a twist -- one of them is indeed an NK mole but the other is part of a plot to stage a military coup so neither has South Korea's best interests at heart. I did find the actors a bit too similar so I got lost about who was who in certain scenes but it was still a moderately exciting movie.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-05-24T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230524-ova-fragtime-2019.html#unique-entry-id-573https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230524-ova-fragtime-2019.html#unique-entry-id-573Fragtime is a one hour video animation. Moritani (Miku Itō) is a high school student who has the ability to stop time for three minutes a day, which she often uses to get away from awkward social situations. And then she meets Murakami (Yume Miyamoto) who turns out is not affected by the time stop.

With that the two become friends for three minutes at a time. Moritani the introvert and Murakami one of pretty and popular girls in school. As the girls become closer Murakami starts drifting into more outrageous timeout behavior. But once Moritani reveals her power is fading it causes a crisis because they were both using the timeout to hide from their handicaps which they are now going to have to face and resolve one way or the other...

It's booth a teen romance and a coming of age drama. Moritani has to overcome her shyness. Murakami has to kind of get past the fact that she sort of lives to appease everyone else -- she knows everyone's secrets and uses that knowledge to "grant" their wishes but there is no room in Murakami's life for herself.

It is a pretty good yuri story.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-05-22T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230522-apple-arcade-takeshi-and-hiroshi.html#unique-entry-id-572https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230522-apple-arcade-takeshi-and-hiroshi.html#unique-entry-id-572Takeshi and Hiroshi is a simple combat game in six stages wrapped by an animated story. Middle-grade student Takeshi is making a video game but is stuck with the monster AI. His ill little brother Hiroshi begs to play it so Takeshi lets him play it and uses his laptop to play the monsters. Hiroshi is delighted so each night Takeshi tries to get a bit more of the game done and each night he has to be the GM for an unsuspecting Hiroshi. Takeshi's new friends get involved and the story has a bit of a resolution though it's really not much of a story, almost more of a chapter one.

The game itself is a combat game. The hero faces five stages of opponents. As the GM you get nine opponents to choose from and the order you choose them is the order the hero attacks them. The objective is to choose one or more opponents such that the hero wins while having few hit points left. This increases his excitement score which you need to get to a certain level that goes up in each level (also there is a new monster type or two each level). Once combat starts it goes automatically though you get two buttons for defend and power attack (each ability usable once per combat).

It's a bit tricky to make sure combat comes out right since damage is a little variable. Took me a couple of nights to finish the whole game which is why I think of it as chapter one because there really isn't much to it. The animated story is a nice touch but very laggy on my old iPad. Overall I did like the game even though it's for a younger audience I think.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-05-19T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230519-spot-reviews-05-19-23.html#unique-entry-id-571https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230519-spot-reviews-05-19-23.html#unique-entry-id-571Hornblower's Navy: Life at Sea in the Age of Nelson (1998) [/] This is a big softcover book with photographs and is an introductory level book detailing the British navy during the Napoleonic Era. The people, the ships, the life aboard, the combat tactics. There is very little tie-in to CS Forester's works other than the two-page intro and a few mentions here and there. It's a good general overview and even after reading all the Hornblower and Aubrey/Maturin novels there is a lot in Hornblower's Navy that I didn't know.

TV Movie - Backyard Wedding (2010) [/] Romantic tv movie. Kim (Alicia Witt) returns home for the wedding of her dreams. But her childhood friend and ex-husband Evan (Teddy Sears) is also around because his parents live next to her parents. Kim becomes more and more conflicted because her fiancée Jeffrey (Ryan Bittle) seems more concerned about his business deals than the wedding and Evan is being ever so helpful during her crisis... It's an ok movie.

Apple Arcade - Unleash the Light (2019) [/] An rpg-style adventure game set in the Steven Universe with cartoony graphics and voice acting from the cast. Steven and his friends must recover three crystals from two bad guys. Story and bad guys co-created by Rebecca Sugar who created Steven Universe... It has good theming and the battles are JRPG-style but without lots of random encounters so that's good.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-05-17T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230517-anime-akiba-maid-war-2022.html#unique-entry-id-570https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230517-anime-akiba-maid-war-2022.html#unique-entry-id-570Akiba Maid War is a 12-episode half hour anime series set in the Japanese city of Akihabara in 1999. Nagomi Wahira (Reina Kondō) arrives in the big city to start her new job as at Oinky Donk Maid Cafe, which turns out to be the lowest tier maid cafe in the city. She and the other new girl Ranko Mannen (Rina Satō), though a 35-year old new maid trainee, are sent to another cafe to deliver a message. A message which happens to be an insult and a firefight erupts wherein Ranko manages to kill all the maids of the rival cafe.

This is an alt-universe where there are lots of different themed maid cafes and they're all competing in an organized crime fashion (not really vices though other than gambling; the maid cafes do the normal maid cafe activities though I wouldn't know what those are exactly). There are two main organizations, one based on animals and one based on space aliens, and the cafes are themed along those lines so Oinky Donk is pig-themed and the top tier cafe is lion themed.

Nagomi finds herself in the last place maid cafe in the animals org. Yumechi (Minami Tanaka) is the main moneymaker, Shiipon (Tomoyo Kurosawa) is a tanned blonde maid who plays at being a bit happy and ditsy, Zoya (Jenya) is a maid from Russia that arrives later (interesting that the intro doesn't change it's just that the first few intros scratch out her face so you don't know who the mystery maid is). Yasuko Yaegashi (Ayahi Takagaki) is the manager and owner, often tired and depressed and sometimes manic and gunho.

The story is mainly about Nagomi trying to be the best maid she can be and trying to make her coworkers the best that they can be and to do it all non-violently. Especially later on when the cafe is up against the aliens and later their own org Nagomi tries to resolve matters peacefully. Meanwhile Ranko is old-school maid (and she has a lot of backstory revealed throughout the series) who is much more willing to follow violence with violence and she's very good at the violence.

I like concept and cute girls + violence themes. The conflict ramps up and up throughout the season and the story comes to a satisfying conclusion with a few tears along the way. This is a story that doesn't need continuing though another story set in the same universe with a new set of characters would be fine.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-05-15T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230515-pyramid-v4-2021.html#unique-entry-id-569https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230515-pyramid-v4-2021.html#unique-entry-id-569Pyramid v4 as an irregularly issued Kickstarter-funded magazine. The first Kickstarter was three PDF issues (each eventually being 52 pages) for $6. A year and a half later the second Kickstarter was once again $6 for three 52-page issues.

The articles are the excellent GURPS or systemless topics that you'd see in Pyramid v3. But from the Kickstarter bonus rewards it's easy to guess that most articles would be 4 pages -- which I think the first four issues were that way, often using art to fill out an article to four pages (and saving a little space by moving author credits to a page at the end). I think issue five had a two-article series to more fully cover one topic while issue six had a 3-page and a 6-page article.

I don't think v4 is quite as good as v3 mostly because the typica v4 3-1/2 page article means very small topics or a brief part of a bigger topic. On the other hand v3 was very low on art while v4 has lots of art, though not sure how much of that is original art. Overall though I want to see more GURPS material published so I'm fine with Pyramid v4 continuing if this is how they can realistically fund it.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-05-12T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230512-spot-reviews-05-12-23.html#unique-entry-id-568https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230512-spot-reviews-05-12-23.html#unique-entry-id-568Guildlings (2019) [/] A simpler RPG adventure game where you guide a group of kids through various objectives. There is a lot of dialogue as a key element is responding correctly to each kid so the get happier. Fairly well done and kind of interesting but aimed at a younger audience.

Apple Arcade - Marble It Up: Mayhem! (2019) [/] You directly control a marble and try to get it to the end as fast as possible. Levels can be tracks or more miniature golf-type layouts. There are power-ups, moving obstacles, and other things as you'd expect. Not terribly interesting.

Apple Arcade - UFO on Tape: First Contact (2019) [/] This is a safari photography type game. You're traveling, which you don't control, and have a camera which you do control. Look around, zoom in and out, and take pictures of UFOs and their activities. Each level has lots of picture targets and you get money for them and you kind of have to keep redoing a level to get enough pictures to advance. At least it's an unusual game concept.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-05-10T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230510-movie-guardians-of-the-galaxy-vol-3-2023.html#unique-entry-id-567https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230510-movie-guardians-of-the-galaxy-vol-3-2023.html#unique-entry-id-567last GotG movie the crew go up against Rocket's (Bradley Cooper) creator the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji). After a failed capture attempt by Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) Rocket is left dying. Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), Nebula (Karen Gillan), Drax (Dave Bautista), Groot (Vin Diesel) and Mantis (Pom Klementieff) go on a heist to get the codes that will unlock Rocket's suicide bomb (the High Evolutionary likes to keep his proprietary secrets) so they can then heal him. Eventually though they'll have to face off against HE himself on his huge pyramid space ship.

The action and humor are good. Graphics are great. Story is a bit simple but fine for a superhero movie. The subplots are the best part though. Everybody sort of resolves their issues:

• Star-Lord finally lets go of the idea that he and the new Gamora are meant to be together and he decides to head back to Earth to reconcile with his grandfather.
• Gamora realizes that the old Gamora did have a good family in the GotG but the new Gamora also has a good family in the Ravagers.
• Nebula maybe realizes she's too negative and critical of others and in the end decides to become mayor of Knowhere.
• Drax gets everyone else to realize he's not the stupid brick of the team, he's good with kids, and accepts Nebula's offer to join her running Knowhere which has a huge influx of super-smart kids.
• Groot finally develops into his adult form which is quite the combat monster.
• Mantis realizes she's always trying to help everyone but herself so she decides to leave the group in order to find out who she really is.

This is a good ending to the first GotG team and I like that we have a postscript showing Rocket leading a new team with Groot, Adam Warlock, a flying brick born in the previous movie; Kraglin (Sean Gunn), former Ravager and inheritor of Yondu's whistle-guided needle weapon; Cosmo (Maria Bakalova), a telekinetic/telepathic Russian space dog; and Phyla (Kai Zen), one of the rescued super-smart kids.

Overall, GotG v1 was great, v2 was a letdown, v3 brings it back to great.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-05-08T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230508-books-cold-welcome-2017-and-into-the-fire-2018.html#unique-entry-id-566https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230508-books-cold-welcome-2017-and-into-the-fire-2018.html#unique-entry-id-566Elizabeth Moon's Cold Welcome (2017) and Into the Fire (2018) comprise the two novels in Vatta's Peace, sequel to her five book series Vatta's War. This is a science fiction far future universe where mankind is spread amongst the galaxy and Earth is kind of a myth. Faster-than-light travel with FTL communications limited to on-planet facilities (Vatta's Peace introduces FTL communications that can be installed in starships which makes for a great combat multiplier, and in the end even FTL communications that can be mounted in your head though it's not always-on/needs external power to function).

Cold Welcome has Ky Vatta, head of the multi-nation Space Defense Force, return to her home planet of Slotter Key where she gets caught up in the assassination of the Slotter Key Academy Commandant. Her shuttles crashes into the bleak and arctic southern ocean and she helps the survivors get themselves organized and into rafts and they actually make it to Miksland, the forbidden continent.

Miksland has been uninhabited for hundreds of years but not really because the survivors find a military-style mining camp and that discovery puts them all in great danger from the conspiracy that has kept Miksland a forbidden zone...

Into the Fire starts a month or two after the survivors are rescued. Ky is dealing with some issues like the military wants to try her for a murder or two in Miksland and immigration wants to kick her off the planet because she is not a citizen and her visa expired while she was on Miksland. And then three of the Miksland survivors show up having recently escaped from confinement.

it seems the conspiracy took all the other survivors and locked them away with the excuse of carrying a dangerous pathogen from Miksland and they're all going to be eventually murdered to keep the Miksland secret. Ky takes it upon herself to rescue the others and meanwhile the conspirators are also out to silence Ky permanently...

I've read Moon's Herris Serrano trilogy (1993-5), Vatta's War series (2003-8) and now Vatta's Peace and all of them have kind of the same writing style so maybe that's how Moon writes. Lots of detail, sometimes going into minutia that doesn't really advance the plot, and sometimes plots are resolved very quickly with not too many consequences. It's great reading and I quite enjoyed her books but in the end there is still a nagging "could have used a stricter editor" feeling.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-05-05T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230505-spot-reviews-05-05-23.html#unique-entry-id-565https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230505-spot-reviews-05-05-23.html#unique-entry-id-565Bubble (2022) [/] Anime movie set in the present in a water-filled central Tokyo where teens play competitive parkour. Loner Hibiki (Jun Shison) encounters Uta (Riria), a mysterious girl who doesn't talk but sings a familiar melody... The movie makes it clear that Uta is much like The Little Mermaid, a water alien who falls in love with an Earth boy. But will this be a happy or sad ending? It's an ok story with good animation.

Restaurant - Joy City, Elk Grove [/] My parents ordered takeout from here. Perfectly average Chinese food and would eat here again.

Apple Arcade - Sociable Soccer '21 (2019) [-] A light soccer game where you manage your team and control them during the game. Has a few bugs on my iPad which makes it possibly unplayable (e.g. you can't tap and hold for kick power, when you tap it immediately kicks the ball). I also mis-clicked on my manager picture and you can't change it until the next season.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-05-03T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230503-john-wick-chapter-4-2023.html#unique-entry-id-564https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230503-john-wick-chapter-4-2023.html#unique-entry-id-564John Wick: Chapter 4 is probably the last film of the series. As the naming suggests, the four movies are a continuous story each sequel beginning right after or pretty close to right after the previous one.

Wick (Keanu Reeves) is out for revenge and a way out. He decides he's going to kill all twelve of the High Table but after the first one the High Table strikes back, charging the Marquis Vincent de Gramont (Bill Skarsgård) with ending Wick and giving de Gramont access to all High table resources.

de Gramont punishes Winston Scott (Ian McShane), head of the New York Continental Hotel, and deconsecrates then destroys the hotel (I like that the High Table has all these ancient traditions wrapped with a Catholic mien -- kind of like Vampire the Masquerade without the Vampires). He then brings back retired assassin Caine (Donnie Yen) to hunt down Wick as Caine is a close friend of Wick's but is tied to the High Table because of his daughter.

Wick flees to the Osaka Continental Hotel run by his friend Shimazu Koji (Hiroyuki Sanada) but de Gramont's men and Caine track him down leading to a battle in the hotel. Wick flees to his old family and manages to convince the new head (by doing an action-packed mission) to take him back in so that he can challenge de Gramont to a duel in Paris. But de Gramont has one last card as he puts a big enough bounty on Wick that every merc in Paris is out to stop him from reaching the dueling site by dawn (which would be a forfeit)...

Chapter 4 doesn't really bring anything new to the series. It's still a lot of gunplay and hand-to-hand combat in stylish European locations with long luxurious fight scenes at each location: the Osaka Hotel museum with lots of glass display cases, an Eastern European night club with dancing crowd and lights and lots of water, a big roundabout in Paris in the dead of night but with lots of cars to dodge, going up the almost-300 steps fighting all the way as Wick tries to reach the dueling site.

There's one fight where the camera moves up then points down so you're looking at a gunfight in a building from directly above watching Wick dodge in and out shooting bad guys with a gun that shoots exploding bullets. It's a bit over-the-top video game violence but looks cool and is only a couple of minutes.

Overall the John Wick formula continues to work and makes for a nice action-packed film even though it's the longest film at 2h 40m. Wouldn't want to watch them back to back but with 2 to 4 years in between each the series managed to do four entertaining movies.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-05-01T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230501-apple-arcade-discolored-2019.html#unique-entry-id-563https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230501-apple-arcade-discolored-2019.html#unique-entry-id-563Discolored is short first-person puzzle game set a lonely empty diner. At first everything is grey-scale. But as you find three crystals (green, blue, red) and emplace them anything that has that color is painted with the color.

What this does is reveal things that were solely that color or reveal parts of things hidden because that color was not enabled. And later on you sometimes have to disable a color in order to make an obstacle disappear. You also have these stereoscopic ViewMaster like glasses. Sometimes you find an insert and that allows you to see a hidden object.

The graphics are fairly basic. The background sounds and occasional spooky music plays.

The puzzles are not too hard and very linear in that you specifically have to do A before you can do B -- you don't have several puzzles that can be done intermingled but that all must be done to proceed. In terms of inventory, when you're done with an item it disappears so you know you're done with it (a very few items are used more than once each).

Because of the linear puzzles the hint system is quite nice. Any time you're stuck you can go to Settings -> Hints and get a hint on what to do next. It might be something like "why not take a look at the well again" or "you can combine parts in your inventory".

It's an easy-going puzzle game that took me two or three hours to play. Maybe five hours if I had not used any clues (I think I used the hints four or five times). Definitely feels like chapter 1 of a story but there was never any follow up in this game. Instead I see there is a Discolored 2 in development on Steam.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-04-28T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230428-spot-reviews-04-28-23.html#unique-entry-id-561https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230428-spot-reviews-04-28-23.html#unique-entry-id-561Fighting Men of the Civil War (1989), Commanders of the Civil War (1990), Battlefields of the Civil War (1991). Fighting Men I found the subject boring. Commanders was better but it doesn't tell a coherent story and is more like a million anecdotes. Battlefields was the best with each chapter focusing on a specific battle. Lots of photographs and color drawings to go with the text. Ultimately though I have better ACW books so this set I'm getting rid of.

Movie - Unknown (2011) [/] Liam Neeson plays Professor Martin Harris visiting Germany with his wife for a bio-tech conference. Unfortunately he gets into a car accident and loses much of his memory and when he finds his wife (January Jones) again she has a different Martin (Aidan Quinn) as her husband. Harris' only ally is the cab driver (Diane Kruger) who was driving him when the car accident happened but she's an illegal immigrant with problems of her own... Kind of an interesting plot though easy to predict and Neeson is not playing a killing machine (maybe I watch too many Liam Neeson-playing-a-badass movies).

Kevin's Natural Foods - Lemongrass Chicken [-] This is a 2-package pack of sous-vide cooked chicken with a separate sauce. Open chicken pack, drain, microwave for 2 min, drain again, add sauce, microwave for 1 min. It's chicken breast strips and very tender. But the sauce is not that great so quite underwhelming dish.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-04-26T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230426-movie-star-trek-the-motion-picture.html#unique-entry-id-562https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230426-movie-star-trek-the-motion-picture.html#unique-entry-id-562
I recently rewatched ST:TMP Director's Cut version and my fondness for this film grows. It's a slow moving story with not that much action making for not the greatest motion picture. But now I look at it as a classic science fiction novel brought to film. Character focused, cerebral, wrapped around a mystery that is slowly revealed layer by layer. And then you get the last mystery revealed at the climax and it's resolved and the film ends. Very well done, even the part where they spend several minutes panning around the new Enterprise showing off the new model details.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-04-24T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230424-apple-arcade-mini-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-560https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230424-apple-arcade-mini-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-560Monomals (2019) [/] Kids game with two components. In one you are a plug going through an underwater dungeon getting past opponents, solving puzzles, then fighting the level boss. In the second component those level bosses are sounds and you get to compose your own songs in a simple audio studio. It's a weird combination and the song studio is better using touch than controller.

Apple Arcade - Super Mega Mini Party (2019) [/] Play lots of retro-like mini-games versus friends, other people, or AI. These are two player games and seem to take a minute or two to play. Kind of fun in a IRL party but not in general since none of the games have any depth to them.

Apple Arcade - Star Fetched (2019) [/] A cartoony sci-fi themed side-view platformer. Shoot boxes and bad guys to collect parts which you can use to build weapons and devices. Not terribly complex as there is only one type of part plus gold to buy things from shops. A bit of exploration to find semi-hidden areas where there might be more loot. Plus there are mini-bosses. It's ok but not interesting enough to keep playing for long.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-04-21T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230421-spot-reviews-04-21-23.html#unique-entry-id-559https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230421-spot-reviews-04-21-23.html#unique-entry-id-559Hogwash (2019) [/] 3v1 kids game. Three people play pigs on a farm who need to roll around in mud then shake it off to dirty the farmer's prize items (three things -- billboard, tractor, something else -- or the house which has three levels). Meanwhile the farmer uses a hose to clean off the mud, clean off the pigs, and if he catches a pig he ties it up (and another pig has to untie it). All third-person POV which did not agree with my motion sickness.

Apple Arcade - Fallen Knight (2019) [/] This is a side-scrolling arcade game. You're a knight who can jump around (including double jumps), wields an energy sword and has power ups. Go through each level battling enemies and then a level boss. Sort of a typical game of the genre except it seems less polished.

Apple Arcade - Jumper Jon (2019) [/] A bit of a cartoony side-view platformer where you need to explore and flip switches and find items to progress. Typical gameplay except you have 30 seconds and then the game resets to your last save point, unless you tap a feather to set your save point and give you another 30 seconds.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-04-19T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230419-walker-independence-2022.html#unique-entry-id-558https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230419-walker-independence-2022.html#unique-entry-id-558Walker: Independence is a drama on the CW network and a spin-off of Walker, though since it's set 100 years in the past and I haven't seen Walker I haven't noticed any connections other than the name of the main character.

Abby Walker (Katherine McNamara) and husband, traveling from the East Coast to the Old West town of Independence, are ambushed one night. Husband is killed and Abby left for dead. She is saved by a local American Indian, Calian (Justin Johnson Cortez) and, with a partial picture of the murderer in her mind, walks into town to report the crime.

But then runs into the new sheriff Tom Davidson (Greg Hovanessian) who she thinks is the murderer. Abby immediately thinks up of an alias (actually Abby Walker is her maiden name) and explains she's new in town and gets herself hired as the sheriff's assistant.

Determined to prove that sheriff Davidson is the murderer she befriends and recruits allies: rogue and sometimes train robber Hoyt Rawlins (Matt Barr), saloon dance girl show coordinator Kate Carver (Katie Findlay), Calian and his friend deputy sheriff Augustus Philemon Chambers), and I guess by the end of the season Chinese restauranter and laundry man Kai (Lawrence Kao)...

It's not an amazing show but kind of moves along. It's got twists along the way the main one being whether or not sheriff Davidson is the murderer cause he's a bit of bad guy but seems to genuinely want to protect Independence. Naturally the other characters have their own subplots which makes this a rather ensemble show and it's not all about Abby Walker.

Season one is thirteen episodes and by the end there are enough interesting subplots left hanging that I'm kind of looking forward to season two and hopefully also thirteen episodes to keep the main plot focused.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-04-17T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230417-the-mosaic-2019.html#unique-entry-id-557https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230417-the-mosaic-2019.html#unique-entry-id-557The Mosaic you play a young adult who is beaten down by the drudgery of work. Each day you go to work and do a work mini-game. But as the next day unfolds things start to change a bit. You get to see more of the dreary world but you also get to experience a few bright moments before you get to work and do the mini-game, which also changes as your mood changes. Still, not a particularly interesting game.

I ended up spending several hours on the second mini-game, which is a phone game called BlipBlop and you can pretty much call it up whenever and play a bit. It's tap (blip) to get energy (blops) then when you have enough energy you can upgrade three items: how much energy each tap gives you, an auto-energy collector and how much capacity it has, speed up auto-energy collection.

When you get to level 100 you can collect Prestige which resets you back to level 1 and no upgrades but now you have a 20% blip bonus (which increases as you keep collecting Prestige). Meanwhile there is also a ten second 45% bonus when you level up and a frenzy bonus if you tap fast enough, something like +35% after 30 seconds and +70% after a minute which resets if you stop tapping quickly.

It's a pointless game and yet addictive as I can tap while watching Twitch or whatever. All of the 29 Game Center achievements are related to BlipBlop. The highest level is Prestige 10 times which seems doable in four days. But then there's collect 1T blops (luckily the counter never resets after collecting Prestige) which seems impossible as I've only gotten like 100M blops after a day. A really clever way to keep engagement for OCD users.

I'm writing this review so I can delete this game and not be tempted by BlipBlop, perhaps the most idealized simplified version of a constant dopamine-hit game.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-04-14T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230414-spot-reviews-04-14-23.html#unique-entry-id-556https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230414-spot-reviews-04-14-23.html#unique-entry-id-556Last Looks (2022) [/] Sort of a modern day noir-ish film. Disgraced former Los Angeles PD detective Charlie Waldo (Charlie Hunnam) returns to Hollywood to solve the murder of the wife of tv personality Alastair Pinch (Mel Gibson) and either absolve or incriminate him. Meanwhile there are a couple of other parties that don't want him investigating even though unrelated to the murder. With Lucy Fry as the possible Femme Fatale and Morena Baccarin in a cameo as Waldo's ex-flame... It's got a good setup and quirky characters but doesn't quite deliver.

Food - Trader Joe's Shakshuka Starter [/] A small stew of tomatoes and peppers. You can microwave it from frozen in less than 10 minutes including adding a couple of eggs for the last couple of minutes. Tastes ok and it's like $2.

Apple Arcade - Pac-Man Party Royale (2019) [-] Pac-Man like games. Adventure: mini-games with different game rules (e.g. you're a ghost, herd pac-man into the flag). Battle Arena: play vs 3 others in an arena eating dots and picking up weapons to kill the other pac-men. You can also play Battle Arena with friends. Taking a classic game and making it un-fun.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-04-12T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230412-mlb-daily-recap.html#unique-entry-id-553https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230412-mlb-daily-recap.html#unique-entry-id-553
In each game they show highlights: every scoring at-bat and some miscellaneous great or notable plays. The video used is broadcast feeds I think because they have info graphics. There is no narration just the broadcast teams and it switches between the home and away teams I guess based on which had better narration though tending to be the home broadcast if the home team does well in the play or vice versa. About half the time you see the final out and the other half you see the last scoring play and then it moves on to the next game.

On the positive side 45 minutes of action is better than a few minutes in a Sports Center segment. But as I'm watching an episode its lack of cohesive narration makes for a disjointed experience. It's a lot of little clips without a story behind it (and yes the story is the game itself but watch Sports Center and see how they build up to dramatic moments and add emotion to your viewing experience).

I guess Apple is trying to make it more of a pure experience. Maybe it's that each game gets only 3 minutes or so. When I watch an NFL Highlights of a game it's 12 to 15 minutes and is a cohesive experience. Similarly the MLS 7-minute recaps are cohesive. Oh well, overall MLB Daily Recap doesn't work for me.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-04-10T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/202304100410-pyramid-v3-2008.html#unique-entry-id-555https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/202304100410-pyramid-v3-2008.html#unique-entry-id-555
Volume 3 went back to a more magazine format but only PDFs published monthly. Each PDF is high 30's to mid-40 pages long. Although I think there were some articles for third party rpgs earlier on it soon became about half generic articles (though covering GURPS topics) and half GURPS articles.

As a GURPS resource this is excellent. Articles go from 8 to 20 pages, usually around 8-12 pages. They retain SJG's excellent attention to good editing, good page references, and accurate GURPS stats. For $6 to $9 an issue (less with yearly subscriptions and the occasional Warehouse 23 discount) it's a fairly decent good value.

The negative is the magazine format. Over the years it's a lot of scattered articles so hard to find that one article you remember reading a while ago or all Supers articles for example. Also this is the place for some fairly niche articles: you have a hardback for the main topic, then a PDF supplement for a subtopic related to the hardback, then a Pyramid article that drills down one of the PDF topics.

To me the most useful articles are adventures, campaign ideas (with various level of detail writeups), and worked out examples of topics not really developed well in a hardback (e.g. concrete write ups for some of the alternate magic systems since each only had like one example in GURPS Thaumatology or more martial arts styles).

Overall for a GURPS fan I'd concentrate more on the PDF supplements but Pyramid v3 (and v4) would be the next priority.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-04-07T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230407-spot-reviews-04-07-23.html#unique-entry-id-554https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230407-spot-reviews-04-07-23.html#unique-entry-id-554Manifold Garden (2019) [+] First person puzzle game in an Escher-world. Wander around and open doors using colored blocks placed on pedestals. You can go to any wall and rotate to make it the floor. When you get outside your building you can fall and it's infinite because it looks around so rotating and falling just right is a strategy. It's a pretty cool game but I do not have the spatial sense to be good at it. It also looks simplistically beautiful.

Apple Arcade - Yaga the Roleplaying Folktale (2019) [/] Angled view adventure game where you talk to people, do little quests, fight monsters and upgrade your items. That last part is whole complex system of getting materials and recipes then adding powers to your weapon and maybe shield and armor. Unfortunately I got stuck in the initial village trying to find one guy to progress the quest line and I'm not really interested in a complicated crafting system. The game does have good voice acting and is heavy on Slavic culture and mythology.

Apple Arcade - Things That Go Bump (2019) [-] Physics-based platform combat game. You're a spirit. Inhabit household objects to create your form (body, legs, weapon) then fight other spirits. Combat is not precise which makes for an uninteresting game.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-04-05T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230405-tv-series-arrow-s7-and-s8-2018-19.html#unique-entry-id-552https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230405-tv-series-arrow-s7-and-s8-2018-19.html#unique-entry-id-552season 7 (22 episodes) and season 8 (10 episodes) ends the series.

Season 7 starts with Oliver "Green Arrow" Queen (Stephen Amell) in prison after he turns himself in at the end of season 6. The first third is him dealing with the prison life since he's a former vigilante stuck in with criminals he's put away. One he's out the main subplot is Emiko Queen (Sea Shimooka), Oliver's unknown half sister, who shows up to revenge herself on the Queens because dad abandoned Emiko and her mother.

The latter half of season 7 also introduces the 2040 timeline, which may be the first time we do flash forwards in the series. We're introduced to the kids now adults: Mia Smoak-Queen (Katherine McNamara), born in season 6; William Clayton (Ben Lewis), Oliver's illegitimate son who appeared in a few episodes here and there; Connor Hawke (Jospeh David-Jones), sort of John Diggle's (David Ramsey) adopted son (I think first appearance); and Wild Dog's (Rick Gonzalez) daughter Zoe Ramirez (Andrea Sixtos).

The four are sort of formed into a team by an elder Black Canary (Juliana Harkavy) and Earth-2 Black Canary (Katie Cassidy). In order to stop John Diggle Jr (Charlie Barnett) aka the new Deathstroke and his gang from destroying Star City.

Season 8 is a short one. The first seven episodes have The Monitor (LaMonica Garrett) sending Oliver to alternate Earths collecting items he needs to stop the Anti-Monitor. Episode 8 is the Crisis on Infinite Earths where Oliver dies as foretold possibly back in season 6. Episode 9 is set in 2040 after the Crisis so everything is a bit different but it's a backdoor pilot for a spin-off that didn't happen, Green Arrow and the Canaries. Episode 10 is back to the present to tie up a bunch of loose ends (and bringing back a lot of old characters) and have a proper funeral for Oliver. As a final scene, in 2040 The Monitor appears to take Felicity Smoak (Emily Bett Rickards) to Oliver where they "live" in some sort of dream universe happily ever after...

Not my favorite series but still sort of entertaining. Even though I like Katherine McNamara the 2040 timeline was a bit too dystopian in season 7 and kind of too normal after Crisis. I'm glad I finally finished watching the rest of the series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-04-03T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/c5874277dd03492f88639989bf8cea4a-551.html#unique-entry-id-551https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/c5874277dd03492f88639989bf8cea4a-551.html#unique-entry-id-551Ballistic Baseball is an Apple Arcade baseball game combining action and strategy.

The main action is pitcher vs batter. As the pitcher you choose your pitch and location then when you're ready to go there's a slider that moves horizontally back and forth which you need to stop in the center for the best pitch (and as the pitcher gets tired both the slider moves faster and the sweet spot gets narrower).

As a batter it's a bit simpler: position yourself left and right then either bunt or swing as the ball enters your hit zone. Here the key is being able to tell where the ball ends up because it's fast and tricky and for me I can see why hitting the ball is hard.

Once the ball is hit everything is automatic. Fielders field and runners run the bases.

You can also ignore pitching selection/placement and batter stance. The computer will pick initial pitch and placement (the computer will throw balls and strikes until there is a must throw strike situation) and you can just concentrate on getting the pitch timing correct. Similarly you can bat fairly well just swinging at every pitch; don't worry if the ball is a strike or not and just concentrate on timing of your swing.

The cool thing is an experience system where you can upgrade your players. You have nine batters (one for each fielding position except pitcher and a designated hitter) and four pitchers. Batters have four attributes (power, contact, speed, fielding) and pitchers have four attributes (control, stamina, velocity, fielding) and they range from 0 to 5 stars and improvements are 1/2 star per point. You can set player positions (speed in the outfield, fielding in the infield), batting order and your starting pitcher.

In career mode your team starts out semi-pro and as you gain experience and wins you move up to better leagues. Each game is one inning and can end in ties. A win gives you 5 training points, 3 for a tie and 2 for a loss. There is no league standings -- you're just playing games and move up leagues automatically.

Arcade mode you choose your team, park and playing conditions and it's just one 3-inning game. Ballistic Bash is home run derby type play where you get points for home runs and if your home run hits virtual targets in the stands. Career and Arcade you can play online, Arcade adds vs a friend online, Ballistic Bash you and friends can take turns.

In the end the game is kind of fun but not especially. I want actually league play with standings and playoffs. The training stuff gives you a bit of team development but you can't replace players and don't manage contracts. That said a game like Out of the Park Baseball is way too complicated so don't want to take it that far. But Ballistic Baseball leaves me wanting for a little bit better game.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-03-31T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230331-spot-reviews-03-31-23.html#unique-entry-id-550https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230331-spot-reviews-03-31-23.html#unique-entry-id-550Buffy the Vampire Slayer Panel to Panel (2015) [/] This is an art book showing off I think all comic book covers including variants for BtVS Season 8 and 9 plus some of the offshoots published by Dark Horse Comics. Jo Chen cover art is gorgeous and Steve Morris also did great covers (I like the more photo-realistic art). This is a good coffee table book.

HiroNori Craft Ramen, Santa Clara [/] I had Tonkotsu Ramen with thick noodles ($17). It was really good and the soup was delicious. One of the better ramens I've had (though still not particularly a fan of ramen).

Apple Arcade - Mind Symphony (2019) [/] A music rhythm game with two modes. In the first enemy ships are attacking from the left and right and you need to tap as they hit your shields. In the second, which is not a rhythm game mode, enemy ships roam the screen and you move your ship which automatically fires at them. Has some nice indie music tracks.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-03-29T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230329-obi-wan-kenobi-s1-2022.html#unique-entry-id-549https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230329-obi-wan-kenobi-s1-2022.html#unique-entry-id-549Obi-Wan Kenobi is a 6-episode drama set after Episode 3. We start with Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) hiding out on Tatooine being a nondescript humble worker whilst keeping a distant eye on young Luke Skywalker.

A team of Inquisitors arrive hunting for a rogue Jedi (but not Kenobi). But whilst there one of the Inquisitor's, Reva Sevander (Moses Ingram), feels Kenobi's presence and she is in particular thirsty to have her revenge on Kenobi (for reasons revealed later in the series). But Kenobi remains unfound.

Meanwhile on Alderaan we see a young Leia Organa (Vivien Lyra Blair) being a headstrong kid and bit exasperating to her parents. Leia is kidnapped by some mercenaries and taken off-world. A desperate Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits) calls Kenobi asking for help. Kenobi really doesn't want to because Luke is Kenobi's priority and maybe, after a decade, Kenobi is no longer all that much of a Jedi.

Still, eventually Kenobi agrees to look for Leia and travels off-world in search of her. All part Reva's plan to trap Kenobi...

This is a nice series to fill a bit of gap between Episodes 3 and 4. Later in the series we see an early Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) face off against Kenobi. We also see perhaps the beginning of the Rebellion forming.

It's a nice series and maybe only this one season.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-03-27T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230327-apple-arcade-inmost-2019.html#unique-entry-id-548https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230327-apple-arcade-inmost-2019.html#unique-entry-id-548Inmost is a side-scrolling puzzle platformer where you play three characters:

The man - this is your main character exploring the world and unlocking secrets.
The girl - some cut scenes involve a girl playing games in her family's house and also discovering secrets.
The knight - action cut scenes where you are the sword wielding, grappling hook using knight killing shadows.

There is a woman narrating (with text so you can always read what's being said) which is a nice touch.

The puzzles are mostly wandering around hitting spots where you can't continue but it tells you what item you need. When you find that item you can backtrack to the revealed spots. For the most part you can keep going forward as most revealed spots lead to pain shards and notes you can collect. Each note is a kid's picture with some meaning to the story.

The pain shards (up to 80 and I found 65 sometimes using a walkthrough) let you talk to a storyteller who gives a story about a witch and visitors and why the castle came to be. The castle is a significant part of the map and you slowly climb up along the side until you can break into it but turns out there's not like anything vital inside just the path to the next part of the map.

There are shadow creatures to avoid or kill. Many are killed by manipulating the environment or baiting them to jump off the edge (the man has no weapons ever and the girl never encounters any shadows). Other than areas you can't get to without an item and the shadows there aren't any other hindrances. Sometimes there are small puzzles: some shadows are tricky to kill or some object has to be manipulated just right. It's not a hard-puzzles game.

It took me about 15 hours to finish. I used a controller and things played fine. Touch might be harder as there are some action scenes. I did use a walkthrough for a few parts where I couldn't figure out how to progress (usually I gave it 10 or so minutes of wandering around before I gave up). Overall it's a mostly fun game though I guess not exceptional.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-03-24T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230324-spot-reviews-03-24-23.html#unique-entry-id-546https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230324-spot-reviews-03-24-23.html#unique-entry-id-546Stela (2019) [/] Apocalyptic side-scrolling puzzle/runner. The first level you're running from a horde of bug things and in each small section figure out the action you need to do to delay them like jumping just right or dragging a door closed. You die a lot and repeat the last section so gets a bit frustrating. From the preview looks like more timing puzzles so I don't think I want to do that for several hours. Also the background music and atmosphere is a bit scary.

Whole Foods Chocolate Truffle Tart [/] Haven't gotten a Whole Foods tart in a while and this one was a mistake on my part. I like the inside to be custard but this one is chocolate. Tasty but could be better. The crust is excellent as usual: dense and almost like a lightly-sugary cookie. On the positive side I don't have a craving to eat this other than with my first couple cups of coffee.

Netflix Movie - The Violence Action (2022) [-] Live action movie based on a manga. Kei (Kanna Hashimoto) is a high-school student who works as an assassin working out of a ramen shop (though not just assassinating people: the intro job is rescuing a girl from drug dealers, while also killing all said drug dealers). Her life is complicated when nerdy classmate Terano (Yôsuke Sugino) discovers her secret. I wanted to like this movie but the action scenes are quite bad and really this movie is spoiled by way too many jump cuts even walking from one place to another.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-03-22T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230322-apple-tv-plus-mls-2023.html#unique-entry-id-547https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230322-apple-tv-plus-mls-2023.html#unique-entry-id-547Major League Soccer (USA's tier 1 soccer league) just finished. I managed to watch two full games on Apple TV+ and highlights of other games while they were free. Rest of the season requires a season pass.

Notes

No game replays. When a game is over you can watch a 7-minute highlights video. If you start watching a game late you can start from the beginning and finish watching even after pausing.

Same as for Friday Night Baseball the preview images include the final score which I find very annoying.

The games themselves are generally good quality. Not as sharp as Friday Night Baseball but I think better than standard definition.


Overall this brief view of soccer hasn't made me really want to keep watching. I guess that's a bit up to the commentary. What made me love other sports is good commentators that explain the game and the strategies and tactics. From the two full games I've watched the commentators haven't really done that.

I'm hoping that if Apple TV+ continues to have a free game or two per week those games will have the A-team commentators.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-03-20T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230320-nitro-stream-racing.html#unique-entry-id-545https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230320-nitro-stream-racing.html#unique-entry-id-545Nitro Stream Racing is a Mario Kart-like racing game for streamers to play with their viewers and Captain TV also makes Stream Raiders. Streamer sets up a race. Players join by typing "!play" in chat or from the Stream Racing web site. Race mostly runs by itself though each racer has three messages they can "honk" and if they pick up a mega -- an attack that hopefully slows down the top racers -- they can activate it.

Like Stream Raiders you collect coins and experience which you use to customize your racer and driver and even power them up a bit. Also like Stream Raiders there is a race pass you can buy with real money to collect more rewards and there are streamer-specific items you can buy, such as a racing flag or car skins.

Currently I'm not particularly impressed. I think it's a bit too random. With all the megas and vehicles will crash and fall of the track by themselves (no deaths, after a few seconds you resume where you died) there is no sense of "someone is winning, there is a good chance they'll win the race". Also because of all the crash-ups the racers get pretty spread out so when streamer shows the race it's just the a few racer at a time. Mega is also a bit gimmicky as it gives you something to do but not something useful.

And if you think all the above Marbles on Stream doesn't have then you're right. I prefer Marbles as chill racing game that is also interesting to watch. Stream Racing is not necessarily intended as a direct competitor but it kind of is and as such kind of fails in my opinion.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-03-17T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230317-spot-reviews-03-17-23.html#unique-entry-id-544https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230317-spot-reviews-03-17-23.html#unique-entry-id-544ShockRods (2019) [-] Twin-stick vehicular combat in an arena. Drive around, pick up weapons, shoot the other cars. Doesn't seem to have much gameplay depth.

Sous Vide Sliced Grass-Fed Beef Sirloin [/] Cuisine Solutions sells Sous vide products (seal it then boil it to cook it). The one I received had two packs each with a one pound hunk of beef pre-sliced. You're supposed to open, heat in pan for 1 minute (it's cooked medium-rare so you want to warm it up but not cook it more) and serve. Tastes fine. $11.50 per pound (I'm guessing mom bought it at Costco) which compares well with Trader Joe's which has something equivalent that is about $17 per pound.

(2024-07-15) Had this again and it lasted a lot longer this time. Spaghetti and pesto and a couple of slices is a good meal. Similarly a slice or two in a ciabatta bread sandwich. With rice and vegetables it doesn't last as long.

Movie - Christmas With You (2022) [-] Aging pop star Angelina (Aimee Garcia) ends up rehabilitating with one of her biggest fans, Cristina (Deja Monique Cruz) and her high school music teacher father Miguel (Freddie Prinze Jr). I assume romance develops but after half an hour I couldn't make myself continue.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-03-15T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230315-call-me-hihiro-2023.html#unique-entry-id-543https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230315-call-me-hihiro-2023.html#unique-entry-id-543Call Me Chihiro is a slow-paced character drama set in Japan. Bento-shop cashier Chihiro (Kasumi Arimura) is a former sex worker (without ever specifying what she did; sex worker is a very broad field) with a patient and sunny outlook. In the sleepy coast town she lives in Chihiro meets various people -- a homeless man, a latch-key kid, a couple of middle-school girl outcasts, an old woman going blind -- and makes positive changes in their lives.

It's a movie with barely any plot. The characters are distinct and all going through their issues and their contact with Chihiro changes their course and helps them. One of the themes is that every person is like an alien from a different planet and meeting someone from your planet is a rare occurrence. So I guess you should expect that each person is quit different from you so just accept them as they are.

Chihiro herself is also someone apart who wraps herself in loneliness. Even when she asks her former sex worker boss why he never made any moves on her it's like a detached question without any feelings. Similarly Chihiro relates how her mother died -- in the movie her estranged brother calls and gives her the news -- but she doesn't actually feel anything about it. And yet usually when interacting with others she has a happy outward personality.

But in the end the new friends Chihiro has made are not enough to keep her there. She moves on and starts a new life as a farm hand, once again working her magic on people she meets...

It's a very slow movie. And yet it was interesting. Very much a show but not tell so there are parts with little dialog while you watch and figure out what's going on. It's a quiet character drama and I guess in the mood to watch it and enjoy it.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-03-13T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230313-b1-in-search-of-the-unknown-1979.html#unique-entry-id-542https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230313-b1-in-search-of-the-unknown-1979.html#unique-entry-id-542In Search of the Unknown is the first D&D Basic Set B-series modules. The version you buy from DriveThruRPG is from 1979 and it must be for Holmes Basic Set because their advice section talks about Lawful/Chaotic Good, Neutral, Lawful/Chaotic Evil alignments, the henchmen section demihumans (elf, dwarf, halfling) have the same professions as humans, and there are references to Greyhawk which became an AD&D world while B/X and BECMI D&D went with the Known World of Mystara. It is a scan of that version and only has a couple of marks on the upper level map.

This module presents a dungeon with a history: two great heroes built this as their base but they disappeared three decades ago on an expedition against the barbarians. The dungeon itself has a built upper level of almost 40 rooms and a caverns lower level of about 15 rooms.

Each room has a description and then a blank space to enter the monster and treasure. There is a monster list of 25 entries and a treasure list of 34 entries. A GM is supposed to pick 16-20 monsters and 15-25 treasures and sprinkle them into the dungeon, hopefully in a way that makes sense though I guess not necessary.

This does mean it's an easily replay-able module. The upper level is a bit confusing with lots of maze-like areas and hidden rooms (our two heroes were not into usability: storerooms that are a couple hundred feet away from any other room were just fine to them). So a second run through the players will have a better idea of the layout but the random monster and treasure placement will keep it interesting (and each treasure is supposed to be hidden/protected though that's suggested without giving any guidance.

As the first D&D module it also has some advice sections. There are notes on creating a dungeon, preparing the module, time, experience, and how to GM. I like the section on generating random henchmen/hirelings: roll for class, roll for each of four personality traits, and for each class roll for arms/armor/spells each with their own tables.

This is an example of an old-school dungeon. The dungeon itself has lots of tricky corridors and secret areas so the PCs are expected to be good at mapping. Monsters are randomly strewn about and there is no story or plot that ties the monsters together. As such B2 is a much better introductory module and I'll take a look at it next week.

Overall I think this is just fine as an intro module for the time but even updated for BECMI Basic Set a couple of years later I doubt it aged well.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-03-10T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230310-spot-reviews-03-10-23.html#unique-entry-id-540https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230310-spot-reviews-03-10-23.html#unique-entry-id-540Pedro's Restaurant & Cantina [/] A Mexican restaurant near Santa Clara Marriott. Went to dinner here with Dave S. Had Enchiladas las Hadas (enchiladas with crab meat and shrimp topped with a white sauce). Food and atmosphere ok.

Apple Arcade - Decoherence (2019) [/] Strategy arcade battle game. In each level you build robots (weapon top, movement body, and optional powerup) then place them and start the combat. Your robots battle by themselves or you can move your character (who carries his own small gun) and drive one of your robots. For me there's a bit too much going on once the fighting starts.

Movie - Christmas with a Prince (2018) [/] Pediatrician Dr Tasha Miller (Kaitlyn Leeb) is reunited with college friend Prince Alexander (Nick Hounslow) when he has to be secretly treated for an injury, except she never really liked him. Turns out he's matured and has more depth than she thought so maybe romance? Except the various royal princesses who have their eye on Alexander and see Tasha as competition... It's just fine as an average Christmas romance movie.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-03-08T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230308-glass-onion-2022.html#unique-entry-id-539https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230308-glass-onion-2022.html#unique-entry-id-539Glass Onion is a sequel to Knives Out though it's a self-contained story. Tech mogul Miles Bron (Edward Norton) invites his influencer friends to his private island for a mystery party weekend. Unexpectedly private detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) shows up apparently having gotten an invitation. Blanc comes to believe that one of the guests has it in for Bron but when guests start dying who is the killer?

Like Knives Out this is a movie with a set of unique characters doing their own subplots, you're shown a lot of things happening, and somewhere there you're shown enough to deduce what really happened. Knives Out though showed the reveal midway through then you get sort of behind-the-curtain stuff until the second reveal. Glass Onion the reveal seems more towards the end and then it's bang bang done so now you have to catch the clues over 100 minutes instead of over 45 minutes. Knives Out was more accessible and I liked it more which then makes Glass Onion a bit disappointing.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-03-06T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230306-cora-quest-2022.html#unique-entry-id-538https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230306-cora-quest-2022.html#unique-entry-id-538CoraQuest is a children's fantasy dungeon-delving board game with lots of colorful pieces.

There are a good number of characters and you take three or four of them into the dungeon (if fewer players you double-up characters). Each character has hit points, movement and a special ability and they can carry weapons and items (weapons show what die they roll to attack and their range as a graphic). It's a basic move+action or action+move system and in combat you roll their special combat dice to get hits (one thing to make it easier: if you miss then you turn the character card over into their angry state where they get more dice to attack with until they score at least one hit).

A scenario starts with a mission card. Then you venture into the dungeon and explore it. Dungeon tiles are chosen randomly and then you can orient so as to make sure it connects. Most tiles reveal a monster or three which you should attack as they'll go after characters are done with their turn. Killing monsters you can get treasure which can also be magic items.

I only played half a scenario with Csr and Cjr, though they've played it several times. Seems like a typical dungeon-delving board game with fun graphics and a bit simpler rules though still enough for parents to be entertained.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-03-03T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230303-spot-reviews-03-03-23.html#unique-entry-id-536https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230303-spot-reviews-03-03-23.html#unique-entry-id-536Hong Kong Islander, Sacramento [/] Dim sum was tasty, carts came around fast, staff was responsive. Not a big place so will queue if you get there an hour after opening.

Novel - Raising Steam (2013) [/] The second to last Discworld novel (I respect that Pratchett's daughter decided there would be no more Discworld novels, though other products will be made). A young inventor creates the first steam-powered train and Moist von Lipwig is tasked with promoting it and getting train lines to neighboring kingdoms. Meanwhile an extremist Dwarven faction wants to stop it at all costs... It has the usual Pratchett humor though the plot is not challenging and our heroes are never in danger cause the bad Dwarves are rather inept.

Movie - Christmas Catch (2018) [-] Mack (Emily Alatalo) is a local police detective who is unlucky in love. She meets Carson (Franco Lo Presti) who into her but turns out he's being investigated by the FBI so she has to go undercover in order to retrieve valuable jewelry stolen last year. With Andrew Bushell as Mack's police partner and Lauren Holly as the police captain and Mack's mom. It's a harmless if a bit boring made-for-tv Christmas movie and Alatalo is not bad as the focus of the story.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-03-01T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230301-oxygen-2021.html#unique-entry-id-537https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230301-oxygen-2021.html#unique-entry-id-537Oxygen is a French film starring Mélanie Laurent in an almost one-role movie. Liz (Laurent) wakes up in an automated medical pod with no memories. Unfortunately the pod is running out of oxygen and the AI, Milo (Mathieu Amalric), refuses to open the pod because she doesn't have admin codes. On the bright side she manages to place a call to the police but they seem not quite as helpful as she hoped...

I like it because even though it's a very limited set (Liz only gets out right at the very end) there's lots to do: figuring out the auto-med and fending off it's attempts to sedate her; recovering her memories and why she's in the pod; and then the larger mystery of what's outside the pod because that was quite a surprise. It manages to be a pretty interesting movie.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-02-27T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230227-tabletop-game-naval-battles-2004.html#unique-entry-id-535https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230227-tabletop-game-naval-battles-2004.html#unique-entry-id-535
Dan Verssen made Modern Naval Battles (1989) which takes the concept and adds more complexity while moving it to modern naval units of the time. Naval Battles (2004) is another Dan Verssen design and brings it back to WW2 though not sure how the rules differ.

Each player creates their fleet with points (we played a three player game and I was Japan while the other two were Germany and USA). Then you put out your fleet in three lines. Draw five cards. On each turn you lay out your cards for attack then the defender(s) can play defense cards then resolve your attacks and draw back to five.

Most ships have guns of 5" to 18" caliber. You have ammo cards of different caliber so to attack you play an ammo card on a ship that fire that caliber. The ammo cards also say from which row you can fire from and which enemy rows you can hit. Smaller calibers you have to fire from your front row to hit front row enemy ships. Bigger calibers can fire from front two rows to hit front two rows. Third row can't fire and can't be targeted by guns. If a gun is not defended against via a card then it automatically hits and does the indicated damage on the ammo card.

Many ships have torpedoes and submarines have torpedoes too. For ships only front line can fire on front line. Submarines start out submerged and can't be attacked except by depth charge. Surface a submarine to fire a torpedo on any ship in any rank (one way to target that aircraft carrier in the back rank) but afterwards the submarine can be attacked by anyone until your next turn when you can submerge it again. Torpedoes are d6 roll to hit and any hit sinks the target. Since it's a d6 roll ships and submarines can have torpedo modifiers for better or worse torpedo platforms.

Aircraft carriers have one aircraft attack which they use for free each turn. They can target any ship and it's a d6 hit sinks target. But the farther back the target is the harder the to hit number (which is printed on the CV card so different carriers have different skills), if there is a defending CV it gets a roll to disrupt one air attack, and the target might have an AA modifier. Some action cards represent land-based aircraft that gives you one to three air attacks.

Besides ammo, torpedo and aircraft cards the action deck has various defense cards (e.g. negate any damage or cause a small gun (11" or less) to miss). There are reinforcement cards to bring in 5 or so points of ships (though that could mean more points for other players). There is a card to camouflage your fleet so you can't attack or be attacked for a turn.

Our player game was fairly fun with a bit of ganging up on the leader. You score points for sinking a ship (so kill stealing is a thing) and 15 points win the game. Losing all ships for a range of calibers is pretty rough and no CV when other players have CVs is also rough. But that also points to targeting strategies so that's nice.

Compared to the old Naval battles the 2004 version is better while still not being too complicated and giving the feel of WW2 naval combat. Still mostly a beer and pretzels game but entertaining nonetheless.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-02-24T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230224-spot-reviews-02-24-23.html#unique-entry-id-534https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230224-spot-reviews-02-24-23.html#unique-entry-id-534
Restaurant - Amakai Japanese Cuisine, San Jose [/] Kind of a small place, not really set up for parties larger than four. I had chicken katsu. Sophia wanted plain rolls (not saucy ones) so we got spicy tuna roll (spicy all right) and salmon mango. Everything was ok but on a busy Friday night sushi was a 40 min wait hence why I had chicken katsu.

Netflix Movie - Operation Mincemeat (2022) [-] British WW2 drama about how Operation Mincemeat was developed. Mincemeat was a disinformation plan to convince the Germans Sicily was not an invasion target. Colin Firth plays Ewen Montagu who is one of the two officers in charge of the operation and two hazards are that his brother is a communist sympathizer and might be feeding them information and he's a married man (though apparently marriage is on the rocks) possibly getting romantically involved with one of his subordinates, Jean (Kelly Macdonald)... Watched an hour, it's kind of boring.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-02-22T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230222-ant-man-and-the-wasp-quantumania-2023.html#unique-entry-id-533https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230222-ant-man-and-the-wasp-quantumania-2023.html#unique-entry-id-533Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania is the third Ant-Man film. This is the first movie of Marvel Cinematic Universe's Phase Five where Phase 1 to 3 were The Infinity Saga and Phase 4 to 6 are The Multiverse Saga. In this film Scott "Ant-Man" Lang (Paul Rudd), daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton), Hope "Wasp" van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), and Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) are sucked into the Quantum Realm where they find themselves separated in a strange land.

Scott and Cassie run into a group of refugees hiding from the Conqueror. They almost make friends when Scott mentions the two are looking for Janet. Meanwhile Janet sort of takes over the other group as she reveals the backstory of what happened during her thirty years here. The main thing being that she encountered Kang (Jonathan Majors), a time traveler exiled to the Quantum Realm. She helped him fix his ship so they could both escape but then discovered he intended to conquer the multiverse and raze any universes that defied him, so she disabled his ship and fled to form a resistance until she was rescued.

Scott and Cassie are captured by Kang who gets Scott to go fetch his ships power core stuck in a quantum nexus. Then there's a bit of a betrayal. Hope rescues Scott. The group rallies the free peoples to attack Kang's fortress where he is amassing an army to invade the human world. Huge fight scene where Kang is narrowly defeated and the humans return to their world...

Kind of like the last Dr Strange movie this one has lots of alien vistas and rich colors. The story is fine though we only get a bit of new characters and little development for Hope and Hank. Jonathan Majors is really good as Kang, almost reasonable until you cross his dark side. It does feel more like a setup movie than a movie about Ant-Man and family. Overall I was entertained but not one of the best MCU experiences.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-02-20T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230220-bunkers-and-badasses-2021.html#unique-entry-id-532https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230220-bunkers-and-badasses-2021.html#unique-entry-id-532Bunkers & Badasses is a light, D&D-like table-top role-playing game based on the fictional game that Tiny Tina runs in the Borderlands computer game. I played a session during DunDraCon and the scenario was set in a dusty town in Banshee so no fantasy elements.

Your character has a class, an archetype, and a background. The class is the core and is based on one of the Borderlands character types, I was an Assassin. This gave me an Action Skill: Deception where I can do an action to cloak and create a decoy hologram until my next attack, which if it hits upgrades hits to crits (not quite that impressive because sniper rifles tend to get only one hit).

My archetype was Deadeye which gave me a feat: Line of Sight (+1 Search checks with sniper rifle equipped).
My background was Blade which gave me The Blade (you inherited a legendary sword, stats included).

You have four statistics: Accuracy, Damage, Speed, Mastery which seem to be from 0 to 6+ even numbers. These stat values derive modifiers of (stat value divided by 2). So my Accuracy of 6 means I have a +3 modifier.

There are six checks: Interact, Talk, Insight, Sneak, Search, Traverse. Each has a statistic modifier and a miscellaneous modifier to get the total modifier.

You have four skills each with three levels. At start you get one skill point so one check. I did Head Shot (+2 crit damage per skill level). The skills are individual to each PC and I'm not sure where they come from (class must be it but maybe archetype and background too).

Checks are 1d20 + check modifier. If you declare an outlandish action you get to roll the Badass Die which is a big d20 with 3 1's and 3 20's. Rolling the Badass Die gives you a badass point with another one if you succeeded. Badass points can be spent on any check, including other PC's checks, to give them +1 modifier per point spent. (Conversely GM gets mayhem points or something that can be spent to introduce new enemies or obstacles.)

I had Health 16 and Shields 15 (recharge 5). Health varies and at 0 you are out. I think everyone started with the basic Shields 15 which, if you are not damaged in a turn, recharge 5 points. You can also have grenades and potions and weapons.

Each weapon is a card which gives you the stats (attacks and damage). There is a to-hit table so depending on your roll the higher you roll the more hits you get in terms of normal hits and crits. Normal hits roll the damage die and crits roll d12 damage. Weapons can have elemental effects -- I had a sniper rifle that did electrical (2x damage versus shields) and corrosive (2x damage versus flesh) so very good except versus armor. There is no ammo and instead if you fumble you're out of ammo and have to spend an action to reload.

Combat is the basic move+action system though you can do an extra action but the GM gets a mayhem point. The deluxe RPG comes with figures and battle map (it's just a blank grid map) so combat can get fairly tactical.

Our session had a lot of talking and interacting at a bar with a small bar fight then a big fight at the end. It's a simple d20-like system and if you're given a character sheet where you have only the choice of where to put that one skill point then it's easy to pick up and start. Seems like an ok rpg (and the rulebook includes three adventures) especially if you liked the Tiny Tina DLCs.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-02-17T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230217-spot-reviews-02-17-23.html#unique-entry-id-531https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230217-spot-reviews-02-17-23.html#unique-entry-id-531Dr. Praeger's Organic California Veggie Burger [+] For veggie burgers these are pretty good. "Carrots, peas, zucchini, onion and spinach are just a few of the veggies in this classic plant-based veggie burger..." You fry it six minutes per side. It's a bit fragile but if you're careful the burger stays intact and since it's fried it tastes fairly good.

Movie - Hyena Road (2015) [/] This is a Canadian film about a Canadian unit serving in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Their main assignment is to make sure the Hyena road is built and to do that they have to befriend the locals and deal with Taliban insurgents. Our hero Warrant Officer Ryan Sanders (Rossif Sutherland) leads his sniper team on missions to protect the road while secretly romancing Captain Jennifer Bowman (Christine Horne) who I guess is his mission operator. The main plot becomes trying to befriend The Wolf (Aqqalu Meekis), a retired and still legendary Afghan who fought the Soviets and is no friend of the Taliban. Military Intelligence officer Captain Pete Mitchell (Paul Gross) recruits Sanders to help him find and talk to the Wolf... Small budget with some good action scenes. Not especially gripping though; took me a few sessions to watch it all the way through.

Netflix Movie - Blade of the 47 Ronin (2022) [-] A sequel to the Keanu Reeves movie though wasn't really necessary. Rebellious girl Luna (Anna Akana) is the last descendant that can wield the magic katana to kill the Big Bad. Three female samurai are tasked with protecting her... It's got a made-for-tv low budget quality so unfortunately the action is not really cool.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-02-15T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230215-mythic-quest-s3-2022.html#unique-entry-id-530https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230215-mythic-quest-s3-2022.html#unique-entry-id-530Mythic Quest is a half hour workplace comedy set at a small game software company devoted to their massively-multiplayer online game Mythic Quest. It's one of those comedies where it's mostly about how the zany characters interact with each other. Season one and two sort of themed about the difficulties of creating new content to maintain player base and how influencers can kill your numbers.

At the end of season two Ian Grimm (Rob McElhenney), creator of Mythic Quest and founder of the studio, and Rachel (Ashly Burch), lead developer, get bored with their job and decide to leave and form a new game studio. In this season Ian and Rachel create a new game, try to get funding, lose their focus and have to pivot while very slowly maybe there's a relationship developing between them. Meanwhile back in the old studio David Brittlesbee (David Hornsby) is now the head and his big project is the Mythic Quest movie while the game itself is slowly losing numbers.

I feel the first season or so was very good. Season two maybe it got a bit old hence the big change in season three (and season two ended at a good point should the series had been cancelled). Season three the changes are maybe not enough to bring it back to season one freshness but at least it's a different look at game studio antics. I guess since they knew the show was renewed for season three and four at the same time they could do a two-phase story so season three ends in a bit of a surprise turn. Maybe with season four these two seasons will be better.

Anyways, not trying to be too negative. I guess I feel this series would have been better as a one-season and done story rather than a multi-year.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-02-13T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230213-podcast-between-two-cairns-2021.html#unique-entry-id-529https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230213-podcast-between-two-cairns-2021.html#unique-entry-id-529Between Two Cairns is mainly a table-top RPG product review podcast, with RPG advice thrown in. Hosts Yochai Gal (Cairn RPG) and Brad Kerr are published indie RPG authors so they bring that perspective into their product reviews. For the most part they review OSR and indie RPG adventures and supplements.

I draw comparisons with the similar Fear of a Black Dragon which I love and also reviews OSR (and old RPG) products. BTC reviews one product per week so frequently it's a read-through review rather than a played-session review (FBD does once a month and usually one or both hosts have run the adventure). Both sites review interesting products so they don't waste reviews by reviewing trash.

BTC is a lot more nitpicky and it seems their idea of good reviewing means pointing out any flaws in a product (even if it's just poor art, bad editing, and/or bad organization). FBD sometimes points out flaws of a product but tends to concentrate on the good points and the innovations. In general this means that if it's reviewed in FBD it must be good whereas BTC may be not so even when reviewing the same products. BTC does love physical books though and really likes nice printed stuff (for example, books printed on special paper or unusual formats).

I will keep listening to Between Two Cairns inasmuch as they review stuff I'd be interested in playing or running so it's good for discoverability.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-02-10T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230210-spot-reviews-02-10-23.html#unique-entry-id-528https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230210-spot-reviews-02-10-23.html#unique-entry-id-528The Missing and the Lost (2018) [+] This story (about 100 pages if it were a normal mass market paperback) is set in the third setting of The Yellow King RPG. The world went mad in the 1850's and now a hundred years later America is recovering after toppling the emperors that had ruled with iron hands for decades. A former resistance cell, now civilians, realize a former regime officer is on the loose and wanting to reactivates gates to Carcosa. They have to stop him but can they deal with his magic and a possible traitor in the government? It's a first-person story and fairly engaging. Since it's fairly short the plot moves along fairly quickly and a has an RPG players' ending (i.e. a clever trick that short circuits the final battle).

Movie - I, Robot (2004) [/] Rewatched this action/mystery movie recently. Even though not really based on any specific Isaac Asimov robot story it still has that ethos where robots are the bright future except for what happens when their programming takes a weird turn. I still like the movie and I had forgotten about the plot twist so that was fun. With Will Smith as homicide detective Del Spooner (new character) and Bridget Moynahan playing Dr. Susan Calvin (who was in the robot stories).

Trader Joe's Chunky Guacamole (Made with Greek Yogurt) [-] This tastes exactly how it's titled, like guacamole with a slightly-sour yogurt. Not really that appealing to be honest. Good consistency though, creamy and not thick.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-02-08T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/ef9809a8dfbe8f549609da55241e5167-527.html#unique-entry-id-527https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/ef9809a8dfbe8f549609da55241e5167-527.html#unique-entry-id-527See, a post-apocalyptic science fiction drama on Apple TV+ that ran three seasons at eight episodes per season.

Humanity lost the ability of sight (all at once, gradually, not sure though probably happened fairly quickly) and civilization fell. The series is set probably a couple hundred years later in the Eastern United States (some of the names are corruptions of old names like Alkenny for Alleghany). Baba Voss (Jason Momoa) is leader of the Alkenny, a small mountain tribe. He and his wife Maghra (Hera Hilmar) have a terrible secret: their two children, Kofun (Archie Madekwe) and Haniwa (Nesta Cooper), are sighted and sighted people are treated like witches to be hunted down and burned.

Their peaceful existence is shattered when the Payan Army arrives, the Payans being the neighboring kingdom. Witchfinder Tamacti Jun (Christian Camargo) leads his forces and they've come for the witches living with the Alkenny. The tribe fights back but is forced to flee and season one is mostly Baba, Maghra and their children fleeing from Tamacti Jun while Queen Sibeth (Sylvia Hoeks) of Paya deals with an insurrection from her nobles.

Season two turns it around as Maghra becomes Queen of the Payans but now the Trivantes, a much bigger kingdom, threatens to conquer the Payan Kingdom and it turns out the Trivantian general Edo Voss (Dave Bautista) is both Baba's brother who hates Baba and secretly uses sighted assets.

Season three continues that line. Edo was defeated but his lieutenant Tormada (David Hewlett) gains control of Edo's faction and with a fearsome new weapon (bombs) he plans to conquer Paya himself and eventually allies with former Queen Sibeth and her small following.

It's a low-tech series. It does the blindness part fairly well and seems sort of realistic though the fight scenes are a bit cinematic. It's quite bloody and graphic though it kind of limits it to three or four episodes each season. The overall story is ok and each main character has their arc. Ending is fitting and leaves a few questions open for a subsequent series should there be one, even a series that is set a generation later.

Overall a pretty good series.

[Previous review after watching season one.]
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-02-06T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230206-apple-arcade-games.html#unique-entry-id-526https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230206-apple-arcade-games.html#unique-entry-id-526Bleak Sword (2019) [+] Arcade low-bit-graphics fighting game. You are a warrior with a sword and shield making his way to fight the Big Bad (who wields the Bleak Sword). Each level you fight opponents in a small arena blocking, dodging, and attacking. Works well with touch and controller. I like the retro graphics.

Apple Arcade - Agent Intercept (2019) [/] You are a secret agent driving an experimental supercar in this arcade driving game with a sort of Spy Hunter feel. Use boost and crash into cars, shoot them with rockets, avoid enemy attacks. A god controller game.

Apple Arcade - Nightmare Farm (2019) [-] I guess a farming simulator: plant crops and get produce, then use the produce to buy stuff and so on up the chain. I'm not familiar with this genre and the help hints are all cartoons no text and I couldn't figure out how to play the game. Nice graphics though.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-02-03T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230203-spot-reviews-02-03-23.html#unique-entry-id-525https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230203-spot-reviews-02-03-23.html#unique-entry-id-525Trader Joe's Organic Chunky Homestyle Guacamole [/] This is ok guacamole. Very thick which means lots of avocado but too thick for my tastes.

Podcast - Here's the Catch (2019) [/] "The Athletic's David Lombardi, Matt Barrows and former 49ers defensive end Dennis Brown come with a weekly podcast covering the San Francisco 49ers, featuring regular guests and hard-hitting analysis." It's a bit sports talk sort of podcast, not high on technical analysis. Lombardi and Barrows are reporters and having Brown there is a good contrast. I listened to the first dozen episodes (they started with the start of the 2019 season when the 49ers eventually went to the Super Bowl) and this season starting from a couple games before the playoffs. Interesting conversation, though I still prefer Candlestick Chronicles because I feel the two hosts there are bit more everyman.

TV Series - Night Court #1.1/#1.2 (2023) [-] This is a revival/sequel to the original sitcom that aired in the mid-80's. Judge Abby Stone (Melissa Rauch) is assigned to the Night Court, where her father Harry used to work. Her public defender quits so she recruits former district attorney and her father's friend Dan Fielding (John Larroquette) to fill in. It's sort of the same formula as before, a bunch of zany characters bouncing off each other (though I don't think there is a "straight man" for them to contrast with, which I think Christine Sullivan was in the original series) and judge Stone getting to the humanity behind the cases. It's still a good concept but sitcoms are tough to pull off nowadays and the jokes here are really bad.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-02-01T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230201-anime-cinderella-nine-2019.html#unique-entry-id-524https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230201-anime-cinderella-nine-2019.html#unique-entry-id-524Cinderella Nine was apparently a mobile game (which I can't find so I suppose it died) which spawned this 12-episode anime series about a group of girls in a mostly female high school (though I think they only show male students once when they mention it used to be an all female-high school so boys are new) who decided to form a hardball baseball club.

Tsubasa (Nozomi Nishida) is the leader. She played in a mostly boys team and they won the junior league Japanese championship last summer. Now she just wants to play more baseball so is willing to start a new club in that pursuit.

Tomoe ( (Honoka Inoue) is Tusabasa's best friend who joins the team but has little skill. Eventually there is a dramatic showdown because Tsubasa doesn't push her best friend to be the best she can be.

Ryō (Reina Kondō) wants to be a pro hardball player and her team lost to Tsubasa's team in the championship. At first hostile to Tsubasa but is won over because Tsubasa is genuinely enthusiastic and supportive of everyone on the team.

Yūki (Saki Minami) tall shy girl who joins the team with Akane (Yumiri Hanamori), a short shy girl. They kind of go in opposite trajectories because turns out Yūki has a good left-handed pitch but Akane try as she might is only a middling outfielder and gets relegated to backup.

There are other girls who join the team as the series progresses, mostly unfamiliar with hardball but willing to try it out. There are three games depicted: an exhibition match with another relatively new-to-hardball school but with more experienced players, another exhibition match against the top school's third stringers, and then to the national tournament where they play the first school in a rematch for real this time.

The hardball play is good, showing off strategies. The characters are good and it's all wholesome. Animation is pretty good too. This series reminds me of Princess Nine which I also loved.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-01-30T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230130-apple-arcade-the-bradwell-conspiracy-2019.html#unique-entry-id-523https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230130-apple-arcade-the-bradwell-conspiracy-2019.html#unique-entry-id-523The Bradwell Conspiracy is a first-person puzzle game, like a first-person shooter except instead of a gun you have a matter dematerialize/materializer.

I think you are a new employee of the Bradwell Corporation visiting its Stonehedge Museum facility when disaster strikes. You wake up in the ruins of the museum. You have VR glasses on which is also a guide giving you instructions, a camera that allows you to take pictures, and a communication device.

After wandering around a bit through the tutorial phase you "meet" another survivor, Dr Amber trapped in another part of the museum. Thereafter she will be talking to you constantly (voice of Rebecca LaChance whilst the guide is voiced by Abubakar Salim) and giving you objectives. Oh, your throat was injured so you don't talk and can only communicate to Dr Amber via taking pictures. Sometimes she will give you hints, sometimes the pictures are used to trigger an action from her (i.e. a picture of a door to open that door), and sometimes she will not understand. It's also nice that if you are taking your time Dr Amber has little bits as she finds random things or tells an anecdote. The dialog is pretty good and keeps you from getting bored.

Controls are very simple. Walk/run, turn left and right and crouch (there is no jumping; strangely with a controller I couldn't run which doesn't matter except for one part of one puzzle where you have to run because you have 30 seconds to accomplish something; speaking of controller I did use one almost all the way through and it mostly works though a little finicky getting the cursor to point at an object to interact with it). If you walk up to some objects you can interact (there is a + icon to show that).

The most complex action is using the Bradwellian matter converter. You can use it to scan some objects into storage and if they are new objects you also create a blueprint. Thereafter you can create objects that you have a blueprint for. As you create an object you can turn it horizontally (in 90 degree angles) and move it around and the holographic of the object will be when if you can place it. Most puzzles involve getting material and blueprints then printing them out in the right places.

This game is on the order of 10 to 20 hours long. I like it because it's not scary: no monsters, occasional dark places and foreboding music but not too bad. You can't die and I'm not sure it's possible to screw yourself and make a puzzle unsolvable. The museum and underground labs are not maze-like so you can't get lost wandering around -- for the most part you are stuck in small sections, green doors show which doors you can go through, and if you unlock a door the guide tells you (a lot of the unlocking is done by picking up the guide some with more access to the complex and you can also then read their email which tells more of the back story but no must have clues since Dr Amber tells you what to do all the time).

This is a medium or maybe less complexity puzzle game with a fairly good narrative. Not a AAA title but more like what you can get from an indie developer and the game is designed on lower end iOS devices. I did finish it. I did have to use a walkthrough guide three or four times. It was a fairly satisfying challenge for me. Overall a good game.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-01-27T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230127-spot-reviews-01-27-23.html#unique-entry-id-522https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230127-spot-reviews-01-27-23.html#unique-entry-id-522Klingon Bird-of-Prey Owners' Workshop Manual [/] This 120 page hardback book is an in-universe overview of a Klingon Bird-of-Prey as seen in around the time of Deep Space Nine. A few pages with small deck plans but it's mostly text, full color semi-technical drawings and screen caps. I think it's both interesting and has too much Star Trek fictional technical jargon which makes the text a bit boring to read at times. Still, it's a good bookcase book especially paired with the USS Enterprise Owners' Workshop Manual.

Trader Joe's Homestyle Salsa Especial (Medium) [/] This is a plastic container salsa so better than glass jar salsas (which I think last longer but are mushier). It's sort of like fresh salsa but nowhere as good as Mission Pico de Gallo salsa. Does have good heat though.

TV Series - National Treasure: Edge of History #1.1-#1.2 (2022) [-] An hour-long drama not really based on the National Treasure movies but the same look and feel. College student Jess (Lisette Olivera) and her friends are after lost Mayan treasure which apparently her now-dead father was secretly after also. They are opposed by well-funded treasure hunter Billie (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and her minions... I didn't like the National Treasure movies because they go for the gonzo and not trying to be believable and this series is much the same. Two episodes was enough for me.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-01-25T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230125-anime-the-demon-girl-next-door-2019.html#unique-entry-id-521https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230125-anime-the-demon-girl-next-door-2019.html#unique-entry-id-521The Demon Girl Next Door is a light comedy anime. Yuko (Konomi Kohara) is a 15-year old high schooler who one day wakes up with horns and a tail. Mom Seiko (Sayaka Ohara) reveals that their ancestors were demons but their family has been cursed to be poor. It's up to Yuko to defeat a Magical Girl, steal her blood, and break the seals binding their first ancestor Lilith (Minami Takahashi) currently trapped in a small statue that Seiko uses as a doorstop and paperweight.

Yuko immediately runs into Momo (Akari Kitō), a somber Magical Girl attending the same high school. In subsequent episodes Yuko challenges Momo to various combats but Yuko so frail, clumsy, and scaredy-cat that Momo never takes her seriously and instead offers to train Yuko to be a stronger demon. And such is the start of a friendship...

I like the first season more because it concentrates on Yuko and Momo more. Cartoon style is not great for something made in 2019. Three years later season two comes out and it's a lot better animation but also introduces more characters. Season two kind of meanders along and even though there is an overall goal there are time out episodes and the season seems less focused on the story.

Overall though it's pretty entertaining.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-01-23T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230123-apple-arcade-pilgrims-2019.html#unique-entry-id-518https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230123-apple-arcade-pilgrims-2019.html#unique-entry-id-518Pilgrims is a short point-and-click type adventure game with some replayability. You are a tramp who meets three other people: granny, bandit, and devil. Your companions each have a goal to accomplish and once you help them do that you finish your own goal and end the adventure.

The game play is that there's a map with locations. Tap to go to that location where you are presented with the location and some inter-actable person or object. Slide up the card of whichever person you want to interact then slide up an object card and something will happen. Sometimes there are picture talking bubbles so you know what you need to use and other times you experiment.

It's not a complicated game -- I finished it in less than two hours. I feel it's more for a younger crowd. The animations are good and the music thematic. I think a reviewer mentioned the themes are Czechoslovakian. When you do the right character and object at the right place you reveal a story card and I guess there are 45 story cards.

Then you start the game again and everything is exactly the same. The objective now is to find a different way to achieve the goals, thereby revealing more story cards. I think in one run through I revealed 10 or so cards so it would take several runs to reveal them all. That's definitely not enough appeal for me to keep trying but other people may like the challenge. I would have preferred more randomized goals and object placement even if reusing the four characters.

Still, it's a nice game even though it's short.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-01-20T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230120-spot-reviews-01-20-23.html#unique-entry-id-520https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230120-spot-reviews-01-20-23.html#unique-entry-id-520Assemble with Care (2019) [/] You hear the story of Maria (with voice acting) as she travels the world fixing objects. Each puzzle is an object that's broken: take it apart, fix it, put it back together. A slower-paced contemplative game.

Trader Joe's Organic White Corn Tortilla Chips [/] Like the Yellow Corn Tortilla Chip Rounds these are thin and light and easy to use with not-very-thick sauces. I think I like the Yellow Corn chips better because it tastes a bit like corn whereas these White Corn chips don't have a distinctive flavor.

Documentary - Fire of Love (2022) [-] Documentary about married vulcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft. Almost all visuals and audio are pictures and films they took (or tv interviews and documentaries) as they observed volcanos around the world before their deaths during the 1991 Mount Unzen eruption. A soothing narrator provides background and explanations. But other than putting the couple's created materials out into the wider world I feel the documentary lacks focus. I guess I want it more apparent "what am I supposed to get out of watching this?"
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-01-18T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230118-tv-series-sonny-with-a-chance-2009.html#unique-entry-id-519https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230118-tv-series-sonny-with-a-chance-2009.html#unique-entry-id-519Sonny with a Chance was a Disney Channel teen sitcom that ran for two seasons.

Wisconsin native Sonny Munroe (Demi Lovato) arrives as the newest cast member of So Random!, a variety skit show. She quickly becomes friends with established cast members Tawni (Tiffany Thornton), who sees Sonny as a rival for female lead, Nico (Brandon Mychal Smith) and Grady (Doug Brochu), two pranksters whose plans rarely succeed, and Zora (Allisyn Ashley Arm), the weird girl whose also bossy at times.

Meanwhile there is Chad Dylan Cooper (Sterling Knight), the star of So Random!'s backlot rival Mackenzie Falls, a teen soap opera drama. Throughout the two seasons there is a faint then growing attraction between Sonny and Chad which is a nice subplot.

The show often does a So Random! skit, usually as the intro or ending sequence and the skits become the main thing after Lovato leaves and they rebrand the series as So Random! There are also rare musical numbers and Lovato gets to show off her singing talents. Otherwise it's a typical Disney Channel sitcom of the time. It's an entertaining show but not one of the best (objectively harder to tell since Lovato left early, the most popular Disney Channel shows during the 2000's+ get a fourth season which sometimes brings big chances since actors are signed for three years).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-01-16T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230116-book-sicily-43-2020.html#unique-entry-id-517https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230116-book-sicily-43-2020.html#unique-entry-id-517Sicily '43 by James Holland is a historical narration of the Sicily invasion during World War II covering a few months before to when the Axis finally retreated off the island, though more material towards the beginning than towards the end. Holland uses a lot of interviews and diaries written at the time to also tell the personal experiences of a couple of dozen people, mostly soldiers on both sides, during the invasion.

There are a good number of maps at the beginning so you can follow the action. The maps are both theatre-wide and some closeups of a few key battles detailed in the book. For the most part I didn't use the maps as the text is fairly good at placing units and describing where they are enough that I could picture it in my mind.

I haven't read any books on the Sicily campaign. This feels like a fairly good book with a good narrative but it is a narrative book so nuts and bolts details are there for highlight battles but not otherwise. For me a good followup book would be something that focuses on the tactical details of the actual invasion day.

My only real retraction is how often he apologize for Montgomery and criticizes Patton. He also apologizes for the whole upper level command (Alexander was in overall command of the campaign). I don't know the critiques about the Sicily campaign so it seems odd to me and especially for Montgomery and Patton it gets a bit annoying as it comes up often. Eventually I had to look it up and he's English so I guess that explains the slant.

Still, I did find the book interesting and a good read with an interesting mix of high level view and low level man-on-the-ground anecdotes.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-01-13T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230113-spot-reviews-01-13-23.html#unique-entry-id-516https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230113-spot-reviews-01-13-23.html#unique-entry-id-516Love, Corn with Sea Salt [+] Crunchy fried corn kernel snack. It's like the kind of snack dad brings back from Peru except better. Smaller, lighter, crispier -- less effort to crunch and eat. Delicious.

Netflix Movie - Anonymously Yours (2021) [-] Mexican, teen romantic comedy. Valeria (Annie Cabello) and Alex (Ralf Morales) are two high school kids who don't like each other but are thrown together for a school project. Meanwhile due to a wrong phone number the two start texting each other but anonymously, developing an attraction via text while antagonizing each other in real life... Didn't feel the romance so only watched like half the film.

Listen Notes [+] This is a podcast search engine which I guess means they have an engine to convert podcasts to text then index that. Lots of podcasts in their database and I used this to find podcasts for some of my favorite streamers and found some obscure ones they've been in.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-01-11T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230111-movie-moneyball-2011.html#unique-entry-id-515https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230111-movie-moneyball-2011.html#unique-entry-id-515Moneyball, a dramatization of the Oakland A's from the end of the 2001 season to the end of the 2002 season. After 2001 they lost three stars (Jason Giambi, Johnny Damon and Jason Isringhausen) because they couldn't pay them and at the time they had the lowest payroll in Major League Baseball.

A's general manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) is kind of at a loss until he meets Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), a young assistant who's written a computer program that rates baseball players based on Bill James' methodology. Beane hires Brand and decides he's going to replace his losses with undervalued players including former catcher Scott Hatteberg (Chris Pratt) who has to convert to first base, an aging David Justice (Stephen Bishop) at the tail end of his career, Giambi's lesser brother Jeremy (Nick Porrazzo) and no-speed unconventional pitcher Chad Bradford (Casey Bond).

But unfortunately this sets him at odds with his scouting staff and he ends up firing the head scout. Meanwhile A's manager Art Howe (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is both unhappy he's still on a 1-year contract and doesn't like using the retread players. Beane has to fight his staff and the media and believe that statistically the team he's assembled will make it into the playoffs even after a 20-26 start...

Drama, baseball, statistics. It's a good film even though there's not that much baseball action.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-01-09T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230109-apple-arcade-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-514https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230109-apple-arcade-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-514Cat Quest II (2019) [+] Simple RPG where you control a cat-person and a dog-person (two people can play at the same time) as they fight monsters, explore dungeons, and try to reclaim their kingdoms. Combat is Zelda-like, arcade-style where you attack, cast spells, and dodge in real time. Nice graphics and story, good mechanics and gameplay. Played it for a couple of hours but time to move on.

Apple Arcade - Big Time Sports (2019) [/] Kind of reminds me of Track and Field. Various "sports" boiled down to simple mechanics using one or two buttons (mostly tap, some tap+hold-to-aim+release-to-shoot). A couple dozen sports though most are kind of boring but most only take a minute or two to play. One or two players so I can see it being fun for two kids competing.

Apple Arcade - Cricket Through the Ages (2019) [-] A bit of a joke app. Narrator tells the history of humanity, which is really the history of cricket from neanderthals to the future. Meanwhile we get two combatants trying to kill each other with a ball and a bat in various combinations. You can only tap and hold to get your guy to start spinning his weaponed arm and release to throw if you have a ball. I can only imagine that this game is aimed at three year olds.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-01-06T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230106-spot-reviews-01-06-23.html#unique-entry-id-513https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230106-spot-reviews-01-06-23.html#unique-entry-id-513Dear Reader (2019) [/] Word play puzzles based on literary works. You get a "book" where each chapter is about a paragraph from the relevant work. Puzzles can be (1) select the missing word, (2) rearrange sentence fragments, (3) unscrambling words and probably others. You earn credits which are used to buy new books. I did some of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice and half the difficulty is parsing the archaic text. Overall it's interesting if you like these kinds of puzzles.

Apple Series - Earth at Night in Color s2 (2021) [/] Season two continues this half-hour documentary series filming animals at night with very good light enhancing camera systems and post-processing. Main animals covered: African elephants, Patagonian puma, Australian Kangaroo, a coral reef, Namibian seals, polar bear mother and cubs. It's nice and short.

Netflix Anime - Romantic Killer #1.1 - #1.3 (2022) [-] High school tomboy Anzu Hoshino (Deneen Melody) is haunted by a small wizard who's mission is to make her fall in love which she is definitely against. Due to its machinations she ends up having to live with senior hottie Tsukasa Kazuki (Jason Griffith) for a month and to add to the drama another boy shows up at the end of episode 3. I didn't really like the comedy aspects. The occasional romantic moments are nice but the series is too silly for me.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-01-04T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230104-movie-top-gun-maverick-2022.html#unique-entry-id-512https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230104-movie-top-gun-maverick-2022.html#unique-entry-id-512Top Gun: Maverick Captain Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is reassigned to teach a special class at the Navy's Top Gun school. The mission is an almost suicide run to destroy weapons-grade nuclear enrichment facility of an unnamed rogue nation. Maverick's personal hurdle is that one of the students is Goose's son Lt Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw (Miles Teller) who resents Maverick maybe for getting his dad killed and definitely for blocking his initial admission into Annapolis. There's a second subplot where Maverick tries to reconnect with old flame Penelope "Penny" Benjamin (Jennifer Connelly).

Much like the first movie we have great fighter jet training scenes, an outdoor sports in the sun scene, a bar scene, rivalry between the top two students: Rooster and Lt Jake "Hangman" Seresin (Glen Powell), a great mission which leads to deadly aerial dogfights. We also get a cameo with Admiral Tom "Iceman" Kazansky (Val Kilmer) and a woman fighter pilot in Lt Natasha "Phoenix" Trace (Monica Barbaro).

I watched this on my 11" iPad and it looks great. Definitely would look fantastic on IMAX. Good number of callbacks to the previous film. Although, like many sequels, it sort of does the first film again, it's been 35 years so it's fine reusing the same plot elements and beats as the first film. Overall quite happy with Top Gun: Maverick.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2023-01-02T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230102-podcast-return-to-the-shadows-2022.html#unique-entry-id-509https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20230102-podcast-return-to-the-shadows-2022.html#unique-entry-id-509Return to the Shadows is a tv series rewatch podcast based on Freeform's Shadowhunters (2016). Primary actors Katherine McNamara and Dominic Sherwood rewatch the series and comment on each episode. Some episodes are interviews with other actors or production people.

Both hosts are lively and engaging and have lots of anecdotes. I think I watched the better part of two seasons of Shadowhunters when it first aired but it did kind of get boring. I started listening to the podcast and later started rewatching the show and now I'm caught up with the podcast and rewatch on episode #2.6 and it's much more entertaining watching the series again.

I think part of it is even if I didn't quite pay attention to the episode you get a refresh listening to the podcast so it sets things a bit more in my memory. Especially after holiday breaks or summer breaks if I come back to a series and don't remember what's been going on I start losing interest. Rewatching is nice because it's going to be one episode per week or two with no breaks.

Overall a really nice podcast and even better if you're watching/rewatching the series.

2024-06-05: Guess the podcast was cancelled. They got up to covering episode #2.12.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-12-30T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221230-spot-reviews-12-30-22.html#unique-entry-id-511https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221230-spot-reviews-12-30-22.html#unique-entry-id-511Grantville Gazettes v1-3 (2004-7) [/] This is a series of fiction anthologies based on Eric Flint's 1632 universe. The stories are semi-professional, often written by enthusiasts on the 1632 forums. Each volume ends with several knowledge articles about how present technologies could be used in 1632 and how hard it is to rapidly industrialize a region. I found these sort of interesting but don't really add to the novels since they tend to feature new or secondary characters.

Netflix Movie - Falling for Christmas (2022) [/] Christmas romantic movie. Social media influencer and heiress Sierra Belmont (Lindsay Lohan) gets into a skiing accident and is rescued by small and struggling ski resort owner Jane Russell (Chord Overstreet). She's lost her memory so he offers her a room at his inn where she learns about doing chores and cooking and falling in love... Nothing special here but good enough to watch if you're in the mood.

Movie - Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) [-] Suffering workaholic and overbearing mom Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh) is contacted by an alternate universe variant of her husband Waymond (Ky Huy Quan) who tells her the multiverse depends on her. She goes from denial to acceptance to having to actually save the multiverse while patching things up with her lesbian daughter Joy (Stephanie Hsu) and Waymond, who was intending on filing for divorce... I didn't like the sci fi aspects, more specifically that it's goofy sci fi, which leaves the family drama and I wasn't into that.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-12-28T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221228-movie-spirited-2022.html#unique-entry-id-510https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221228-movie-spirited-2022.html#unique-entry-id-510Spirited is a Christmas movie based on A Christmas Carol but very loosely. Ghost of Christmas Present (Will Ferrell) has been working for a couple of centuries with his team. Once a year they visit a perp and do the past/present/future thing and convince the perp to change their ways. This year GCP wants to take on a challenge, Clint Briggs (Ryan Reynolds), an unreedemable, people who have such a low chance of success it's not worth spending a year prepping.

But Clint is a social media consultant and his strategy is sowing disinformation and hate to get his clients the win. GCP convinces his boss that turning Clint could help millions instead of turning someone who will help hundreds. So the team gets working and on the next Christmas Eve they put their plan in motion.

And the plan starts to fall apart immediately. Clint seduces Ghost of Christmas Past (Sunita Mani) forcing GCP to take over and then Clint starts working his charm on GCP. Turns out GCP is Ebenezer Scrooge and Charles Dickens' story is based on fact. Scrooge was the last unreedemable turned and he has many doubts about whether or not he is actually a good being. Clint works on that doubt and meanwhile GCP tries to get Clint to acknowledge his past failures and potential future ones unless he changes...

I didn't mention that Spirited is also a musical with several numbers. It's also turned out to be a very enjoyable film. The story is familiar and refreshingly different. The characters are nuanced and the challenge is harder than expected. The ending is pretty good and it's a good family film.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-12-26T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221226-apple-arcade-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-508https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221226-apple-arcade-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-508Exit the Gungeon (2019) [/] 8-bit style twin stick arcade platform shooter. In each dungeon room move (left stick), shoot (automatic), and dodge enemy shots (right stick). Collect coins and gets power-ups or replenish health. Your main gun randomly cycles to different modes and you can pick up regular guns. I like the aesthetics but gameplay a bit too frenetic for me.

Apple Arcade - Fledging Heroes (2019) [/] Kids game. You are a parrot flying from left to right. Tap to flap wings and tap+hold to do a shallow dive speeding up. Collect coins, drop on bad guys, bounce off the ground, avoid bad guys and crashing. Not my kind of game.

Apple Arcade - Grindstone (2019) [/] It's like one of those gem collecting games. You're a barbarian going into the mountain to look for gems. The playing grid is filled with different monster types. Draw a path from your barbarian through one type of monster then go and kill them. If you draw a path of 10+ a gem drops. Now when you draw a path if you go through the gem you can attack a different monster type. I you end up next to an angry monster it attacks you. Sort of push your luck until you leave the mountain. Seems more like a kid's game.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-12-23T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221223-spot-reviews-12-23-22.html#unique-entry-id-507https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221223-spot-reviews-12-23-22.html#unique-entry-id-507Godless (2017) [/] This is a 7-episode western story centered on the small town of La Belle which due to a mining accident that killed all the men is inhabited by single women, widows and their children. Outlaw Roy Goode (Jack O'Connell) arrives on the run from his former leader Frank Griffin (Jeff Daniels) and his gang. Roy befriends outcast rancher Alice Fletcher (Michelle Dockery) but his remaining there threatens attracting Griffin... There are several subplots to fill out the series and possibly this would have been a better story trimmed down to a two-hour movie. Pretty good climactic gun battle though.

Movie - Mobile Suit Gundam I (1981) [-] MSG is a 43-episode half hour anime series which was condensed into three movies and I watched the first half of the first movie. Solar system war, giant robots, kids having to become warriors because the adults all got killed. I forgot how bad animation was back then and our hero kid is more angsty than Robotech's Rick Hunter. Guess I've way aged out for this fare.

Apple Arcade - Frogger in Toy Town (2019) [-] Frogger with 3D semi-realistic graphics. Wander through a house avoiding a few lanes of traffic, interacting with toys, avoiding bad guys, using power-ups and rescuing froglets. It's kind of kids skill level and not interesting. Was hoping there would be a classic Frogger mode but alas.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-12-21T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221221-tv-special-the-guardians-of-the-galaxy-holiday-special-2022.html#unique-entry-id-506https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221221-tv-special-the-guardians-of-the-galaxy-holiday-special-2022.html#unique-entry-id-506The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is a 35 minute live action story wherein Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and Drax (Dave Bautista) take it upon themselves to bring Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) the greatest Christmas present ever: action hero Kevin Bacon (himself) of Earth.

The main story is a fairly hilarious one with two powerful aliens romping through Bacon's house and tangling with the local police trying not to kill anyone. There's a beginning section where the Old 97's play an alien band singing a "traditional" Christmas song with an all-powerful Santa Claus vaporizing evildoers and oppressing his sweatshop elves. Once Bacon arrives he also sings a Christmas song.

It's a very entertaining holiday story with all the Guardians making appearances except Gamora.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-12-19T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221219-apple-arcade-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-505https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221219-apple-arcade-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-505Hot Lava (2019) [/] The concept is the kids game "the floor is laval". Run your character through a FPS-style obstacle course where you need to jump and swing on stuff and avoid the lave floor (which merely resets you back a bit but these are timed courses for extra points). Fairly good graphics and response. You can just use the iPad and it has virtual "move the iPad to look around" which is neat but inefficient. I used a game controller and it works fine. As with most FPS type games after a while I do get a bit nauseous. Overall an interesting game and at least an original idea.

Apple Arcade - Hyperbrawl Tournament (2019) [/] Futuristics sports. Recruit and train players who then play 2v2 matches where each team tries to get the ball into the opponent's goal and attacks are allowed. Arcade action and you can play vs pool or friends though I don't think two players on one team. Nice graphics and gameplay though not really my thing.

Apple Arcade - King's League II (2019) [/] Recruit a fantasy arena team then fight battles, either league games or outside quests. Battles are simple linear fights: your guys on the left, bad guys on the right, they run at each other and your only tactic is wait for magic to build up then activate one special ability (each fighter has one special ability). You collect gold and gems which are used to train your fighters, improve your training area, buy equipment and level up your fighters. It's a free-to-play model even though Apple Arcade games are not allowed to sell you packs. It's not a bad game but kind of limited though with an interesting story line (there are three PCs, the one I picked had a music-based storyline so I assume the other two PCs have fairly unique storylines).

Apple Arcade - Hexaflip: The Action Puzzler (2019) [/] Hex-based puzzle game. You have two controls, left and right which flips your hexagonal forward left and right. Navigate the level collecting three glowing orbs and getting to the exit tile. It's timed and the glowing orbs go away so if you have to do the level quickly to get three stars. Obstacles start showing up like spikes and hammers, both with set interval of activation. There are also arrow tiles that throw you in that direction so to get to an orb tile might mean using the arrows to navigate backwards, for example. Interesting combination of puzzle plus action.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-12-16T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221216-spot-reviews-12-16-22.html#unique-entry-id-504https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221216-spot-reviews-12-16-22.html#unique-entry-id-504Salt Yard Restaurant and Bar, Burlingame [/] A standard American upscale restaurant. Maybe a bit pricey but not excessively and food is good. I had the Risotto and it was good, very buttery.

Movie - Black Adam (2022) [/] This is a DC Universe movie about Black Adam (Dwayne Johnson) who is normally a villain to Captain Marvel. In the middle-eastern country of Kahndaq the government has been taken over by Intergang. Professor Adrianna Tomaz (Sarah Shahi) resurrects Teth-Adam/Black Adam to free her people but he knows he's not really a hero. The Justice Society -- Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan), Cylone (Quintessa Swindell) and Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo) -- is sent to stop Black Adam... Kind of a mixed movie. I like introducing the Justice Society as another super-hero group.

Movie - 47 Ronin (2013) [-] A retelling of the Japanese 47 ronin tale adding Keanu Reeves as Kai, mixed-race outcast adopted by the Lord Asano (who is later murdered and his samurai go on revenge as the 47 ronin + Kai). I watched about 45 minutes and it's kind of boring.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-12-14T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221214-netflix-series-cyberpunk-edgerunners-2022.html#unique-entry-id-503https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221214-netflix-series-cyberpunk-edgerunners-2022.html#unique-entry-id-503Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is a 10-episode half-hour animated series set in the Cyberpunk 2077 setting (which is based on the computer game which is based on the Cyberpunk RPG).

It's the story of David Martinez (Zach Aguilar), a smart teen and a bit of a hoodlum whose mom dies in an accident. With no income he is desperate and after finding an illegal military-grade cyberwear he first tries to sell it but eventually has it installed so he can do bigger crimes. He meets netrunner Lucy (Emi Lo) who introduces her boss Maine (William C Stephens). David hooks up with the crew and the do missions (I'm not familiar with the character types but the crew has like three cyberwear guys, a gunbunny, a solo and a couple of netrunners plus later a driver).

The crew gets caught up in the warfare between two big corporations. Eventually they get party wiped and David takes the remnants and continues on as head of his crew. But the two big corps both kind of target David and Lucy for different reasons and they'll have to fight to survive in Night City...

It's very thematic and very gory and has bits of nudity. It does read like an RPG campaign with better plot points. This is a sort of everybody dies universe and by the end very few characters survive (which they could do since this is intended as a standalone series).

Overall I found it fairly entertaining. Not sure I'd stand watching multiple season of this but 3-1/2 hours of content is just fine.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-12-12T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221212-casa-sanchez-foods-p2.html#unique-entry-id-502https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221212-casa-sanchez-foods-p2.html#unique-entry-id-502Casa Sanchez Real Guacamole [+] This is kind of like home made guacamole and fairly thick. $9.

Casa Sanchez Avocado Salsa [+] Like the Real Guacamole but much smoother. I guess more tomatoes than avocados. $7. I think I like this one better than the Real Guacamole.

Casa Sanchez Hot Salsa Roja [+] A salsa that is kind of chunky like restaurant salsa. Not as good as the Pico de Gallo salsa. It is fairly spicy though not excessively so.

All three of the above are excellent and better than any other grocery salsa or guacamole I've had before. Maybe not quite as good as freshly made salsa/guacamole but fairly close.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-12-09T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221209-spot-reviews-12-09-22.html#unique-entry-id-501https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221209-spot-reviews-12-09-22.html#unique-entry-id-501Morbius (2022) [-] Stricken with a rare disease since childhood Dr Michael Morbius (Jared Leto) develops an experimental vampire bat serum that saves him but turns him into vampire. As he struggles with the monster he's become he also has to stop his best friend Lucien (Matt Smith), also afflicted with the same rare disease, who takes the cure but wants to use his newfound powers to rule the world... This is a Spider-Man character so not quite MCU and not that entertaining a film.

Movie - The Feels (2017) [-] Small independent LGBTQ+ film about a lesbian couple (played by Constance Wu and Angela Trimbur) hosting a bachelorette weekend and the various characters interacting... It's kind of talky and dull though, only able to watch the first third.

Movie - The Greatest Beer Run Ever (2022) [-] During the Vietnam war John "Chickie" Donohue (Zac Efron), feeling a bit guilty about managing to skip the war, decides to bring some local beers to his friends in country. In his journeys he learns more about the war and his mistaken impressions... I got bored after half an hour and didn't finish.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-12-07T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221207-tv-series-she-hulk-attorney-at-law-s1-2022.html#unique-entry-id-500https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221207-tv-series-she-hulk-attorney-at-law-s1-2022.html#unique-entry-id-500She-Hulk: Attorney at Law is a half hour comedy Marvel Cinematic Universe series. Tatiana Maslany plays attorney Jennifer Walters who in the first episode is accidentally infected by cousin Bruce Banner's (Mark Ruffalo) blood and becomes She-Hulk. She is then hired to head a super-powered attorney services team at a high-profile law firm and has to juggle her personal Jen Walters life with her public She-Hulk life. There is no real season long plot like previous MCU tv series and the theme seems to be Jen Walters coming to accept her She-Hulk part of life.

In addition to The Hulk other guest stars include Emil "Abomination" Blonsky (Tim Roth) who hires Jen to argue his case for early parole, the Sorcerer Supreme (Benedict Wong) as a witness, and a cool one with Matt "Daredevil" Murdock (Charlie Cox) as an opposing attorney. Mary "Titania" MacPherran (Jameela Jamil) is a classic Marvel villain introduced in this series and also introduced are The Wrecking Crew though it took me until their next appearance to figure it out with help of a big hint.

Besides the sort of zany situations for Jen Walters she also does a lot of talking to the audience. This culminates in going meta in the last episode where She-Hulk breaks out of Disney+ into the real world. Unfortunately it does lead to a sort of anti-climactic season ending so that's probably the only let-down in the series.

Overall though it's a pretty good series and fairly different than previous series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-12-05T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/aa8c055d619e5c11821b9958bc268fe2-499.html#unique-entry-id-499https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/aa8c055d619e5c11821b9958bc268fe2-499.html#unique-entry-id-499AirPods Max are high-end over-ear wireless headphones from Apple. The first version was released in Dec 2020 for $550 and I bought mine four months ago.

Build quality is pretty good. Metal earphones and arms attached to the central bar which is more of a mesh and hard plastic which allows your head to breathe more. Two controls on the right cup, a button/dial (for volume control) and a rectangular button (for noise cancellation mode). Each ear cup has its own processor.

With the latest OS updates you can connect the headphones to all your Apple devices, I have Mac, iPhone and iPad. Audio automatically switches -- when I start a video or audio on one device the headphones switch and the previous device pauses whatever you were watching or listening to.

For auto switching I think it needs to be an app where you focus your attention like video or web video or music. Don't think background audio affects it and games don't necessarily cause a switch if you're still watching a video or listening to music but does switch if you're not. It's actually a bit confusing at times and I don't have all the cases down.

Audio is very good. By themselves the ear cups muffle outside sounds well. Actually noise cancellation is excellent and really was able to cut down nearby construction noise from a level that's probably dangerous to fairly quiet though still there. For fans and such it pretty much silences them. There is also a transparency mode that makes external sounds louder (I was thinking it would just make it sound as if you didn't have the headphones on but no the sounds are quite loud even fan noises).

Fairly comfortable, not as much as the Beats Studio Pro. I can wear the headphone for a three or four hours or most of the day if I take like a ten minute break every hour. Battery life is claimed to be 20 hours with noise cancellation on and it does seem to be all day.

There's a built in mic and as far as I can tell everybody else hears me fine. I've asked and my friends didn't really notice a difference. And other people I've Zoomed with didn't seem to complain.

When it works they are great headphones and probably worth the price. But as the version one product I've had problems.

Sometimes the noise cancellation button activates randomly (not sure if this is the headphones doing it or the Mac/iOS device thinking it's being triggered). You set it to toggle between two of the three modes (off, noise cancellation, transparency) and I use the first two which are both usable (transparency is way loud as I mentioned) but whenever it switches there's a loud alert tone and sometimes it's switching back and forth every couple of seconds for like a minute.

The other annoying thing is sometimes the headphones refuse to connect to any device. Or they might connect but not play sounds. There is a way to power cycle the headphones which doesn't trigger when this happens. There is also a way to factory reset the headphones which also doesn't trigger. I have to leave them in their case charging for a day or more and then I can take them out and factory reset.

I do have a backup ear bud and a Beats Studio Pro wired headphones so it's not intolerably bad. Maybe the next version of AirPods Max will work better (and I tend to think it's the Max rather than the three devices it connects to). For now I'd have a hard time recommending them.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-12-02T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221202-spot-reviews-12-02-22.html#unique-entry-id-498https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221202-spot-reviews-12-02-22.html#unique-entry-id-498Draft Day (2014) [+] The behind the scenes maneuvering on NFL draft day as Cleveland Browns GM Sonny Weaver Jr (Kevin Costner) makes a big splash trade that might end up ruining the franchise... I previously watched this and reviewed it seven years ago and this is still a great film as I do love the NFL.

Movie - The Italian Job (2003) [/] Five years after being betrayed during a big gold heist, Charlie Croker (Mark Wahlberg) reassembles his old team to take down betrayer Steve Frazelli (Edward Norton). Included in the team is newcomer Stella Bridger (Charlize Theron) whose father died during the first heist. There's a couple of cool scenes when the team drives three mini coopers like getaway cars which I think made mini coopers popular for a bit. It's an ok film maybe a bit too subdued compared to the many over-the-top heist films in the last couple decades.

Movie - Good Morning, Vietnam (1987) [-] Airmand second class Adrian Cronauer (Robin Williams) arrives in Vietnam to host a radio show and improve troop morale. But his humor and honesty rankles his superiors and he starts becoming embroiled in the politics of Saigon... At base this is a story about a naive guy who doesn't understand the internal conflicts in Vietnam and is surprised when things go badly. Not an interesting story and I guess the movie is remarkable because Robin Williams gets to ad-lib so much humor especially in Cronauer's radio show. But the humor is kind of dated and not really funny today. Overall disappointed with this movie.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-11-30T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221130-movie-attack-on-finland-2022.html#unique-entry-id-497https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221130-movie-attack-on-finland-2022.html#unique-entry-id-497Attack on Finland (Omerta 6/12 outside the USA) is an action/thriller movie set in Finland and Belorussia. During a winter gala event in the presidential palace a group of terrorists attack and kidnap the Finnish president, an important NATO general with his bodyguard and some other people.

The response team includes Max Tanner (Jasper Pääkkönen) and the bodyguard is his former partner Sylvia Madsen (Nanna Blondell) when they were both seconded to EU Interpol special forces or something like that. The setting moves from the palatial hostage setting to a Belorussian abandoned military base where the bad guys take their hostages. Tanner has to solo it because Finland doesn't want to start a war with Belorussia but Madsen is also not going to passively remain a hostage forever...

I'm quite impressed with the visuals and cinematography. It's very polished and very European. Good amount of explosions and destruction for a $10M movie. It's a complete story and doesn't set up a sequel but it also doesn't, like, kill every character and preclude a sequel which I'd be willing to see.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-11-28T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221128-only-love-can-break-your-heart-2018.html#unique-entry-id-496https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221128-only-love-can-break-your-heart-2018.html#unique-entry-id-496Only Love Can Break Your Heart is a young adult novel coming of age story about Reiko, a Southern California teenager entering her junior year of high school. She's recently mostly recovered from a long depression after the death of her older sister Miko, who Reiko keeps seeing and interacting with. Reiko starts to befriend Seth, sort of a loner young man and not a popular kid like Reiko and her friends.

Secretly they share a friendship but the secretiveness eventually strains their relationship and then Reiko kisses another boy and breaks Seth's trust. We enter the last part of the book where Reiko tries to win Seth back and starts to realize how much she abused him in small ways but then once Seth changes Reiko starts to realize maybe Seth had his own issues too.

Eventually it comes back to Miko and Reiko's relationship with the rest of her family: mom and dad and younger brother. And the only way for Reiko to repair herself and those relationships is to finally come to grip with Miko's death and say goodbye...

It's an 8-hour audio book read by Cristina Vee. It's sort of slow moving and placid yet interesting. It's not melodrama so the fact that Reiko and Seth never really reconcile is more like "that's how life is sometimes". Overall I did enjoy it though I'm way out of the target audience.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-11-25T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221125-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-494https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221125-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-494Roger Craig's Tales from the San Francisco 49ers Sideline (2004) [/] With the help of long-time 49ers beat reporter Matt Maiocco this book contains a plethora of anecdotes from Roger Craig mostly covering his time with the 49ers and a bit of college and afterwards ending with thoughts about the current 2004 year team. It is all anecdotes or thoughts each a few paragraphs length which makes for a somewhat disjointed but easy read. I found it interesting and Craig is very positive about his experiences and the 49ers team in general, the most ironically humorous are his thoughts on the current team and coach (this would be Dennis Erickson's 2nd year as head coach) and unfortunately I don't think any of his predictions panned out. Overall an entertaining read.

Movie - It Happened One Night (1934) [/] In this Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert romantic comedy, a spoiled heiress (Colbert) sneaks away by bus to meet her beloved. Gable is a down-to-earth newspaper reporter who recognizes Colbert and makes a deal to help her in return for an exclusive story. On the way they clash and slowly fall for each other... It's better than I expected. Apparently a classic though perhaps I'd only consider it that in light of the year released.

Popeyes Spicy Blackened Chicken Sandwich [/] This is a new menu item. Fast food-sized bun, fried chicken breast, mayo (with a bit of ketchup or something), pickles (which I omitted) for $5. I guess it's ok, not especially tasty but fine for a change of pace. I'd rather have the fried chicken.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-11-23T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221123-movie-black-panther-wakanda-forever-2022.html#unique-entry-id-495https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221123-movie-black-panther-wakanda-forever-2022.html#unique-entry-id-495Wakanda Forever is a sequel to Black Panther and since Chadwick Boseman died this movie starts out with the Black Panther recently deceased and Shuri (Letitia Wright) not able to cope with it. A year later the US government finds Vibranium deep in the ocean but their research ship is attacked and everyone is killed and the world kind of blames Wakanda trying to protect their Vibranium monopoly.

Turns out it is Namor (Tenoch Huerta Mejía) and his Talokan people (MCU changes Namor and his people to be descendants of the Mayans rather than Atlanteans) who are so xenophobic they want no one to find out about their existence. Namor deigns to reveal himself to Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) and Shuri, making the Wakandans responsible for keeping the humans out of the oceans hunting for Vibranium and he also wants the Vibranium detector's inventor killed.

Shuri is able to find the inventor -- college student Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) -- and goes with Okoye (Danai Gurira) to go fetch her for protective custody before the Feds or Talokan's get to her. Once Wakanda has Riri they refuse to give her up to be murdered leading to a Talokan-Wakanda war which the Wakandans even with all their high tech may not win...

Lots of action. Introduction of a major new character to the MCU. And by the end of the film a new Black Panther. Marred a bit by the long Namor backstory scenes and the Wakandans thinking going out on a big flat topped ship to fight the Talokan fish people was somehow a good idea. Overall I think it's a fine movie and a worthy follow-up to Black Panther.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-11-21T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221121-casa-sanchez-foods.html#unique-entry-id-493https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221121-casa-sanchez-foods.html#unique-entry-id-493Casa Sanchez is a local family business making since the 1950's.

Casa Sanchez Thin & Light Tortilla Chips [+] I often see these at the grocery store on sale 2 for $7 so I always thought of them as cheap. But actually they're pretty good. I like thin chips and these are not too thin so they don't break easily. They taste fine to me.

Casa Sanchez Thick & Crispy Tortilla Chips [/] These chips are fine too though too thick for my tastes.

Casa Sanchez Pico de Gallo Chunky Salsa [+] I've been on and off trying different store salsas and finally found this one. You can see the diced tomatoes and onion and other ingredients. It's not a purée like every other store salsa I've seen. Tastes good with a bit of spiciness. Looking forward to trying out Casa Sanchez's other salsas.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-11-18T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221118-spot-reviews-11-18-22.html#unique-entry-id-490https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221118-spot-reviews-11-18-22.html#unique-entry-id-490That's Amor (2022) [+] A cable tv level romantic movie. Sofia (Riley Dandy) loses her high-powered job and moves in with mom who in order to cheer her up signs them up for a cooking class where Sofia meets assistant chef Matias (Isaac Gonzalez Rossi) and sparks fly. Also has some really yummy looking foods. Even though I know what to expect the movie delivers and makes me feel good at the end.

Audio Book - Vicarious (2022) [/] About 100 years in the future Earth is flooded and only High Earth (a city) is left, where the inhabitants live idly served by robots and watch their VR tv shows. Asher (voiced by Wil Wheaton), a High Earth programming director for the most popular show Ignis: Live, and Mission (voiced by Katherine McNamara), one of the unsuspecting inhabitants of Ignis. The people on Ignis believe they're on an asteroid ship heading towards another star, leaving behind a dead Earth. Whilst they are on Ignis, it never launched, instead it was repurposed as a tv show filled with memory re-programmed volunteers and it's been 50 years with Ignites living and dying for a tv show. The story is about how Asher eventually realizes he loves Mission and tries to save her from the big prime time event: a manufactured disaster in her habitat that will kill hundreds...

It's an interesting self-contained story (in that I don't think it's set up for sequels). I feel Asher is more the main character since he's the one doing stuff and therefore Wheaton does most of the narration, I'd guess about 2/3rds. We switch to Mission as she lives her life but the way the story is set up she is more carried by events than doing stuff (I thought there was a possibility when Mission noticed one of the High Earth fixers disguised as her best friend but that came to nought). In the end, although it's nice hearing McNamara narrating, you can cut out almost all Mission's story (except towards the end) and the novel would have the same storytelling impact.

Apple Arcade - Kings of the Castle (2019) [/] An FPS-style kids game where you run around an island collecting coins and avoiding traps/enemies until you get to the end and free the prince. It's vaguely like Super Mario Bros. This being a kids game the gameplay seemed a bit boring to me and I quickly got motion sickness playing with a controller. Apparently it's multiplayer so would be more fun with multiple people running around on the map.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-11-16T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221116-for-all-mankind-s3-2022.html#unique-entry-id-492https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221116-for-all-mankind-s3-2022.html#unique-entry-id-492For All Mankind season 3 continues Apple TV+'s alt-history space race show. [SPOILERS]

We jump a few years forward to 1992. The first three episodes are setup to create a three-way race to Mars:

• USA: Led by Danielle Poole (Krys Marshall) and includes Ed Baldwin's daughter Kelly (Cynthy Wu).
• Russia: New characters. Their ship uses engine designs given to them by head of NASA Margo Madison (Wrenn Schmidt)
• Helios Aerospace: A tech company headed by the brilliant Dev Ayesa (Edi Gathegi), who brings in Karen Baldwin (Shantel VanSanten) and hires several people from NASA including Ed Baldwin (Joel Kinnaman) to head the mission.

In episode 4 we jump to 1996 as the spacecraft take off then land on Mars and try to do science/exploration in a few months before their return window closes.

After a space catastrophe USA and Russia combine their surviving teams and land on Mars first but even though cooperating each team has their own priorities. Meanwhile the Helios team has a big ship and lots of resources but a ticking time bomb in Danny Stevens (Casey W Johnson) who has been slowly feeling the pressure and started taking drugs to cope.

Back on Earth, NASA engineer Aleida Rosales (Coral Peña) realizes the Russians stole her engine designs and is determined to find the NASA mole while being subtly blocked by Margo. Danny's brother Jimmy Stevens (David Chandler), still bitter from the deaths of his parents and blaming NASA for a coverup, falls in with an extremist group that threatens NASA. President Ellen Wilson (Jodi Balfour) reaches a crisis that threatens her administration and legacy when her husband has an affair then lies to Congress about it...

The really interesting parts are the race to Mars and then being on Mars. Reminds me of the National Geographic Mars (2016) fictional tv series that ran two seasons. They had 13 episodes and less characters/back story so could concentrate more on what it would be like to colonize Mars. For All Mankind gives us a more dramatic/character-focused take.

Season 4 moves to early 2000's though no indication of the big thing (season one ended showing a big Lunar moon base, season two ended with a brief shot of astronauts setting foot on Mars, season three ends with a shot of Margo waking up in some Eastern Bloc city).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-11-14T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221114-united-states-constitution-annotated.html#unique-entry-id-491https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221114-united-states-constitution-annotated.html#unique-entry-id-491
It's interesting to see how such a relatively short document creates so much case law because the Constitution is mostly written in plain language which then allows a lot of interpretation. Sometimes the Supreme Court interprets the words based on what the writers were thinking, what the voters were thinking. Sometimes it's strict that way and sometimes the Supreme Court extrapolates with the intention behind those words, with how the people who wrote them might have interpreted their words a hundred or two hundred years later. And they are both fine ways of interpreting the Constitution.

There is another 800 pages listing all Federal laws struck down by the Supreme Court, then all State and local laws pre-empted by Federal laws or struck down by the Supreme Court, and finally all Supreme Court decisions overruled by later Supreme Court decisions.

The current Constitution Annotated is a very nice looking web site with lots of hyperlinks. For me it's a bit harder to navigate than reading a PDF which has citations at the bottom of each page (I like to see citations in-page because a lot of times citations have a bit of extra explanatory text). Still, I guess this version is better since it's a living document that is updated periodically.

Addendum: I did find a web site that has the PDF versions: Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation. The last complete revision is 2017 with a 2020 supplement.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-11-11T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/0a8a6a9d58da572c6a51388de4e9401d-489.html#unique-entry-id-489https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/0a8a6a9d58da572c6a51388de4e9401d-489.html#unique-entry-id-489LEGO Brawls (2019) [/] A Smash-type eight-player brawling game. Two game types: brawl where two teams try to stay near a control point for the most time, free for all where it's most individual kills. Good graphics and ok game play but not my type of game.

Apple Arcade - Murder Mystery Machine (2019) [-] In this game you go through a room talking to people and collecting clues. Then on a clue board tie clues together which can open up another round of talking and clue collecting. Finally answer one or more who, what, why, how questions if you have the clue associations set up right. I found it a bit too cryptic and the gameplay lackluster though it seems to be a playable game.

Netflix Movie - Tall Girl (2019) [/] Teen romantic comedy. Jodi (Ava Michelle) is her high school's tallest girl and maybe tallest person period. When tall Swedish foreign student Stig (Luke Eisner) enters the picture she instantly falls for him much to the chagrin of Jodi's best guy pal Jack (Griffin Gluck). Meanwhile school queen bee Kimmy (Clara Wilsey) sets her eyes on Stig setting up to romantic triangles... It's a pleasant enough movie. Kind of reminds me a bit of 16 Candles.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-11-09T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221109-silver-linings-playbook-2012.html#unique-entry-id-488https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221109-silver-linings-playbook-2012.html#unique-entry-id-488Silver Linings Playbook is a drama/romance set in Philadelphia.

After eight months in a psychiatric ward Pat Solitano Jr (Bradley Cooper) is out and living with his parents, though he's still a fairly shaky manic-depressive pining for his estranged wife who cheated on him triggering a very violent response from Pat. Pat's friend sets him up with Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) who's recovering from grieving for her recently deceased husband, a recover that involved sleeping with everyone she could to make the pain go away.

Since there's a restraining order Pat can't directly talk to his wife but he can get a letter to her through Tiffany (mind you they both acknowledge that still violates the restraining order). In return for that favor Tiffany wants Pat to partner with her at an upcoming dance competition. All the rehearsing helps Pat focus his mind and calms him down but his growing attraction to Tiffany threatens getting back with his wife...

This is a movie that won a bunch of awards yet the concept and trailers made it seem like a serious, downer movie. There are a few elements of that but it's not about how bad mental disorders are. It's about overcoming those mental problems and finding happiness. The first hour is ok and the second hour picks up and there is a climactic dance number which is a bit surreal (it's pretty funny that they're practicing all these disparate dance numbers and I assumed they were trying to decide what their dance number would be but it turns out they used all the disparate dance routines medley-style).

Turns out this was a pretty good movie with a good ending.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-11-07T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221107-mini-motorways-2019.html#unique-entry-id-487https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221107-mini-motorways-2019.html#unique-entry-id-487Mini Motorways is a sequel to Mini Metro. In Mini Metro you are building a transit system connecting stops in a city and the end result looks a bit like a New York subway map or a Bay Area Rapid Transit map.

Mini Motorways instead focuses on cars: there are homes and work places that randomly pop up and you build roads to connect them. Everything is by color: red homes for red work places, blue homes for blue work places, etc. The algorithm is simple; when a work place person is ready to go home the nearest available car (each home has two cars) goes and gets them.

Mini Metro placement variety is based on railway lines (each a different color), number of cars (each holding 6 passengers and you can switch cars between lines), tunnels (limited quantity, used to traverse rivers), and interchanges (very limited, I forgot the effect). Passengers pop up at any station and they will get off whenever a stop matches their shape.

Mini Motorways has road tiles and the map is grid based. You can place roads orthogonally or diagonally and you can rotate a home so that the entrance points orthogonally in a cardinal direction. Special tiles:

Bridge - to cross water
Tunnel - to cross mountains
Roundabout - to smooth out traffic. Roundabouts also save a few road tiles but can't be placed anywhere.
Traffic Light - to smooth out traffic and the lights are coordinated.
Freeway - connects two points with a non-stop road and freeway can cross water

There are cities with different layouts. Challenge modes which restrict special tiles (e.g. you get one freeway at start but never get any more) or change runtime effects (e.g. work places start out as circles which have double the employees). There is a daily challenge and a weekly challenge. There is an endless mode where work places can still get full but the game doesn't end like in normal mode. There is also an expert mode which I haven't tried yet.

Mini Motorways is a step up in complexity from Mini Metro but not a really complicated game. Nice graphics and a good touch interface (though the latest update doesn't seem to have a zoom in so it gets harder to draw roads as the city gets big). Good amount of variety making this a pretty fun game that can be played for a long time without becoming boring.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-11-04T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221104-spot-reviews-11-04-22.html#unique-entry-id-486https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221104-spot-reviews-11-04-22.html#unique-entry-id-486Pasta Prima Organic Portobello Ravioli [+] Ravioli and mushroom, from frozen cooks in six minutes in boiling water. By itself pretty tasty but great with sauces and the sauce sticks to the ravioli well.

Movie - Little Nikita (1988) [/] 80's spy thriller. When teen Jeff (River Phoenix) applies for the Air Force Academy his background check throws red flags and attracts the attention of FBI agent Roy Parmenter (Sidney Poitier) who believes that Jeff's parents are sleeper agents for the Soviets... It's a watchable story and film, not especially cinematic (it looks like it could be an episode of CHIPS).

iOS Game - Checkmate or Die (2022) [-] A chess.com produced game where each level you are solving a few mate in one puzzles before the zombies catch up to you. I played like the first 20 levels and it does not seem to get any harder. It's a nice looking prototype but gameplay needs a lot of work. I guess this is more intended for kids and young teens.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-11-02T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221102-movie-the-perfect-date-2019.html#unique-entry-id-485https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221102-movie-the-perfect-date-2019.html#unique-entry-id-485The Perfect Date is a teen rom-com released on Netflix. Brooks (Noah Centineo) aspired to attend Harvard but to pay for tuition he'll need to earn a bunch of money. After being paid to escort a classmate's sister, Celia (Laura Marano), on a blind date he and his friend get the idea to sell his services as a blind date companion using an app. Brooks makes money, he learns to love taking on a new role every night, and he becomes a more confident person whilst deepening his friendship with Celia. But once Brooks achieves his goals, including dating the school princess, he realizes that it's Celia he really wants...

The movie starts out a bit shallow and East Coast accents are a bit jarring. But eventually the story settles in and it's kind of nice seeing Brooks himself develop and Brooks/Celia relationship develop. It leads to an ending that works and is satisfying.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-10-31T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221031-book-the-nightmare-stacks-2016.html#unique-entry-id-484https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221031-book-the-nightmare-stacks-2016.html#unique-entry-id-484Laundry Files novel and centers on a new character so it's a jumping in point for new readers.

The Laundry Files is a modern-day vs occult horrors, very much like Delta Green RPG (US Spec Ops vs Mythos) except this is a British Civil Service department vs Mythos. It's overworked and underpaid people having to battle the occult, monsters, and the UK civil service bureaucracy. The first six novels center on Bob Howard (correction, the first five are Bob, number six is Bob's wife Dr Dominique O'Brien but still very much in Bob's sphere) who goes starts as a new Laundry recruit with some occult abilities and steadily gains powers until he replaces one of the big wigs in the department.

Nightmare Stacks focuses on Alex Schwartz who in the last novel was an antagonist new vampire who has a change of heart, survives the carnage, and is mandatorily recruited into The Laundry. While Alex has quite a bit more power than Bob had when he started, Alex still has this new bureaucracy to navigate and a bunch of lingo to learn which is great for new readers. There's a huge amount of references to previous novels and some is never fully explained but enough is that I think it's readable for new readers.

Anyway, Alex is sent to Leeds to help set up a new Laundry HQ which is unfortunate for him as he grew up in Leeds and spent his life trying to get away from it. Now he's back and has the addition of parents and a sister to deal with who can't be told what he really does. Meanwhile he finally meets a girl, Cassie, who unfortunately is an elven spy from another world scouting out Earth for an invasion. They meet, fall in love, and now Alex and Cassie have to stop the invasion before too many people die (and there's a lot of dying in this one).

On the one hand, having read six novels already this one is kind of same old same old even with a new main character. The romance story does really hook me in though and the story gets more and more exciting. The ending arrives rapidly without a denouement so not sure what happens to Alex and Cassie afterwards.

Reading the descriptions of the next few novels looks like the series turns kind of dark and then Stross decides to start a trilogy with new characters in the middle of the Laundry Files series. I guess maybe there's no reason to keep reading this series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-10-28T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221028-spot-reviews-10-28-22.html#unique-entry-id-483https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221028-spot-reviews-10-28-22.html#unique-entry-id-483Neo Cab (2019) [/] Set a bit in the future Lina is one of the last human Uber drivers, recently arrived in the south-western city of Los Ojos to reconcile with her old girlfriend. As she drives people around town she has conversations with them and your reactions affect your mood (split into three attributes) which in turn can drive the conversation and main story... I played this game for about an hour but it's not a game with a constant saved state so when I kept returning and having to repeat minutes-long conversations and that wasn't fun.

Apple Arcade - Mutazione (2019) [/] A side-view point and click adventure where you play Kai, a young woman visiting her dying grandfather who lives on an island where mutants live peacefully. I also played this for about an hour so really didn't get into the plot. You can talk to lost of characters and the dialogs are conversational but everyone talks in short sentences and you're constantly tapping continue so that's a drag. Seems more like a social interactions story than a do things kill stuff story and that's fine.

Movie - The Transporter Refueled (2015) [/] An attempted reboot of The Transporter franchise with Ed Skrein taking over the role of Frank Martin Jr, for spec ops and now a highly paid package delivery driver where usually lots of people with guns want the package. Frank is hired by four beautiful women who want to do a heist on their former pimp employer who heads a sizable organized crime gang... It's got that European look with stylish locations and clothing but also feels a little stale.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-10-26T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221026-disney-series-moon-knight-s1-2022.html#unique-entry-id-482https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221026-disney-series-moon-knight-s1-2022.html#unique-entry-id-482Moon Knight season one is a six-episode origin and story arc. Steven Grant (Oscar Isaac) is a museum assistant archaeologist who has been suffering from strange sleep-walking dreams for months. But the dreams become all too real when he realizes that he becomes a different persona, the mercenary Marc Spector, who goes on missions and kills people for the monstrous Egyptian god Khonshu (voiced by F Murray Abraham).

Arthur Harrow (Ethan Hawke) and his followers are trying to free the goddess Ammit who will cleanse the world of evil (perhaps not in itself a bad thing except the evil deed can be in the future and Ammit is big into pre-crime). Khonshu wants Marc to stop it but Steven wants nothing to do with this. That is until Marc's wife Layla (May Calamawy) shows up wondering what kind of dangerous mission Marc is involved in...

Moon Knight is not a hero I'm that familiar with and from a distance he looked like an Egyptian mythology-themed Batman. But as presented in this series he is more of a vengeance killer/assassin type with various mystical powers.

Isaac's acting is really good, making both Steven and Marc come alive. The main story is pretty engaging and Harrow is a good sinister non-action villain. The Steven/Marc subplot is even better and the plot twists there are kind of cool. Layla is a suitably impressive character and action hero enough to protect Steven while being a useful sidekick to Marc.

This is a much better series than I expected.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-10-24T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221024-squishable.html#unique-entry-id-481https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221024-squishable.html#unique-entry-id-481Squishable makes these fairly big stuffies.

Steph gave me a squishable tortoise for Christmas 2009. Discontinued now but my favorite because it looks good and he's soft and warm. I don't use him as a pillow, more like a huggable sleeping companion.

I bought this other squishable turtle which is also discontinued. It's a bit too cartoony and still very round since I don't use it much (my main turtle is a bit flatter but still not flat; still good after almost 13 years).

I also have a mini squishable sea turtle which are more hand-sized. I don't particularly like the spots -- a bit creepy sometimes.

Anyway, these are great gift items or for your own use.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-10-21T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221021-spot-reviews-10-21-22.html#unique-entry-id-480https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221021-spot-reviews-10-21-22.html#unique-entry-id-480Moonfall (2022) [/] The moon turns out to be an alien-made megastructure that is failing and falling towards the Earth causing devastation. NASA acting director Jo Fowler (Halle Berry) puts together a last minute desperate mission to travel into the moon and destroy the creature inside. Brian Harper (Patrick Wilson) is the mission pilot, who saw the creature in his last, disastrous, mission 15 years ago. KC Houseman (John Bradley) rounds out the unusual crew, an amateur astronomer who was the first to espouse that the moon was a megastructure years ago... At first it seems like a silly sci-fi film but once they get into the moon and discover the background of how and why it was built it's more interesting. Meanwhile it's also like 1/3rd disaster movie as our protagonists' families deal and try to survive the havoc on Earth.

Kirkland Organic Diced Tomatoes [-] Freshly diced tomatoes that you use to make salsa is so good. This is not it. Machine-sliced diced tomatoes with a lot of juice. Canned so that the tomatoes come out less diced and more blob-like. I guess more appropriate for cooking than for eating straight out of the can.

Podcast - The Tracy Sandler Show (2021) [/] Professional fan girl Tracy Sandler talks about the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Dodgers and sometimes other teams but the previous two are her favorites. She has a variety of guests with a good number of women. Still, a bit too varied a show for my tastes -- I love the 49ers and SF Giants so don't really want to hear about the Dodgers.

]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-10-19T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221019-tv-series-severance-s1-2022.html#unique-entry-id-479https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221019-tv-series-severance-s1-2022.html#unique-entry-id-479Severance is a modern-day drama from Apple TV+ about four co-workers who work in the severed floor of Lumon Industries. Lumon developed the severance program where they implant a device in your brain that severs your work and non-work personas -- the Innie (work) has no memories outside work and the Outies have no memories of their work.

Mark Scout (Adam Scott) - the main character of the show, newly promoted to the head of Macrodata Refinement

Helena Riggs (Britt Lower) - a new employee so we get to see how a recruit intake occurs (you wake up in a room with no memories and a voice tells you this is your new life)

Dylan George (Zach Cherry) and Irving Bailiff (John Torturro) - two veteran Macrodata Refinement workers (there are only four people in the group)

The series starts out in the work environment showing the severed floor as a maze with big white rooms that have a few cubicles. Each division is kept isolated and the work environment is kept very bland with no stimulus other than company-approved cupcake parties and such.

Later on we get to see Mark's real life and how it's basically a night-time life. He underwent severance so he could work without having to think about his recently deceased wife. We get to see how the outside world sees the severance procedure. And we get to see that maybe Lumon Industries and severance is not as benign when Mark's Lumon co-workers shows up with some of his severed work memories and maybe a bit psychotic because of that.

Meanwhile back at work Helena really hates the job and her rebellious acts gets Mark into thinking more about what is their actual jobs and what Is Lumon Industries up to and also that work conditions are pretty barbaric. For example the Innie leave for home and in the elevator but the next thing they know they're arriving at work the next day so there is no break for them. An Innie can be physically rested but not mentally and I guess maybe that eventually drives them insane -- although there are older workers it's unclear if anybody has been working in the severed floor for years.

The MDRs discover that security can activate their work personas at any time so come up with a plan to free themselves long enough to expose Lumon Industries...

A lot of people love this show. It's interesting but a bit too dystopian for me.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-10-17T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221017-apple-books-app-for-audio-books.html#unique-entry-id-478https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221017-apple-books-app-for-audio-books.html#unique-entry-id-478Apple Books app for audio books [-]

I'm using macOS 11 Big Sur. Apple Books does an ok job for books. For audio books:

* Audio books are not synced via iCloud, though that makes sense since audio books can be 1 GB by themselves.
* Unlike for regular books, audio book info cannot be edited in Books app. (On iOS you can't list and see metadata which means also can't edit it.)
* It shows current chapter and chapter timings (time since start, time to end) but not timings for the whole book. On iOS each part is a file (Audible books can be downloaded as 2 to 4 parts or 1 complete file) which makes it easier for coarse navigation.
* Speaking of which, on Books app you can forward/back per chapter which is tedious if you want to go from the end to the beginning.

In terms of playing experience in both you can skip forward/back 15 seconds, scrub within a chapter, or go forward/back a chapter (or book part in iOS). You can change playback speed from x0.75 to x2 in 0.25 increments. You can set a sleep timer so that it will stop playing after a while.

For me editing info is the big problem. Without it it's hard to organize audio books. For Audible books I ended up:

1. Record to GarageBand (you need loopback software since GarageBand doesn't record system audio).
2. Export to Music app (which no longer reads Audible files natively)
3. Edit metada in Music including adding cover art.
4. Go to Finder and drag Music files to Books app (you lose chapter info this way)

And if I need to re-edit metadata I can show Books files in Finder then drag to Music for editing.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-10-14T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221014-spot-reviews-10-14-22.html#unique-entry-id-477https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221014-spot-reviews-10-14-22.html#unique-entry-id-477Portal, Immersive Escapes [+] This is a background sounds app using real recordings from around the world. There are six included locations everything else requires a subscription ($10 per month, $50 per year, or $250 lifetime). But the starting locations are good enough for me and have been helpful listening on my Airpods Max trying to sleep while construction noises are prevalent.

Book - Of Dice and Men: The Story of Dungeons & Dragons and the People Who Play It (2013) [/] The author's history with RPGs and research into the history of D&D and then retelling it to us. It's very conversational and meandering and very personal POV. I should have gotten the hint from the title: it's told as a story not as history. I do not like that style but the writing seems fine so I think this book could be entertaining for others.

Anime - Drifting Dragons #1.1/#1.2 (2020) [/] This anime is about the crew of a whaler. But since this is a fantasy setting the ship is an airship and the whales are dragons. I watched a couple of episodes and it didn't grab me as interesting. Animation and voice acting are good.

]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-10-12T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221012-riddick-films-2000-2013.html#unique-entry-id-476https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221012-riddick-films-2000-2013.html#unique-entry-id-476
Pitch Black (2000) [+] Still a classic sci fi thriller movie. Vin Diesel as Riddick steals the show. I remember reading how they did the special effects on a low budget and it looks better than you'd think.

A freighter with passengers in cryogenic sleep crashes on a remote planet orbited by three suns. The survivors discover an old research station and the fact that there is an imminent triple-eclipse that will awaken a mass of predators that wiped out life on the planet. All the while the survivors have to ally with Riddick, a multiple killer on his way to prison and who has special abilities that can save everyone, or maybe just himself.

Dark Fury (2004) [/] A half hour animated film set right after Pitch Black. Riddick and the two other survivors Imam (Keith David) and Jack (Rhiana Griffith) are captured by a mercenary ship where ship master Antonia (Tress MacNeille) wants to make Riddick into a human trophy and prize of her collection of killers.

The Chronicles of Riddick (2004) [/] A few years later Riddick comes out of hiding at the request of Imam who wants his help in stopping the Necromongers threatening his world. Imam is killed but before Riddick can exact revenge he is captured and sent to Crematoria, a prison world, where he has to escape with the help of a now grown-up Jack (Alexa Davalos). Riddick then returns to the Necromonger fleet to enact his vengeance on the Lord Marshal (Colm Feore).

Riddick (2013) [/] A few months later Riddick finds himself marooned on a hostile world where he makes adopts an alien dog and in flashback we see how he got there since he became Lord Marshal of the Necromongers. Riddick finds a mercenary depot and calls out a distress beacon. Two mercenary teams arrive to capture him but all must ally when a storm and it's drenching waters awakens a landscape full of deadly creatures... In the final short scene Riddick returns to the Necromonger capital ship and we get a bit of setup for the next film.


Pitch Black is still a good film. Dark Fury was ok but only half an hour in any case. Chronicles suffers from having all the Crematoria stuff, which is cool but could be its own movie. Riddick has the same issue in that the first third of the film (all the survival stuff) can be cut out and the story wouldn't suffer a bit.

The next sequel is in pre-production I'd still watch it even if it meanders like the last two films because Riddick is a pretty cool character.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-10-10T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221010-gurps-bunnies-and-burrows-1992.html#unique-entry-id-475https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221010-gurps-bunnies-and-burrows-1992.html#unique-entry-id-475GURPS Bunnies & Burrows was an adaptation of FGU's Bunnies & Burrows RPG to GURPS 3E, though without conversion rules. Like all supplements it requires GURPS 3E rules but no other books are required.

Chapters

1. What Every Bunny Should Know - Information on rpg-style rabbits combining real-world rabbit facts with more fictional elements where rabbits are intelligent and form societies.

2. Characters - GURPS character generation modifications. The big change is that rabbits have stats at 10 and everything else is scaled around that so normal predator animals have quite high stats and humans are forces of nature. For weights 1 pound = 40 R-pound (rabbit pound). It can be a bit weird but once you've scaled to rabbits all other GURPS rules are the same.

3. Bunnies Beyond - Psionics (ESP, Telepathy, Empathic Healing), Herb Lore (fairly detailed since it's also important in B&B RPG), Storytelling (bard type put audiences in trance), Martial Arts (Bun Fu).

4. Bunny Battles - Clarifications, modifications and additions to regular GURPS combat.

5. GM-ing Those Wascally Wabbits - What can be done without an opposable thumb; rabbit physical feats; rabbit engineering; food and physical energy; traps and pests.

6. Friends and Foes - Bestiary with stats scaled to rabbits.

7. Adventures - Two adventures (rescue rabbit from a farm, investigate a monster terrorizing the warren) plus 15 1/3rd-page to 1-page adventure seeds.

For my purposes chapters 1 and 5 are good for getting a handle of what rabbits can do and how they think. Chapter 7 adventure seeds are pretty awesome because I really have no idea of what rabbit adventures are and the adventure seeds have a lot of variety.

I think overall I prefer this book to B&B 3E (I haven't read B&B 1E nor 2E). B&B 3E has too much detail and too many systems. I guess GURPS is also a fairly complicated rule set but since I know GURPS that's not a problem and GURPS B&B can concentrate on world building, GM-ing advice and adventures without another hundred pages of rules to get in the way.

So if I restarted my campaign I'd use GURPS 4E + GURPS B&B for base and use B&B 3E to supplement with it's random tables and battle maps.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-10-07T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221007-spot-reviews-10-07-22.html#unique-entry-id-474https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221007-spot-reviews-10-07-22.html#unique-entry-id-474The Soviet Navy Today (1975) [-] Captain John E Moore, RN (ret) served on the Defense Intelligence Staff studying the Soviets and at the time of writing the book he was an editor of Jane's Fighting Ships. In this book he covers: a history of the Soviet Navy, current organization and structure, and mostly a discussion of each ship type and the constituent classes with ship class stat blocks. I found the writing kind of superficial and the stat blocks really pad the book without being all that informative though I guess back then not as much public info on Soviet ships.

Anime - Last Hope #1.1/#1.2 (2018) [-] I watched two episodes a couple of months ago and don't remember anything, that's how uninterested I was. Anyway, after a disaster turns all animals into human-eating animal-mecha civilized humanity is confined to one fortified city. Humans fight back with their own gunships and mecha. The scientist who inadvertently caused the disaster five years ago returns with what he thinks is a new weapon to subdue the animal-mecha but can he be trusted?

Movie - Flashdance (1983) [/] Back in the day this was a meme movie and I never bothered to watch it. Alex (Jennifer Beals) is a welder by day and dancer by night (exotic dancing might have been the term back then but without nudity implications) who dreams of attending a prestigious performing arts school. Meanwhile she catches the eye of steel mill owner Nick (Michael Nouri) who romantically pursues her (yeah, romantic in the 80's, a bit stalker-ish and inappropriate when the boss makes advances on one of his employees) and they start dating. I guess a slice of life film, Alex becoming confident enough to actually apply to the school, and some good song and dance numbers. With an 80's mindset it's a perfectly fine romance/drama film.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-10-05T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221005-documentary-long-way-down-2007.html#unique-entry-id-473https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221005-documentary-long-way-down-2007.html#unique-entry-id-473Long Way Down is a sequel to Long Way Round. Ewan McGregor and his best friend Charley Boorman ride motorcycles from Scotland to Italy/Tunisia then down Africa to Cape Town, South Africa. Much like the last time they have the same cameraman on a motorcycle and a support team on two SUVs, though the SUVs are usually sort of nearby and not with them.

Like the first trip this is a way to meet people, experience cultures and sights. They tour a pyramid and the president of Rwanda. Africa is actually quite nice and very varied terrain and climates. In some countries recent wars have marked the people, who are slowly reconciling. Overall a fairly pleasant watch and I quite enjoyed it.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-10-03T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221003-herman-miller-embody-gaming-chair.html#unique-entry-id-472https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20221003-herman-miller-embody-gaming-chair.html#unique-entry-id-472Embody Gaming Chair, regular $1800 on sale 15% off so with tax came to $1575. It comes in a big box pre-assembled. I had a bit of trouble getting it to initially rise and fall because you have to do something the first time (it's shipped in a "safe" mode). Been using it for about 5 months.

A lot of controls to adjust the chair. The seat is contoured for a human butt which I guess is a bit more comfortable but you can't sit cross legged. I still find the chair cuts off a bit of circulation to my legs so maybe I don't have it adjusted right. Also maybe I'm a bit too heavy for the chair because the wheels have a funny squeak if I roll the chair with me sitting in it but don't have my weight evenly distributed. The chair cover is this cloth or fake cloth which may be more comfortable than regular office chairs but not sure if it's a long lasting material.

Overall it's a nice chair. Better than the office chair that my sister hand-me-downed a decade ago and which is starting to fall apart a bit. Still, $1600 for a chair is hard to swallow but Herman Miller is supposed top end. Would I buy another one if I need to replace this one? Probably I would not.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-09-30T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220930-spot-reviews-09-30-22.html#unique-entry-id-469https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220930-spot-reviews-09-30-22.html#unique-entry-id-469The Fighting 69th: One Remarkable National Guard Unit's Journey from Ground Zero to Baghdad (2007) [/] Author Sean Michael Flynn was a captain in the 69th when it deployed to Iraq. This book tells the story of regimental commander Geoff Slack and some of the other people in the 69th from about 1991 when it was more of a weekend club to 9/11 when it was still maybe 1/3rd competent and onwards... I read the first four chapters, 80+ pages. It concentrates more on the people than the unit, which is fine but not exactly interesting to me. Did not get to their deployment in Iraq but I don't feel I'd learn anything useful if I read the rest of the book.

Movie - Luck (2022) [/] Skydance and Apple production, Luck is a family film about Sam Greenfield (Eva Noblezada), a young woman who is incredibly unlucky (in small ways, like if a car hits a puddle she's the only one who gets hit). Her luck turns when she finds a lucky coin but then loses it, much to the chagrin of Bob (Simon Pegg), a talking cat from the Land of Luck and whose coin Sam found. Sam follows Bob to the Land of Luck and makes a pact with Bob to borrow and use a lucky coin to help Sam's friend and in return she leaves the Land of Luck before the authorities discover Bob let in a mundane... It's a movie that should work and yet the Land of Luck is too fantastical and the string of things Sam and Bob have to do gets a bit too long. The concept is fine but the plot just adequate.

Wellshire Traditional Breakfast Sausage [/] Breakfast so that means these are small sausages. Six in a pack and pre-cooked so I could microwave from frozen and serve them with toast and eggs. Tastes fine.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-09-28T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220928-movie-chef-2014.html#unique-entry-id-471https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220928-movie-chef-2014.html#unique-entry-id-471Chef is a small budget film a former star chef, Carl Casper (Jon Favreau), who has become complacent at the west coast restaurant where he's head chef, gets a bad review, gets angry and gets himself fired. Carl has a supportive ex-wife, Inez (Sofía Vergara), and a son, Percy (Emjay Anthony), who loves him but Carl kind of neglects because he's too busy.

In his doldrums Inez convinces him to start a food truck and create dishes without the constraints of a restaurant owner over him. He buys a dilapidated truck and with his sous chef Martin (John Leguizamo) and Percy they fix the truck and travel from Miami back to California serving Cubano sandwiches and other dishes based on whatever ingredients he can buy each day on the road. And along the way he and Percy become closer and bond like father and son...

It's a nice feel good film with some great looking food preparation scenes. Favreau wrote and produced and got a lot of stars for small roles, like Scarlett Johansson as a restaurant hostess, Dustin Hoffman as the restaurant owner, Oliver Platt as the food critic, and Robert Downey Jr as Inez's other ex-husband (after Carl).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-09-26T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220926-timbuk2-laptop-backpack.html#unique-entry-id-470https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220926-timbuk2-laptop-backpack.html#unique-entry-id-470Timbuk2 laptop backpack a few years ago and I try to use it as my regular backpack.

• Padded back section for a 15" laptop.
• Main section has one divider for a thin item like an iPad or magazine.
• Forward section has a zippered container, two pockets, two pencil holders.
• Front zippered pocket.
• One outside side pocket for like a cell phone.

Seems pretty durable so far. Wearing the backpack is comfortable enough. Main section can hold like two or three full-sized RPG books so it's a bit small for a GM. Perhaps when I can afford four big iPads so I can have four books "open" at once. So personally for me I'd want a backpack with a bigger main section.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-09-23T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220923-spot-reviews-09-23-22.html#unique-entry-id-468https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220923-spot-reviews-09-23-22.html#unique-entry-id-468Level 16 (2018) [/] Drama set in a modern day girls' indoor academy where the women are brought up from an early age to adulthood, learning to be obedient and docile and not learning to read. On level 16 (sixteen years old) two of the girls, Vivien (Katie Douglas) and Sophia (Celina Martin) discover the real purpose of the academy (which if you've seen similar movies you can guess in the first 10 minutes) and, though Sophia betrayed Vivien at level 10, have to work together to escape... It is a bit of a downer movie and I didn't watch the last third.

Trader Joe's Gluten Free Uncured Pepperoni Pizza [/] It's a small (2 people) pepperoni pizza with usual veggie toppings: bell peppers, red onion, black olives. But it's on a cauliflower crust. If I didn't know this was a gluten free crust I'd have said it tastes like a normal pizza, maybe a little less tasty than Tombstone (which is a cheap frozen pizza that I like).

Podcast - Wobblies & Wizards (2021) [/] A daily 15-30 min podcast each episode covering one topic, often with a guest. Covers all RPGs. Daily is a bit too much for me and I guess because it's that frequent and the episodes are short they are not in-depth discussions so the podcast is more like short news articles.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-09-21T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220921-movie-the-half-of-it-2020.html#unique-entry-id-467https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220921-movie-the-half-of-it-2020.html#unique-entry-id-467The Half Of It is a Netflix teen romance Cyrano de Bergerac-style. Ellie Chu (Leah Lewis) may be the smartest teen in her small-town high school but she's resigned to being stuck there to help her father coping with life after mom died.

To make ends meet she writes essays for pay but one day jock Paul Munsky (Daniel Diemer) hires Ellie to ghost write love letters to his crush Aster Flores (Alexxis Lemire), who turns out is Ellie's secret crush. Through Paul's letters, emails, and text messages Ellie and Aster form a bond which makes it all the harder for Ellie that Aster thinks it's Paul, who himself is a fairly nice guy.

Eventually all three will have to resolve this situation and along the way Ellie realizes that she needs to grow and leave town for a big university and her father will be all right without her...

I watched a YouTube video listing the ten best LGBTQ romance speeches and this was one of the films listed and the speech is quite good. The story is interesting and charming and nobody is a bad guy. Feel good film.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-09-19T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220919-brenthaven-profesional-17-backpack-case.html#unique-entry-id-466https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220919-brenthaven-profesional-17-backpack-case.html#unique-entry-id-466Professional 17 Backpack Case by Brenthaven (T6091G/A). I used it pretty heavily for over a decade.

• Padded computer pocket
• Big central area can hold a good amount of RPG books
• Pencil/utility area has several small pockets
• Three other separate pocket areas
• Adjustable straps, fairly comfortable to wear backpack

After a decade there is a big horizontal rip on the front flap (the fibers are horizontal so the rip slowly gets bigger). Still holds stuff well but rain will definitely leak in.

It was $170 back in the day and gave me great service so would recommend. Going to Brenthaven I only see this Tred Expandable Backpack for $130 and it fits 15" portables.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-09-16T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/202209616-spot-reviews-09-16-22.html#unique-entry-id-465https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/202209616-spot-reviews-09-16-22.html#unique-entry-id-465Trouble with the Curve (2012) [/] High powered lawyer Mickey (Amy Adams) has to help her baseball scout father Gus (Clint Eastwood) who's failing eyesight threatens his job. They're not on the best terms but time together helps Mickey regain her love of baseball and kindle a romance with rival scout Johnny Flanagan (Justin Timberlake)... Rewatched this after a decade and it's still a pleasant film and a nice behind the scenes baseball movie.

Tillamook Waffle Cone Swirl Ice Cream [/] Chocolate one one side, vanilla with caramel swirls on the other side. I'm not a fan of chocolate ice cream but the vanilla side is pretty good. Not one of their better flavors though.

Book - The Spanish War: An American Epic 1898 (1984) [-] I only got through the first 60-odd pages of GJA O'Toole's book about the Spanish-American War. The short chapter one started off well, sort of disaster movie style introducing characters and what they were doing in a sleepy morning in Havana when suddenly USS Maine exploded. Then the second chapter goes back a couple of decades covering Cuban history and the recent rebellions. I didn't particularly like the writing style. Too much introducing characters and too much peripheral stuff and politics. Feels like the rest of the book will be more about the people than the war and that's not really interesting to me.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-09-14T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220914-movie-in-the-line-of-fire-1993.html#unique-entry-id-464https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220914-movie-in-the-line-of-fire-1993.html#unique-entry-id-464In the Line of Fire is a thriller with Clint Eastwood playing Secret Service Agent Frank Horrigan, a veteran agent who was part of the security detail when Kennedy was assassinated but is now relegated to lower level work with Treasury stuff and investigating wacko threats to the President.

But turns out there is a credible threat to the President. "Booth" (John Malkovich) who also takes a special interest in Frank because Frank failed to protect Kennedy. Frank is assigned to the advanced protection detail where he romances Agent Lilly Raines (Rene Russo), head of the detail, and possibly get his junior partner Agent Al D'Andrea (Dylan McDermott) killed because that's what happens to the newish partner.

Naturally Frank makes a couple of bad calls which almost gets him kicked off the detail. Now that his fellow agents doubt him can Frank stop Booth from assassinating the President?

It's still a fairly entertaining movie with good suspense. Eastwood has that "old but I can do action when I have to" attitude. Russo makes a good leading lady. Malkovich is appropriately scary. The climactic face-off is nicely done. Overall I'm glad I rewatched this film.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-09-12T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220912-book-chess-queens-2022.html#unique-entry-id-463https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220912-book-chess-queens-2022.html#unique-entry-id-463Chess Queens is the second edition of a book surveying the historical and current women chess players around the world whilst intermingling her personal story of how she got into chess and her climb to the WGM title and US Women's Championship, which she won twice.

The previous edition was titled Chess Bitch, Play Like a Girl which I haven't so I'm not sure if the tone changed but I think the theme is still present. Chess is a male-dominated sport which makes it harder for women who want to play. They have few role models, there are a lot of gender stereotypes propagated by the male players, there is a lot of sexism and sexual harassment. To be good women have to be more ruthless than their stereotype and yet playing as aggressive as a man gets you called a b*tch or other slurs.

Anyway, I like the historical biographies. Shahade goes country by country going over the top players and their stories. Fifteen years later she gets to add current top and upcoming women players as well mentioning current popular personalities like Anna Cramling and Alexandra Botez. Shahade mentions that in the first edition she was a bit more aggressive about feminism and chess and a decade later is more moderate, still a feminist and still working to bring more women into chess but without as big a chip on her shoulder.

I like the book. I knew few of the players and the stories are interesting. I like Shahade's personal story which she ties to the journeys of other players. Overall an enjoyable book.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-09-09T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220909-spot-reviews-09-09-22.html#unique-entry-id-462https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220909-spot-reviews-09-09-22.html#unique-entry-id-462Maria (2019) [/] Filipino action film. Former mob assassin Maria (Cristine Reyes) has been hiding out with her new family. When her former boss recognizes her he sends his men to kill her family and bring Maria to him. They do the first but fail on the second leaving a highly-skilled assassin on a path of vengeance... It's an ok action film with some good fights -- I like Maria mixing it up with other female mob lieutenants. Leaves an opening for a sequel.

Kenneth Cole Face Masks [/] I bought a 3-pack back when it was the only offering but now they have several SKUs. Maybe a little pricey but well made, washable, and fits pretty well.

Trader Joe's Chunky Salsa [-] It's salsa, it's cheap, it's not that great. Does have a bit of garlic flavor I didn't expect and I like. It's half puree and half diced tomatoes so it doesn't really have a good feel. I had another TJ salsa last week which was like diced tomatoes fresh salsa and it was really good. Hence why the Chunky Salsa sucks in comparison.

]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-09-07T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220907-movie-21-bridges-2019.html#unique-entry-id-461https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220907-movie-21-bridges-2019.html#unique-entry-id-46121 Bridges is a police drama set in New York. A late night gunfight leaves eight NYPD officers dead. In the immediate aftermath detective Andre Davis (Chadwick Boseman) is put in charge of apprehending the fugitives and he closes down all 21 bridges into Manhattan. Andre is assigned detective Frankie Burns (Sienna Miller) to help him and liaison with 85th precinct who polices this area and whose officers were murdered.

Meanwhile friends Michael (Stephan James) and Ray (Taylor Kitsch) are on the run with a whole lot of cocaine because the small-time dealer they robbed was actually a major middle-man working with the police. With the whole of 85th precinct searching for them they know that if they're caught they're dead lending a kill or be killed mentality whilst Andre is sort of in the middle of this as the lone outside officer...

The movie takes place over a few hours from around midnight to early morning. Action ranges throughout Manhattan showing off the night life of the city that never sleeps. There are sharp and vicious gunfights and a pretty good ending. It's a pretty well implemented $33M movie.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-09-05T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220905-journeys-the-journal-of-multidimensional-roleplaying-1993.html#unique-entry-id-460https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220905-journeys-the-journal-of-multidimensional-roleplaying-1993.html#unique-entry-id-460Journeys was a GDW RPG magazine started as a sort of companion to Dangerous Journeys RPG. DD was supposed to be a multi-genre RPG (Mythus is the fantasy RPG of DD, and I guess the system was meant to have separate independent RPGs sharing the same rules) so Journeys also covers other multi-genre RPGs such as GURPS, HERO and Torg, though about half the material is for DD.

GDW was quite well established by then so the magazine has good production value with full-color glossy cover and 48 glossy pages with lots of illustrations. It ran for six issues before GDW had to shutdown Dangerous Journeys due to a TSR lawsuit claiming that DD was a copy of D&D since Gary Gygax was primary designer of DD and the main world was a fantasy realm.

Article Counts

Mythus adventures x6
Mythus articles x14

GURPS adventures x4 (cyberpunk, space, modern/fantasy, horror)
Torg articles x2 (spells across realms, fighting high-tech enemies)
HERO adventures x2 (fantasy, supers)
HERO articles x1 (NPC Warriors)
Other adventures x2 (Stormbringer, Time Lord)

Other articles x11
RPG Reviews x10
Movie reviews x2

Thoughts

I like having a good amount of adventures (Mythus adventures can be sort of converted to fantasy games) and although none of the adventures are long they can all be an evening's entertainment (unless you run abbreviated combats).

One thing I had read about but didn't experience until now is that Mythus is a hard read. Lots of its own terms even for common concepts (for example HPs are Heroic Personas aka Player Characters in other RPGs). Reading some of the rules articles the way they describe doing calculations is in a way that's hard to understand -- would actually be better to use equations. So Mythus is not one of those games I'll ever want to own (not that it's likely I think it's tied up in IP limbo).

Overall Journeys is a magazine most valuable to Mythus GMs. Secondarily useful to GURPS GMs with four GURPS adventures and other adventures that can be adapted to GURPS (we're used to adapting other adventures to GURPS because there are so few GURPS adventures).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-09-02T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220902-spot-reviews-09-02-22.html#unique-entry-id-459https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220902-spot-reviews-09-02-22.html#unique-entry-id-459Double Teamed (2002) [/] Wholesome family movie about Heather (Poppi Monroe) and Heidi (Annie McElwain) Burge, twin sister volleyball aces whose parents move so they can be in a good high school and get noticed by college scouts. They have to contend with a new school and a new sport when they get recruited for the girls basketball team. It's a nice film.

Book - The Complete Hammer's Slammers Volume One (2006) [/] This is one of a three volume set and has a bunch of short stories about Hammer's Slammers, a far future mercenary tank regiment hired out when one side wants to win a war since the other side will not have tanks. Author David Drake served in Vietnam and imbues the stories with his experiences there. I had heard about these stories in so much as there is an RPG for this universe. The stories are interesting but not really my thing I think.

Food - Cedar Lane Sweet Corn Tamales [/] You get two tamales, each 320 calories. Microwave for 3 minutes. They feel and taste like tamales. Fairly tasty even though vegetarian.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-08-31T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220831-movie-royalteen-2022.html#unique-entry-id-458https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220831-movie-royalteen-2022.html#unique-entry-id-458Royalteen is a Norwegian teen romance movie streaming on Netflix. Lena (Ines Høysæter Asserson) is going to a new posh high school, because as we find out later her parents moved the family due to what Lena did in her last school. This is the high school the rich kids attend, including royal family siblings Prince Kalle (Mathias Storhøi) and Princess Margrethe (Elli Rhiannon Müller Osborne).

Lena and Kalle become attracted but hanging out with Kalle's crowd is a bit of a mine field. She's not rich and they are. One girl is jealous of Lena and Margrethe is very suspicious clout chasers. Things heat up for Lena when the group meets one of her former classmates, actually her former friend who Lena betrayed (or they betrayed each other)...

It's a slow developing movie, rather low key. Manages to be charming and it's the girl that has the plot complication problem. Ending is a bit weird, maybe setting up a sequel movie. Or if not you can cut out the last 30 seconds and it's a fine ending.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-08-29T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220829-ios-game-out-there-2014.html#unique-entry-id-457https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220829-ios-game-out-there-2014.html#unique-entry-id-457Out There six years ago. Re-installed it last month and played it a bunch on my iPad and still plays great.

This is a space exploration rogue-like where you start with a small ship far from Earth and a million years in the future and are trying to make it back home. You gather resources (elements) which are used to build, repair and power your ship (you have oxygen, fuel and hull to maintain). It's a balancing act of what to carry since every separate element carried as cargo (at max 20 count) and ship item takes up a space.

You encounter aliens and slowly the galactic tongue. You encounter some special events and slowly learn the background. There are five different endings (besides dying) and with the help of an Out There Wiki I did two objectives and working on my third before I got distracted and never came back.

Moderate replay-ability. After a few tries you can sort of distinguish a good start from a bad one (well, bad ones tend to end quickly). Also once you discover a ship you can use it as your starting ship and some of the ships are quite nice.

It was good to play it again for a few weeks and maybe I'll come back to it and do all the missions one day.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-08-26T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220826-spot-reviews-08-26-22.html#unique-entry-id-455https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220826-spot-reviews-08-26-22.html#unique-entry-id-455SAS: Rise of the Black Swan (2021) [/] UK action film where SAS soldier Tom Buckingham (Sam Heughan) and his fiancée Sophie (Hannah John-Karmen) are held hostage along with the people on a Channel Tunnel train. Grace Lewis (Ruby Rose) leads the mercenary Black Swans, disavowed and burned by the British government after one of their operations went viral on the Internet... An ok action film.

Novel - Red Mars (1992) [/] The first of Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy. In this book Mars is begin colonized and it's already been a couple decades with several cities settled and more people coming. There are various groups who have different philosophies of what to do about Mars (between just doing more colonization to more exploitation to more conservation) and the conflict escalates into murder... Although interesting it was a bit of a hard read and I'll probably not finish the trilogy.

Super Agent for Safari (2021) [/] Tried this for a bit. It's an extension that automatically fills out web site privacy dialog (toggles for accept/reject advertising cookies, functional cookies, performance cookies, other cookies). For one web site (Pinnacle Entertainment store) it kept showing the dialog then maybe filling it out then closing it, for every page load. Luckily you can turn it off for specific web sites.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-08-24T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220824-tv-show-inspector-koo-2021.html#unique-entry-id-456https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220824-tv-show-inspector-koo-2021.html#unique-entry-id-456Inspector Koo is a Korean detective drama with a single storyline. Koo Kyung-yi (Lee Young-ae) is a former police detective who now plays MMO RPGs all the time. Her friend Na Je-hee (Kwak Sun-young), head of an insurance company investigative team, hires Koo as a consultant to investigate a life insurance claim to see if the death was a suicide or not. Instead Koo finds a series of mysterious deaths and starts suspecting a serial killer.

Meanwhile college student Song Yi-kyung (Kim Hye-jun) and her friend Geon-wook (Lee Hong-nae) are busy having fun punishing evil people by arranging clever accidental deaths for them. And later on we learn that Song and Koo met each other on a previous case and perhaps Koo set Song on her murderous path...

This is a 12-episode hour-long drama. It's a bit like Death Note where there is a team trying to find out who the serial killer is but they don't want to accidentally reveal themselves to the killer. There are a couple of plot changes and twists to extend the series, otherwise I feel it could have wrapped up a good story in 6 to 8 episodes.

Still, I did like all 12 episodes. Koo is an interesting character, kind of a Sherlock Holmes who notices everything and is blunt to everyone. I guess that make's Na's team her Watson. Na is the team lead and responsible one. Oh Kyung-soo (Cho Hyun-chul) is the hardworking investigator but lacks imagination. Santa (Baek Sung-chul) is one of Koo's MMO RPG clan mates hired as her assistant and he never talks and is dedicated to Koo and that is a mystery that is never really answered (or maybe it is but it's hard to trust Song on that point).

There is a setup for a second season and I would watch it.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-08-22T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220822-tiny-epic-dungeons-2021.html#unique-entry-id-454https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220822-tiny-epic-dungeons-2021.html#unique-entry-id-454Tiny Epic Dungeons is a board game where a group of four adventurers wander into a dungeon to find and defeat the boss. It runs in two phases. Phase 1 the adventurers explore the dungeon (which is up to 7x7 big with the entrance at the center) which is made of random tiles and one of the bottom tiles is the boss lair. Phase 2 starts when an adventurer enters the lair to reveal the boss and then the adventurers have to lure the boss out to specific dungeon tiles before they can defeat it.

There are about a dozen character cards. They have Strength, Agility and Intellect of 1-3 which is the number of (special) dice they roll for checks. They also have a hit point track (to 8) and an energy track (to 5) and a few special powers and/or special rules on their cards. Special powers use energy and you can use 2 energy to modify a skill die after a roll. Adventurers collect items (which can be part of sets) and spells (which use Intellect check and energy to cast).

Dungeon cards can have a trap or an event both of which require a skill check to avoid. Traps can be disarmed with Agility and you get a treasure. Dungeon cards can also have a goblin (there can only be four goblins on the board, a fifth one ends the game), or a mini-boss (there will be # of mini-boss equal to # of adventurers and all mini-bosses have to be killed before the boss lair can be entered), or the boss lair. The boss lair is also it's own area with spaces for players and the spaces have modifiers, mostly bad, though the last space you get back shots and a bonus.

Game timing is done with a torch that burns down one each adventurer turn. Spaces on the torch track can have another goblin appearing at the entrance or all bad guys take their action. Bad guys move and attack (or just one or the other) and do automatic damage. For adventurers combat is roll skill dice and overcome monster defense rating; in the same roll monster die (normal d6) plus monster attack rating minus adventurer defense is damage adventurer takes, uh if monster lived after adventurer attack.

Skill rolls, including combat, use special dice with 1++ 2++ 3++ 4+ 5e 6h. One die is chosen as skill result. Dice with ++ or + can be used to add 2 or 1 to the skill result. Leftover dice with e or h give one Energy or Hit point. You can use 2 Energy to modify a die by one face up or down after the roll.

The game takes a couple of hours the first time and probably faster once you get used to it. We lost the first game though it was fairly close. We activated the boss too soon (there is a separate torch track for phase 2 so could have spent more of phase 1 getting stuff). Also you can get to a point where a couple of adventurers are unconscious, on their turn they can only recover (+3 hp +5 energy), torches tick down then monsters go and knock the adventurers down again so we wasted a turn or two getting out of that.

It is a fun game. Because there are a good number of characters and bosses it has some replay-ability so I guess three or four playings before it gets boring which is good for $35 and all the cards and cardboard components.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-08-19T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220819-spot-reviews-08-19-22.html#unique-entry-id-451https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220819-spot-reviews-08-19-22.html#unique-entry-id-451VVV (Virtual Volumes View) (2020) [-] Apple Insider has an article on disk catalogers and they list three. VVV is a free one though it's a basic generic UI not even sure it's Windows. Building a catalog of my Drobo took a few minutes and the file view is about what you'd expect. Search was poor: File Name (equal, starts with, contains), Extension (space-separate extensions to match), Description (equal, starts with, contains). Useful for "does this file exist?" in an offline volume but little else.

Movie - The Matrix Resurrections (2021) [/] This is a sequel to the trilogy and remains in continuity (which is nice to the alternative of a reboot). A bunch of years later Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) find themselves in an advanced simulation run by The Analyst (Neil Patrick Harris) who is trying to find a way to harness their power. More action, gunfights and explosions and the storyline avoids jumping the shark.

Podcast - Pushing Cardboard (2021) [/] A tabletop wargaming podcast that so far is ten episodes and mostly listenable. Yet I don't remember his style or what games he likes so maybe it's not that interesting if it doesn't leave an impression on me.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-08-17T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220817-movie-gravity-2013.html#unique-entry-id-450https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220817-movie-gravity-2013.html#unique-entry-id-450Gravity is a space disaster film. While working on repairing a satellite astronauts Dr Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock), Lt Matt Kowalski (George Clooney), and three other space shuttle crew are caught by thousand-mph speeding debris filled from satellites being destroyed due to a anti-sat test.

Everyone is killed except for Stone and Kowalski who have to make their way to the International Space Station 100 km away and later when that fails a Chinese space station a similar distance away. Unfortunately Dr Stone will be alone for the second half of the movie and since this is her first mission she'll have to improvise and remember her recent training...

I watched Gravity when it first came out in a theater and it was a really good movie. It's still good though not as impressive on my iPad. There are many panoramic space scenes that don't translate well and this is a very visual story. It's not a perfect film but a nice space thriller that's still entertaining.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-08-15T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220815-apple-arcade-outlanders-2019.html#unique-entry-id-449https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220815-apple-arcade-outlanders-2019.html#unique-entry-id-449Outlanders is a village-building game set on an island. You have people (adults and kids) which you assign to tasks (just the adults, kids grow up to become working adults and old adults die). Gather resources, make building, produce items that help you do the next cycle of resources, building, production.

Meanwhile you have to balance the society: keeping people happy (employed, fed, not overworked). Buildings accommodate one to three (usually two) workers and idle works are unhappy (so sometimes I leave buildings around even though no useful work to do because all nearby resources exploited). Meanwhile everyone eats one unit a day and in general they like variety (you can live on mushrooms but it's not a happy time). People going hungry are unhappy and eventually starve.

Happy people make more children and everybody needs to be housed (not having a home is unhappiness). Those children need to be fed and when they grow up in a few days they need to work (aging cycle is greatly sped up otherwise it doesn't make sense in a level that runs for two or three months). Keep your population from exploding beyond your ability to feed, house and employ.

The levels have a variety of objectives. In one your group is shipwrecked, starting with nothing, and have 40 days to survive and build a boat. In another a storm has devastated a big village now you have a bunch of hungry people and need to concentrate on survival. The third or fourth level you are a small religious group building a huge statue -- you have plenty of time but have to keep the population at a dozen or less (in the end, you can go over and some people will die of old age but it's uncertain).

Graphics are simple with a painterly style so it doesn't have much details. You can pan, rotate, zoom to look around (which can get a bit annoying). You can pause the game and still allocate people to buildings, or speed it up to x5 (only) and night time goes at x5 with everybody going to sleep. You can sit back and watch the people moving about working which gives you zen moments but soon you need to get back to managing people.

Overall it's a really nice village building game and the levels are fairly challenging (I usually fail the first time but it's a learning experience, for example my people starved because farms, though they create lots of food, do it at the end of a multi-day cycle and you can starve in between cycles unless you have multiple farms or a great secondary food source).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-08-12T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220812-spot-reviews-08-12-22.html#unique-entry-id-448https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220812-spot-reviews-08-12-22.html#unique-entry-id-448Teylen's RPG Corner [+] I don't have an opinion on his blog other than his Crowdfunding Collection entries which are weekly to monthly updates of table-top RPG projects. He has it by categories with pictures, short description and links. Tightly focused on the Kickstarter/IndieGoGo sub-topics that I'm interested in. He's been doing it for several years and is very consistent.

Novel - Count Zero (1986) [+] William Gibson's second novel in the Sprawl Trilogy has three plots that intertwine at the end a bit. (1) Corporate merc soldier Turner leads a team to extract a scientist from a megacorp but it's his daughter instead Turner decides to try to protect her from both her parent corp and his employers. (2) First time hacker Bobby Newmark, self-styled "Count Zero", almost dies in his first run but is saved by a mysterious AI and now people are after him wanting to know what he knows. (3) Former art gallery owner Marly Krushkova is hired by the richest man on Earth, Josef Virek, to find the creator of these mysterious art boxes... I read this book after the other two and the connections are kind of loose though there is a bit of an arc but main characters don't recur. It's a good read and foundational for the cyberpunk genre.

TV Show - First Kill #1.1 to #1.3 (2022) [-] High school drama about a Juliette Fairmont (Sarah Catherine Hook), a vampire from a distinguished lineage, becomes infatuated with Calliope Burns (Imani Lewis) who turns out to be a vampire hunter from a family of hunters. They fall in love and have to hide their secret from each other's families... Great concept but definitely aimed at much younger audience than me.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-08-10T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220810-apple-tv-plus-dickinson-s2-and-s3-2021.html#unique-entry-id-447https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220810-apple-tv-plus-dickinson-s2-and-s3-2021.html#unique-entry-id-447Dickinson is a half-hour sitcom on Apple TV+ that ran for three seasons. I previously reviewed it for season one and I liked it. Season two and three got even better because they doubled down on the weirdness (including an episode where Emily (Hailee Steinfeld) and her sister Lavinia (Anna Baryshnikov) time travel to the 1950's).

The show follows Emily Dickinson and her family living in Amherst, Massachusetts. Each episode uses one or two of her poems as a theme and they're read out some time during the episode (Dickinson wrote almost 2k poems but few were published in her lifetime).

The show tackles modern social issues through the faux "modern" Amherst and the last season goes more into it as it takes place a few months into the American Civil War. It's got a pretty quirky style and that's outside the times when Emily is daydreaming (more like hallucinating).

The one thing I learned is that she probably had a love affair of some kind with her lifelong friend Sue (Ella Hunt) before and after Sue marries Emily's brother Austin (Adrian Enscoe). I thought that was made up but apparently probably true based on how Sue was edited out of her collected poems when first published by Lavinia.

The whole cast is great and includes father Edward (Toby Huss) and mother Emily Norcross Dickinson (Jane Krakowski).

It's a much better show than I expected and overall worthwhile watching.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-08-08T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220808-savas-beatie-military-atlas-series-v6-to-v8.html#unique-entry-id-446https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220808-savas-beatie-military-atlas-series-v6-to-v8.html#unique-entry-id-446Savas Beatie Military Atlas Series before. I recently read the next three published books,

v6 The Maps of the Wilderness (2016) [+]
v7 The Maps of Fredericksburg (2018) [+]
v8 The Maps of the Cavalry in the Gettysburg Campaign (2020) [/]

All by Bradley M Gottfried. Wilderness was interesting because I knew little about it and it was basically a 2-day battle. The maps are very good at identifying units even though it was a very confusing battle to those involved. Fredericksburg gives a good account of how piecemeal the attacks were and again the maps are quite helpful.

Cavalry in the Gettysburg Campaign the maps were ok. I think because less and smaller units and lots of skirmishes the detail is often lacking. Still, there is a nice account of Buford's defense at the first day of Gettysburg.

Writing is good enough. Fairly clear and detailing what's going on with some asides but not intended to be scholarly work sans the maps.

Hardcover books with colors maps and quality paper. Definitely still a worthwhile series to continue collecting
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-08-05T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220805-spot-reviews-08-05-22.html#unique-entry-id-445https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220805-spot-reviews-08-05-22.html#unique-entry-id-445EarthNight (2019) [-] A complicated endless runner where you can double jump, speed up and slow down, dash forward and dash down. Pick up stuff, jump on bad guys, kill a dragon at the end of the level. The view port is kept small so a lot of times you're jumping up or dashing down on faith that there'll be something worthwhile to get which I found frustrating. Also I'm not a fan of endless runners.

Apple Arcade - Don't Bug Me! (2019) [?] Tower defense + FPS non-moving shooting. You're on Mars waiting for rescue meanwhile Martian creatures attack. Collect solar power then build automated defenses. You can also move to a sector and do manual defense where you are behind a gun shooting at incoming Martians. Sort of uninspiring gameplay and I didn't really give it much of a chance hence the ? rating.

Apple Arcade - Atone: Heart of the Elder Tree (2019) [?] Norse themed bardic RPG-sort of game. Nice 8-bit graphics. Wander around talking to people and doing puzzles and battling Guitar Hero style where you have to match the beats of a song (which I'm very bad at by the way). I only played for half an hour so not sure if the story and doing stuff is interesting enough.

And that's all the Apple Arcade games being discontinued.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-08-03T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220803-tv-show-the-book-of-boba-fett-s1-2022.html#unique-entry-id-444https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220803-tv-show-the-book-of-boba-fett-s1-2022.html#unique-entry-id-444The Book of Boba Fett is a spin-off of The Mandalorian and focuses on Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) and right-hand assassin Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) as he tries to fill the power vacuum left by the death of Jabba the Hutt. It's difficult for Fett since he's a bounty hunter and doesn't think like a crime lord, which clashes with the other Hutts, the town mayor, and a semi-rival crime syndicate that decides to declare war on him int he last few episodes of the seven episode first season.

Meanwhile we get several scenes in the first three episodes of how he escaped the big worm he fell into during Return of the Jedi, how a Tuscan clan took him in and taught him their ways, and how he tried to help them and got them all killed instead. There is also one episode just on The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and the time he tries ti visit baby Yoda, an episode that also features Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) but neither Fett nor Shand.

I did like this series. I found The Mandalorian's spaghetti western feel get kind of old and if not for baby Yoda and guest stars I would have written it off. But with Fett we get a more visible character and he has a goal of his own not forced on him like with the Mandalorian. Also it's cool to see Shand be a bad-ass who definitely comes off as more dangerous than Fett.

Whether they can continue doing well in season two remains to be seen but I'm looking forward to it.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-08-01T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220801-comics-madame-mirage-2008.html#unique-entry-id-443https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220801-comics-madame-mirage-2008.html#unique-entry-id-443Madame Mirage was a 6-issue limited series comic from Image and published by Top Cow. It's set in its own universe where superhero and villains were all jailed by the government, but mostly it was heroes that turned themselves in most villains just went underground.

Aggressive Solutions International is a corporate consulting firm that uses undercover super villains in various illegal operations. They start to be threatened by the mysterious Madame Mirage, an illusion-based femme fatale-looking heroine who is bent on destroying AGI and if that means killing all its operatives then so be it.

Issue three has a cool plot twist because Madame Mirage is not all as she seems. Eventually the series climaxes with a big showdown between Mirage and the AGI executives she's bent on murdering. And finally a poignant ending as her plot is resolved even though there is no happily ever after for her...

Good art and interesting story with ok characters and I think the story was more about action sequences and Mirage doing the seemingly impossible than it was about deep character motivations. Overall pretty well done and I don't think there were any followup stories so that's it for the character.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-07-29T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220729-spot-reviews-07-29-22.html#unique-entry-id-442https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220729-spot-reviews-07-29-22.html#unique-entry-id-442Cardpocalypse (2019) [/] This is a kids-based light RPG with Hearthstone-like card battles. You are the new kid at school. Interact with other kids and accomplish quests. But mostly interact with other kids to play Mega Mutant Power Pets which is a medium-complexity card battle game. You have hero cards, can build 20-card decks, can trade cards with other kids. Different kids have different decks and styles so can strategize to beat them. Unfortunately the whole building decks and trading cards is what I don't like about Magic The Gathering and Hearthstone.

Apple Arcade - Lifeslide (2019) [/] You are a paper plane flying down a valley. Pick up yellow gems to get more time (you start with 100 seconds) and blue gems to buy upgrades. Pick up power ups such as red gem to heal or green gem for speed boost. Pick up keys to unlock buildings which have combined yellow/blue gem trails. Pick up airplane parts to unlock new planes. Nice soothing music and controller support makes for a rather zen-like game.

Urban Momo, San Mateo - Bhuteko Bhat Chicken ($13.50) [/] Nepalese chicken fried rice. Pretty much like other fried rices with a bit of long-sliced onion (i.e. not finely chopped).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-07-27T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220727-movie-no-time-to-die-2021.html#unique-entry-id-441https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220727-movie-no-time-to-die-2021.html#unique-entry-id-441No Time to Die is the fifth Daniel Craig James Bond film and completes his run.

The intro scene starts James Bond (Craig) and Dr Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux), the love interest in the previous film, in their happily ever after but it doesn't work out and they break up in the midst of a running car-chase-gun-fight through the narrow streets of a coastal European town.

A few years later we find Bond retired from MI6 and living on a sleepy tropical island. He's approached by Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) to do an off-the-book mission to infiltrate a Spectre party in Cuba and extract a scientist. Bond eventually agrees but he ends up tangling with the new 007, Nomi (Lashana Lynch), who is also going after same target.

After Bond is betrayed he then has to return to MI6 for help in stopping Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek), a terrorist who has stolen Heracles, MI6's bio weapon that's designed to target specific DNA sequences and once infected a carrier goes on to infect anyone they touch.

Bond and Nomi go after Safin at his HQ island but Safin has Dr Swann creating a bit of a conflict for Bond...

I didn't realize until now that the five Daniel Craig movies are an arc of James Bond from the time he receives his license to kill to his retirement. The movies follow each other and the various characters have small arcs. It's also nice to have a competent poc female 007 agent.

The movie itself is the usual exotic locations and action. Throughout the series it was great to see the production quality increase to make James Bond competitive with S-tier action films. But it's hard to see James Bond as being anything special in the action genre (contrast with the five Matt Damon Bourne films which has similar action but Bourne has a more interesting background and motivation).

In the end though I did quite enjoy watching No Time to Die.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-07-25T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220725-apple-arcade-dread-nautical-2019.html#unique-entry-id-440https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220725-apple-arcade-dread-nautical-2019.html#unique-entry-id-440Dread Nautical is a modern horror rogue-like set on a cruise liner that ends up in some sort of demon dimension. You play one of four survivors and explore 20 randomly generated decks.

Each deck you go into rooms which can have items (weapons, armor, misc items, food, parts, runes), the first three of which take up slots on your equipment bar, passengers which you talk to and can eventually convince them to join you, or monsters to avoid or fight.

For passengers you talk with them getting four dialog options at various points. Correct choices move their relationship bar to the right. Doing quests for them also helps. Once it goes all the way right you can recruit them to join. Back at base you need enough beds for your crew and when you go out you choose who goes with you. There's a food resource and everyone needs to eat each day (exiting a deck-level ends the day) though you can have people go hungry and they'll get weaker.

When you get close to a monster it goes to tactical mode. Each person has Action Points: moving a square is 1, attacks take 1 to 3 AP (unarmed and small weapons are 1, most weapons are 2), picking up an item is 1. Your team goes first in any order (and interleaved) then the bad guys go.

All equipment has durability and each use (weapon attack, armor defense, item use) reduces durability by one and at zero the equipment is broken (you can repair back at home using parts, you also use parts to level items and improve their stats, finally items have rarities and rarer items are more powerful).

Back home you have some work rooms you can build and improve. Beds so you can recruit more passengers. Work bench to repair and improve equipment using parts. An altar to improve people using runes.

There is plot of trying to find out why you're there and what's going on with the boat. Part of this is finding tome pages each of which has a short cryptic sentence.

For ultimate rogue there is a hardcore mode where everything is tougher and death is permanent. There is voice acting for the various characters and they have distinct personalities. Each deck-level takes like an hour if you're doing all the rooms but you can save and quit at any time.

It's a nice rogue-like game of low to medium complexity (though possibly keeps adding more things as you go along).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-07-22T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220722-spot-reviews-07-22-22.html#unique-entry-id-439https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220722-spot-reviews-07-22-22.html#unique-entry-id-439
Apple Arcade - Over the Alps (2019) [+] A kind of choose-your-own-adventure story (not fighting fantasy which has stats, you don't have stats here). In the first story you're a British agent in Switzerland on the eve of World War II trying to accomplish a mission tough half the problem is you're not sure what the mission is. It's told in postcards of you writing back to your agent friend and each postcard has one to three points where you get two or three choices of what you're writing next. Some of these give you points (in the background) which influence the story later. It's fairly light and about an hour long and there's two more stories. A little bit of replayability trying to get a different ending or plot twist. It's well done and the best of the three games I'm reviewing today.

Apple Arcade - Explottens (2019) [/] A side-view aerial twin-stick shooter type game (though not sure it supports twin sticks). On a world dominated by sophont cats peace is finally achieves just in time for an alien invasion. You are an old-guard cat recalled from retirement to man your warplane and shoot down the enemy. In each mission of the campaign shoot down enemies and bosses, pick up coins, then upgrade your warplane with different weapons and abilities. Plays pretty well on my iPad.

Apple Arcade - BattleSky Brigade: Harpooner (2019) [-] Vertical scroller, top-down view shooter. You are a sophont bunny living with other bunnies on a sky ship. You man a harpoon gun, or actually you man the harpoon shot out of the gun. In a run you get shot out then you shoot enemies and obstacles, once you get to your maximum rope length you're reeled back in and now you deploy a net which you maneuver around to pick up coins and salvage, though enemies you didn't kill get another crack at shooting you. Afterwards buy upgrades and do it again; I don't think there's a campaign mode. It's a different concept though gameplay a bit boring.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-07-20T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220720-tv-show-supergirl-s6.html#unique-entry-id-438https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220720-tv-show-supergirl-s6.html#unique-entry-id-438Supergirl s6 was the last season of the show. Kara (Melissa Benoist) is sent to the Phantom Zone and the first half of the season is getting her out while Lex Luthor (Jon Cryer) kind of rules the planet because everyone loves him. Once Kara is back Luthor is deposed but our heroes accidentally free Nyxlygsptlnz (Peta Sergeant), a fifth dimensional being like Mxyzptlk (Thomas Lennon) but she wants to remake the universe using five totems of power and the last half of the season is Nyxy and Lex battling our heroes to get the totems.

Looking back Supergirl the series started out strong but kind of cooled off after season three which is why I stopped watching after season five. The series finale was nice. They wrapped up the main plot in the first half and the second was Alex (Chyler Leigh) and Kelly Olsen's (Azie Tesfai) wedding and everyone being happy. Overall it was a worthwhile series and great seeing Supergirl on television. Also the Martian Manhunter (David Harewood), Jimmy Olsen (Mehcad Brooks who makes a guest appearance in the finale) and Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart, also makes an appearance in the finale). We got to see some of the Legion of Super Heroes and having Lex Luthor a multi-season major villain was cool. Guess I'll miss the series a bit.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-07-18T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220718-flick-em-up-dead-of-winter-2017.html#unique-entry-id-437https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220718-flick-em-up-dead-of-winter-2017.html#unique-entry-id-437Flick 'em Up! Dead of Winter is a light kids vs zombies miniatures game. It uses stand up building faces, light posts and barrels, and kid and zombie stands. The big thing is that when you attack you flick your weapon (a big shot, four small shots for a shotgun, a knife or a club) and if you knock over a zombie it's dead. You also flick a movement counter to move and if you hit something while moving the movement is cancelled so movement is tricky.

We played two missions. The first one was just kill most of the zombies and enter the RV to escape. The second one was go into buildings and get four specific pieces of salvage then get them back into the RV to escape. To go into the RV or a building you flick the movement token under the stand (stands are held up by two mounts with a bit of wedge to deflect the movement token inside.

A turn is players move in any order and each player has two actions (move and attack or 2 moves or 2 attacks, picking up an item is an action and I think trading is an action -- each kid has two backpack slots to carry stuff). After a player finishes if he fired a weapon then three zombies activate, otherwise one zombie activates. If a zombie is down it gets up and if a zombie is up it goes on top of a tower (kind of like a dice tower). You then remove a cardboard piece to release a trap door and the zombies fall down and shoot towards the player. If the player is knocked down they take one damage (players start with three HP). After all players move two or three more zombies appear. There is a certain number of turns you have to complete the scenario.

The weapons have different capabilities. Handgun you flick the shot (it's a small hockey-puck shaped projectile). Rifle there is a guide you place the shot in and it's really good at straightening out your shot. Shotgun there is a different guide that is a bit more spread out and you four shotgun shots (not directly stacked). With shotgun ricochets count. Knife you stand on end then flick it. Club you place face down pointed at your target knob end towards you. With club you also move and can do two move/attack actions.

Going into a building and fighting a zombie involves a special fight. You have a deck of cards, like 8 movement and 1 attack. Start out the player and zombie 30 inches apart. Flip a card and if it's a movement move the zombie the card's length closer. The player can then attack. Then repeat until the zombie is knocked down or the attack card is flipped and the player takes a point of damage combat over. Club only gets one shot so using a club indoors is rough.

It's kind of a fun game. I'm sure there are more rules (each scenario introduces more rules) to make it more challenging -- at the least I'm sure there's special items you can pick up and use. It did get a bit boring towards the end of the second scenario. Christopher Jr liked the game.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-07-15T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220715-spot-reviews-07-15-22.html#unique-entry-id-436https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220715-spot-reviews-07-15-22.html#unique-entry-id-436Urban Momo, San Mateo - Paneer Momos Steamed ($12.20) [/] Steamed dumpling with paneer inside (a hard cheese but crumbled up for the momo). There is hot sauce and non hot sauce (achaar) and I tried the latter though a bit bland.

Podcast - The Curious Girl Diaries (2016) [/] Layla London chronicling her sexual explorations after the age of 40. It's kind of sexy but not interesting enough because it's a podcast about a person not a topic. Also, lots of ads jammed in there without regard to when they're interrupting the main podcast.

Movie - Any Given Sunday (1999) [/] Was in the mood to watch a football movie. This is about a fictional pro football team in Miami with a new owner (Cameron Diaz) clashing with the old-school coach (Al Pacino) and his aging quarterback (Dennis Quaid) while in the wings is an exciting rookie running quarterback (Jamie Foxx) that might bring in more fans but means tanking the rest of the season... It tries to be realistic and show behind the scenes shenanigans. Oliver Stone film.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-07-13T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220713-movie-turning-red-2022.html#unique-entry-id-435https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220713-movie-turning-red-2022.html#unique-entry-id-435Turning Red is a Disney animated film (mostly released on Disney+ with some theatrical showings) set in modern day Toronto. Mei Lee (Rosalie Chiang) is a young teen trying to fit in with her three best friends at school whilst also trying to be the perfect daughter and honor roll student for her mother Ming Lee (Sandra Oh). One day that pressure explodes something inside Mei and she turns into a very large red panda. At first she tries to hide it but once her friends find out they think it's awesome and soon the rest of the school does too.

But mom and dad are not pleased because the red panda is a curse inflicted on the women of the family and for generations they've used a secret ritual to submerge the red panda form but there will be only one chance to do it and Mei is not sure the red panda is a curse...

It's a fun coming of age movie. Relatable to a lot teens with Asian immigrant parents. Tiger Mom is not that far off a stereotype for many of those teens (not really my experience though).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-07-11T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220711-comics-vampirella-1969.html#unique-entry-id-434https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220711-comics-vampirella-1969.html#unique-entry-id-434Vampirella is a character first appearing in same-titled anthology horror comic magazine. She comes from Drakulon, a world where the rivers run with blood and the people have vampire-like abilities without the weaknesses. In her first origin story Drakulon is a dying world visited by a human space ship. She investigates, ends up killing the humans, then takes the space ship back to Earth, a world full of blood-filled humans.

Vampirella Magazine (1969) [-] (Dynamite sells reprints as Vampirella Archives) she's mostly the intro/outro narrator of each story, a la Rod Serling or Elvira. After a few issues she gets a serialized story that continues throughout the life of the magazine, though each issue is still mostly random horror stories. For the most part the Vampirella stories in the magazine are not that interesting. The other stories vary a lot and many are "the protagonist has a bad, usually ironic horror, end." It's very 1970s feel and wordy. I kind of found it mostly not interesting except for an occasionally story or two in each issue.

Vampirella (1992) [/] A different publisher picks up the property in the 90's. With Mark Millar and Grant Morrison writing it has more of a superhero feel with Vampirella fighting vampires and demons and teaming up with previous allies and government agents. Still not very interesting but closer.

Vampirella V1 (2010) and V2 (2014) [/] Dynamite picks up the rights and Vampirella continues fighting vampires and demons and more super-powered foes. This is the closest to being interesting and most mainstream to me but there's a lot of historical baggage they reference.

Vampirella V3 (2016) [+] I guess my favorite incarnation (Dynamite really got into "let's reboot each title very year or two"). Vampirella and a couple of allies move to Hollywood. Old characters out and new characters introduced so it's a fresh start.

Vampirella V4 (2017) [-] Vampirella jumps the shark and ends up a thousand years in the future. Post apocalyptic Earth where what remains of humanity is docile and listless and it's up to Vampirella to free them from a Matrix-like existence. Didn't like the story, writing or art style.

Luckily Dynamite also puts out limited series Vampirella stories, crossovers mostly, which are more standard stories and thus good.

Vampirella V5 (2019) [/] Back to the modern day except now Vampirella's secret is out and she's trying to explain her life story to a psychiatrist who thinks she's delusional. It's kind of nice that every reboot of Vampirella tries to reconcile her different origin stories (first one was "true" then next time Drakulon is more like an implanted memory and so forth). Anyways this version is maybe a bit too post-modern realism comic book storytelling for my tastes.

Overall Vampirella is a character with a mixed history and only in brief flashes has her character and stories been interesting.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-07-08T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220708-spot-reviews-07-08-22.html#unique-entry-id-433https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220708-spot-reviews-07-08-22.html#unique-entry-id-433Chupe de Camarones ($24) [+] This is one of the best Chupes that I've had. It's a chowder soup (has milk), with large shrimps, a cooked egg (you crack and egg and dump it in the soup so it cooks and the center is unbroken), yucca, Peruvian corn, carrots and spices. In comparison, Las Americas had a good one with rice and Emelinas has a good one with spaghetti. This one uses yucca for starch which is basically tastes and feels like a potato.

iOS Game - Jump Jerboa (2021) [+] Jerboa is a jumping desert rat. You've escaped from a cage and have to navigate to the exit. Each level is a small platformer with minimal graphics. Your only control is tap to jump (though longer tap is bigger jump) and you move back and forth automatically (bouncing off walls and such). Avoid obstacles that instantly kill you and reset the level, collect the key to unlock the exit door, and collect stars for bonus points. Each level is a few seconds to run through but perhaps many minutes to get the timing right... It's cute, fun and challenging. Free with ads, $2 in-app to remove ads.

Movie - The Professional (1994) [/] Léon (Jean Reno), an Italian immigrant living in NYC, works as a loner hitman for Tony (Danny Aiello). One day his neighbors are assassinated by crooked cops led by police lieutenant Norman Stansfield (Gary Oldman) and Léon, who never gets involved, saves the neighbors' daughter Mathilda (Natalie Portman). He soon forms an attachment to Mathilda and has to protect her from the cops who want to eliminate the last witness... It doesn't quite stand up today but if you think about it as a 90's movie it's quite good.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-07-06T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220706-movie-thor-love-and-thunder-2022.html#unique-entry-id-432https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220706-movie-thor-love-and-thunder-2022.html#unique-entry-id-432Thor: Love and Thunder is the fourth Thor movie. Thor 1 and 2 were serious movies. Thor 3 went for heavy metal space campiness that worked well. Thor 4 continues the zany.

Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is still hanging out with The Guardians of the Galaxy fighting bad guys and moping about his lost love. He hears that Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale) going around murdering gods and that New Asgard is his next target. So he leaves the Guardians and returns to Earth just in time to help save New Asgard and meet the new Mighty Thor aka former love Dr. Jane Foster (Natalie Portman).

After Gorr kidnaps the Asgardian kids Thor, Mighty Thor, King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) and Korg (Taika Waititi) head out to Omniponent City where all the gods hang out in order to recruit help but Zeus (Russell Crowe) shuts them down. Not deterred they steal Zeus thunderbolt and head off to fight Gorr in the Shadow Realms.

Meanwhile the subplot is love and we get to see in a flashback why Thor and Jane broke up after the first movie (or after the second movie). They've had eight years to regret and they're finally at a place where they can reconcile. Unfortunately Jane is dying from cancer, only Mjolnir keeping her alive but also killing her, which means Thor might have to choose between saving her and saving the gods...

This is a fun romp of a movie with big dazzling battles accompanied by well-known heavy metal (and other genre) songs. I like Gorr as a villain because he can teleport from shadow to shadow and summon shadow monsters making him a much tougher villain than you'd think. Mighty Thor has cool Mjolnir attacks -- it's still unfused pieces from when it was destroyed in Thor 3 so she can fling it and have it split into many deadly projectiles and it's also used in a key point at the end.

There's lots of humor with Thor. He's very sappy in the beginning. He longs for Mjolnir which makes his current weapon, Stormbreaker, quite jealous. Early on he acquires two giant goats which are then used to pull their viking longship (apparently based on Norse mythology and I think they were also in the comics). All the flashbacks are funny and we get to see fat Thor again.

Overall a very fun movie.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-07-04T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220704-rpg-acc-non-player-cards-2014.html#unique-entry-id-431https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220704-rpg-acc-non-player-cards-2014.html#unique-entry-id-431Non-Player Cards is a boxed set of eight 50-card decks useful for generating table top role-playing game NPC backgrounds, quirks and motivations. The box is solid and glossy. The cards are fully-illustrated, a bit glossy and medium-end thickness (not like pro poker cards or even Bicycle playing cards, kind of like promotional deck of playing cards you'd get from a company).

The decks are:

• Names - "In this deck you will try and discover, what is your character's name". Each card has a list of 20 entries, either male and female names or three name-constructors (beginning-middle-end).
• Professions - "...what does your character do for a living?". Each card has a profession name and a paragraph describing what "you" do as part of that profession. E.g. Entertainer: You may be a street performer, a tavern musician or member of a traveling troupe...
• Relationships - "...who is special in your character's life?" e.g. Childhood Rival: As children you were rivals, always competing, always looking to one-up the other...
• Personalities - "...how your character interacts with others." E.g. Fanatic: You have a cause to which you are dedicated with absolute faith, a faith that burns inside you until nothing but the truth of your conviction remains...
• Traits - "...what is the best way to describe your character." E.g. Unusually Clean: You are unusually clean, always well presented, and perfectly groomed...
• Quirks - "...what isn't normal with your character." E.g. Perfectionist: Everything you do must be perfect, from your house to your achievements to your pets...
• Secrets - "...what your character is trying to hide." E.g. Patient Zero: You are a carrier for a terrible disease...
• Goals - "...what your character is trying to accomplish." E.g. Learning: The world has infinite mystery and wonder and if you could, you would unlock every secret."

Quibble: card text is both left and right justified and it looks like automatic justification which fails for some cards and the text is spaced weirdly, but still perfectly readable.

There are no rules and it's very free form. Deal out one of each card for an NPC or only a few cards or even multiples of one card type. If I have time I deal one of each type to an NPC then pick the two to four that makes a sensible back story to me. These cards could also be use for creating a PC if you need ideas.

There are similar products in book or card form. I like this one because the physical production value is good and there are 400 cards for good variety.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-07-01T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220701-spot-reviews-07-01-22.html#unique-entry-id-430https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220701-spot-reviews-07-01-22.html#unique-entry-id-430Apple News in Conversation (2021) [+] Weekly half hour episodes where host Shumita Basu interviews a guest about one topic, mostly political and therefore controversial topics. I've listened to the last few podcasts and it's very liberal-leaning but in a very "we should help school shooting survivors more" or "why rolling back abortion rights hurts women" -- more about how we can help people and the world. Tough to listen to but interesting.

Movie - Captain Nova (2021) [/] A Dutch science fiction film. Nova (Anniek Pheifer) travels from the year 2050 to present day Netherlands but her body regresses to her teenage age at the time (played by Kika van de Vijver). With the help of her robot friend ADD (Sander van de Pavert) and local kid Nas (Marouane Meftah) she is chased by police while trying to reach the man responsible for a global climate catastrophe... An ok film.

Apple Arcade - Painty Mob (2019) [/] A little bit of twin-stick shooter except you don't shoot, you explode in paint. You go around exploding and splashing people with paint. They get mad and chase you, There are various items you pick up to help you and you advance by accomplishing goals (paint X number of people and survive Y seconds). It's a cute sort of game but not much depth.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-06-29T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220629-movie-3-10-to-yuma-2007.html#unique-entry-id-429https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220629-movie-3-10-to-yuma-2007.html#unique-entry-id-4293:10 to Yuma (2007) is a western based on a short story which was made into a movie in the 50's.

Set in Old West Arizona where Union veteran-now-farmer Dan Evans (Christian Bale) is having trouble with the local big rancher whom he owes money to. Just last night some thugs came by to burn down his barn as warning that he needs to repay a loan very soon.

The next day while gathering their scattered herd with his two sons they see Ben Wade (Russell Crowe) and his banditos rob a heavily guarded payroll coach, killing all the guards except Pinkerton mercenary Byron McElroy (Peter Fonda) who they leave greatly wounded. The bandits see Wade and sons and take their horses, leaving them on the trail to slow them down.

Wade rescues McElroy and once a posse arrives they head into town where Wade happens to be captured because he wanted a bit of a dalliance with local saloon manager Emma (Vinessa Shaw). Meanwhile Wade's second in command, Charlie Prince (Ben Foster), had taken the rest of the men across the border to Mexico.

Railroad agent Grayson Butterfield (Dallas Roberts) is determined that Wade not be lynched on the spot but be sent to prison where he will get a trial and the hanging he deserves. He needs three men to help him escort Wade to the next town where they will put Wade on the 3:10 train to Yuma and federal prison.

Dan volunteers for the $200 that will save his farm. McElroy volunteers because he's ornery and hates Wade. Doc Potter (Alan Tudyk) is volunteered to make sure McElroy's gunshot wound is tended. Tucker (Kevin Durand) goes along cause he sees himself as a tough guy, tougher than Wade. Tucker also led the thugs that burned down Dan's farm (instant Drama!). Later on Dan's eldest, 14-year old William (Logan Lerman), sneaks off after them because he wants to have an adventure and has a romantic view about outlaws (more Drama!).

The rest of the movie is this group trying to convey Wade to the next town and onto the train while being chased by Prince and Wade's men. The group has to contend going through Indian territory, people who want revenge on Wade, and Wade continually escaping and killing them one by one.

Dan has an interesting character arc. He's a veteran missing a leg (he wears an artificial lower leg). He allows himself to be pushed around. But there's steel underneath and it turns out he's desperate to prove himself to his son William who has a low opinion of dad. When it comes for the final confrontation everyone else backs out leaving Dan alone to get Wade onto the train and that's something Wade comes to respect.

There is a lot of action. Some gunfights and shootouts, though mostly appetizers for the big end battle running the gauntlet across town while half the town is out to shoot Dan because Prince put a $200 bounty on him. Good character moments, especially with Dan. Great acting and Wade is ruthless and charming outlaw.

I've heard this is a great western film and I agree.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-06-27T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220627-aroma-rice-rooker-arc-743-1ngr.html#unique-entry-id-428https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220627-aroma-rice-rooker-arc-743-1ngr.html#unique-entry-id-428Aroma Rice Cooker is a smaller 2-6 cup rice cooker, which means the number of cups after cooking because three cups of uncooked rice when done fills up the pot. Enough rice for a family of 4 to 6 people.

It's cheap at $25 retail. C3 gifted me one when I moved in three years ago and at least the first year it made great rice. Then the second year good rice and the last year good to less than good, kind of prone to burn rice a bit. Maybe I scratched the pot a bit and I've read you're not supposed to machine wash the pot.

The sensor was dying and then the cooker stopped turning on today. Three years is not bad for $25, though my previous rice cooker had lasted a couple of decades I think. Anyway, it's now time to replace it with a better rice cooker that costs $200 with tax so I have high hopes for that.

Still, for the price this is a good basic rice cooker.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-06-24T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220624-spot-reviews-06-24-22.html#unique-entry-id-427https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220624-spot-reviews-06-24-22.html#unique-entry-id-427Dust (2019) [+] Science fiction short stories with professional voice acting. Season one is seven episodes of 15 to 40 minutes. There is supposed to be a theme but they don't say what it is, maybe artificial intelligence. Season two are short stories about people in a flight that gets warped into 2040. Season three is a 14-episode story of galactic scale. I've only listened to season one and it was excellent so I'm looking forward to the next two seasons.

Movie - California Christmas: City Lights (2021) [/] Romantic movie, sequel to A California Christmas. It's a year later and Callie (Lauren Swickard) and Joseph (real-life husband Josh Swickard) are planning their wedding. But Joseph's family business needs him so he returns to the big city (San Francisco) with Callie. The previous film had Joseph as the fish out of water and now it's Callie's turn as the sophisticated life may be too much for her. Meanwhile Joseph's former girlfriend Victoria (Laura James) and a VP at his company is subtly trying to break them up... It's a light romantic film and it does it fine.

Apple Arcade - Red Reign (2019) [/] A light fantasy RTS battle game. Home bases at opposite corners with three lanes between them. Each lane has a resource or two. You only build combat units then send them out on one of the lanes and once you send them you lose control of them. When a resource is conquered you automatically extract resources which are used to buy/upgrade buildings and buy more units. Lots of maps and races to fight. Intended for PvP though you can fight the computer. No campaign game. It's nice graphics and simple gameplay but you can't pause so the game is a bit too frenetic for me.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-06-22T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220622-movie-tron-legacy-2010.html#unique-entry-id-426https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220622-movie-tron-legacy-2010.html#unique-entry-id-426Tron: Legacy is a sequel to the 1982 movie. In 1989 Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) disappears leaving his son Sam (Garrett Hedlund) as future heir apparent. But two decades later Sam is a rebel who refuses to take charge of ENCOM. One night he gets a page from dad's old hangout, Flynn's. When he gets there he finds a secret lab and accidentally activates a scanning laser that sends him into the Grid.

Once in the Grid Sam has to fight in the Games and meets Clu (Bridges), a program created by his dad to help remold the Grid. Somewhere along the line Clu became a dictator obsessed with perfection and bringing that perfection to Earth. Sam escapes with the help of Quorra (Olivia Wilde) and is reunited with his dad, who has been living a monastic life out in the boonies after realizing that resistance against Clu only makes Clu stronger.

But Sam is not the giving up type. He plans to sneak back to the city and somehow make his way to the Portal and the way back to Earth. And when that is in danger of failing dad and Quorra are there to help him... Bruce Boxleitner has a minor role reprising an elder Alan Bradley and a bit of Tron before that character is killed by Clu.

I watched Legacy years ago and I guess wasn't greatly impressed. A couple months ago I watched Tron and now I watched Legacy and paid more attention. Legacy makes a lot of references to the original film and kind of logically follows it and I missed that before.

Hedlund as Sam is not exactly the hero-looking type, then again neither was Bridge in the original movie. There is a lot of face rejuvenation CGI for Bridges and Boxleitner and it's not seamless but I guess ok since it's supposed to be a digital world and Clu's face being not quite human is fine. More of a problem the brief time younger Kevin Flynn was shown but mercifully that was only a few seconds.

Wilde is actually really good doing Quorra. Quorra does not talk a lot but observes a lot. Many scenes have Sam talking, Kevin talking, Sam and Kevin talking and it cuts to Quorra reacting or she's in the background reacting and there's a lot of personality portrayed. And it's nice there's no romance to it, it's like a kid seeing her heroes and wanting to take it all in.

The Grid world and people are reminiscent of the original film but updated while still having a bit of an anachronism since movies nowadays portray cyberspace as either just like the real world but a bit different or totally digital and not like the real world at all. The Grid is still "this is what the 80's thought cyberspace might be like if programs were like real people". It's kind of like a noir film; the Grid has a style of its own.

There is the requisite dueling discs battle and a few other disc combats. Light cycle 5 v 5 battle on a two-level area is fairly cool. A later scene has our heroes on a light 3-person flyer chased by five fighter flyers and they're all streaming solid light walls which makes that aerial combat quite unique. It's cool seeing a Recognizer up close and used as a prisoner transport. You also see a few tanks but not inside them. A lot of Tron tech that gladdens my younger self.

Anyways, I did like this film watching it a second time and I think it does better after recently watching the original rather than watching it years and years after the original.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-06-20T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220610-ios-game-diablo-immortal-p2.html#unique-entry-id-425https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220610-ios-game-diablo-immortal-p2.html#unique-entry-id-425
Besides the main plot I mentioned you can do bounty quests. These are mini-missions and you can do eight per day. If you don't do them they carry over until a maximum of 24 you can do in one day. Some of the quests are counted in an area's completion percentage and the quests get you exploring an area. Quests tend to progress to further regions and I've gotten quests for a region before I've done the main plot that gets me to that region.

Sometimes a hidden area opens in a region. If you find it then it's a unique dungeon.

If you just like doing dungeons there is an Elder Rift and a Challenge Rift. The Elder Rift I think gets harder by using these tokens which also means better end treasure. The Challenge Rift you do level by level and it slowly gets harder. Both rifts you can rush through to the end boss and there's a timer so I guess if you kill the boss before the timer ends you get bonus loot. If you don't kill the boss (and you kind of have to rush past monsters to get to the end before the timer runs out) the boss appears nearby.

At a certain level you are invited to join the Shadow Lottery. If you win (there are several lotteries every day and it's like 250 winners per lottery so you win fairly quickly) you can do the Shadow Faction storyline and eventually join the faction. Apparently there are three factions: Adventurers (unaligned), Shadows (which are most clans), and Immortals (one? clan). Every couple of weeks the top Shadows battle the Immortals and if the Shadows win the top Shadow clan becomes the Immortals. Being in Immortals gives you lots of stuff but most likely requires very active players.

For now I've been in Shadows, no clan. You can do Path of Blood which are small combats for Shadow points. Vault runs which are 4-player runs for more Shadow points. And Shadow quests for more Shadow points. Shadow points let you rank up and get more bonuses from being a Shadow. It's something else to do.

There is a subplot about a spirit tree and a rift forming behind it. This leads to a quest that requires 8-players. And once you finish it seems like there will be similar raids.

As you can see besides the main plot there is lots of stuff to do each day.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-06-17T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220617-spot-reviews-06-17-22.html#unique-entry-id-424https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220617-spot-reviews-06-17-22.html#unique-entry-id-424Interceptor (2022) [/] American-Australian action film. In the middle of the Pacific SBX-1 is an Army platform designed to intercept a Russian ICBM attack. When a team of terrorists take over the platform they don't get into the control because of Captain JJ Collins (Elsa Pataky). She and two ratings have to keep the bad guys out for an hour until help arrives... Fairly good action. Bad military realism. Direct-to-video quality CGI. But still kind of entertaining if you don't expect much.

Podcast - Single Malt Strategy (2016) [-] A podcast about computer strategy games, i.e. wargames. Two regular hosts and often a guest. They do like their games though I don't really play computer wargames and most of them are Windows only anyways so I quickly lost interest.

iOS Game - Dyslite (2022) [-] A free-to-play MMO combat game. Collect heroes, level them up, battle bad guys. It's supposed to have good music and interesting mythology but playing on my iPhone it looked so bad, like a bad port.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-06-15T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220615-documentary-they-call-me-magic-2022.html#unique-entry-id-423https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220615-documentary-they-call-me-magic-2022.html#unique-entry-id-423They Call Me Magic is a 4-episode documentary about Magic Johnson from his childhood to the present relying on interviews with Magic, his wife, kids, parents and siblings, coaches and teammates. Playing basketball in high school, playing for Michigan one year and getting the NCAA championship, then going to the Lakers and helping (or even mainly) turning the franchise from runner ups to champions, the Dream Team, AIDS and his retirement (and coming back and retiring a couple of times), then moving on to become a business man and developer helping to reinvigorate inner cities.

Even though basketball is a big part of his life there is a whole episode on life after basketball. There is the ongoing relationship with his wife, how they met in college and how he kept committing to marry her then backing off until they finally wed months before he contracted AIDS. There's a lot about growing up and a lot about him personally. I guess it's like two episodes focusing on his NBA career while there are other things going on in his life.

Contrast that with The Last Dance about Michael Jordan. 10 episodes and much more focused on basketball (and I guess understandable since it was produced by ESPN). They Call Me Magic is more about seeing Magic Johnson as human with gifts and a great personality versus seeing Jordan as a mythical figure with flaws. Both are good documentaries in their own ways.

I found They Call Me Magic interesting and worth watching.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-06-13T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220613-bunnies-and-burrows-rpg-3e-2019.html#unique-entry-id-422https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220613-bunnies-and-burrows-rpg-3e-2019.html#unique-entry-id-422Bunnies & Burrows RPG third edition is a totally rewritten version of the very old FGU RPG done by the same designers. It is hardcover with full-color glossy pages and plenty of illustrations.

Characters have eight Traits (Strength, Speed, Intelligence, Agility, Constitution, Mysticism, Smell, Charisma) generated with 3d6. The Trait value itself is not used other than for determining a Trait Bonus (13-15 = +1, 16-17 = +2, 18+ = +3) and Maximum Trait Level (from 4 to 8). Trait Levels are like skill levels in other games and you increase them one point at a time by spending Advancement Points (AP) equal to the new Trait Level (as I like to think of them, Ars Magica style).

Trait Rating = Trait Bonus + Trait Level. The base mechanic is 1d6 + Trait Rating to match a Difficulty Class (DC). Combat is opposed rolls of Agility vs Speed.

There are eight Rabbit professions, one for each Trait: Fighter, Runner, Scout, Maverick, Empath, Seer, Herbalist, Storyteller. Each profession has special abilities for being that profession and extra abilities at Trait Level 3 and 6. Most special abilities are modifiers to regular rules, for example most Rabbits can carry Agility Bonus +1 of small items (basically tucked in their fur) while Mavericks can carry Agility Rating of small items.

There are also eight non-Rabbit professions, one for each Trait: Raccoon (Bandit), Jackrabbit (Herald), Chipmunk (Spy), Skunk (Burglar), Porcupine (Guardian), Opossum (Shaman), Armadillo (Trader), Squirrel (Grifter). Besides profession special abilities these different races have their own Trait generation rolls (from 1d6 to 4d6), hit point progression (Hit Points = base + Constitution Bonus, each Constitution Level adds a level base + Constitution Bonus), and languages (the game lists 16 languages which are by animal behavior, e.g. Grubbers include armadillo, mole, pig, javelina, wild boar, opossum).

Combat is a bit complicated in that you have a Pursuit mode and a Combat mode. In either mode there are Tactics each character can use. There are Fugitive Tactics and Predator Tactics and each character knows a few (some are from being that species and some can be chosen). Combat is a move+attack or attack+move system and both Pursuit and Combat are meant to be played on a battle board (the rulebook has a dozen Battle Boards at the end which you can photocopy, there is also a couple pages of counters; the Kickstarter had printed copies on cardboard stock but no longer available).

There is a whole big chapter on Herbs. There are four herb classes and Herbalists can modify herbs to change their behavior. It's set up so that the 100+ herb varieties are about 1/4 known and the rest filled in by the GM (the herb appendix lists all the herbs with their characteristics and blank lines for GMs to fill in). It's a somewhat complicated system but I guess this is like the magic system of other RPGs.

There are a bunch of smaller rules for adventuring and living. Overall it feels like a complete game (though the original edition was also pretty complete at 36 pages, this edition expands on everything and more explanatory writing in its 224 pages).

Still, I've been running a B&B 3E campaign and don't use many of the rules. Every thing is its own little subsystem. I think the combat and herb rules are overly complicated. It's not an easy system to pick up and run. Hence why I added GURPS skills (each Trait is a skill of level Trait Value + Trait Level) then use whatever GURPS rules I feel like using as needed. (And although GURPS is a much more complicated system than B&B, mechanically almost everything is rationalized to a 3d6 roll low mechanic so as a whole it makes more sense to me than B&B).

In the end, this is a gorgeous deluxe edition of Bunnies & Burrows, by the same authors who've poured their knowledge of nature into the game. If you've read my adventure reviews two of the B&B published adventures are very good but all four combined make for a good six sessions of play (more if you do the full random encounters and battle board combats).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-06-10T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220610-spot-reviews-06-10-22.html#unique-entry-id-421https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220610-spot-reviews-06-10-22.html#unique-entry-id-421Patterned (2019) [/] A jigsaw puzzle game. Take a pattern, a complex drawing tile-shaped, then repeat the tiles to create an infinite canvas. Take the tile and cut it up into puzzle pieces (Tetris like orthogonal pieces) the it's up to the user to place the tiles correctly. It's actually fairly hard for the size of the puzzle. It downloads patterns and there are several hundred in the database. It's a pretty relaxing game for people who can do the hard IRL jigsaw puzzles.

Podcast - Plundergrounds (2018) [/] Apparently started out as a Dungeon World podcast. I listened to the last few episodes. A lot of looking at OSR stuff, more towards the small physical products you can get nowaways. Also musings on various role-playing and RP-adjacent topics (movies and literature). Although I like hearing about new OSR products he rushes through reviews and is mostly superficial. Not that great of a podcast but probably average for a self-produced RPG podcast.

Movie - Eternals (2021) [/] A Marvel Cinematic Universe film and the first one with these characters. Eternals are an artificial race created to battle Deviant infestations throughout the universe. After defeating a Deviant infestation on Earth in prehistoric times a team of Eternals has been living on Earth waiting. Now the Deviants are back and the Eternals discover that their true mission is not to save humanity. As the team takes sides it's basically Ikaris (a superman archetype superhero played by Richard Madden) vs everyone else led by Sersi (Gemma Chan)... it's a 2-1/2 hour movie that spends a long time on the setup and reveal with not much action so kind of meh.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-06-08T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220608-tv-show-new-girl-s1-s2-2011-2013.html#unique-entry-id-420https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220608-tv-show-new-girl-s1-s2-2011-2013.html#unique-entry-id-420New Girl is a sitcom with four quirky characters:

Jessica (Zooey Deschanel) - a bubbly always positive elementary school teacher, she moves in with three guys in their large apartment.

Nick (Jake Johnson) - well-meaning bartender who's kind of crotchety and ornery.

Schmidt (Max Greenfield) - uptight a-type personality who keeps the apartment clean and organizes great parties.

Winston (Lamorne Morris) - actually even newer than Jessica because he replaced a similar character from the pilot; he's a former pro basketball player (in Eastern Europe) and college friend of Nick and Schmidt, now a bit aimlessly looking for his next thing.

There's also Cece (Hannah Simone), a model and Jessica's best friend.

Each episode there's usually a goal and they work together and at cross-purposes to accomplish it. In season one there's a subplot about Schmidt and Cece hooking up and kind of falling in love which carries over into season two when Cece decides to get married to someone more agreeable to her Indian family.

Conversely there is this tension between Jessica and Nick that eventually is consummated late in season two and it's just bad because Nick is such a disagreeable character. Meanwhile Winston is just sort of there and getting no story love.

It's very funny at times. It's very cringe at times. Ultimately I decided I can do better things with my time.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-06-06T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220606-ios-game-diablo-immortal-2022.html#unique-entry-id-419https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220606-ios-game-diablo-immortal-2022.html#unique-entry-id-419Diablo Immortal is a new free to play MMO RPG apparently set between the events of Diablo II and Diablo III. You play one of six adventuring classes (of either gender) and the campaign has you going around recovering shards of the World Stone.

In terms of story, looks and gameplay it is very much like Diablo II and III with a fairly standard fantasy storyline, isomorphic view and arcade-like combat. Besides the campaign there are bounty quests, hidden dungeons you can find, and challenge/rift dungeons in the main city. There is voice acting and it's pretty good for an RPG.

For equipment you collect random equipment pieces (of common, rare and legendary types) and equip them in one of about a dozen slots. Equipment can be upgraded in two or three ways and all upgrade types can be done on the same piece. Also upgrades can be transferred (for free?) when you replace the piece so there's no reason to not be upgrading. I think there are equipment sets.

Each class has several skills though you can only equip five, including a basic attack. You have runes that modify skills. Apparently you can also switch classes and the game tries to convert your equipment to about the same level for the new class. Combined with the easy equipment swapping and it seems like Blizzard is trying to remove the pain points of MMO RPGs.

You can form ad-hoc parties to do quests and you get better rewards. You can join a clan (of up to 500 people?). High level quests can take 48 players.

I played this with a controller and sometimes without. With a controller it's joystick to move, buttons to do actions, triggers to activate skills, button-pad to choose some menu choices. Once you get to the equipment screen (and other screens) you have a cursor and use the joystick to move it, which is more cumbersome than tapping.

Touch controls are actually pretty good. Left thumb anywhere for virtual joystick. On-screen skill button which you press with your right thumb. And actually the on-screen skill buttons remain on-screen even with a joystick. It's mostly auto-aim so you don't need a right joystick (virtual or real).

One thing is that I play on my iPad and it feels cramped. Besides the on-screen buttons on the lower right there is a small map on the upper right, quest/bounty objectives on the left, your character picture and health on the upper left, and a small chat window on the bottom center. It really feels like I'm not quite seeing everything and because the camera is a bit close I'm frequently running into monsters and they're right there. A little unfortunate since I'm playing a ranged class but I don't think it has hurt me. Still, Diablo II and III have a lot more area showing in the screen.

Even though this is a well done MMO RPG after a few days I think I'm done. The cramped gameplay kind of bothers me. The MMO RPG attributes don't really bother me and it doesn't seem like you need to buy coins and such if you're willing to grind a bit (not a lot of grinding like most games). Although I guess the daily rewards and month-long events do bother me since it's like you have to play every day to get your free perks.

But really the storyline is kind of boring, sort of a more detailed version of Diablo II and having Deckard Cain around really doesn't help. I guess it's a familiar world for Diablo fans but I've played it already and I want something more original.

(Not necessarily a disadvantage but it is a big game. I think I have all the assets downloaded and it's 12-1/2 GB. It did download in the background as I played and I only had to wait once when I wanted to use cosmetics.)
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-06-03T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220603-spot-reviews-06-03-22.html#unique-entry-id-418https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220603-spot-reviews-06-03-22.html#unique-entry-id-418The Richard Sherman Podcast (2021) [/] I listened to the first four episodes which started when he was signed on with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He talks about himself and his football preparation and journey. He interviews teammates and other players. I like his veteran player's perspective on the game and how it plays in the field rather than an outsider's perspective which tends to focus on more stats and what the camera sees. Still, I'm not enough of a fan of football in general to keep listening to a non-49ers podcast.

Movie - Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City (2021) [-] Reboots the franchise and based on the reboot of the video game series. Claire Redfield (Kaya Scodelario) returns to a dying, mostly abandoned Raccoon City just in time for a zombie infestation. Meanwhile brother Chris (Robbie Amell) and members of STARS Alpha Team investigate a spooky mansion and start getting separated and torn apart by zombies... This is more of a horror film than the previous Resident Evil and yet less scary than Milla Jovovich's version which I guess is a bit more of a high-tech dungeon crawl.

iOS Game - Ace Defender (2021) [-] Free to play fantasy combat game. Collect heroes and level and gear them up. Then fight 6 on 6 in TFT-style combats (i.e. set your team and watch them go) or do a parallel Tower Defense track. It is iPhone-only though the graphics are not bad at 2x on my iPad. Still, uninteresting gameplay.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-06-01T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220601-documentary-series-marvel-studios-assembled-2021.html#unique-entry-id-417https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220601-documentary-series-marvel-studios-assembled-2021.html#unique-entry-id-417Marvel Studios Assembled is a series of 45m to 1hr long documentaries on various CMU properties. It covered

1. WandaVision
2. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
3. Loki
4. Black Widow
5. What If...?
6. Shang-Chi and the Legends of the Ten Rings

After this the series continues as individual episodes so I may end up never watching them.

Each episode interviews actors, directories, producers, artists, etc. In general a bit of a production diary format where the interviews are in the order done. Lots of behind the scenes footage as well as background stuff that went into the stories but not explicitly shown.

Pretty interesting.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-05-30T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220530-book-creative-selection-2018.html#unique-entry-id-416https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220530-book-creative-selection-2018.html#unique-entry-id-416Creative Selection, by Ken Kocienda, describes his experience working at Apple from when he was one of the first three people working on Safari and WebKit through working on the initial iPhone keyboard. A lot of good anecdotes and stories about the work and the people and how they develop software. And meanwhile he structures it around the principles of why their software methodology, which is not really a methodology but more like principal ideals, works and ends with the five to seven principle ideals that he thinks are key to software development at Apple.

It's a very readable book and the stories are interesting. Not a long read even though it's about 250-odd pages it's not dense. Also a good amount of drawn art that goes with the text. Also a generally upbeat book with nice insights on Scott Forstall and Steve Jobs.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-05-27T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220527-spot-reviews-05-27-22.html#unique-entry-id-415https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220527-spot-reviews-05-27-22.html#unique-entry-id-415 Projection: First Light (2019) [/] A puzzle game based on shadows. You're a shadow puppet girl wandering around a 2D world. You have a companion light (controlled with the right joystick) that is used to cast shadows and in this world shadows are solid objects so can be used to create platforms to jump on or as elevators. Starts to get a bit fiddly. Neat concept. Ok game.

Movie - Black Crab (2022) [/] Sometime in the future global warming has frozen Sweden causing unrest leading to civil war. Caroline Edh (Noomi Rapace), a civilian turned soldier, and a few other specialists are gathered for a special mission. They all have skating experience and they are to skate along a frozen river for a few days to a remote scientific outpost to deliver a special cargo. Edh has been told that her daughter, missing for several years, is at the outpost which helps her resolve when the squad realizes that the special cargo is a biological weapon that may end up ending the world... It's an ok Swedish film.

Podcast - 9to5Mac Happy Hour [-] 9to5Mac is an Apple news web site and this is their podcast. Listened to a couple of recent episodes and seems to be two British guys dumping on Apple. Might be that British humor that I don't understand.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-05-25T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220525-movie-the-batman-2022.html#unique-entry-id-414https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220525-movie-the-batman-2022.html#unique-entry-id-414The Batman is yet another reboot of Batman. It does start a bit more in media res. Batman (Robert Pattinson) has been operating for a bit now, long enough to have an ally in Gotham PD Lt James Gordon (Jeffrey Wright). The first masked villain develops, The Riddler (Paul Dano), striking from the shadows to murder the DA and other Gotham notables. Each time he leaves a clue leading Batman into the criminal underworld where he meets and makes a shaky alliance with Selina Kyle (Zoë Kravitz) who has her own revenge goals (and at this time everyone thinks Batman is more about darkness and vengeance so he is feared by both bad guys and good guys)...

This is a very dark version of Batman and Gotham. It's always night and raining in this film. Gotham is a city on the way down and Batman can only relay on his butler Alfred Pennyworth (Andy Serkis), Gordon and maybe Kyle. I do like that in the first half of the film he does more detective work than maybe all other Batman movies combined. I also like that Batman's origin story is more of an aside and alluded to -- I don't need to see it yet again.

It's a fairly long film, 2:45 hours. It's fairly slow paced with lots of tension and few action scenes building up to the big battle at the end. Although a good film and pretty well done, much like Joker (2019) it's a bit too heavy for me to ever see it again.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-05-23T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220523-rpg-adventure-escape-from-fox-island-2018.html#unique-entry-id-413https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220523-rpg-adventure-escape-from-fox-island-2018.html#unique-entry-id-413Escape from Fox Island is a 9-page adventure for Bunnies & Burrows 3E. The PCs are captured by humans and dumped on Fox Island (the island on the north-east corner of the area map on page 216 of the rulebook) where all the wild rabbits are sent. To escape the island the PCs interact with the six warrens and their leaders in order to get human tools that will help them.

This is a small sandbox adventure that I had a lot of fun running. You get a description of the island; the predators (including six foxes); the six burrows and their leaders (including stats though no personality notes); six human artifacts (with rabbit-POV descriptions) and six ways they can be guarded; and various ways for the PCs to escape the island (swimming is not one of them due to sharks).

You randomly assign the artifacts to each warren, randomly assign how they are guarded, and randomly assign which leader wants which item. Set the PCs loose and let them go...

That's a bit too thin for me (it's a sandbox without hooks to give players reasons to go or do anything) and I guess the designer intended a GM to fill it out a bit. I used the excellent Non-Player Cards boxed set from Metal Weave Games to generate as an idea generator to assign personalities to each leader, what their warren does, and why the leader wants a particular item (my notes are here). That really helped in giving PCs direction on what to do and hooks on how to do it.

Of the four published B&B 3E adventures this one turned out second best. Fairy Ring of the Nibble Onions is best because it's a 3-act adventure and quite detailed. Escape from Fox Island is brief but sets up a nice sandbox which, if filled out some, can be quite fun and varied. Mound of Basking Vultures was short and uneventful but a quite different adventure than I'd expect. The Garden Raid was way too basic and should have been included in the main rulebook as an introductory adventure.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-05-20T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220520-spot-reviews-05-20-22.html#unique-entry-id-410https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220520-spot-reviews-05-20-22.html#unique-entry-id-410Possessions (2019) [/] A perspective puzzle game. Each level is a room mostly laid out but there are a few objects or pieces of objects floating. Rotate the room (360 degrees horizontally, up to almost 90 vertically up, maybe 45 degrees vertically down). Line up the floating objects to where they are supposed to be. Sometimes floating objects block one another so you have to them in the right sequence. There is a warm, hotter, hottest hint if you get the perspective close so it's not that hard. I went through the 30-odd main puzzles plus the 10-odd bonus puzzles (world monuments and these are harder since all the pieces are kind of the same) in a couple of hours so I guess this game is for pre-teens or so.

Anime - Cells at Work! #1.1 to #1.4 (2018) [/] An anime about anthropomorphized human cells doing their every day jobs and battling problems throughout the body. I watched the first four episodes and it has Erythrocyte (Cherami Leigh), a red blood cell, and Neutrophil (Billy Kametz), a white blood cell, as the regular characters. Each episode had different things attacking the body, such as a virus outbreak or a scrape letting in microbes, and spotlights different specialized cells that combat the problem, so it's a little bit educational. Not quite interesting enough to keep watching.

Apple Music - '80s Radio with Huey Lewis (2021) [+] Huey Lewis hosts an hour-long weekly Apple Music radio show. Each week is a different theme and I guess it's about a dozen songs (full songs without voice-overing into and out of a song) with a bit of an intro for each. It's good to reminisce since I grew up with 1980's pop music (and this is mostly pop music with the occasional episode covering other genres like country, alternative, and R&B). And since this a show all episodes are available to replay whenever.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-05-18T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220518-tv-show-cowboy-bebop-2021.html#unique-entry-id-412https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220518-tv-show-cowboy-bebop-2021.html#unique-entry-id-412Cowboy Bebop (2021) is a Netflix live action reboot of the classic anime series. Spike Spiegel (John Cho) and Jet Black (Mustafa Shakir) are a pair of interplanetary bounty hunters (or Cowboys). On Jet's ship, the Bebop, they go from one seedy city to another collecting bounties and barely keeping food in the cupboard. Later on they meet and eventually add Faye Valentine (Daniella Pineda) to the team and in the last couple of episodes fo the 10 episode drama Spiegel's secret comes out and he has to face his Syndicate past in former partner and now Syndicate head Vicious (Alex Hassell) and his wife, and Spike's former love, Julia (Elena Satine).

The episodes redo several of the better anime episodes but now as double-length 45 to 50 minute stories. This allows for a slower pace when needed and a bit more character moments. I recently watched the anime and those episodes are fast yet tell complete stories. Some reviewers thought the live action episodes were too slow but they seemed just fine to me and I was never bored.

The color palette and atmosphere is a bit darker with more night scenes, it seems. Combine with the dirty rundown places they visit and accompanying jazz music and you get this noir feel with electronics and space ships. The tech looks great and it helps that everything is supposed to be kind of run down.

Acting is quite good. Cho and Shakir embody their characters and have good chemistry. Pineda is an amazing Faye. You can't get Faye's look because that's an impossibly tall, thin, busty beauty with a skimpy costume. But Pineda has got the attitude down cold. Ein the dog is also there for much of the season with one episode showing off a bit of its back story. Radical Ed (Eden Perkins) makes a brief appearance just before the final episode end credits and would have been cool in a second season.

I like Spike's subplot. They kind of focused on that throughout the season with Jet and Faye getting less focus (though I loved the episode with Faye and her "mother"). Unlike the anime the live action also has one or two scenes per episode following Vicious and Julia as they get in trouble with the Syndicate heads and decide the way out is to take over the Syndicate. It makes for a better confrontation between Spike and Vicious and I like the noir backstabby ending. Also everybody survives for the next season.

Unfortunately Netflix cancelled the series. I guess season two would have been similar, with a season-long subplot while recycling other anime stories.

Overall I did love this series. It's definitely Cowboy Bebop and although borrows stories from the anime it changes them enough that they're still quite interesting. I don't think you need to watch the anime first and the live action stands on its own quite well.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-05-16T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220516-apple-tv-plus-friday-night-baseball-2022.html#unique-entry-id-411https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220516-apple-tv-plus-friday-night-baseball-2022.html#unique-entry-id-411Friday Night Baseball and have been streaming it on Apple TV+. It is two games on Friday afternoon and evening in the US and I think available anywhere you can get Apple TV+. I've been watching all the games so it's been like 4 weeks.

Some of the technicals:

• It's kind of non-intuitive to get to the FNB section. I have to go to Apple TV+ then browse down the main page and click on the FNB banner.
• If you're watching it live there are no DVR features. So you can't skip back or if you came in late start from the beginning.
• Shortly after a game is over you can watch the replay. It still has commercials but now you can skip forward and back or scan.
• The next day you can see the games in the past games section. Unfortunately the banner titles include the scores so you have to be careful to scan just the teams and don't scan a bit down and see the scores. I think past games don't have commercials.

Now for the broadcasts themselves. There are two broadcasting team. The first one has varied more and I guess they're trying to get that team right. The second team I like better: Stephen Nelson (play-by-play), Katie Nolan (analyst), initially Hunter Pence (analyst) for two games and now a second former baseball player so not sure if that spot is supposed to rotate, and Heidi Watney (sideline reporter). Nelson keeps up the chatter. Nolan has done a lot of sports shows but is not baseball experienced so brings a newcomer's perspective. Then having a baseball player for behind the scenes thoughts is nice.

People have commented that the broadcast is very clean and I haven't really watched sports for a few years. But yes, there isn't a constantly on bottom info scroll with game scores and stats. The info comes in subtly, like good Closed Caption text then fades away. They do have analytics stats like % change this batter will get on base or get an RBI which, since I don't know how those numbers are generated, seems guess work.

A couple of Apple additions: There is a Siri question segment. There are walk-up songs for each batter and walk-up playlists you can listen to on Apple Music.

Included in the FNB package is a daily show and you can also watch classic baseball games. I have not watched the daily show because I don't want to watch a daily show (that's too much tv). There is a selection of classic games going back to 1977, about three a year so not really that many games. You get the teams, date, and short one-line summary about why the game is a classic (which means spoilers but otherwise how would you pick a game to watch).

Overall I'm pretty happy with Friday Night Baseball. A couple of games is not too much baseball and you can watch some classic games and daily news.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-05-13T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220513-spot-reviews-05-13-22.html#unique-entry-id-409https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220513-spot-reviews-05-13-22.html#unique-entry-id-409Rayman Mini (2019) [/] Sort of an endless runner and platformer theme in that Rayman is always running unless you run up against an obstacle and you need to time your jumps to get to certain areas. Tap to jump and tap to punch (or slide to punch down). Each level you're trying to collect 40 fireflies and three coins, sometimes a bit tricky to get and often because you only get one chance to make the right jump or maneuver to pick up a series of fireflies. Nice graphics and gameplay though not my style of game.

Ruprecht Peking-Style Half Duck [/] I'm guessing my sister got this from Costco. I had it frozen then defrosted and baked it in the oven for 20 minutes, so maybe not the ideal way to prepare it. It tasted ok and wasn't crispy. Good sauce and I guess the inside is stuffed with fillings. For an easy roast duck meal it's quite fine since making it fresh would be quite a bit of work.

Web Site - Recent Earthquakes in California and Nevada - from Southern California Earthquake Data Center this page shows you earthquakes in the last week with bigger squares being bigger quakes. You can click to zoom in and the drilldown page lists recent earthquakes with their magnitudes and locations. I've been referring to it for three decades, whenever I feel an earthquake and the data is up within a minute.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-05-11T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220511-movie-doctor-strange-in-the-multiverse-of-madness-2022.html#unique-entry-id-408https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220511-movie-doctor-strange-in-the-multiverse-of-madness-2022.html#unique-entry-id-408Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness has Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), Master of the Mystic Arts, trying to save a young America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) from the clutches of a corrupted Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen). Chavez is the only multiversal traveller in the cosmos and Scarlet Witch wants that power in order to find a multiverse where she can be with her kids (imaginary kids in WandaVision but real kids in other multiverses).

With the additional power of the Darkhold the Scarlet Witch overpowers Strange and his allies. He and America flee through the multiverses to Earth-838 where they are held captive by the Illuminati, a group of heroes who guard against multiversal incursions. Meanwhile Scarlet Witch follows them by possessing the body of her alternate leading to a magnificent battle between herself and the Illuminati -- Professor X (Patrick Stewart), Captain Carter (Hayley Atwell), Captain Marvel (Lashana Lynch), Black Bolt (Anson Mount) and Mister Fantastic (John Krasinski).

After one more alternate universe it's Strange who has to inhabit a body in the main Earth in order to save America from Scarlet Witch...

This is a really cool movie. I like that Scarlet Witch follows from WandaVision where she ended with the Darkhold and we all know that nothing good ever comes from using the Darkhold (which apparently a lot of people didn't know but it's a comic book staple of the Darkhold). Also some stuff from What If... series, though not exactly, like Captain Carter and a Dr Strange that ended up destroying his universe.

Lots of action. A few scary parts. I learned later that Sam Raimi directed and wanted to do a more horror version of MCU. I like when Scarlet Witch is controlling Wanda-838 and staggering through steam tunnels after our heroes, like a fast unstoppable zombie. Also neat how they contrast Dr Strange who could try to change his past and fix his relationship with Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams) with what happened when another Dr Strange tried it and with what Scarlet Witch is attempting to do.

I quite enjoyed this film.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-05-09T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220509-apple-arcade-shinsekai-into-the-depths-2019.html#unique-entry-id-407https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220509-apple-arcade-shinsekai-into-the-depths-2019.html#unique-entry-id-407Shinsekai Into the Depths is an underwater side-view exploration game where you play a survivor in an old diving suit, slowly going deeper and deeper as the world above freezes over.

The basic gameplay is explore the environment, find resources (by killing sea creatures or mining with your pickaxe), craft weapons and upgrades, and upgrade your suit so you can explore the next underwater layer.

Hit points is pretty much your air supply. You have an internal tank and can pick up five external tanks (and another five with an upgrade). When you take damage it comes off of your external tanks first so they get damaged and eventually are destroyed, reducing your air capacity. Air is also used to jet propel yourself around (reducing fall damage or going up a shaft). Luckily lots of air streams can be found emitting from the ground and every save point has an air stream.

It's a fairly chill game with few dangerous monsters. Mostly exploration and trying not to damage your suit much while keeping your air supply high. You have to hit levers to open doors and you find artifacts to examine including hand drawings trying to explain things to you (like what's coming up ahead or telling the plot). There is no dialogue other than help text, nor voice overs, and no real action music. Watery sounds and you moving around.

Nice graphics. I was playing with a controller and it's not extremely responsive though I suppose that matches being in an ill-fitting diving suit. But after an hour this game is a bit too chill for me so time to move on to another game.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-05-06T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220506-spot-reviews-05-06-22.html#unique-entry-id-406https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220506-spot-reviews-05-06-22.html#unique-entry-id-406Campbell's Cream of Mushroom condensed soup [+] My favorite canned soup but I don't use it as a soup; I use it as a sauce. Fry some meat, pour in some milk and a can of soup to make a medium-thick sauce then eat with rice or pasta. I've been using this since college and I got the idea from my dad.

Netflix Movie - Below Zero (2021) [/] Spanish film. In the dead of night on a lonely road in the middle of winter an armored prison transport vehicle is ambushed. Recent police officer transfer Martin (Javier Gutiérrez) is trapped in the prisoner compartment with about half a dozen dangerous convicts. While the attacker tries to break in Martin has to make sure the prisoners don't turn on him and the prisoner the attacker wants to murder... An ok film. I was expecting more of an "armored car trapped in under a frozen lake and the people have to stay alive" scenario but that scene was a few minutes.

Podcast - Candlestick Chronicles (2018) [/] Sacramento Bee reporter Chris Biderman and USA Today editor Kyle Madson talk about the 49ers several times per week. I've listened to the last six months of podcasts and they seem even-keeled and rational.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-05-04T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220504-movie-with-a-kiss-i-die-2018.html#unique-entry-id-405https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220504-movie-with-a-kiss-i-die-2018.html#unique-entry-id-405With a Kiss I Die is an indie lesbian romance tragedy. On a small Greek island tourist Farryn (Paige Emerson) meets the mysterious Juliet (Ella Kewku). Turns out it's Juliet Capulet, who didn't die with Romeo and who is now a vampire. But she's a vampire who has lost her passion and is serving her vampire Father (Yorgos Kavgalakis) for the promise he'll resurrect Romeo.

Now that Farryn is in the picture Juliet starts to feel again but that means she might finally spurn her Father. The threat of her leaving forces Father and his children into a final confrontation with Juliet and Farryn with surprising consequences...

I like the concept. The location is beautiful. The acting is good enough and the things that are setup for the ending are pretty cool in the aftermath. But the story feels slow moving even though it's a 70-min film. I watched it and it was kind of interesting but not exciting. Maybe needs background music.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-05-02T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220502-ios-game-shantae-riskys-revenge-2011.html#unique-entry-id-404https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220502-ios-game-shantae-riskys-revenge-2011.html#unique-entry-id-404Shantae: Risky's Revenge is a decade-old iOS port of a Nintendo DS game. You can get the full version free (no in-app purchase required) and I'm surprised it runs on my iPad (game was last updated four years ago and added 64-bit support).

You play Shantae, a half-genie with various magic and dance powers (which you buy or discover as the game progresses). You are trying to stop Risky the pirate from assembling three artifacts that will give her ultimate power and to do that you wander the island, explore dungeons and fight boss monsters.

This is a side-scrolling platform game. Sometimes you can travel into the screen or outwards so it's not quite only side-to-side navigation. There is also controller support though I found not everything can be done with a controller.

The play experience is kind of poor. The game runs slowly and controls are a bit laggy (not sure if it runs on top of an emulation layer). Graphics are very blocky (Nintendo DSi had 256 × 192 pixel screens). As I mentioned if you're using a controller you have to tap screen for certain actions, like selecting an item in your bag.

And maybe all of it wouldn't be so bad except I just finished playing Shantae and the Seven Sirens, a 3-year old iOS game that was made for iOS so controller works smoothly and graphics are great.

Overall I think playing Risky's Revenge would be more for nostalgia than entertainment.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-04-29T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/a77f739edeecc5ae6a8323ef77350677-403.html#unique-entry-id-403https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/a77f739edeecc5ae6a8323ef77350677-403.html#unique-entry-id-403Bibigo Rice Wrapper Potstickers (Beef, Pork, Vegetable) [+] These are rectangular dumplings (don't see them in the Bibigo site) that fry in about 5 minutes (2-1/2 on one side then flip). Fairly tasty. Five small dumplings are 260 calories.

Web Site - Google Translate [+] - So far this is my go to translator. Duck Duck Go has one but it's fairly poor.

Podcast - Coffee and Cleavage (2020) [/] (link NSFW) Models Lynne Marie and Shantal Monique bring you 10 to 20 minute weekly episodes covering different topics but mostly relationships, dating, sex. I kind of like their attitudes and the episodes are short enough that even for a boring topic it doesn't drag.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-04-27T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/c594698c1920efdb61cf9956a7c926ea-402.html#unique-entry-id-402https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/c594698c1920efdb61cf9956a7c926ea-402.html#unique-entry-id-402Austin & Ally was a Disney Channel sitcom. High schoolers Austin Moon (Ross Lynch) and Ally Dawson (Laura Marano) join forces as singer/songwriter to launch Austin's music career (though later one Ally also becomes a solo artist). Both have to juggle high school with fame with the help of their two friends Dez (Calum Worthy) and Trish (Raini Rodriguez), meanwhile falling in and out of love a couple of times.

The show has lots of poppy original music (some of it rather catchy). Lynch is a pretty good dancer and performer. Marano is harder to tell since Ally is the klutzy shy one. The chemistry is ok-ish and though both characters have other relationships in the first couple of seasons the last couple of seasons focuses on their on-again off-again dance.

It took a couple of season for me to get into the show. I think the first season Austin is a bit too self-centered but he gets better. The musical numbers are nice (a lot of them are shot like music videos). And eventually I got invested in the characters and at the end of the series it was nice to see all four succeed in their various endeavors.

So overall a good four-season series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-04-25T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220425-apple-arcade-shantae-and-the-seven-sirens-2019.html#unique-entry-id-401https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220425-apple-arcade-shantae-and-the-seven-sirens-2019.html#unique-entry-id-401Shantae and the Seven Sirens is an action platformer where you play Shantae, a half-genie visiting Paradise Island with her friends. She's here to perform a show with five other half-genies but when the others are kidnapped it's up to Shantae to find and rescue them and eventually save the island from the Empress Siren.

This is a controller-based side-view platform game. Your main weapon is a hair whip, short-ranged but can do a lot of damage. As you beat monsters you can collect monster cards that give you different modifiers (e.g. less expensive rocket attack or faster climbing speed) and you can equip three cards at a time.

Also as you rescue the other half-genies you gain powers. There are four dances to see invisible things, revive plants (and sometimes purify poisoned water), electrify (and activate machinery), earthquake (and move certain obstacles). I like that when you enter a section there is a hint of which dances are useful and when you find the hidden items and collect them you no longer see the hints.

You also gain transformations. Climb up walls as a lizard, tunnel into sand as a drill, swim underwater as a frog, multi-jump as an octopus. As usual with these games there are areas you can't get to until you gain and use a special dance or transformation and there is plenty of hidden stuff in the old areas to pick up when you get the right powers so you can be constantly backtracking.

Alternatively you can play straightforward and follow the map hint to the next section you need to go to. By the way, I like the auto map as it show you each section and indicates exits, shows you the towns, caves, dungeons and teleporters as you find them. Tells you where you are and where you need to go next.

I had a lot of fun playing this game. It played really smoothly on my iPad (iPad Pro I bought in 2017) with very occasional tearing. Bluetooth XBox controller had no lag and you do end up using most of the buttons though only one joystick/d-pad. It took me 100 hours to finish but I backtracked a lot trying to find everything and missed like one nugget (used to buy one-of-a-kind monster cards).

None of the bosses were extremely tough though some had trick you had to figure out to defeat them. I did use a walkthrough a few times when I got stuck but I think I could have figured the bosses out eventually (you often get a new power just before a boss so that new power is key to beating it).

This game is similar to Way of the Turtle but the frustration I had with that game is finding where to go next and navigating without a map (it has a general map that shows you which area you are in versus Shantae's room by room map). With a good auto map Way of the Turtle would be a good second-tier platformer: not as good story and no voice acting (I forgot to mention Shantae is voiced by my favorite voice actress Cristina Vee and there are other speaking parts; not a lot of voice audio overall -- usually a sentence or two in the middle of a long speech -- but nice nonetheless).

This is a very professional platformer game and shows that an iPad can be a great game machine.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-04-22T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220422-spot-reviews-04-22-22.html#unique-entry-id-400https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220422-spot-reviews-04-22-22.html#unique-entry-id-400Trader Joe's Trader Potato Tots [+] It's tater tots (potato hashed and formed into pills) so hard to get wrong. Came out a bit under warmed so the instructions are a bit off. Still, tastes fine and good with ketchup+mayonnaisse.

Podcast - Bleav in 49ers (2019) [+] I've listened to the first 20 episodes (they started with the start of the 2019 season) and the last dozen or so episodes (2022 playoffs and offseason). Former 49ers DB Eric Davis and Rahshaun Haylock talk about the 49ers usually two episodes a week: preview and aftermath of each week's game. Haylock is more podcaster professional and Davis, although has done a lot of professional game commentating, brings more of the emotion and inside tips of a former NFL player on a championship team. And because of the latter it's more insightful than I expected and it's entertaining.

Movie - Monster Hunter (2020) [-] It's based on the video game franchise though I don't know closely. A US Army team in the Middle East gets lost in the desert and are transported to an alien desert world. Captain Natalie Artemis (Milla Jovovich) tries to keep her team alive as they are beset by huge monsters. Eventually she finds an ally in a nameless Hunter (Tony Jaa) and joins his monster hunting team in stopping a dragon guarding a portal back to Earth... It's mid-budget action movie that lacks in story and good characters. I guess maybe it relies too much on the audience knowing the back story already so it doesn't try to explain anything until 2/3rds of the way.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-04-20T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220420-movie-the-tragedy-of-macbeth-2021.html#unique-entry-id-399https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220420-movie-the-tragedy-of-macbeth-2021.html#unique-entry-id-399The Tragedy of Macbeth is Shakespeare's play on screen. It's not trying to be a story based on or an adaptation, it's the exact script spoken by the actors. It's in black and white and although there are sets everything is kept plain and bleak. There are special effects and sound effects but I think mostly just to keep it looking like everyone is acting on a series of sets.

The story is set in Scotland, I'd guess 10th to 14th centuries. After an important battle Macbeth (Denzel Washington) and Banquo (Bertie Carvel) come upon three witches (Kathryn Hunter) that Macbeth will soon be King of Scotland but it is Banquo's son who will rule after Macbeth. After King Duncan (Brendan Gleeson) names his son Malcolm (Harry Melling) as his heir Macbeth and Lady Macbeth (Frances McDormand) take matters into their own hand and have King Duncan assassinated while he and his entourage are visiting Macbeth.

Macbeth is made King but there are too many people who suspect him. Malcolm and Macduff (Corey Hawkins) flee to England and Ireland. Banquo of course overhead the prophecy and so he and his son Fleance (Lucas Barker). As Macbeth becomes more and more paranoid Lady Macbeth slowly goes insane while Malcolm and Macduff gather an army to depose Macbeth...

I've never seen the play before but I feel this is an excellent telling. You have to pay attention and listen to the words since back then it was more about the words than the acting. Shakespeare was a great writer and a lot of his play on words are rather genius. Cinematography and acting are perhaps rather plain but only so that the words stand out. Overall a great film.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-04-18T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220418-twitch-game-stream-raiders.html#unique-entry-id-398https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220418-twitch-game-stream-raiders.html#unique-entry-id-398Stream Raiders is a game built on top of Twitch. Much like Marbles on Stream, Stream Raiders is a game streamers can play on stream and have their viewers participate. Unlike Marbles this game requires a lot more thought from viewers.

This is a fantasy real-time combat game. Streamer chooses a mission (which belong to campaigns, dungeons and special events) and viewers (including the streamer) have 30 minutes to place units in one of the start areas. Each player can only place a unit once every five minutes and powerful units have a longer cool down (e.g. if it's 30 minutes you can only place one unit in the game, though you can spend in-app purchased meat to refresh a unit instantly).

Once battle starts it's all automatic. The streamer might have a spell or two they can cast during the battle but otherwise units move as a group and engage enemies. If you win you get a chest with some prizes and the streamer gets loot they can gift to whichever player they want.

Units get experience scrolls (one each time you place it, as prize or loot, or you can buy scrolls in the store). Unit types (not individual units, the type itself) level up all the way to 30 with milestone abilities every five or ten levels. Currently there are 20-odd unit types each with their own ability scores (HP, attack speed, range, damage, speed, what they attack) with melee, ranged, magic, explosive, ground, flying and other abilities.

It's kind of a fun low strategy game that's cooler because you're participating with a group of Twitch viewers and streamer.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-04-15T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220415-spot-reviews-04-15-22.html#unique-entry-id-397https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220415-spot-reviews-04-15-22.html#unique-entry-id-397Trader Joe's Tofu Scramble with Soy Chorizo [+] It's kind of like tofu + vegetables + ground meat cooked together in a hash. Except chorizo instead of meat and the chorizo is a soy product. Kind of tastes like chorizo especially if you haven't had real chorizo in a while. Overall though it does taste good. One smallish serving, 370 calories, $4.

Movie - Soul Surfer (2011) [/] Teen Bethany Hamilton (AnnaSophia Robb) is an up-and-coming competitive surfer but after a shark attack takes one of her arms she struggles to adjust and return to the sport she loves. It's a good family movie.

Apple Music -> Radio [-] Apple Music has a radio section with different channels that kind of feel like radio stations. I found '80s Radio with Huey Lewis, 36-hour long episodes of great music. Although Apple Music tells me the last episode I played (and only because it's in the recently played section, if I go to the page it doesn't tell me which episodes I've played to completion like what you'd get with Apple TV) there is no easy way to play the next episode. I have to search for the show, list all the episodes, click the episode I want to play. So cumbersome. And once the show is done it automatically replays.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-04-13T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220413-movie-dune-2021.html#unique-entry-id-396https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220413-movie-dune-2021.html#unique-entry-id-396
In the far future the Emperor reassigns Dune, the most valuable planet in the galaxy, to House Atreides. But it's a poison pill as it pits Atreides, the good guys aristocracy and a rallying point for the other independent houses, with House Harkonnen, the bad guys who brutally exploited Dune and who govern much like the Emperor.

In the middle of this galactic intrigue is Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), heir to House Atreides and potentially the Messiah wanted by the Bene Gesserit, a secretive sect with mind powers who have been for centuries trying to breed a Messiah. But perhaps not so wanted because Paul's mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), went against her mentors and sired a boy instead of a girl.

Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac) moves House Atreides to Dune where they have to find a way to befriend the Fremen, a desert people who are much more numerous than estimated and who may be the greatest warriors in the galaxy (and when I was reading the novel I didn't equate the Fremen with the Arabic people who burst out of the Middle East to spread Islam from 732 to 1453 AD). But they don't have much time before House Harkonnen arrives and with the help of Imperial troops wipes out House Atreides.

Paul and Lady Jessica escape and must make contact with the Fremen to survive with Imperial troops hot on their trail...

Dune is kind of a slow movie because there is so much setup. It follows the novel from what I remember. Seems like it will be a five-hour story so it doesn't have to be rushed like the older Dune (1984). It's a movie that seems faithful to the novel and the large-scale galactic science fiction genre. And even though it's part one I didn't feel like "that's it?" when the credit started.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-04-11T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220411-three-apple-podcasts.html#unique-entry-id-395https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220411-three-apple-podcasts.html#unique-entry-id-395Rene Ritchie (2020) [/] Ritchie's YouTube is short reviews and longer weekly pieces and the podcast is the YT audio so often you might lose a bit lacking the visuals. Rene talks fast and is very on point which kind of means you have to pay attention but I'm more used to leisurely podcasts so this one is a bit too jarring. Still, seems like good info and reviews.

AppleInsider Podcast [/] AppleInsider, an Apple news site, has their own podcast with two hosts. News and reviews -- pretty much the same sort of content as the web site. A bit better than MacWorld in that they don't seem too negative though I wasn't really into the hosts' personalities.

MacWorld Podcast [-] I listened to a couple of recent episodes on the products announced in Apple's March Event (iPhone SE, Mac Studio and Studio Display). Positive spin on Apple Friday Night Baseball. Plusses and minuses on everything else and seemed to go out of their way to criticize (maybe trying for balanced reporting). Not really looking for a podcast that discourages me from buying Apple products.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-04-08T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220408-spot-reviews-04-08-22.html#unique-entry-id-394https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220408-spot-reviews-04-08-22.html#unique-entry-id-394Doctor Who: Eve of the Daleks (2022) [/] A one-hour special, the first one after Dr Who's 13th season. The Doctor Jodie Whittaker) and her companions are trapped in a multi-story building used as a store-it complex where people rent rooms and store stuff. Meanwhile Daleks are hunting them and whenever they're killed the timeline resets but each reset starts closer and closer to midnight of New Year's Eve... After the mess of season 13 this was a nice self-contained one-shot with a neat mystery and character development.

Podcast - History on the Table (2019) [/] Matt Petersona nd Richard Trippeer talk about wargames. Discussions of games they've played. Usually review a wargame and then place it on their Every Wargame Ever ranking list. They love The Gamers games so that's a big plus though otherwise it's moderately interesting.

Food - Trader Joe's Southwest Salad [-] Lettuce, corn, black beans, cabbage, peppers, red onion, cotija cheese, chipotle ranch dressing. Dressing was kind of tasteless so the whole salad turned out bland.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-04-06T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220406-documentary-lincolns-dilemma-2022.html#unique-entry-id-393https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220406-documentary-lincolns-dilemma-2022.html#unique-entry-id-393Lincoln's Dilemma is a 4-episode, 4-hour Apple TV+ documentary series about Abraham Lincoln focusing on before and during the American Civil War. The new Republican Party was built to be anti-slavery yet Lincoln was publicly more of a moderate, concerned with keeping the Southern states in the Union. As the war began and progressed Lincoln was fairly conciliatory but more and more came to publicly support abolition (keeping in mind that several border states still in the Union had slavery).

The documentary goes a bit more behind the scenes. Lincoln was much more abolitionist in private yet had rather practical political aims. But he wasn't perfect in that he wanted to free the slaves and send them to Africa which would moot the issue of integrating African-Americans into predominantly white society. The documentary also examines Frederick Douglass, his writings and speeches about Lincoln, and his brief personal interactions with Lincoln.

We get several historians talking about the issues and half of them are African-American. We have voice-actor readings of Lincoln, Douglass, and other's speeches and writings. I really like that they included the whole Gettysburg Address (which is less than three minutes long).

It's not a gripping documentary but it's ok and presents a different view on Lincoln and abolition than the usual ACW histories.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-04-04T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2022004-book-war-maids-choice-2012.html#unique-entry-id-392https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2022004-book-war-maids-choice-2012.html#unique-entry-id-392David Weber's War God series. It's a fantasy world where the main protagonist is Bahzell Bahnakson, a hradani, who ends up traveling the land doing good for his god, Tomanak the god of justice, while putting up with bigotry and fear since the hradani are treated as dangerous monsters, kind of like in D&D see an orc kill an orc mentality.

Bahzell starts out wandering with his best friend, Brandark a wannabe bard. He makes friends and becomes a champion of Tomanak and becomes the key to defeating the evil gods on his world.

In this book it's a few years later. A canal is being built that will connect the Dwarf lands to the Horse lands but will destabilize the politics of the Horse lands. All the ghouls in the moor have banded together and are determined to wipe out a combined allied army with Bahzell. Meanwhile The Dark sets up one of the Horse land barons to make a play for the throne and Bahzell's lady love Leeana is right in the middle of that.

If you like the previous books this is much the same. I like that the character arcs are progressing, especially Bahzell and Leeana, though Kaeritha from book 3 is barely in this book. It is a bit slow in the beginning and seems to end really quickly, like the big battle is bang bang bang and three major devils dead in a few pages.

I did want to read this book to see if Leeana and Bahzell become a couple which they did. Weber also resolved the big Horse lands conflict leaving the series at a good place to stop. Even though there is a fifth book I don't feel the need to read it like I did for this book.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-04-01T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220401-spot-reviews-04-01-22.html#unique-entry-id-391https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220401-spot-reviews-04-01-22.html#unique-entry-id-391The Suicide Squad (2021) [/] In the second Squad movie they are sent to a small island nation and end up fighting Starro. Bloodsport (Idris Elba) is the new leader and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) continues to be a scene stealer. Pretty graphic with people exploding and body parts flying around, though I managed to watch and block most of the graphic violence. It's an ok film.

Food - Amy's Pad Thai [/] Five minute microwave and it comes out ok. Vegan dish and it tasted fine.

Accidental Tech Podcast (2013) [-] This podcast is about half Apple stuff and half other tech stuff and has three hosts, Marco Arment (iOS developer), John Siracusa (former Macintosh OS reviewer), and Casey Liss (some guy with a tech background). I tried three recent episodes. I guess my problem continues to be that no matter how good something is they have to find something to criticize even if it's hypotheticals.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-03-30T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/0a29f5adc458f527ca03ea9fee82af3b-390.html#unique-entry-id-390https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/0a29f5adc458f527ca03ea9fee82af3b-390.html#unique-entry-id-390Hawkeye is a 6-episode MCU drama taking place a year or so after Avengers: Endgame. Clint/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) needs to squelch any rumors that Ronin is back when Ronin's costume is sold at a private auction. This is because Hawkeye used to be Ronin and he assassinated a lot of bad guys for the US government.

Unfortunately he needs the help of Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), college-age archer and martial artist trying to follow in Hawkeye's footsteps after he saved a young Kate during the first Avengers movie. Lots of hero worship from Kate while Clint treats her like an unwanted sidekick and it doesn't help that although she's skilled she makes many super-hero mistakes.

The villains are street level mafia type goons with a few A-class opponents. The new Black Widow, Yelena (Florence Pugh), makes an appearance midway wanting to kill Hawkeye for letting her sister die. Kingpin (Vincent D'Onofrio) also makes an appearance as the final boss. Good street-level supers action.

Overall it's an ok series mostly because I'm not as into street-level adventures. Also Kate is a bit annoying and it takes a while to redeem her. But overall a good series and worth watching. Oh, and there's an Avengers: The Musical bonus musical number at the end (during the final credits) that's pretty cool.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-03-28T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220328-board-game-tiny-epic-dinosaurs-deluxe.html#unique-entry-id-389https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220328-board-game-tiny-epic-dinosaurs-deluxe.html#unique-entry-id-389Tiny Epic Dinosaurs Deluxe is a worker-placement game about breeding and selling dinosaurs.

Each player has a grid map where they can place barriers and dinosaurs (no two dinosaur types can live in the same area and dinosaurs can run away through the edge of your map if you don't have barriers, man-made or natural like water/mountain, to stop them). Most squares have a resource (meat, plants, ore) but if a dinosaur is on the square you can't collect the resource.

During a turn each player places a worker on an activity spot. If a worker is present in a spot you need two workers to do the same activity (many activities have variants and one of your workers is double-sized so it's usually not too bad). Main activity categories:

• catch a dinosaur, which can wound both dinosaur and worker with minor effects
• buy a dinosaur using resources
• gather extra resources
• buy barriers
• buy technology
• turn in contracts

There are four basic dinosaurs: plant 1, plant 2, meat 1, meat 2. The #2 version eats more but needed for some contracts. There are also unique dinosaurs that you get from tech cards, these have special rules (e.g. a dinosaur that is considered to have barriers all around it, or a dinosaur that can be placed in water). Besides unique dinosaurs tech cards can also give you special abilities.

Once everyone has placed all their workers you finish the turn: Place new barriers and dinosaurs. Then if there are two in an area they breed and produce a third. Then all dinosaurs eat and if you can't feed them all the extra ones run away (plant dinosaurs break barriers, meat dinosaurs eat a plant dinosaur as they leave). Then collect resources and go to next turn.

You most points for turning in contracts. A few points for number of dinosaurs you have at the end of the game (basic and unique) and tech cards.

In general each player plays by themselves and you can only interfere by placing your worker on a needed activity or taking a tech card they want.

The first game took us four hours with four players. Probably half that long for a normal game. Pretty good theming and not too complex of a game. Was quite fun.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-03-25T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220325-spot-reviews-03-25-22.html#unique-entry-id-388https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220325-spot-reviews-03-25-22.html#unique-entry-id-388Amy's Mushroom Risotto Bowl [+] This was pretty good and seemed a bit more filling than other Amy's Bowls that I've tried. Rice, mushroom, peas and spices. Savory and pretty tasty.

Movie - Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021) [/] Hannah (Angelina Jolie) is a smokejumper team leader assigned to a firewatch station in order to recover from a traumatic last assignment where she lost one of her team. She runs into Connor (Finn Little), a kid on the run from two assassins who murdered his father. Together the two travel the wilderness avoiding the assassins and a forest fire the assassins started... Not a bad suspense sort of film and I'm always up to see Jolie doing action scenes.

Podcast - Advanced After Combat (2011) [-] I tried this years ago and didn't like it. Listened to the latest episode. Almost three hours long. Maybe an hour talking about wargames. The rest was random topics, trivia, RPGs, bad jokes about Russia-Ukraine War, and other uninteresting stuff.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-03-23T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220323-movie-the-wedding-veil-trilogy-2022.html#unique-entry-id-387https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220323-movie-the-wedding-veil-trilogy-2022.html#unique-entry-id-387The Wedding Veil Trilogy are three Hallmark Channel romantic movies. While antique shopping three friends find a wedding veil that brings matchmaking luck. In each movie one of the friends takes the veil and finds true love.

The Wedding Veil (2022) [+] - Avery (Lacey Chabert) meets fellow traveller Peter (Kevin McGarry) in San Francisco. They have so much in common and turns out both live in Boston. When Peter sees the wedding veil he thinks Avery is engaged so abruptly calls it off but they are thrown back together when Peter's philanthropic foundation works with Avery's museum to throw a gala event.

The Wedding Veil Unveiled (2022) - Emma (Autumn Reeser) visits Italy to research the origin of the wedding veil. There she meets Paolo (Paolo Bernardini), whose family has been in the lace-making business for two centuries and great grandmother sewed the wedding veil. The two research the secret history of the veil, like why the bride didn't use it in her wedding and said the veil had been burned in a fire. And along the way, romance.

The Wedding Veil Legacy (2022) - Tracy (Alison Sweeney) breaks up with her long-time boyfriend. While seeing a tailor to get the wedding veil repaired she meets Nick (Victor Webster) and they do not take a liking to each other. Later when Tracy is organizing an auction event she has to use Nick's restaurant for catering, throwing the two of them together where they start to bond over a historic poem Tracy is trying to save from the current owner.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-03-21T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220321-three-amys-soups.html#unique-entry-id-386https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220321-three-amys-soups.html#unique-entry-id-386Amy's Organic Chunky Tomato Bisque [+] Tomato purée and diced tomatoes with cream makes the main soup. Sugar, onions, salt, pepper for flavoring. Tastes really good and one of my favorites.

Food - Amy's Organic Fire Roasted Southwestern Vegetable Soup [+] Delicious vegetable soup with tomatoes, potato, corn, black beans, onions, carrots, bell peppers, celery, and green chilies. Has a bit of a spicy kick but I wouldn't call it spicy. 200 calories.

Food - Amy's Organic Carrot Ginger Soup [/] Carrots, water, cream for soup base with butter, rice, sugar, salt, ginger, spices and pepper for taste. Doesn't have much of carrot taste and I almost thought it was squash soup. Tastes fine though not as yummy as the tomato bisque.

]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-03-18T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220318-spot-reviews-03-18-22.html#unique-entry-id-385https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220318-spot-reviews-03-18-22.html#unique-entry-id-385Finch (2021) [/] Post-apocalyptic robotic coming-of-age story. Electrical engineer Finch (Tom Hanks) builds a robot to help him out and calls him Jeff (Caleb Landry Jones). The two plus Finch's dog set out across country on an upgunned RV trying to reach safety in San Francisco. In this story the apocalypse is no ozone layer so the sun is deadly both directly and because of 140 degree daytime temperatures. The main character arc is Jeff learning the ways of humanity. It's an ok film.

Amy's Rustic Italian Vegetable Soup [/] Not my favorite soup because it has chickpeas.

RPG Ramblings Podcast (2020) [-] What the name says. The host talks with a different guest each week and they ramble about RPGs, mostly on the industry and design topics. I listened to the first and latest episodes and it just didn't appeal to me. I think I find the host a bit boring.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-03-16T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220316-movie-the-hunger-games-p2-4-2013-15.html#unique-entry-id-384https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220316-movie-the-hunger-games-p2-4-2013-15.html#unique-entry-id-384The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

President Snow (Donald Sutherland) forces Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and other former Hunger Games winners to play a special 75th Anniversary Hunger Games.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 (2014)

Katnis and Gale (Liam Hemsworth) join the rebellion. Meanwhile Peeta is still prisoner in the Capital.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015)

Katniss, Peeta and Gale join in the final drive to defeat the Capital army. But will the new government be better than the current one?


I watched part 2 a few months ago then the last two parts last week. Like The Maze Runner, the series goes beyond the main game in order to grow and continue.

It's still sort of a bland series for me. Katniss seems to spend half the time self sabotaging herself and the rebellion due to her sympathy and goodness but the other half of the time showing those attributes are key.

Overall I guess I'm not the target audience but at least I watched this series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-03-14T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/243210883d5ed4f15490442ea98f09b3-383.html#unique-entry-id-383https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/243210883d5ed4f15490442ea98f09b3-383.html#unique-entry-id-383Spaceland is a science fiction turn-based tactical combat game. In each of the 28 solo campaign levels you control one to four characters (usually two or three and you can usually choose one or two of them: these are set characters for the campaign and often the campaign story requires one to all characters to be set). Each scenario has a goal (with intermediate goals so always know what to do) and once you're done you hit the exit squares. Rewards are based on getting all characters out, finishing in a set number of turns, and finding a secret item present in every scenario. Sometimes you can't get all the rewards in one run but you can restart and the scenario plays exactly the same.

It's an I-GO-U-GO system. On your turn you can maneuver characters in any order and switch back and forth. Each character has action points, usually six. Moving a square is one AP, shooting a weapon is usually three AP, activating a special action is one or two AP. Offensively you can shoot your main weapon, use your backup weapon (unlimited shots or uses), or use a special item like a grenade or dynamite. Every character has their own set of weapons and abilities and you can't customize that.

• Jim - rookie space ranger and maybe closest to an all around warrior. Combat rifle with sword, run ability which makes him a great scout.
• Barret - Jim's ranger mentor. Shotgun and pistol and has grenades.
• Marcus - marine in combat armor. Gatling gun and pistol. Slow but can teleport a couple of times and has a limited use force shield.
• Terra - marine tech. Plasma rifle and pistol and a healing ability.
• Torvald - miner. Grenade launcher and pistol. Less action points but has a stim pack that can give him more AP in a pinch.
• Ortega - marine sniper. Sniper rifle and sword and can teleport.
• Gordon - scientist. Blaster and pistol. Can give ammo and AP to allies.

Defensively there is cover to hide behind and doorways to duck through. Combatants take more damage from the side and back so getting a crossfire is good but generally impractically long. Sometimes you have to take your lumps rushing up then run behind an opponent to shoot them in the back. Scenarios have ammo boxes and healing kits scattered around.

You get two rewards: coins used to upgrade gear and circuits used to upgrade abilities. Coins you're always getting so eventually you can max out your gear. Circuits you only get once -- rerunning a scenario you can get coins but not any circuits you've already earned. Each character has two abilities which can be advanced two levels and once you have both abilities maxed there is an additional extra bonus you can buy. But with the lack of circuits you're only going to max half the characters (actually a bit of a lie, there are daily scenarios which also reward circuits so doing all of those and other dailies you buy with coins you can max out all characters; kind of useful if you rerun the campaign at a higher level).

Light tactics and each scenario is about half an hour. A long solo campaign. A co-op campaign which requires pairing with a random player or a friend. Last week a bonus short solo campaign (with extra dailies) came out. This is an entertaining game that will keep you occupied for a few weeks (or an intense night or two).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-03-11T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/558e2198b44f415c3e79a1b63b059a6d-382.html#unique-entry-id-382https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/558e2198b44f415c3e79a1b63b059a6d-382.html#unique-entry-id-382Amy's Broccoli & Cheddar Bake Bowl [/] Kind of like mac 'n cheese with spiral pasta and broccoli. Tastes good but the toasted bread crumbs don't come out good if you microwave. Will have to try using toast-r-oven next time.

Movie - Free Guy (2021) [/] An MMORPG NPC becomes self aware when it falls in love with a PC. The plot is fine and the graphics are good but the action goes a bit over the top to cartoony at times. I guess better than I expected. Starring Ryan Reynolds and Jodie Comer as the NPC and PC.

For All Mankind: The Official Podcast (2021) [/] A six episode podcast hosted by actress Krys Marshall. Half about the show and half about space exploration with a couple of episode roundtable discussions on the show. It's ok though seemed less focused. I like the Foundation podcast better as it follows each episode.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-03-09T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220309-anime-cowboy-bebop-1998.html#unique-entry-id-381https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220309-anime-cowboy-bebop-1998.html#unique-entry-id-381Cowboy Bebop (1998). It is an anime about a group of down-on-their-luck space cowboys, i.e. bounty hunters.

Spike (Steve Blum) - former mafia gunman and combat specialist
Jet (Beau Billingslea) - owner of the spaceship Bebop and main mechanic, former police officer
Faye (Wendee Lee) - a woman who doesn't remember her past and inveterate gambler
Ed (Melissa Fahn) - kid computer whiz who talks in riddles
Ein - hyper-intelligent Corgi

At least early on each episode is a separate bounty and they're very good at getting their bounty jumper but very bad at ending up with profits. All this in a noirish-space-western universe with a great sound track.

Maybe not as good as I remember it, this was one of the first animes I watched, but still has some good episodes and the characters each have an ending arc. It was good watching it again and now on to the live action series to see if it's also good.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-03-07T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220307-macos-antstream-arcade-2021.html#unique-entry-id-378https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220307-macos-antstream-arcade-2021.html#unique-entry-id-378Antstream Arcade is a retro-games streaming service. You can play a variety of old arcade, game console (e.g. NES and SNES), and computer (e.g. C64 and Amiga) games. The games run on their servers and are streamed to your computer and they have controller support.

Although their 1000+ game catalog is mostly action games they do have at least one RPG (Temple of Apshai for C64), wargame (Pegasus Bridge for ZX Spectrum), and strategy (Premier Manager 97 for Sega Mega Drive), so you can play games that last more than a few minutes. A few games are available on multiple platforms.

You get 1000 gems to start with. Starting a game is 30 gems and once you've started you can keep playing for as long as you want. You can win gems or game achievements and in Antstream contests. There is a Premium subscription which is unlimited play.

I tried four games -- Elevator Action (arcade), Star Wars (arcade), Jumpman (C64), Temple of Apshai (C64) -- and unfortunately mostly unplayable due to lag. The games look great though and definitely nostalgic. I'm on Sonic Fiber Internet so apparently you need a better Internet connection than that. Still you can download and try it out for free to see if performance is good enough for you.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-03-04T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220304-spot-reviews-03-04-22.html#unique-entry-id-380https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220304-spot-reviews-03-04-22.html#unique-entry-id-380Trader Joe's Chicken & Cheese Tamales [+] Like the beef tamales these are pretty good for frozen food. There is cheese but I couldn't tell from the taste. Still, it's a 4-min microwave 500-calorie meal.

Movie - We Were Soldiers (2002) [/] I recently rewatched this, skipping all the home front stuff and it's an entertaining war movie. I have watched he whole movie twice and I don't think I'd ever want to watch the whole thing again.

Locked on 49ers Podcast (2016) [-] This is a weekday half-hour podcast. When it started it had one host and currently has two hosts. I bit too much like a radio show -- a bit too hype-y and bombastic. I want a more even-level mien.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-03-02T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220302-movie-blade-runner-the-final-cut-1982.html#unique-entry-id-379https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220302-movie-blade-runner-the-final-cut-1982.html#unique-entry-id-379
I may be misremembering but this is the third time I've watched Blade Runner. The first time was in university and I watched the director's cut with some friends and was confused by the movie. The second time I watched the theatrical version which has narration and it was much better.

Blade Runner: The Final Cut is another director's version though this time he had complete control. All three versions the story is much the same and I don't remember differences. Like the other versions this is a good movie and well worth watching. I wouldn't say it's worth watching if you've watched it before but if you haven't this is a good version to watch.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-02-28T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220228-books-designers-and-dragons-2014.html#unique-entry-id-377https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220228-books-designers-and-dragons-2014.html#unique-entry-id-377Designers & Dragons (2014) second edition published by Evil Hat in four smaller hardcover volumes, though more total content.

Each volume covers a decade from 1970's to 2000's. In general it's a history of the tabletop RPG field organized by company though also focusing on the people in those companies. Each book has about a couple dozen companies describing their origins, history, and demise (or aliveness) and their contributions to the RPG field in terms of products and innovations. Since most companies start out as one or few people's endeavor the histories are often the histories of those people and how they got into RPGs and decided to start making products.

There are many sidebars. Many cover very small companies related to the current company. Some sidebars cover other topics such as what is GNS or a short history of some esoteric niche market. There are also many scanned product pictures, though the books are black and white which is a shame.

Each history ends with a related links section telling you where to go to continue on the history of related companies or a person discussed in the current history.

I like the format as the smaller sized books are easier to do a walk-and-read than with a big leather hardcover. I like the subject (history of the RPG field) and like the organization by companies because growing up it was the companies and their products that mattered. Doing it by people would be jumping around from company to company. Doing it by timeline you would lose all sense of company histories.

Appelcline is working on a third edition or a sequel and I'm looking forward to it.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-02-25T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220225-spot-reviews-02-25-22.html#unique-entry-id-376https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220225-spot-reviews-02-25-22.html#unique-entry-id-376John Soules Foods Dino Nuggets [+] Chicken nuggets in dinosaur shapes. Light breading and meat inside was moist and it tasted pretty good. Better than I expected.

Foundation: The Official Podcast (2021) [+] This is a companion to Apple TV+ Foundation series. The nine half-hour episodes follow along with the series and have spoilers. Talking with show runner David S Goyer and various episode writers you get a bit more background that didn't make on air or that will come up later and also the usual behind the scenes production and origins stuff. Quite interesting though not required to enjoy the tv series.

Movie - Parker (2013) [/] Parker (Jason Statham) is a mercenary heist mastermind. After being betrayed by his crew and left for dead he recovers and plans on revenge by spoiling their next heist. He ends up partnering with real estate broker Leslie Rodgers (Jennifer Lopez) when the action shifts to a posh Miami island neighborhood... Typical Statham fare, not great not horrible.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-02-23T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220223-tv-show-foundation-s1-2021.html#unique-entry-id-375https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220223-tv-show-foundation-s1-2021.html#unique-entry-id-375Foundation is an Apple TV+ drama based on Isaac Asimov's Foundation books.

In the far future the Galactic Empire riles a good portion of the galaxy. It is ruled by Empire, a clone of the greatest emperor Cleon I and now the system is Dusk (Terrence Mann), the outgoing emperor, Day (Lee Pace), the current emperor, and Dawn (various people) the new emperor. Sort of a grandfather, father, son dynamic though the point is to have the exact same upbringing, habits, and thought patterns as Cleon I to make it seem like it's an eternal emperor even though there are inevitable differences.

Then Hari Seldon (Jared Harris) comes with his psychohistory research saying that the Galactic Empire is on the brink of downfall leading to a ten-thousand year age of darkness. Empire banishes Seldon and his followers, including newcomer and mathematical wiz Gaal Dornick (Lou Llobell), to Terminus, a bleak world in the Outer Reaches. It's all part of Seldon's plan to establish his Foundation, dedicated to making sure that the Dark Age lasts one thousand years instead of ten thousand.

The first season focuses on a few decades later, The First Crisis (of the Foundation). The Terminus colony is still rather rudimentary. Salvor Hardin (Leah Harvey) is the chief Warden (like a Sheriff or Ranger) and a bit of an outsider as she doesn't quite believe in Seldon's master plan. The crisis starts when Terminus is invaded by a warband of Anacreons, a race decimated by the Galactic Empire, and they're here to use Terminus and the Foundation as part of a revenge plan against Empire.

Meanwhile Empire has to deal with his own crisis. The head of the Luminist faith (the largest religion in the Galactic Empire, about 1/3rd of the people are Luminists) dies and of the two rival candidates one is old-book Luminist, one of the key principles being that cloned people are not actually people because they have no souls. Besides the Luminists it turns out the current teenage Dawn (Cassian Bilton) has a deep secret and if his brothers find out he'll definitely be recycled...

Anyway, it's a very high concept show. Not that much in terms of action though there is action but it's more about talking and machinations and maybe setting things up for future seasons. The plan is an 8-season show if Apple funds it all the way which hopefully they will. I like Foundation because it is high concept lots of thought, seems somewhat close to the books from what I remember, and different from other science fiction shows.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-02-21T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220221-book-on-basilisk-station-1993.html#unique-entry-id-372https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220221-book-on-basilisk-station-1993.html#unique-entry-id-372On Basilisk Station back in 2007, listened to the audio book in 2009, and read it in graphic novel format in 2016. I have a feeling I read the book again at some point and I read it again last month.

In the far future, Commander Honor Harrington is the new skipper of HMS Fearless, an old light cruiser in the Kingdom of Manticore. After showing her mettle in a series of war games she offends an admiral and her ship is assigned to Basilisk, the only extra-solar system controlled by Manticore. And yet Manticore only cares about the Manticoran warp point and has a very light presence on Manticore itself, which is inhabited by an indigenous alien species (in future Honorverse books aliens are rarely mentioned).

As a backwater Honor finds the system defenses in disrepair and the security protocols very lax. It quickly becomes her problem when the commanding officer leaves on his ship for emergency repairs, leaving Fearless the lone navy ship on station. Honor and crew have to restore order, stop a possible alien revolt and the machinations of a hostile star nation.

It's still a great story. One commander and crew with limited resources have to make do and perform their duties far away from help. Very Horatio Hornblower.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-02-18T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220218-spot-reviews-02-18-22.html#unique-entry-id-373https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220218-spot-reviews-02-18-22.html#unique-entry-id-373Amy's Spinach & Ricotta Cheese Ravioli [+] As usual, good but light portion. Spinach and cheese in ravioli pasta with a red sauce. Microwave three minutes then one minute. Tasty. 390 calories so you know it's a small portion.

Podcast - Mentioned in Dispatches (2018) [/] I listened to one episode. Three guys talking about stuff and the episode was about modding tabletop war games. Each episode has a different topic but I'd rather listen to discussion about actual games than about war gaming life.

Movie - SWAT: Under Siege (2017) [/] Direct to video movie and second sequel to the theatrical SWAT (2003) with an all-star cast. After capturing a dangerous criminal (Michael Jai White) a SWAT team has to defend their HQ from mercenaries determined to break him out. With Adrianne Palicki... Very low budget but not bad.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-02-16T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220216-tv-show-the-crew-s1-2021.html#unique-entry-id-374https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220216-tv-show-the-crew-s1-2021.html#unique-entry-id-374The Crew is a Netflix 10-episode comedy that was cancelled after one season. The concept is a NASCAR racing team, Bobby Spencer Racing, and the goings on behind the scenes.

Kevin Gibson (Kevin James) - crew chief
Catherine Spencer (Jillian Mueller) - owner's daughter and new CEO of Bobby Spencer Racing

One of the main plots is Kevin vs Catherine. Catherine is a Stanford business school graduate and wants to introduce .com management techniques whilst Kevin is more Southern old school not wanting to change anything. BTW this is one of those shows that if you want to be offended as a Liberal you will be as the jokes can get sexist, right wing, anti-intellectual though it manages to be funny and not mean about it and they also poke fun at sexist conservative Southerners and I did find the show very funny.

The racing team is not doing well financially. Catherine comes in and stirs things up by replacing the main sponsor (from a local BBQ chain to a .com fake meat company) and trying to replace their driver (a good racer but makes dumb mistakes) with an up-and-coming female driver (played by Paris Berelc). Meanwhile Kevin keeps undermining Catherine which by the end of the season may lead to him having to leave the team (again, all done in a funny way, this is not a dark or serious show).

As I said I found the show hilarious. I like NASCAR and the behind the scenes is interesting even though I have no idea how accurate it is. Kevin James is very good and the supporting actors do their bits well. It is a sort of brainless sit-com at times but that's quite all right.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-02-14T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220214-book-in-our-own-worlds-2-2020.html#unique-entry-id-371https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220214-book-in-our-own-worlds-2-2020.html#unique-entry-id-371In Our Own Worlds #2 is an LGBTQ+ anthology from Tom Doherty Associates. It contains four novellas:

Miranda in Milan (Katharine Duckett) - A sequel to Shakespeare's The Tempest. Miranda and her father Prospero have returned to Milan where she discovers she is shunned by the people and her father may be returning to the dark arts. With the help of Dorothea, an Arabian maid and also an outsider, Miranda must uncover the secret of what happened to her mother and foil Prospero's plans...

This is the best story mostly because of it's Shakespearean feel.

Every Heart a Doorway (Seanan McGuire) - Teenager Nancy is sent to an unusual home to be cured of her belief that she spent years in another world. Once there she discover's, much like Dr Xavier's School in X-Men, that the home is a place where Eleanor West has gathered children that passed through doors to spend time in other realms. And although a few children make their way back the other realms most don't and so the school is also a way for children to restructure their lives back to "normal" humanity. But murder happens and as the newest student Nancy is the prime suspect...

Not a bad teen murder mystery though the LGBTQ+ is very subtle. The concept brings to mind what might have happened to Dorothy when she came back from Oz.

Sisters of the Vast Black (Lina Rather) - In the far future mankind has somewhat spread amongst the stars and it's been decades since a war between Earth and her colonies ended with independence for the colonies. A group of nuns on an old space ship get wind of a plot by EarthGov to reconquer the colonies using an old viral weapon. Can they buck their new priest sent by a rejuvenated Catholic Church and save the first colony being used as a test bed for EarthGov's plan?

Another nice story. The previous two are told from the protagonist's perspective. This one has several viewpoints and the various nuns have their own secrets.

The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps (Kai Ashante Wilson) - A very far future Earth back down to medieval tech levels except a few "sorcerers", people with advanced scientific knowledge and highly modified genes. One such sorcerer is Demane traveling as a caravan guard because of love for the guard captain who keeps his sorcery more hidden. The two are the only ones capable of saving the caravan when it's attacked by a panther sorcerer (a sorcerer shaped into a savage panther)...

I'm not a fan of this type of setting. Kind of like Gene Wolfe it can be hard to tell what the characters are talking about as their descriptions of items from modern day are quite different.

Overall it's an ok anthology. I'm not sure about the LGBTQ+ aspect as none of the stories made it into a key point.]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-02-11T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220211-spot-reviews-02-11-22.html#unique-entry-id-370https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220211-spot-reviews-02-11-22.html#unique-entry-id-370Trader Joe's Beef Tamales [+] Two beef tamales which you microwave for four minutes and they're ready to eat. I've had Mexican market tamales and restaurant tamales and these are about the same -- good not great but better than I'd expect from an American market. 480 calories for $3 or $4 I think.

Web Site - Nextdoor [/] Nextdoor is a neighborhood community site that wants to be a third place for communities. It groups people into communities and then people (and businesses) can post on various topics. I find that it tends to be more about bad news than good (and mind you even if it were say 25% bad news the world is far better than 75% good it's just that people are more likely to post bad/negative stuff, contented people don't tend to post). So I do find Nextdoor of mixed usefulness and mostly ignore it.

TV Show - Doctor Who s13 (2021) [-] This is Jodie Whittaker's third season as The Doctor. Series 13 is a six-episode arc, the Flux, about an event that's destroying the universe unless The Doctor and her companions can stop it. Since I haven't seen the two previous seasons it was a bit confusing though apparently most of the elements are new -- the current show runners don't do as many callbacks+development as previous ones. Also they were trying to do it more serially so you get a sort of mishmash of separate episodes cut up and assembled into each released episode. Overall a poor season which sucks as I don't want the blame to be female Doctor rather than poor show running.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-02-09T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220209-movie-coda-2021.html#unique-entry-id-369https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220209-movie-coda-2021.html#unique-entry-id-369CODA is a coming of age story set in an East Coast fishing town. Ruby (Emilia Jones) is the only hearing person in her family and always has to interpret for her deaf parents (Tory Kotsur and Marlee Matlin) and brother (Daniel Durant). While the family struggles making a living fishing with higher costs and reduced fish prices Ruby discovers she is a good singer and her music teacher (Eugenio Derbez) prepares her to audition for the Berklee College of Music. And there's the cute choir boy (Fredia Walsh-Peelo) she's crushing on...

This is a movie where deaf characters are prominent and they are important to the story but it's not about being deaf, which I appreciate. I like that there are scenes where the family is "talking" and it's like very quite and even Ruby is signing silently or sometimes signing and talking and the rest are occasionally saying a word.

Other than that a fairly typical story of a high school senior trying to decide what to do with her life. But you don't need everything being new and fresh to make a very good movie and this I feel is a very good movie.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-02-07T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220207-book-artemis-2017.html#unique-entry-id-368https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220207-book-artemis-2017.html#unique-entry-id-368Artemis is Andy Weir's second novel and standalone from The Martian. It's a story set on the first Lunar city set a few decades from now. Jasmine "Jazz" Bashara grew up on Artemis and is very bright but she made a couple of life mistakes when she was 16 and has been living on her own since. Now a decade later she is a small time hustler smuggling goods from Earth and doing odd jobs for rich clients.

One such client is Trond Landvik, one of the wealthiest people on Artemis (and Earth for that matter). He has a plan to take over the only heavy industry on the Moon, Sanchez Aluminum, and to do that he needs Jazz to do a little creative sabotage. But when the job goes wrong Jazz is soon running for her life because Sanchez Aluminum is a mob operation and they are not happy with Jazz or Landvik...

Like The Martian this is a first-person narrative told in a breezy style. Also like The Martian there is a lot of digestible technical details about life on the Moon and lots of Science! and Engineering! And the story is also quite engrossing as there are mysteries within mysteries with lots of players and Jazz not knowing who to trust. Definitely recommend.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-02-04T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220204-spot-reviews-02-04-22.html#unique-entry-id-367https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220204-spot-reviews-02-04-22.html#unique-entry-id-367Dream Horse (2021) [/] Based-on-a-true-story movie about a woman (Toni Collette) in a small Welsh town who organizes a co-op to buy a race horse, train it, and race it in local events. With Damian Lewis. It's an ok family movie. Not terribly exciting though.

macOS App - IINA (2017) [/] IINA is a media player designed to take advantage of macOS frameworks and be a nice and proper macOS application. I used it for a bit and it's pretty nice though I'm very used to VLC's "only one video open at a time". Also it has problems playing some video formats (was choppy) which VLC handles fine. So IINA is not quite ready to replace VLC.

Food - Del Monte Peas & Carrots [-] I don't like peas so squishy canned peas was a bad idea. Unlike the picture there is a whole lot more peas than carrots and I think they are there to add color to the peas.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-02-02T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220202-tv-show-van-helsing-s1-2016.html#unique-entry-id-366https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220202-tv-show-van-helsing-s1-2016.html#unique-entry-id-366Van Helsing is a post-apocalyptic vampire series. A massive volcanic eruption darkens Earth's skies for three years allowing the hidden vampire population to emerge and decimate/enslave humanity.

We start three years after the event. Marine Sgt Axel Miller (Jonathan Scarfe) is the last in his detachment guarding a hospital where sleeping beauty, aka Vanessa (Kelly Overton), has been unconscious since he arrived three years ago with orders to protect her until relieved. Axel's other companion is Doc (Rukiya Bernard), a medical examiner working at the hospital who was bitten and is now a vampire locked up in the medicine storage area.

Things start happening. Survivors arrive. Vanessa wakes up. Turns out she has anti-vampire powers: she heals quickly, can't be turned and her blood turns vampires back to human. All she wants is to get out and look for her daughter clashing with Axel's desire to keep her alive. Meanwhile the new survivors destabilize the situation then another group of survivors arrive and there are betrayals and people on people violence.

Eventually they leave the hospital and start having adventures...

This is one of those series where anybody can die and everybody has their own motives, sometimes at cross-purposes. The concept is loosely based on Van Helsing comic book from Zenescope and that would have been a cooler series (more 4-color superhero like) but I guess this way is more Walking Dead style.

The first season is 13 episodes and it's mostly ok. I got kind of tired of everyone being evil or dying and Vanessa is not really a shining example of someone I can root for. In the end I think one season is all I can stand.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-01-31T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220131-bunnies-and-burrows-the-fairy-ring-of-the-nibble-onions-2018.html#unique-entry-id-365https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220131-bunnies-and-burrows-the-fairy-ring-of-the-nibble-onions-2018.html#unique-entry-id-365The Fairy Ring of the Nibble Onions is the most detailed of the four Bunnies & Burrows published adventures. It is 19 pages including a color map and has three acts, each of which can take a session to play.

The rabbit warren has been stricken with an illness and the PCs are sent to find the cure. The cure is in the farmer's garden but there is a new defense that repels rabbits. To find a way through that defense the PCs have to find Brown Hilda, a legendary heroine, who knows how to get through the defense. She in turn sends them on a quest to find the nibble onions and then the PCs use the nibble onions to get into the garden, grabs some pumpkin seeds and return to save the warren. Except there is one plot twist waiting for them...

The adventure has good detail on NPCs including a couple of traders, Brown Hilda, and a raven that hounds the PCs. There is advice for tricky parts of the adventure and a fair amount of text to read to PCs. There is a mystery to solve if the PCs are paying attention to the clues and talking to NPCs.

Overall the best B&B adventure and maybe the only one worth buying.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-01-28T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220128-spot-reviews-01-28-22.html#unique-entry-id-364https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220128-spot-reviews-01-28-22.html#unique-entry-id-364Trader Joe's Chicken Tikka Masala [+] One serving portion of boneless chicken chunks, tikka masala sauce and basmati rice. Microwave for 3 minutes (if not frozen) and it comes out pretty good. Not sure if this is better than average but Indian food is good so average is quite tasty. 580 calories.

iOS Game - First Strike [/] From the creators of Apple Arcade's Stellar Commanders. This is a more complicated version of Stellar Commanders. A Risk-like map where each of your territories can do an action (research, build weapon, launch weapon, conquer territory) that takes a real amount of time. So once again it can be a game where you're trying to manage multiple things in real time and although slower than Stellar Commanders I still don't don't particularly like real-time wargames.

Movie - Midnight in the Switchgrass (2021) [-] Thriller set in Florida. Going after the same serial rapist and killer, FBI agent Rebecca Lombardi (Megan Fox) and Florida Department of Law Enforcement agent Byron Crawford (Karl Helter) go off the books to chase a slim lead that might lead them to the killer. With Bruce Willis as Lombardi's senior officer agent Karl Helter... It's a bit low budget and lacks tension and I plodded through it.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-01-26T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220126-movie-shang-chi-and-the-legend-of-the-ten-rings-2021.html#unique-entry-id-363https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220126-movie-shang-chi-and-the-legend-of-the-ten-rings-2021.html#unique-entry-id-363Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a Marvel Cinematic Universe martial arts plus chi-powers movie. Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) seems to be a typical Chinese American living in San Francisco, working as a valet parker with his best friend Katy (Awkwafina). But his secret is revealed when ninja assassins assault Shang-Chi and he reveals he's a martial arts master and son of Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung), the Mandarin who wields the Ten Rings and has lived a thousand years. Shang-Chi ran away from his bad guy father and has been in hiding but now must come out to save his sister Xu Xialing (Meng'er Zhang) and stop whatever plan his father has for taking over the world...

Martial arts action here is very good with kind of heavy CGI polishing to make it look clean and cinematic (more authentic looking martial arts in other movies just doesn't seem as four-color super heroic). The Mandarin had already appeared in Iron Man and revealed to be an actor (Ben Kingsley who returns as the actor who played The Mandarin) and that version was more comic book Mandarin with 10 finger rings that had different powers (though I forget if they showed that aspect in Iron Man).

This Mandarin the rings are metallic forearm bracelets that can be shot out at high speeds and can be recalled at will and I like the resulting powers that flow from that concept: besides shooting out as attacks, shooting behind you for propulsion or recalling and grabbing on for a bit of flight; using them to block attacks and in a Death Blossom attack when getting mobbed. Conversely defeating Wengwu is a matter of making sure his arms are never pointed at you, like fighting someone with a hand gun.

I'm not really into martial arts movies but this one was better than I expected. The story is good and the action makes me believe this is an MCU movie.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-01-24T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220124-book-vietnam-a-history-1983.html#unique-entry-id-361https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220124-book-vietnam-a-history-1983.html#unique-entry-id-361Stanley Karnow's Vietnam: A History is a companion, though standalone, book to a PBS documentary series. The book is mostly about the behind the scene politics starting from before the French became involved to after North Vietnam conquered the South. Karnow was a newspaper correspondent and was in Vietnam from 1969 to 1974 so he developed contacts and friendships with many people North and South.

It's an interesting perspective. As a major person is introduced he goes into historical background. He covers what different people were thinking and does a lot of 20-20 hindsight about how the French, the Americans, the North Vietnamese, the South Vietnamese could have done things differently and achieve a peaceful solution if only they had had a better understanding of the other side. At times it's a bit melodramatic about what various people are doing because they are focused on their thing not on the North vs South conflict.

I read almost half the book. In the end I wanted a more military history look at the Vietnam War and from what I was reading this book was not going to be it. Definitely good history (though I'm not sure how impartial it is, seems to have too many personal anecdotes) but I wasn't willing to spend another couple of months reading the rest of it.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-01-21T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220121-spot-reviews-01-21-22.html#unique-entry-id-362https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220121-spot-reviews-01-21-22.html#unique-entry-id-362Amy's Bowls: 3 Cheese and Kale Bake [+] This is a delicious rice pasta with kale and three cheeses (I do love rice pasta). It's about 45 minutes to bake or 4 minute microwave. I did microwave and it still came out great. Maybe a bit lite for lunch then again it's 470 calories. I think it was $6 on a bit of a sale price.

Apple Arcade - Spek. (2019) [/] "Play with perspective." Puzzle game. Imagine a 3D playing level but you only see the outlines of objects. A ball moves around following the outlines. As you rotate the camera as objects intersect the outline shown is the overall outline (you never see a line within an outline). There are diamonds to pick up to finish each level but you have to rotate until a diamond lands on an outline so that the ball can then pick it up. As the levels progress you have things that block the ball, objects that move by themselves either regularly or because of gravity, and I'm sure other complications. Fifty levels. Interesting concept.

Movie - Holly Star (2018) [-] Sloan (Katlyn Carlson) is an out of work puppeteer who returns to her hometown and after a near death experience remembers that as a kid she saw Santa Claus bury a bag of treasure in the woods. But further memories are blocked because of her unresolved feelings for childhood friend Andy (Brian Muller)... Christmas romance movie though focusing more on hijinks than romance. I found it uninteresting.

]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-01-19T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220119-movie-the-platform-2019.html#unique-entry-id-360https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220119-movie-the-platform-2019.html#unique-entry-id-360The Platform is a Spanish film (in Spanish with subtitles). A bit in the future there exists a prison with many levels, each level being about a 20'x20' cell for two with a hole in the middle. Each day down the hole comes a platform with a banquet of food carefully prepared by professional chefs. Each level eats as much as they want and the leftovers go down to the next level the result is at level 50 and lower no food gets down. At the end of the month the paired occupants of each cell are redistributed randomly.

Into this milieu comes Goreng (Iván Massagué) who is here on a six-month stay with the promise of a professional diplioma if he survives. His cellmate is Trimagasi (Zorion Equileor), an oldster who has been here the better part of year, outwardly friendly but knows that a bad month will mean desperate times. While Trimagasi tries to each Goreng the reality of living here in turn Goreng remains an idealist and believes that if everyone cooperates no one need starve.

For the most part it's Goreng and a few cellmates and he slowly goes from idealist to somewhat brutal before there is one more chance at redemption...

The concept is interesting social drama about what people do in this unusual situation when there is no authority to enforce any rules (other than rules about hoarding food). Once people are placed in this sandbox what would they do to survive? I did think the ending was a bit poor since something is done but we don't know if it will actually change the prison or not.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-01-17T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2022220117-bunnies-and-burrows-the-mound-of-basking-vultures-2018.html#unique-entry-id-358https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2022220117-bunnies-and-burrows-the-mound-of-basking-vultures-2018.html#unique-entry-id-358The Mound of Basking Vultures is a Bunnies & Burrows 3E adventure. It is a 5-page one-shot wherein the party travels to a "haunted" human burial mound on a dare. Beforehand they can trade with a local trader then travel tot he mound and explore its five rooms. There are vultures to talk to and ghosts to interact with. It's a no-danger adventure (other than random encounters) but with danger around as there is a big hound around that bunnies see signs of but it never appears.

This adventure is a marked improvement over The Garden Raid which was an excuse to run various core book mini games and should have been included in the core book. The Mound of Basking Vultures could have also been in the core book since it's rather short. In any case I like it because it shows a different kind of bunny adventure, one where they interact with normal human stuff but it's all mysterious to them. I still think it's a bit expensive for a one-shot ($8 pdf).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-01-14T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220114-spot-reviews-01-14-22.html#unique-entry-id-357https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220114-spot-reviews-01-14-22.html#unique-entry-id-357Stranded Sails (2019) [-] Age of Sails, stranded on an island. It's a farming, village building, exploration with quests game. I barely played it because it wasn't interesting.

Animated Series - Resident Evil: Infinite Darkness #1.01 (2021) [-] I watched the first episode of this 4-episode Japanese animated series. The animation is like a bunch of console cut-scenes: good and janky at the same time. Also not great that it dives into the story without giving any sort of background for people who haven't been playing Resident Evil. Anyways, zombies attack the White House and a team is sent to China to investigate if they're behind it. Meanwhile the real cause may be in a small African nation recovering from a civil war.

Podcast - AppStories (2017) [/] From the creators of Macstories web site, this is a podcast about iOS apps. There are two hosts and each half hour episode they cover one topic. Some are about app developers and the apps business and some are about iOS and using apps. Kind of runs the range so there is stuff for normal iOS users, for power users and for developers. Overall they have a pleasant style so even though it's not really a topic I'm crazy interested in I will continue listening.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-01-12T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220112-movie-the-guns-of-navarone-1961.html#unique-entry-id-356https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220112-movie-the-guns-of-navarone-1961.html#unique-entry-id-356The Guns of Navarone is a World War II adventure film. A team of commandoes led by Captain Keith Mallory (Gregory Peck) sneak onto a German-occupied Greek island where they have to travel across the whole island and disable twin massive artillery guns before a British task force attempts to run the gauntlet in five days.

Drama abounds within the group. Team leader Major Roy Franklin (Anthony Quayle) is injured right off the start becoming a bit of a deadweight on the team causing Mallory and Franklin's friend Corporal John Anthony Miller (David Niven) to clash. Greek Colonel Andrea Stavros (Anthony Quinn) is a friend of Mallory's but has sworn to kill him because he blames Mallory for his family's deaths at the hands of the Germans. One of the team members turns out to be a bit of a pacifist, fed up with all the killing. Two of the local resistance joins the team and shortly thereafter the Germans capture them all so is there a traitor?

I saw this movie when I was a teen and not since. I enjoyed this viewing and having read GURPS WWII not knowing how I'd run it this movie is a great inspiration for a commando adventure that can be a multi-session campaign on its own.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-01-10T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220110-ios-game-the-battle-of-polytopia-2019.html#unique-entry-id-355https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220110-ios-game-the-battle-of-polytopia-2019.html#unique-entry-id-355The Battle of Polytopia (2019) is a small Civilization-like 4X game. You start with a city. You explore and conquer other cities. You have one resource, stars, which are used to build units and develop resource squares. You also spend stars to develop technologies and the tech tree and units go to around Medieval Age.

The graphics are cute. The map is 16 x 16 with up to 3 computer players (you can buy more civilizations, each with a starting tech and maybe a bonus, and then play games with more and more computer players -- I hope the map gets bigger). No diplomacy so you're just attacking each other as soon as you find them.

User interface is simple and quite fine with touch. Units can't stack so first tap selects unit and second selects area underneath and then you get available choices and unavailable choices greyed out. Units can only do one thing (for the most part) and are grayed out once they've moved. There's a help system that hints a unit or city that hasn't done anything this turn.

It's a really fun game. Free, no ads, completely fine with the four included civilizations. There are a score of add-on civilizations costing $1 or $2 each. I don't think you get new game modes or anything like that. Apparently you can play with other people too (over internet or pass and play).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-01-07T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220107-spot-reviews-01-07-22.html#unique-entry-id-354https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220107-spot-reviews-01-07-22.html#unique-entry-id-354Red Notice (2021) [-] This is a big-budget ($200M) action film released on Netflix. Stars Dwayne Johnson as an FBI Special Agent forced to team up with an international art thief played by Ryan Reynolds as they go after the mastermind that set them up (Gal Gadot). Good star power but it's so bad, like National Treasure bad which means it can be entertaining to a certain crowd.

Bunnies & Burrows: The Garden Raid (2018) [-] This is an 8-page introductory adventure (really four pages of text and one page of counters) for Bunnies & Burrows 3E RPG. It's a 7-scene adventure, each scene having an introduction to read to players then a paragraph or two for the GM. Most of the scenes uses mini-games in the main B&B rulebook so the adventure information isn't as scant as it seems. For $10 print/$8 pdf it's kind of expensive and the adventure is very simple and GM advice is pretty low. Of the four B&B published adventures this is the weakest and really should have been included in the main rulebook -- would have been three pages and the counters are already in the rulebook. Maybe this was created to fluff up the Kickstarter.

iOS Game - Little Big Snake [-] I previously wrote about Little Big Snake the web app. Little Big Snake on iOS is kind of boring. I think it must be a separate user base and there are few iOS players. On desktop it's a fairly sweaty game. On iOS it's very leisure and I must be facing mostly bots. I can even leave my snake alone and let it go to autopilot mode and it seems to run fairly well. Looks nice but it's not entertaining.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-01-05T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220105-tv-show-what-if-s1-2021.html#unique-entry-id-353https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220105-tv-show-what-if-s1-2021.html#unique-entry-id-353What If... is a Marvel Cinematic Universe animated anthology half-hour series. Like the comic book, it is an alternative universe exploration of "what if this happened instead of what happened in the main universe?" The nine episodes in season one:

1. "What If... Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?"
2. "What If... T'Challa Became a Star-Lord?"
3. "What If... the World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?"
4. "What If... Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?"
5. "What If... Zombies?!"
6. "What If... Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?"
7. "What If... Thor Were an Only Child?"
8. "What If... Ultron Won?"
9. "What If... the Watcher Broke His Oath?"

Sometimes the universe is much the same, sometimes it's better and sometimes it's worse, very worse. But what's really cool is the last two episodes where we have a universe where Ultron wipes out life in his universe, discovers the Watcher, decides to wipe out life in all the universes and the Watcher recruits some of the heroes and villains from previous episodes to battle Ultron.

Voice acting is good, often using the original actors (and maybe Chadwick Boseman's last MCU role after his death from cancer in 2020). Animation is all right and the stories are mostly entertaining (I'm not so much into bad ending stories). Overall a good animated series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2022-01-03T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220103-ios-app-carrot-fit-2014.html#unique-entry-id-352https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20220103-ios-app-carrot-fit-2014.html#unique-entry-id-352CARROT Fit is a fitness app that runs you through a high-intensity 7-minute interval workout. By this it means doing 30 seconds of an exercise at high energy, 10 second break, then a different exercise for 30 seconds and so on. It's a $5 app and it has 12 different exercises with an in-app $2 for another set of 12 different exercises.

There is a sarcastic/sadistic computer AI urging you on. It syncs with Apple Health (which I think means best on iPhone since iPad doesn't have Apple Health as far as I can tell) and you can enter weight here too. The exercises have funny names and descriptions.

I'm not sure this is the app for me. Interval exercise is for more fit people and my body is not that limber for some of these exercises (e.g. an exercise like stepping on and off a chair is quite knee-killing to me). Still I think can try to use this app more and skip exercises I can't really do (you can't enable/disable exercises though you can setup a custom, and static, workout set).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-12-31T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211231-spot-reviews-12-31-21.html#unique-entry-id-664https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211231-spot-reviews-12-31-21.html#unique-entry-id-66449ers Rush Podcast with John Chapman (2017) [/] High school coach John Chapman talks about the 49ers using a film-based approach which complements The Better Rivals Podcast. While the latter is more focused on PFF stats John needs to see the film and puts less focus on raw PFF stats and for the most part he is more upbeat about how John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan run the organization (Better Rivals is much more everything should be focused on passing because expected value is much higher than with a running game). I find this an interesting podcast.

Anime - Eden (2021) [/] A four-episode half-hour anime on Netflix. In the distant future the Earth is recovering from ecological disaster and only robots are around running a farm. But when two robots discover a "dangerous" human baby they decide to hide her and raise her as their own... It's an ok story about movie-length

iOS Game - Democratic Socialism Simulator (2020) [/] Card-based scenarios game where each turn you get a card with something going on in your social democratic government then get a couple of choices for or against. Choices adjust your likability with various constituents (you can preview effects before making your choice and you can tap on each voter to see what they like and dislike). Choices also affect funding, people power and greenhouse gas emissions. Increase people power, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, don't go bankrupt and get re-elected so you have time to achieve your goals. It's a cute game.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-12-29T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211229-movie-space-sweepers-2021.html#unique-entry-id-350https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211229-movie-space-sweepers-2021.html#unique-entry-id-350Space Sweepers is a Korean science fiction film (exclusively on Netflix) about the crew of a junk sweeping ship that finds a little girl on an abandoned derelict but when they try to turn her in for a reward it turns out she's the key to saving a dying Earth and UTS Corporation doesn't want her alive.

In this far future the Earth is polluted and slowly dying. UTS Corporation has these space habitats where the wealthy live but there is so much orbital junk that independent space sweepers ply the lanes catching junk before they hit something important. It reminds of a small Traveller setup: you have a small rundown ship getting by catching junk and turning it in for credits but fuel, taxes and living costs means most of the time you're barely making headway cutting down your debts.

Captain Jang (Kim Tae-ri) - Captain of the space sweeper Victory
Kim Tae-ho (Song Joong-ki) - Pilot of Victory who needs money to find his lost daughter
Tiger Park (Jun Seon-kyu) - Victory's rough and tumble engineer with a soft spot for kids
Bubs (Yoo Hae-jun) - Former battle-droid now Victory's harpooner (used to capture space junk)
Dorothy (Park Ye-rin) - humanoid robot found by Victory

So they find the kid and three factions want the kid: UTS, Black Fox (an eco-terrorist group), and the scientist who created her. But as the story evolves the NPCs continue to evolve. The robot girl is actually a real girl. The scientist is actually her father. Black Fox has a similar turn while UTS is revealed as a bit sinister early on so it's not a surprise they're actually the bad guys of the story.

The special effects are pretty good and better than I've seen before on Korean films. Considering the lowish budget it feels like a medium budget movie and the story and characters push it up to a surprisingly good film.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-12-27T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211227-ios-app-carrot-weather.html#unique-entry-id-349https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211227-ios-app-carrot-weather.html#unique-entry-id-349CARROT Weather is I think the first CARROT app produced. It's a weather app as you'd expect if you use other CARROT apps it adds a snarky computer that gives you trivia or says weird things.

For the weather stuff it gives you hourly temperature and precipitation indicator out to a week. Estimated precipitation, sunrise/sunset, phase of the moon, wind and visibility. There's a little animated picture of the current weather conditions. Every time you open the app CARROT tells you some fact or directive (for example, on Christmas Eve she said the James Webb telescope is actually a laser for shooting down Santa Claus).

There is a mission pane where you get a clue then have to find the location on a zoomable map. For example the second mission (for me) is "find the last surviving wonder of the ancient world". So I guess it's a bit of a game.

The app is free with ads. Premium is $5 per month or $20 per year and it unlocks weather map, getting weather data from additional sources and notifications. There is also Premium Ultra for $10 per month or $40 per year and you get tide data, lightning strikes and storm cell notifications. Premium also turns off the banner ad at the bottom of the app (though it's kind of entertaining as half the ads are humorous fictional ads).

CARROT Weather does fine as a weather app. The built-in Weather app seems to do about the same as Premium though CARROT Weather can give more information in Premium Ultra. Overall it's an ok app that has an unusual snarky robot theme and fits in with other CARROT apps.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-12-24T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211224-spot-reviews-12-24-21.html#unique-entry-id-348https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211224-spot-reviews-12-24-21.html#unique-entry-id-348Chimei Frozen Cabbage Bun [+] These are dim sum-sized buns made in Taiwan. Although frozen you pop them in the microwave for a couple of minutes and they come out pretty good. The Frozen Cabbage Bun is vegetarian and you can't really tell. It does have a bit of an aftertaste.

Movie - Miss Sloane (2016) [/] Political drama about Madeline Sloane (Jessica Chastain), a high-powered lobbyist who quits her company to work for a small activist company trying to get a controversial gun bill passed in Congress. Sloane is up against both her former comrades and her new co-workers who are not used to the lengths Sloane will go to get a moderate Congressman to support the bill... It's a pretty good behind the scenes politics movie and Chastain is excellent but took me a long time to watch because it's a fairly intense film.

The Lost Bay Podcast (2021) [/] An interview podcast with indie RPG developers, one per episode. For the most part these are the really small indie developers, often publishing on itch.io and often with one or two small products released. We get their background and design process, what they've done and why they did it. Some interviews are interesting and some are boring so not necessarily a podcast I'd recommend.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-12-22T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211222-movie-werewolves-within-2021.html#unique-entry-id-347https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211222-movie-werewolves-within-2021.html#unique-entry-id-347Werewolves Within is a comedy horror film based on a video game. In a remote American town just before a big snowstorm Finn (Sam Richardson) is the new park ranger who is very earnest and friendly and self-doubting. He quickly befriends the mail carrier Cecily (Milana Vayntrub), also new to town, and together they start investigating a murder.

But not just any sort of murder. Some creature clawed one of the townspeople to death and then destroyed all the various home gas generators. As a snowstorm forces everyone to bunker up at the local boarding house it seems that someone in town may be a werewolf perhaps trying to stop a deal that would allow a new oil pipeline through town.

Suspects are plentiful from the newcomers, including an activist scientist, to those for and against the pipeline, to the businessman who owns the oil company and even the mountain man loner living at the edge of town. As people die it's all Finn can do to keep everyone calm and keep them from killing each other while trying to find the werewolf...

It's a fairly well done film: good acting, cinematography and story. Fairly low budget and released during the pandemic so didn't do well at the box office. But I think it would have done fairly well on a normal year.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-12-20T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211220-apple-arcade-tiny-crossword-plus-2021.html#unique-entry-id-346https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211220-apple-arcade-tiny-crossword-plus-2021.html#unique-entry-id-346Tiny Crossword+. As the name implies these are small crosswords, the smallest being about 10 clues and the largest less than 60. You traverse across countries and in each country the crosswords are a bit themed to that country though I didn't really notice. Most of the clues are fairly easy and there are a lot of repetitions (i.e. you'll see the same clues with the same answers). Some clues are pop culture or similar which sometimes I had a hard time with (e.g. clues about current celebrities or songs).

If you're just powering through the crossword it's easy to enter letters and it will automatically skip letters already in the crossword and go to the next clue. But even on my iPad it's a bit more cramped than I'd like because the keyboard takes up a lot of space. You can always the whole crossword but frequently not all the clues and have to scroll the clue section.

As I mentioned the puzzles are easy to moderate. What makes it easier is that the first clue you solve unlocks a few letters and there will be more letter unlocking after several clues so three or four for the largest puzzles. You can also turn on three helpers: see wrong letters, show a word, show five letters. Each puzzle is worth some amount of points but I'm not sure using the helpers docks you any points.

Overall it makes for a leisurely puzzle solving time. Maybe a bit too easy though -- I'm at the 490th puzzle and it's no harder then the first few puzzles. It's a good few hours of fun but lacks challenge.

Update (2024-01-19): This game was renamed to Crossword Explorer+. Continued my play for half an hour (getting to the 500th puzzle) and it's still the same game with the same sort of puzzles.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-12-17T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211217-spot-reviews-12-17-21.html#unique-entry-id-345https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211217-spot-reviews-12-17-21.html#unique-entry-id-345Battle: Los Angeles (2011) [/] When aliens invade Earth a Marine platoon is sent into Los Angeles to rescue survivors before a massive air strike destroys the invaders. Soon it's "I was retiring next week" Staff Sgt Michael Nantz (Aaron Eckhart) leading the remnants as they try to exfiltrate with a group of civilians meanwhile the rumor is that he let his last platoon get wiped out in Afghanistan... An ok film.

Podcast - The Talk Show (2007) [/] I quit listening a few years ago when it just seemed to be negative week after week. Restarted a few weeks ago listening to Jon Gruber's podcast. He usually has a guest and each show is usually mostly Apple topics though also tends to wander into entertainment and sports. It's worth listening for the Apple stuff.

iOS Game - Stellaris: Galaxy Command (2020) [-] This is very much like Star Trek Fleet Command. 4X game where you have a base, collect resource, build it up, build ships then explore the galaxy. MMO, time-based building, lots of IAP.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-12-15T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211215-movie-black-widow-2021.html#unique-entry-id-344https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211215-movie-black-widow-2021.html#unique-entry-id-344Black Widow is a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie set after Captain America: Civil War. Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) is hiding from the world's authorities and becomes embroiled in her "sister" Yelena Belova's (Florence Pugh) plot of trying to break the Red Room, free the other Black Widows, and kill Red Room creator Dreykov (Ray Winstone). To do that they recruit their former "mom" and "dad" (all four were part of a deep cover spy cell in the USA) Melina Vostokoff (Rachel Weisz) and Alexei Sostakov (David Harbour) aka Red Guardian...

It's a globe-trotting high-tech spy movie with no high-powered supers. A lot of humor as CMU films have. I wasn't expecting too much but it's a pretty good CMU movie. Saw it on my iPad and I didn't feel I missed a theater experience.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-12-13T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211213-ios-app-carrot-hunger-2015.html#unique-entry-id-343https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211213-ios-app-carrot-hunger-2015.html#unique-entry-id-343CARROT Hunger is an iOS calorie counting app with a sarcastic computer AI.

It has the basics. You can enter food typing it in or barcode scan and it looks like it uses Nutritionix database so most everything is there. You can edit previous entries to make corrections. It gets your height and weight and recommends a daily calorie intake based on if you want to gain, maintain or lose weight. It ties into Health app which is kind of nice.

As you use the app there are two AIs making comments. The main AI makes a comment as you enter food and punishes you if you go over your daily limit. There is a trivia AI that gives you weird trivia when you look at your calorie history.

Shortcomings. It's an iPhone app so it both doesn't look great on iPad and on the UI is a bit cramped (many food entries are long so get cut off in history). There is no sync so you can't use it on multiple devices (I don't think you can use Health app as sync conduit). It is very active in the background -- I'm not sure if it's doing step tracking for some reason.

It's a free download and use. $4 to get rid of ads. $2 to unlock some shortcut features (which I don't use). You can also enable so that you can pay to not be punished and you can tip. I payed the $6 and I'm happy with it though it's not a best in class app.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-12-10T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211210-spot-reviews-12-10-21.html#unique-entry-id-342https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211210-spot-reviews-12-10-21.html#unique-entry-id-342All Star Barber Shop [+] Came here in the morning. I think only the owner is currently running the place. Door is left open and there's a good fan circulating air out. She keeps masked and is pretty friendly. Overall a good experience so I'll be coming back.

Movie - Fort Massacre (1958) [/] The US Cavalry survivors of an Indian ambush (which happened before the movie starts) are endangered as Sgt Vinson (Joel McCrea) now in command leads the patrol deeper into Indian territory in his quest for revenge... An ok cavalry movie and I like it.

Anime - Angel Beats! #1.01/1.02 (2010) [-] High schooler Yuzuru (Blake Shepard) wakes up and finds himself at a mysterious school where everyone is dead. He joins a resistance led by Yuri (Brittney Karbowski) and they're trying to overthrow whoever runs this place... Not really into the concept. The setup is an excuse to have the characters die in various ways since they come back alive.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-12-08T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211208-movie-knives-out-2019.html#unique-entry-id-341https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211208-movie-knives-out-2019.html#unique-entry-id-341Knives Out is a mystery movie with a cast of cooky characters. Famous mystery novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) commits suicide after the family Christmas party. A week later the police are back because it may not have been a suicide and this time they have famed private investigator Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) on the case, hired by an unknown client.

As he questions and talks to the various family members we get different view points of what happened that night and I like that it was easy for me to tell when there were inconsistencies between two stories which Blanc circles back on to get to the truth. Blanc recruits Thrombey's nurse/assistant Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas) to help him because she has a hard time lying and throws up when she lies.

But it turns out Ana has a good idea of what really happened (from her view point, she also did not know many things) and to her mind she accidentally killed Thrombey. So Ana's plot line is helping out while covering her tracks and being very careful about what she's telling Blanc.

And of course there is another party out there, possibly the real killer, who wants Blanc to find out what Ana did and pin the murder on her...

I like the characters. I like that this is a bit more comedic than suspense/thriller. I like the mystery and clues are understandable to viewers. I like the plot twists. Overall it's a pretty darn good movie.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-12-06T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211206-mac-game-stores.html#unique-entry-id-340https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211206-mac-game-stores.html#unique-entry-id-340
Epic Games Store [/] On the plus side one or two free games every Thursday. On the minus side not as many games as Steam and often they don't have the Mac version. I haven't really used the Epic Games Client other than trying to use it with CrossOver where it didn't work. Overall I feel it has a long way to go to catch up with Steam.

Steam [+] The biggest selection and if there is Mac version often has it. Lots of sales and with their key policy lots of other sites (including Humble Bundle) sell Steam games. Discoverability is fairly good and you can set preference to only show Mac games (though only in the list views, not main page promo section). Steam Client is good at installing but I don't like that many games need to have Client running for various features (or maybe Steam requires it).

GOG [+] Almost forgot GOG. A good selection of games and they have lots of old games (running on DOSBox and the like) which the other stores do not. Mac games selection is better than Epic and there's no DRM. You can download the installers and then install without GOG which I don't think you can do with any of the other stores. The store itself not as polished as Steam (and not overly busy like Steam) and although they have a client app for installing and keeping track of your games I've never had to use it.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-12-03T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211203-spot-reviews-12-03-21.html#unique-entry-id-339https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211203-spot-reviews-12-03-21.html#unique-entry-id-339Queen's Blade 2: The Evil Eye (2009) [/] The first Queen's Blade spent a lot of time introducing the various characters, had lots of combats, and didn't have much of a plot. QB2 continues right after QB1 and adds a plot and makes this series interesting. Turns out the whole tournament is run by the current queen in order to find potential rivals and eliminate them. Can the contestants figure this out and band together before it's too late?... I liked this better than season one because there's a real plot.

Podcast - Holly Randall Unfiltered (2017) [/] Holly Randall is an Adult Film photographer and director. This is an interview podcast where each week she has a guest, usually an AV actor/actress though sometimes more of a scholar or writer about something to do with sex. The interviews are varying topics not just AV industry stuff and I find it interesting without the weird radio talk show vibe of The Porn Director's Podcast.

Movie - Godzilla vs Kong (2021) [-] This is the fourth Monsterverse movie. I've seen Godzilla (2014) and Kong: Skull Island (2017) and I liked the latter. In GvK Apex corp wants to use Kong to find the Hollow Earth where there is a huge power source that will power their anti-Kajira killer. But once Kong is out of Skull Island he attracts Godzilla leading to a couple of big fights. Eventually though the two have to team up to defeat Apex's monster, Mecha Godzilla... Other than the monster fights this is an ok movie but the monster fights were not impressive. The monsters move too fast for my tastes.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-12-01T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211201-tv-series-la-s-finest-1-01-1-06-2019.html#unique-entry-id-338https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211201-tv-series-la-s-finest-1-01-1-06-2019.html#unique-entry-id-338LA's Finest (2019) was a television series on the Spectrum network and it lasted two 13-episode seasons. Apparently it's a spinoff of Bad Boys and it centers on LAPD detective Nancy McKenna (Jessica Alba) and her new partner detective Syd Burnett (Gabrielle Union). As they solve crimes they both have secrets which quickly collide and forces them to do various somewhat illegal activities.

It's a buddy cop movie as a tv show. Lots of stylish action and almost soap-opera twists. Lots of witty dialog and some touching moments. But after a few episodes it was all a bit too over-the-top for me. So maybe as really short five or six episode seasons would have been perfect. Still, it was entertaining for a bit.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-11-29T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211129-sleeper-fantasy-sports.html#unique-entry-id-337https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211129-sleeper-fantasy-sports.html#unique-entry-id-337Sleeper is a fantasy league app for playing fantasy football and basketball (and I guess other sports). I've been in a fantasy football league and the last one I was in was probably like 20 years ago.

It's got a fairly good web interface while the iPad app is less intuitive though more colorful. Although even the web interface I've done things wrong because there is no help or user guide to how to use the UI, nor to what the various statistics mean or timing of when you can change players or what's the tiebreaker for playoff seeding. Luckily it's mostly intuitive but frustrating at times.

What I really like is pretty much all the information is there. Each player has an expected points for the week (accurate or not, at least it give me something). Each player has a player report that's updated a few times per week from various sources. Each player shows their official injury status though you have to read the player reports since NFL teams fudge injury status. I love that it shows % of teams that have drafted a player and % of teams that are starting that player -- I can pretty much do the same and do pretty well (though check to make sure the player is actually going to play that week). Basically I can spend 15 minutes looking through the reports and setting up my lineup and not have to hit the Internet for information.

Longest thing was doing the draft, which took a couple of hours. We did a draft where you have a pool of money then it's (1) next team picks a player (2) teams bid in real time. You can let the computer do all the bidding though it is too aggressive and will blow through your money fast. Still, I let the computer pick my player and do bids up to a certain amount and the team I drafted was surprisingly good considering I didn't know half the players.

Anyway, other than no help system it's a fairly impressive fantasy football web site.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-11-26T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211126-spot-reviews-11-26-21.html#unique-entry-id-336https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211126-spot-reviews-11-26-21.html#unique-entry-id-336Signature Farms Apple Cider With Honey Crisp [/] This is the Safeway house brand apple cider. Last year my local Safeway was selling an Apply Cider from a local farm (I think) and this year it's the same packaging and selling location but now Signature. Could be my imagination but Signature's version is not quite as good (and it feels thinner) even though it is also 100% apples but I guess it's a difference of what type of apples are in the blend.

Movie - The Marksman (2021) [-] A widower rancher on the Arizona-Mexico border rescues a girl wanted by the Cartels and decides to help her get to relatives in Chicago while avoiding a Cartel enforcer and INS. Liam Neeson plays the protagonist with one special skill -- he's a former Marine sniper and served in Vietnam... Kind of a dull film actually.

HBO Series - John Adams #1.01 (2008) [+] HBO miniseries about America's second President, John Adams. Each episode covers a few years time, the first episode being the years before the Declaration of Independence where Adams was a just lawyer who strongly believed in equal fairness under law, a belief that starts putting him at odds with the British home government as it starts to change the laws to its favor... It looks like an excellent series. Unfortunately watching on Xfinity app episode two is unwatchable (basically a slide show with audio) so I stopped.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-11-24T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211124-tv-series-krypton-2018.html#unique-entry-id-335https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211124-tv-series-krypton-2018.html#unique-entry-id-335Krypton was a 2-season series on Syfy. The series is based on DC Comics Superman history and is set a couple of generations in the past. Krypton is an advanced-technology but dying world, composed of city-states enclosed in force fields to protect them from the environment (we only see the city of Kandor though I had the impression other cities were also in danger from the environment).

In Kandor the elites rule over the plebs. Seg-El (Cameron Cuffe) and his family used to be in the elites until his family was disgraced and now he and his parents live among the poor masses. But things start to change when a mysterious stranger from the future, Adam Strange (Shaun Sipos), from Earth shows up with a mission to save Seg, who turns out to be Kal-El's (aka Superman) grandfather.

This is a sort of a political/action/romance series. Seg is adopted into a noble family after he saves the city ruler. There is a bit of love triangle between Seg, army guild captain Lyta-Zod (Georgina Campbell) and his new family's rising star Nyssa-Vex (Wallis Day). Seg also has to save Kandor from Braniac (Blake Ritson) who is supposed to bottle Kandor city and there's also General Zod (Colin Salmon) from the future here to save Kandor and also take over Krypton...

I remember seeing the description of this series and not being interested mostly because it's not a super-hero show. But the 20 episodes are fairly interesting though wouldn't have been a top show for me. It's cool seeing characters like Zod and Brainiac. Lobo (Emmet J Scanlan) guest stars in season 2 and we also get Doomsday (Staz Nair pre-Doomsday, though Doomsday itself is CGI) as a plot device in season 1 and appearing in season 2.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-11-22T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211122-tabletop-boardgame-ultra-tiny-epic-kingdoms-2016.html#unique-entry-id-334https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211122-tabletop-boardgame-ultra-tiny-epic-kingdoms-2016.html#unique-entry-id-334Ultra Tiny Epic Kingdoms is a small 4X fantasy game.

Each player gets a card with their race which has their individual magic powers. As you level up magic you get special abilities themed to your race and sometimes extra victory point goals. I had the Dark Elves and their magic made them better in forests and at highest level they got extra VP for controlling forests.

You get a kingdom card where you place your armies. The cards differ. Each has about five territories and you can move an army from one territory to an adjacent territory. There is impassable barriers (water and mountains) which can make movement difficult. Movement from one card to another is abstract -- you can move an army from any territory to a border territory of another card (border: next to the edge and not blocked from the edge by water or mountains). Some cards have cities but we didn't see any in our game.

Every player gets a record keeping card to track three resources: food, metal, magic. When you collect resources you get one resource per territory you have an army on (you want to spread armies for maximum resources but a territory can only stack two armies so if you double up nobody else can come into that territory). Kingdom cards have corresponding yellow grain, red hills, green forests for the resources. There is also a ruins territory which can give any resource but doesn't count for endgame VP.

You can only have a max of 9 of any resource and can convert resources but only if you're the active player and that action is available. Concentrating on one resource is not the best strategy as I found out.

There are six different actions. On each player's turn they choose an action and do it, other players can copy the action or collect resources. That action is then used up and once five actions are used up all actions become available again.

Actions

1. Move an army from between territories
2. Move an army from one kingdom card to another card
3. Level up your tower (this is only for VP, no other effects, but it's not linear so at high levels it's game-winning VP)
4. Level up magic. This costs magic equal to new magic level.
5. Expand your army by one. Pay food equal to new number of army units.
6. Exchange one resource for another on a 1:1 basis.

When two armies occupy the same territory they must either fight or ally. Combat is hidden payment of resources and the highest point total wins. Metal counts 2 and Magic counts 1. Your magic abilities can give you bonuses.

Alliance just means armies of both players can cohabitate until the players don't have any shared control of any territories. My brother had a race that got bonuses for alliances. Alliances cost nothing in contract combat seems wasteful unless you can do them on the cheap.

The game is supposed to take about 15 minutes and I can see that with experienced players. You get a lot of flavor of having different factions and the only differentiator for each race is what magic powers you get. The kingdom cards give you a bit of area control which I like. There seems to be multiple ways to win though tower building is a bit overpowering and maybe that will make other players beat on the builder.

Overall this game was quite fun even with one introductory playing with two friends and Christopher Jr (who really wanted to play, didn't pay much attention, but could make the easy game decisions when it was his turn).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-11-19T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211119-spot-reviews-11-19-21.html#unique-entry-id-333https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211119-spot-reviews-11-19-21.html#unique-entry-id-333Trader Joe's Alaskan Sockeye Salmon [-] This is previously frozen wild salmon. Wild salmon has less fat than farm raised. Frozen further degrades it. The result is dry and a bit rough textured salmon if I just bake it like I normally do. This salmon is better for frying.

Movie - Mortal Kombat (2021) [/] Below average MMA fighter Cole Young (Lewis Tan) turns out to be the last descendant of a legendary ninja and the last hope of saving Earth from the dark forces of Shang Tsung (Chin Han). To do that he must compete and win the Mortal Kombat tournament with his new allies Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee), Liu Kang (Ludi Lin), Kung Lao (Max Huang) and Jackson Briggs (Mehcad Brooks)... Not a bad reboot of Mortal Kombat. A bit more serious though still a bit cheesy at times.

Movie - Tag (2018) [-] A group of childhood friends have stayed friends for 20+ years by playing a yearly no-holds-barred game of tag. Now tag master Jerry (Jeremy Renner) is getting married and his four friends think they finally have a chance to tag him. The rest of the film is a bunch of guy hijinks and finally learning that the fun is in the playing not necessarily the winning... It's an ok film but not really my type of story.

Anime - Food Wars #1.01 to #1.04 (2015) [-] Extremely talented teen chef Soma Yukihira (Blake Shepard) is sent to the most prestigious chef academy where his low-class upbringing and brash manners clash with the mostly upper-class students... Interesting how the actions scenes are all about meal preparations but after four episodes I can't stand the main character.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-11-17T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211117-tv-series-loki-s1-2021.html#unique-entry-id-332https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211117-tv-series-loki-s1-2021.html#unique-entry-id-332Loki is a Marvel Cinematic Universe series with 6-hourly episodes. It revolves around Loki (Tom Hiddleston), or at least a Variant of Loki that managed to escape Avengers custody during Avengers: Endgame. This Loki is quickly caught by the Time Variance Authority, i.e. the time police, who stop and destroy any variations to the time line. This means that the MCU has been one timeline with no variations (and I guess the Spider-Man animated movie with all the different versions of Spidey come from different universes, not different timelines).

Anyways, Loki is to be de-rezzed but Agent Mobius (Owen Wilson) convinces his supervisor to lend him Loki. There is a super variant out there that's eluded the TVA for years and has recently started hunting TVA teams in the field. And that super variant is another Loki...

Kind of like WandaVision this is a series that has big surprises and twists in every episode. While WandaVision the surprises were in the world that we eventually discover who created, here it's the twists of time and timelines and the secrets of the TVA. I do feel that the last episode or two where we get the final reveal and resolution are a bit anti-climactic. And it definitely sets up a second season with a goal ahead of time (both WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier end their season at a point where you don't need a second season).

Overall a good series and if I ranked the three MCU series I've watched on Disney+ it'd be WandaVision, Loki, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-11-15T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211115-rpg-mothership-players-survival-guide-2018.html#unique-entry-id-330https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211115-rpg-mothership-players-survival-guide-2018.html#unique-entry-id-330Mothership is an OSR science fiction horror RPG that has been inn beta for several years and is finally going to have a first edition boxed set currently on Kickstarter. The Player's Survival Guide is a 44-page digest-sized basic but complete rule system covering character generation, skill resolution, equipment, combat, starship design and starship combat, and experience. It's damned well written, easy to understand with lots of examples. Nice art throughout and good layout.

Character sheet fits on a regular piece of paper and has enough information to create a character right from it. It's a d100 system with four action attributes (Stats: Strength, Speed, Intellect, Combat) and four defensive attributes (Saves: Sanity, Fear, Body, Armor). There are about three dozen skills split into Trained, Expert and Master skills with the latter two types having pre-requisite skills. The skills are laid out in a skill tree so it's easy to see what the pre-reqs are (you only need one of the pre-req skills to get the next tier of skill). You have four Classes (Teamster, Scientist, Android, Marine) which really just provide you with starting Saves and Skill and a special rule for Stress & Panic.

Action resolution is d100 equal to or less than your Stat. If there's an appropriate Skill it adds a bonus (+10%/+15%/+20%) and there can be other modifiers in the -20% to +20% range. Finally, if you have Advantage roll twice and take the best result and if you have Disadvantage roll twice and take the worse result. If you roll double (e.g. 22 or 77) it's and a success it's a Critical Success or if your roll is a failure with doubles it's a Critical Failure. If you're doing opposed rolls then highest rolled number success wins (if you both fail it's just a failure).

The starship design system is simple yet you build a modular ship where modules take up Hull points and at the end you have to calculate how many engines and fuel you need for the ship size. Then you get to draw your ship on a ship form which will help place your characters and see what happens when modules are damaged during ship combat or when a xenomorph is on the loose.

There is very little innovation in the game and I guess the closest is Stress and Panic. You have a Stress score starting at 2. Failing a Save increases Stress (usually by one point) though there are other ways to gain Stress (such as during a Crisis Check where you require several successes to complete an activity and you can re-roll a failure by gaining d10 Stress).

Strangely I thought you could take Stress to reroll any action check which then becomes a resource decision: make an important roll but then have a higher chance of panicking at a bad time? But I think I got this mechanic from Free League Publishing's Alien RPG which also does science fiction horror though in a specific universe.

Critically Failing a Save causes a Panic Check. Panic Checks are 2d10 and if you roll more than your current Stress you are fine. If you roll equal to or less than current Stress you roll on the Panic Effect table (2d10 + current Stress). Really low Panic Effects actually help you out by focusing your mind (you gain Advantage on all rolls for a few minutes). But the effects quickly become with hesitation, mental conditions and even Heart Attack.

If Mothership were my first science fiction RPG I'd be quite happy with it. It's small and complete and still has enough crunch to feel complete. First edition boxed set will add a GM's book and a monster book (and dice).

But Mothership would not be my first science fiction RPG. I think both Traveller and Star Frontiers are better RPGs and a big reason is they have established universes with supplements and adventure modules. Mothership captures a bit of the horror part with fairly low success chances plus the consequences of failure tending to be unforgiving, and with its Stress and Panic rules.

In the end I'm impressed with the system and presentation but at best I think I'd use any Mothership adventures with a different system, maybe grafting the Stress and Panic rules.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-11-12T00:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211112-spot-reviews-11-12-21.html#unique-entry-id-331https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211112-spot-reviews-11-12-21.html#unique-entry-id-331Blue Diamond Almonds, Lightly Salted [/] I'm not a fan of almonds and plain almonds are not tasty at all. These lightly salted almonds are a little too lightly salted (or my taste buds are off).

Tavern Chat Podcast (2018) [-] I listened to a few recent episodes and not exactly sure what's the focus of this RPG industry podcast. Seems to be news and opinions with a bro attitude. Audio is not great. Kind of found the presentation annoying so that's that.

Movie - Braven (2018) [/] Small logging company owner Joe Braven (Jason Momoa) and his family are attacked in their remote vacation cabin because one of his drivers hid a duffel bag full of drugs there and now drug lord Kassen (Garret Dillahunt) and his men have come to take the drugs... It's a for a well-produced low budget action film.

Documentary Series - Long Way Round (2004) [/] Actors Ewan McGregor and best friend Charley Boorman attempt a motorcycle drive horizontally around the world, from London to eastern Russia then from Alaska to New York. A couple of episodes preparing for the trip: getting sponsors, organizing materials, learning how to deal with possible scenarios like a gang controlling a checkpoint. Then most of the episodes are about the trip: it's the two and a cameraman on three motorcycles plus a support team paralleling them several hours to a day or two away. Finally an episode a year later to reminisce... It's pretty interesting with all the travails they go through and all the people they met and things they do as they stop at various cities.

Movie - Safe (2012) [-] Jason Statham action film where an ex-crooked spec ops who redeems himself by saving a girl (Catherine Chan) being chased by the Triads, Russian mob, and crooked NYPD detectives. Statham has done good action movies but this is not one of them.


]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-11-10T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211110-tv-series-ted-lasso-s2-2021.html#unique-entry-id-329https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211110-tv-series-ted-lasso-s2-2021.html#unique-entry-id-329Ted Lasso season 2 manages to be as good as season 1 while maintaining it's positive and humanist approach. Ted (Jason Sudeikis) maybe fades a little more into the background but he has some deep introspective scenes with team psychologist Sharon (Sarah Niles). We also have a couple of good subplots with the evolving relationship between Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) and Keeley (Juno Temple) and even the return of a more self-aware Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster) who still loves Keeley. Also like the other subplot between team owner Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) and evolving star player Sam Obisanya (Toheeb Jimoh).

Nathan (Nick Mohammed) makes a slow evolution into resentment, pettiness, and becomes a bad guy for next season. I head some people didn't like it and his turn seems a bit abrupt at the start of the season but we're talking about several months passing between those two episodes and his descent the rest of the episodes seems pretty natural.

Apparently there were 10 episodes layed out and mostly shot when Apple asked for two more episodes. So we get two fairly standalone episodes, the excellent #2.4 Carol of the Bells -- a Christmas episode with heartwarming themes -- and the bit weird #2.9 Beard After Hours where Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt) and three recurring pub characters have a wild night out in the city.

I'm looking forward to the third and probably final season and hope it can hit a satisfying ending for the various characters.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-11-08T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211108-trade-paperback-the-prisoner-the-uncertainty-machine-2018.html#unique-entry-id-328https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211108-trade-paperback-the-prisoner-the-uncertainty-machine-2018.html#unique-entry-id-328The Uncertainty Machine is a four issue limited series comic book published by Titan Comics. MI5 agent Breen goes rogue and ends up in The Village because he has a vital secret that Number One wants (in this story it's more clear that The Village and the people that run it are not aligned with any government). But in reality Breen is here to find MI5 agent Carey and either rescue his former lover or silence her before she can give up her secrets...

For a four-issue series there are quite a few twists and turns and as is rightly for The Prisoner it's hard to tell who Breen can trust or even if the reader knows what Breen is really up to. The ending is rather interesting as we get to see Number One, the man behind the curtain and it's a bit of a surprise and yet very Prisoner. Overall a pretty good story.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-11-05T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211105-spot-reviews-11-05-21.html#unique-entry-id-327https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211105-spot-reviews-11-05-21.html#unique-entry-id-327Chaos Walking (2021) [/] A couple centuries in the future Todd (Tom Holland) has grown up on an isolated Earth colony on a far off world. A world where the biosphere causes human males to broadcast their thoughts which means that guys can't hide secrets while women can and for Todd's village caused the men to kill all the women. Into this mix arrives Viola (Daisy Ridley) the sole survivor of a pathfinder team from Earth leading the second wave of colonists. Tom helps Viola flee from his village leader Mayor Prentiss (Mads Mikkelsen) who wants to use Viola to capture the colony ship and take over the planet... An interesting sci fi film with a bit of YA.

Movie - GI Joe: Retaliation (2013) [-] Following from the first film but with pretty much a new cast of Joes. The Joes are framed as terrorists and wiped out by Cobra. The four surviving Joes -- Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson), Flint (DJ Cotrona), Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki) and Snake Eyes (Ray Park) -- have to prove their innocence and stop Cobra Commander (Luke Bracey), Zartan (Jonathan Pryce), Firefly (Ray Stevenson) and Storm Shadow (Byung-hun Lee) -- from taking over the world... The first movie was pretty bad, this movie is pretty bad. It feels like a movie with 80's sensibilities (no gore but lots of death) and 90's production values (rather low-tech special effects for a high-tech force like GI Joe).

Trader Joe's Cubano Seasoned Wrap [-] An edible but less than average wrap (this one I may have needed to heat up though). Not sure that it's supposed to be that half of it is pork + pickles and the other half is ham and Swiss cheese or maybe mine was made wrong. Has a tasty mustard sauce.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-11-03T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211103-anime-is-it-wrong-to-try-to-pick-up-girls-in-a-dungeon-s1-2015.html#unique-entry-id-326https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211103-anime-is-it-wrong-to-try-to-pick-up-girls-in-a-dungeon-s1-2015.html#unique-entry-id-326Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? is a fantasy anime. In this world the gods have come to the world to form adventuring guilds that go into this giant tower to kill monsters and collect treasure and experience. Bell (Bryson Baugus) is our young hero, the sole guild member of Hestia (Luci Christian). He falls for level 5 adventurer Ais (Shelley Calene-Black) which activates his special power: with enough motivation he gets a massive XP bonus.

Bell is actually a nice guy, kind and honest and tries to be an ideal hero. He saves Lilly (Hilary Haag), a hireling support character, and even when she betrays him he forgives her and wins her heart. Hestia from the beginning is also enamored with Bell and later Ais becomes attracted though only in a moderate way by the end of the season.

In terms of the world this anime focuses on the guilds and what happens at the base: interacting with other adventurers, finding jobs, buying and selling equipment. Going into the dungeons is mostly done briefly and there is little coherence except in the last three or so episodes which are more of an adventuring arc.

The appeal is a young man's power fantasy RPG with a bit of harem genre. Kind of reminds me a bit of Sword Art Online though still quite different. I guess the only problem is that season one is not a complete story but really feels like the first part of a big story. I wouldn't have watched it for season one alone and Netflix doesn't have the other seasons yet.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-11-01T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211101-kfc-10-piece-feast.html#unique-entry-id-325https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211101-kfc-10-piece-feast.html#unique-entry-id-325KFC's $20 Fill Up went away earlier this year so I haven't gotten KFC in about six months. The 10 Piece Feast is $30 which is obviously better than the almost-same-priced 8 Piece Meal or Side Lovers Meal (which is an 8 Piece Meal with an extra side for $2 instead of $3.40).

10 Piece Feast is 10 pieces of chicken, three set sides (2 large mashed potatoes and 1 coleslaw), 4 biscuits, 4 chocolate chip cookies, one "beverage bucket". The first three are worth the price and still better than the 8 Piece or Side Lovers meals.

The chocolate chip cookies are small and individually wrapped so they're just sitting there and thrown into your meal. Cold they are brittle and warmed up a bit they are not-exactly-soft. The beverage bucket is a KFC-branded water bag container filled with beverage and I realize now that means it's from the soda fountain (syrup + tap water) rather than say getting a 2L bottle of Pepsi.

Overall it's an ok meal. I got mine after the dinner rush so probably not fresh chicken and at least one piece a bit drier and chewier than usual. I'm kind of starting to miss Popeyes.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-10-29T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211029-spot-reviews-10-29-21.html#unique-entry-id-324https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211029-spot-reviews-10-29-21.html#unique-entry-id-324Gunpowder Milkshake (2021) [/] Badass assassin Sam (Karen Gillan) breaks all the rules and finds herself hunted when she decides to help a target's daughter... It has Lena Headey, Carla Gugino, Michelle Yeoh and Angela Bassett as other assassins and yet the movie lacks. I feel it spends too much time trying to look cool and the characters I guess are supposed to act a bit unreal but it feels a bit too psychedelic dream.

Netflix Movie - Love Wedding Repeat (2020) [-] A British romantic comedy. At his sister's wedding Jack (Sam Claflin) is in charge of keeping the chaos under control while trying to reconnect with Dina (Olivia Munn) after three years and one great weekend together. The twist is we get shown a bad ending then rewind and then shown a seemingly bad ending that ends well. Unfortunately I found the story and characters uninteresting.

Teriyaki Madness, Santa Clara [-] This is a chain restaurant. Go up to counter, order your meal, they bring it to wherever you're sitting. Salmon Teriyaki didn't have much flavor and white rice was a bit mushy. Chicken gyoza was like grocery store quality. And considering the price might as well go to a real Japanese restaurant, unless you want fast food.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-10-27T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211027-tv-series-the-good-place-s4-2019.html#unique-entry-id-323https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211027-tv-series-the-good-place-s4-2019.html#unique-entry-id-323Season 2 - Michael (Ted Danson) keeps trying to torture our four protagonists but eventually comes to sympathize with humans
Season 3 - Our protagonists live their what-could-have-been lives on Earth

In season 4 our protagonists -- Michael, Eleanor (Kristen Bell), Chidi (William Jackson Harper), Tahani (Jameela Jamil), Jason (Manny Jacinto), and Janet (D'Arcy Carden) -- get to run the final experiment to see if four awful humans can be improved by being in The Good Place. But if the experiment fails the Universe will be dissolved and restarted from The Big Bang.

Eleanor is now in charge and at least she has Michael for help. Tahani and Jason try to help but are not very good at it. Chidi chose to have his memories erased and is now actually one of the four participants...

Season 1 was great. Seasons 2 and 3 slowly got more boring to me possibly because I binged the first three seasons. After a couple years off I watched season 4 and the magic is mostly back. Overall it's great to have watched this series.

I'm going to spoil the ending because I think it's pretty cool.

Eleanor and the rest manage to convince Judge Gen (Maya Rudolph) that the new system works. Everybody goes to the new Good Place which turns out to be like a living hell where all your wishes come true so there's no challenge or point to going on.

The solution for that is a doorway where you can choose to move on into the universe and the last episode is each character accomplishing their life goals and then, satisfied, going through the door. Meanwhile Michael gets his wish and becomes human and gets to live on Earth.

Finally Eleanor is the last one to say goodbye and she walks through she kind of turns into little lights and we pan to Earth for a final bit with Michael. "Keep it sleazy."
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-10-25T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211025-books-war-god-series-1995.html#unique-entry-id-322https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211025-books-war-god-series-1995.html#unique-entry-id-322Oath of Swords (1995), The War God's Own (1998) and Wind Rider's Oath (2004). The stories center on Bahzell Bahnakson, a hradrani prince. The hradrani are Ogre-types who 1200 years ago were used by the Dark to wage war against the other races. Since then hradrani have been feared by the other races.

Due to his innate honor Bahzell is forced to flee his homeland but in companionship with his best friend, the self-styled hradrani bard Brandark Brandarkson. The two wander the foreign lands overcoming prejudices and showing that not all hradrani are enemies. Eventually Bahzell is recruited by the God of Justice, Tomanāk Orfro, and becomes one of His champions...

Each book stands on its own and doesn't end in a cliffhanger. The characters are ok and the stories are fine. I think aimed at teens because it's a bit more black and white and nothing really bad happens to the Good characters. It's an enjoyable read but not an outstanding series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-10-22T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211022-spot-reviews-10-22-21.html#unique-entry-id-321https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211022-spot-reviews-10-22-21.html#unique-entry-id-321Garofalo gemelli pasta [+] Pretty good imported pasta. Gemelli is a thicker pasta with two short strands intertwined. When you eat it it's kind of hearty macaroni.

Garofalo Penne Ziti Rigate [/] It's penne and tastes like any other penne pasta I've had.

Movie - Love and Monsters (2020) [/] In a world overrun by monsters nerdy teen Joel (Dylan O'Brien) decides to trek 100 miles from his underground bunker to another survivor bunker where his almost-girlfriend Aimee (Jessica Henwick) ended up. Along the way with the help of Clyde (Michael Rooker) and Minnow (Ariana Greenblatt) he learns the ways of outdoor survival... Not a bad coming-of-age film. Reminds a little bit of Zombieland without the really appealing cast.

The Vintage RPG Podcast [-] I listened to the three first episodes and then a couple of current episodes. The two hosts talk about old RPGs though maybe less old and more retro feel RPGs later on. One problem is they're putting out an episode a week so each episode is really more like 15 minutes talking about their current games and 15 minutes talking about the RPG game or supplement and in a very superficial way. I feel you're getting impressions about old RPGs without getting knowledge.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-10-20T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211020-tv-series-the-mandalorian-s2-2021.html#unique-entry-id-317https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211020-tv-series-the-mandalorian-s2-2021.html#unique-entry-id-317The Mandalorian season 2 continues from season 1 although this time Mando (Pedro Pascal) has the goal of finding a home for Baby Yoda (who gets a real name later in the season) whilst being pursued by Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) and his Stormtroopers. We still get the high production values and action from season 1 and occasionally does it not seem movie-quality.

We get more cool guest stars including Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison, the series is set after episode 6 so Fett escaped the Sarlacc Pit), Bo-Katan Kryze (Katee Sackhoff) a Mandalorian freedom fighter introduced in The Clone Wars animated series, Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) also from The Clone Wars where she was a junior Jedi Knight but now is a veteran, and a surprise Jedi guest in the season finale.

There is no letup and season 2 and The Mandalorian remains an excellent tv series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-10-18T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211018-comics-zenescope-van-helsing-2013.html#unique-entry-id-316https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211018-comics-zenescope-van-helsing-2013.html#unique-entry-id-316Zenescope's Liesel Van Helsing followed in her father's footsteps as a vampire hunter int he Victorian Age. After an inter-dimensional adventure she emerged 100 years later in today's world. Liesel continues her work as a hunter blending her steampunk inventions to modern tech...

Although often working with Robyn Hood Van Helsing has her own comics series with it's own tone. Robyn Hood is more street crime + demons whereas Van Helsing is on the modern day gothic horror side. Van Helsing also has a long-term love interest in the Greek mythology Hades although to counteract she has a crazy powerful Dracula as mortal enemy.

She's an interesting hero fighting Zenescope versions of public-domain monsters.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-10-15T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211015-spot-reviews-10-15-21.html#unique-entry-id-315https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211015-spot-reviews-10-15-21.html#unique-entry-id-315Ling Ling Chicken & Vegetable Potstickers [/] Not as good as dad's but if you follow the pan fry instructions exactly they come out fairly good and crispy. A bit sweet which I'm not a fan of... It also comes with several packets of sauce (which is convenient) though the sauce is a bit sweet so I guess that's the taste they're going for.

Podcast - Save or Die (2010) [-] A podcast about old RPGs, from the mid to late 70's. I don't like it because the I don't like the hosts' humor. The one saving grace is that over their decade of existence they've interviewed a lot of RPG luminaries and those interviews are usually pretty cool.

Movie - Horizon Line (2020) [/] Sara (Allison Williams) and Jackson (Alexander Dreymon) hooked up a year ago and then she vanished. Now she's back to attend an island wedding. For whatever reason she's late to the wedding and has to take a private plane to the next island and Jackson is also tagging along. When the pilot has heart attack Sara and Jackson have to keep the plane flying and somehow find their way to safety... Not a bad thriller.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-10-13T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211013-movie-life-in-a-year-2020.html#unique-entry-id-314https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211013-movie-life-in-a-year-2020.html#unique-entry-id-314Life in a Year is a romantic drama. Daryn (Jaden Smith) is a straight-edge honor student preparing for Harvard then he meets Isabelle (Cara Delevingne) a free spirit who doesn't even go to high school. They start dating then he finds out she has cancer and a year to live so he with the help of this friends try to recreate all the big moments in life for her. Meanwhile she teaches him to relax, get wild, express his rap soul but that comes into conflict with his dad (Cuba Gooding Jr)...

I like the setup, meeting, falling in love. The life-in-a-year stuff is a bit up and down. The ending manages to be good. This is a movie about Daryn and he has a good arc, growing from teenager to young man, from doing what his father wants to striking out on his own. I don't think I was expecting much from this movie but it more than delivered.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-10-11T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20011011-challenge-magazine-1986.html#unique-entry-id-313https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20011011-challenge-magazine-1986.html#unique-entry-id-313Challenge Magazine replaced JTAS (which ended at issue 24) and started out with #25 running to #77 over 11 years. It was half house organ, covering GDW's RPGs, and half other games all modern/sci-fi (which went along with GDW's lineup as they had no fantasy RPG).

A bit of the content is miscellaneous and typical of a game magazine: foreword, letters, reviews. There's a regular JTAS News 2-pager. Lots of ads of course. Maybe an article or two with rules-type stuff: equipment, optional rules, replacement rules. Maybe an article or two on GM campaign help: NPCs or locations.

But half to 3/4ths of each issue was scenarios, often 2 to 4 pages (and often that included that a full-page cover illustration). Often one longer adventure of up to 10 pages or so. Half the adventures covered GDW RPGs so lots for Traveller/MegaTraveller/TNE, 2300 AD, T2K, Space 1889, Dark Conspiracy. And also lots of adventures for other RPGs such as CoC, Cyberpunk, Shadowrun, Star Wars, even GURPS.

To me Challenge is a scenarios magazine. Lots of the scenarios are brief and basic and leave a lot to the GM but some are fairly detailed and multi-session. In general one to three interesting scenarios per issue. So overall a worthwhile older gaming magazine to pick up, especially if you are into the old GDW RPGs. You can buy a CDROM with all the issues for $45 at Far Future Enterprises.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-10-08T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211008-spot-reviews-10-08-21.html#unique-entry-id-312https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211008-spot-reviews-10-08-21.html#unique-entry-id-312The Vault (2021) [/] Spanish heist film where a team of underwater salvagers attempt breaking into the most secure vault in Madrid in order to retrieve an artifact they salvaged and then was stolen by the Spanish government... The story was entertaining.

Anime - High-Rise Invasion (2021) [-] A group of teens find themselves in a virtual city full of skyscrapers connected by rope bridges where all routes to ground level are blocked off. Masked people try to kill the teens or force them to commit suicide by jumping... I didn't really like the concept and the main protagonist is rather frustrating. Maybe it gets better but I only watched the first three episodes of twelve.

Porn Director's Podcast (2013) [/] I forgot I tried it out six years ago and found the two hosts annoying. I think I tried listening to more episodes this time (almost 30). The hosts are still annoying and so are the sound effects. The guests are ok but very variable since sometimes the guests are high or just not that interesting and there's too much trying to be naughty when I just want to hear talk and stories.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-10-06T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211006-movie-the-hunger-games-2012.html#unique-entry-id-311https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211006-movie-the-hunger-games-2012.html#unique-entry-id-311The Hunger Games and it's actually a pretty good film. I've watched the Divergent series which was ok and the first Maze Runner film which was not as ok and the Twilight series which was ok. The Hunger Games is at least as good as those other films.

In a dystopian future it's been almost 100 years since the outlying 12 districts rebelled against the central government. That rebellion was crushed and since then there has been an annual battle royale-type where each district sends a male and female teen to compete in a kill-or-be-killed multi-day outdoors death match.

In the 74th games Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) volunteers for the games in order to protect her younger sister. She is thrown in with random draw Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson), kid from the better part of town (very relative since district 12 is poor coal miners -- all the districts seem to be lower-income resource producers and professionals for central gov) who has a secret crush on Katniss.

The two are thrown into a whole new glittery world at the capital city where they train with fellow contestants and try to garner sponsors (it's reality tv style where the contestants lives' are filmed and later on during the games sponsors can provide little gifts to help out their favorites). Then halfway through the film the game starts.

Battle Royale I think was the groundbreaking film that had teens battling each other to the death. That film was graphic and showed lots of individual kills in various ways. Although Hunger Games has that same central concept it's really a character drama centered on Katniss and most deaths you don't actually see and the ones you do see are tame, though at least varied. I think Katniss herself only kills a couple of contestants in self-defense.

The action as not as action-y as BR and the ending not as dramatic either, but HG does have a satisfying ending and sets up a bit for the next film in the series. There is Katniss' boyfriend Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth) who stayed behind and watched the televised "romance" between Katniss and Peeta. There is also central gov President Coriolanus Snow (Donald Sutherland) who sees Katniss as a possible focal point that might spark a new rebellion.

Overall I found the film entertaining and look forward to watching the next film.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-10-04T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211004-apple-arcade-speed-demons-2019.html#unique-entry-id-308https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211004-apple-arcade-speed-demons-2019.html#unique-entry-id-308Speed Demons is an overhead-view arcade highway racing game with controller support. You drive generic sort of cars that can be upgraded for speed and handling. There are several different race types spanning 150 levels.

• Checkpoint - pass the five checkpoints before your timer runs out.
• Race - race against 31 other cars.
• Pursuit - chase and knock out other racers.
• Rally - try to pass as many other racers as possible.
• Rampage - destroy every vehicle you can, civilian or racers.
• Escape - drive away from a pack of blue police cars trying to ram you off the road.
• Slalom - race while passing flags, missing a flag is a time penalty.

And there are other race types.

There is lots of traffic which are various white vehicles. Other racers are red so easy to pick out. But you are also red with a different shade and occasionally you might lose track of your car in a pack of red.

Control with my XBox controller was fairly good. You just have turn left and right with the stick (a bit too sensitive for me) and a brake button.

It's a somewhat entertaining game, perhaps a bit too arcade-y for me.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-10-01T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211001-spot-reviews-10-01-21.html#unique-entry-id-310https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20211001-spot-reviews-10-01-21.html#unique-entry-id-310Byte-Sized Ethereum (2021) [/] Ethereum developer Topher Benson and enthusiast Alexandra Botez discuss crypto with a focus on Ethereum. Mostly trying to educate people rather than promote. A bit dense and I have to pay attention otherwise I get lost.

Apple Arcade - Spidersaurs (2019) [/] This is a side-scrolling platform shooter with a cartoony theme. You play a police officer trainee or a punk rocker girl (and you can play two-player simultaneous). Shoot various spider-dinosaur hybrids, collect powerups for your two weapon slots and collect extra abilities, defeat boss monsters. Controller support is good but not optimal and unfortunately you can configure the buttons making that first boss encounter too hard -- I just couldn't jump-aim-shoot well enough with the default controller bindings.

Movie - Air Force One (1997) [-] Kazakhstan terrorists hijack Air Force One but they didn't count on President James Marshall (Harrison Ford), former Vietnam helicopter pilot and Medal of Honor recipient... I guess the movie was not that great back then and watching it now it seems dated.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-09-29T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210929-netflix-series-the-liberator-2020.html#unique-entry-id-309https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210929-netflix-series-the-liberator-2020.html#unique-entry-id-309The Liberator is an animated 4-episode drama following the 157th Infantry Regiment and one of it's officer's Felix Sparks (Bradley James) as he goes from leading Easy Company -- composed of Native Americans, Mexican Americans, and Redneck Texans -- to battalion command in the same regiment.

Episode 1 - Formation, Italy
Episode 2 - Anzio (western Italy)
Episode 3 - Operation Anvil (southern France) to the West Wall (Germany's border)
Episode 4 - Germany and Dachau

By the end only Sparks and two or three other people from Easy Company live to VE Day.

The episodes tend to be two vignettes. Characters come and go while the main plot remains on Sparks. Animation is sort of hand-drawn realism and not cartoony. Action is good without being gory and minimal shock scares (e.g. nothing is going on then suddenly someone gets shot in the head by a sniper).

Overall it's an interesting series though not engrossing enough to be a [+].
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-09-27T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210927-ios-game-missile-command-recharged-2020.html#unique-entry-id-305https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210927-ios-game-missile-command-recharged-2020.html#unique-entry-id-305Missile Command: Recharged is an official Missile Command retro-clone adding power-ups. You have three anti-missile launchers and are shooting down enemy missiles as they rain down trying to destroy your six cities. Unlike the original you don't have a set number of anti-missiles, instead each launcher has a recharge timer before it can launch another anti-missile. Also if a launcher is destroyed it will start to be rebuilt after a pause and complete a few seconds later.

Enemies

• Normal missile
• Small fast missile
• Big slow missile that splits into multiple missiles
• Smart missile that can move a bit left and right to avoid anti-missile explosions
• Horizontally moving boxcars that launch missiles and smart missiles

Power-Ups - move horizontally, changing type every few seconds. Once you shoot one it activates and lasts for a few seconds (shield lasts longer but still fairly short)

• Bomb which is a very large explosion that almost covers the playing area from side to side
• Chain which is like a drone that goes around destroying enemies
• Fast makes your anti-missiles almost instantly move to the target point and explode
• Homing which makes your anti-missiles target nearest enemy
• Rebuild which triggers rebuild of all launchers (but also means you can't launch anything for a few seconds)
• Shield which adds an overhead shield over your cities
• Time stop which freezes all bad guys for a few seconds

Graphics are vector-style and a bit more abstract than the original. Sounds effects and background music are well done. Gameplay is pretty smooth and great since you just tap to shoot an anti-missile to that spot.

Like the arcade game this version doesn't have variants. You're pretty much just playing it over and over trying to bet your high score. It is free and you can play about three to six games per day ($3 for infinite coins). It's a really enjoyable old-school arcade game.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-09-24T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210924-spot-reviews-09-24-21.html#unique-entry-id-307https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210924-spot-reviews-09-24-21.html#unique-entry-id-307Super Impossible Road (2019) [/] Downhill marble racing game on a narrow winding track where the key is knowing the shortcuts -- all requiring jumping off the track and leaping down and if you miss you go back to a checkpoint. Nice graphics, smooth gameplay, good controller support but ultimately a bit dry. I'd rather race cars than marbles.

Movie - All My Life (2020) [/] A funny then sad romantic drama based on a true story. Jennifer (Jessica Rothe) and Solomon (Harry Shum Jr) meet and fall in love but in the second half they find out he has cancer which turns out to be terminal and their friends manage to put together a memorable wedding for the two... Didn't hit the teary-eyed button for me but otherwise it's a nice movie.

Movie - Sentinelle (2021) [-] French film. Klara (Olga Kurylenko) returns to Nice from a tour in Syria where her squad was decimated by a suicide bomber. Suffering PTSD she's assigned to an urban Sentinelle unit that walks around securing the city from possible terrorists. After her sister is raped and left in the hospital Klara goes a bit rogue looking for the perpetrator... A slow broody drama that is rather boring outside the three or four action sequences.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-09-22T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210922-anime-your-lie-in-april-2014.html#unique-entry-id-306https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210922-anime-your-lie-in-april-2014.html#unique-entry-id-306Your Lie in April is a 22-episode high school light romance anime. Kōsei (Max Mittelman) is a former child prodigy pianist who lost his ability to play after his mom died. He meets Kaori (Erica Lindbeck) an aspiring violinist with passion and Kōsei falls for Kaori, but secretly because she's dating his friend Ryōta (Kyle McCarley). Or not so secret because Kōsei best friend Tsubaki (Erica Mendez) can tell, and with that knowledge Tsubaki realizes that she herself is attracted to Kōsei.

That's the romantic subplot. The main plot is that Kaori convinces Kōsei to be her accompanist in a violinist competition and later convinces him to enter a pianist competition. Her intention is to bring out the great pianist that Kōsei used to be. Meanwhile we also have episodes about Kōsei's two rivals, though Kōsei never really noticed them. Things get more dramatic once Kōsei and friends discover that Kaori is terminally ill so now Kōsei battles the memory of his dead mother (who also died of a terminal illness) and his desire to help Kaori perform one more time...

Good animation and voice acting. Great musical performances. Parts of the story are good and some episodes are good, but overall the series kind of dragged and the whole romantic/terminal illness plots just lose their impact. So at 10 or 12 episodes would have been good but at 22 episodes more like average.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-09-20T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210920-apple-arcade-stellar-commanders-2019.html#unique-entry-id-304https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210920-apple-arcade-stellar-commanders-2019.html#unique-entry-id-304Stellar Commanders is a real-time area-based futuristic conquest game. You and your opponent are on a small asteroid. You each have Uridium that builds up automatically. You each have a deck of cards with your units, have four cards in your hand and can see the next card. When you have enough Uridium you can activate a card to build a unit then draw to go back to four cards.

Activate a card then choose an area. Most cards build something in that area:

• support to increase Uridium production for a while
• defense to protect against missile attacks
• ground or air units to attack nearby neutral and enemy areas
• missiles that destroy an area
• satellites are not buildable but used to instantly attack an enemy unit anywhere on the world

A unit will take a few seconds to build (there's a countdown and you can activate more cards or activate a unit). Once an attack unit is built you can select it then select a target and it will move there. Support and defense work automatically.

Cheap ground units have shorter range and can only take neutral territories. Likewise cheap missiles and defenses have less range. Helicopters take territory and can attack anywhere.

Everything is happening in real time. If you pay attention you can see an incoming missile and build a defense to protect the target (you can see the destination area of each attacking unit).

The game lasts 7 minutes and goes in three phases. A quick build phase where you can't attack each other. Halfway through or so a cataclysm phase where all neutral territories are destroyed (and if you don't have a path to enemy territory you can use missiles). When the game ends the winner is the side with the most controlled territories.

You can play three campaigns against the three different factions (each faction has different units). You can play online globally or versus your friends. You can play AI games where you can set the faction, AI strength, and world.

I did not find the game fun enough to play more than a bit because it goes too fast. I'm not an RTS player and I freeze up when too much is going on. There is no pause or way to change the game speed. But otherwise it's a nice small and fast strategy conquest game.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-09-17T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210917-spot-reviews-09-17-21.html#unique-entry-id-303https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210917-spot-reviews-09-17-21.html#unique-entry-id-303Dough Zone, San Mateo [/] We had some take-out from Dough Zone. They missed giving us sauces. All the food was fine except the soup was quite salty and some of the dishes were bland without the sauces. Dumplings good, gyoza good, green onion pancakes slightly chalky. Might have been a busy day and I'm willing to give them another chance.

Apple Arcade - The Get Out Kids (2019) [-] Two kids sneak out to go to the movies and end up in a haunted house. A 2.5D puzzle game though the puzzles are rather simplistic. I guess this game is aimed at younger players. Fairly involved backstory because this is an "interactive adventure novel".

Disney Movie - Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) [/] Animated film. Young Raya (Kelly Marie Tran) manages to lose the last Dragon Gem which ushers in the return of the Druun, spirits that turn people into statues. Six years later an older Raya searches through a devastated world for the give remnants of the last Dragon Gem. Raya also manages to resurrect Sisu (Awkwafina), the last dragon who is less of a wise and ancient creature and more of an ADHD clumsy teenager... It's a good story but perhaps too typical Disney Princess film.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-09-15T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210915-netflix-movie-kate-2021.html#unique-entry-id-302https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210915-netflix-movie-kate-2021.html#unique-entry-id-302Kate is an action film set in Osaka, Japan. Our eponymous protagonist (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) is an assassin who wants to leave and have a normal life. Unfortunately she is poisoned with Plutonium-204 and now has about 24 hours to enact her revenge before succumbing to acute radiation poisoning.

Her target is the Yakuza boss who put out a hit on her and to get to him she kidnaps Ani (Miku Martineau), the boss' niece who is in danger herself. Kate ends up saving Ani's life and now that the Yakuza also want Ani dead she decides to help Kate. They form a sort of friendship as Kate continues her journey...

A lot of gun-fu action, cool Japanese urban locations and music, and not a bad of a story for an action film. Certainly better than Gunpowder Milkshake which I watched last month. That movie wanted cool location esthetics but came out a bit too surreal, whereas Kate has cool location esthetics that fit with the movie.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-09-13T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210913-apple-arcade-tangle-tower-2019.html#unique-entry-id-300https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210913-apple-arcade-tangle-tower-2019.html#unique-entry-id-300Tangle Tower you play Detective Grimoire and his assistant Sally as they investigate the murder of Freya Fellow. Tangle Tower is a manor with two towers, all sitting on a volcanic lake. Two families, the Fellows and Pointers, live there and each of the ten characters has their stories and secrets.

Each area is a static picture. Tap on objects to examine with Grimoire and Sally providing comments, and they do talk a huge amount throughout the adventure. Some objects become clues which you use to answer questions (there is a clue page so you don't have to remember things and even things that you'd think would be clues you probably don't have to remember). Other objects are puzzles that if you solve reveal a clue or open an area.

Then there are the inhabitants. Interview each one and get their statements. Ask them about each of the other suspects. Ask them about each clue you find. Each suspect has their own story and distinctive talking style (the voice acting is top notch). Once you ask the right things a suspect gets tagged. Then you talk to that suspect and figure out their secret, most of which of course have little to do with the murder.

It's not a hard game. When you get a puzzle wrong Sally provides a clue then more clues to help you solve it. If you get stuck there is a help button that tells you a next step (go to this room to find a clue). The ending is a bit long and scripted as the bad guy reveals the history of the tower and why they murdered Freya.

Like many mystery stories I'm not sure if there is enough information to finger the killer before the reveal scene. But it's an engrossing story and there are so many little plots going on. It's on the order of a 10 to 20 hour game and fun throughout, mostly because even if you don't seem to be progressing Grimoire and Sally have great banter.

Overall one of the great Apple Arcade games.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-09-10T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210910-spot-reviews-09-10-21.html#unique-entry-id-301https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210910-spot-reviews-09-10-21.html#unique-entry-id-301Annie's Rice Pasta & Classic Cheddar [/] I do like rice pasta -- I'm used to it because a lot of dim sum and Chinese chow fun use rice pasta. Annie's has a rice pasta & white cheddar dish which I liked but rice pasta with yellow cheddar is not as quite as good.

Apple Arcade - tint. (2019) [/] Watercolor puzzle game. Trace from a watercolor drop to a colored flower and you can trace through one other color to change your color. Gets complicated when there are multiple drops and flowers as it also becomes a pathing game. Nice execution, lots of puzzles.

Movie - Fort Bowie (1958) [/] American West film. While Captain Thomas Thompson (Ben Johnson) tries to negotiate peace with the local Indians his rival convinces Colonel James Garrett (Kent Taylor) to launch a punitive expedition. Garrett's judgment is clouded after his wife Alison (Jan Harrison) accuses Thompson of making advances on her... Fairly typical US Army vs Indians movie and I liked it.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-09-08T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210908-documentary-9-11-inside-the-presidents-war-room-2021.html#unique-entry-id-299https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210908-documentary-9-11-inside-the-presidents-war-room-2021.html#unique-entry-id-2999/11: Inside the President's War Room is an Apple TV+ documentary, narrated by Jeff Daniels, of 9/11 as seen from President George W Bush's perspective, who was in Florida at an event and then on Air Force One for much of the day, and from his cabinet and Vice President Dick Cheney who were in Washington DC. Reporters and official camera people (e.g. there are White House photographers taking pictures all the time for posterity) were around so lots of footage and pictures. Also recent interviews with Bush, Cheney, National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State Colin Powell, and others.

This was a really powerful documentary for me. 9/11 is sort of a blank day. Dave P woke me up with the news and that maybe I shouldn't go in to work. But I still went to work and there a few people there and not much was done. And I kind of avoided the news during the day and afterwards. I've seen a couple of other documentaries but this one seems more immediate, more like you're living through the day, and some of the footage made me teary-eyed.

For some reason I started watching this at 0100 and couldn't put it down until it was done. Great documentary.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-09-06T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210906-apple-arcade-operator-41-2019.html#unique-entry-id-298https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210906-apple-arcade-operator-41-2019.html#unique-entry-id-298Operator 41 is a grid-based real-time simple stealth game. In each level you are trying to get past the guards and cameras to the end phone. You hide behind furniture, in shrubbery, and can throw some objects to distract a guard.

The game is really short, about 15 levels and most levels take a minute or two to solve. Also slight UI issues as you tap to move to a square but the camera has set positions and moves automatically depending on where you are.

It's more of a prototype game than anything really involved and apparently made by a single 13-year old kid. Unfortunately hasn't been updated so remains an early release stage game. But it's a genre I like and I had fun playing it.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-09-03T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210903-spot-reviews-09-03-21.html#unique-entry-id-297https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210903-spot-reviews-09-03-21.html#unique-entry-id-297
Apple Arcade - Various Daylife (2019) [/] A Square Enix adventure game where you try out different jobs, do daily work, build up your party and go on quests to explore a new continent. I'm not really into the tap/controller-based UI as it's a lot of clicks to do fights and there are a lot of random encounter fights when you do explorations.

Movie - Gemini Man (2019) [/] Henry Brogan (Will Smith) is a DIA sniper assassinating bad guys but his last target was a bit fishy and when he starts to question Clayton Varris (Clive Owen) of the DIA decides to permanently retire Brogan using a clone of Brogan... Not a bad action movie.

Netflix Movie - The Wolf's Call (2019) [/] A French film of submarine operations. Chanteraide (François Civil) is an exceptional sonar man who fails a crucial drug test and misses going out with his new ship, the French ballistic missile submarine Formidable. When a "Russian" missile attack is discovered to be a ruse it's up to Chanteraide and the crew of the French attack submarine Titan to find and stop Formidable before she launches her retaliatory nuclear strike and starts World War 3... For a smallish budget submarine movie I found this story pretty interesting.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-09-01T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210901-movie-the-bodyguard-1992.html#unique-entry-id-296https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210901-movie-the-bodyguard-1992.html#unique-entry-id-296
I know I've seen The Bodyguard once, probably in the theaters when it came out, but that was almost 3 decades ago. Naturally I forgot many plot elements like who is the real assassin. This is Costner at his leading-man height in popularity. Houston is not great (this was her first film role) but she sings a couple of songs and I remember what a great singer she was. The plot is fine, romance a bit fast and more action than I remember.

The Bodyguard still kind of stands the test of time and is an entertaining movie.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-08-30T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210830-apple-arcade-towaga-among-shadows-2019.html#unique-entry-id-295https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210830-apple-arcade-towaga-among-shadows-2019.html#unique-entry-id-295
Each phase is about 3 minutes long and there are three types of side-view battlefields:

• ziggurat - you are stationary on top of a ziggurat, about in the center of the screen. Bad guys come from the four corners and you shoot them down.
• plains - you are stationary at the bottom center of the screen. Bad guys come from left and right and sometimes from the upper corners.
• sky - you are flying the sky and bad guys come from all directions. Use left joystick to move and right to shoot. The sky has boundaries that cause you damage if you fly into them.

This game plays very well with a controller. Usually you're shooting with the right joystick, triggering your equipped spell with either trigger, and recovering from stun with A button. In sky levels you add left joystick for movement.

You collect shards which you use to upgrade your character.

• More beam power
• Wider beams
• More hit points
• Faster hit point recovery
• More mana points (to trigger spells)
• Faster mana point recovery

Your main weapon never changes. You will unlock spells and you equip one at a time. Each spell can also be upgraded.

• Damage nearby enemies
• Freeze nearby enemies
• Slow nearby enemies
• And there are five other spells. I only used Freeze.

You can also unlock outfits and each one gives you a specific bonus.

After the main 47 phases there is a part 2 campaign with 20 more phases. There are two survival modes for ziggurat and sky. There is a multiplayer battle mode (I think). But only the campaigns are interesting and even though new monsters are added the gameplay starts to stale. Luckily it's a shortish game, 10 to 20 hours, and you can switch from hard to normal mode and back at any time.

It's an entertaining light joystick arcade game and once you're done with it you can move on to other Apple Arcade games.

]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-08-27T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210827-spot-reviews-08-27-21.html#unique-entry-id-294https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210827-spot-reviews-08-27-21.html#unique-entry-id-294Cabot Cheese [/] Cabot is a farm coop of family farms in the North East and they make lot of different cheeses and other dairy products. I bought cracker cut cheddar cheese. Pre-sliced so it's convenient and tastes fine. Not my favorite type of cheese but something you can share with people. And it's fine supporting small farmers.

Podcast - Brains (2021) [/] Hosts Julian Shapiro and Courtland Allen interview two intelligent people in each episode. I listened to the episode with Alexandra Botez and Shaan Puri. Kind of interesting but there was not much structure and with only half an hour they only seemed to hit like two topics. Other episodes also seem about half an hour so not high hopes of engrossing discussions.

Movie - Hickok (2017) [/] On a bit of a lifelong downswing, ex Army officer and now gunslinger Wild Bill Hickok (Luke Hemsworth) is convinced to become a small town lawman not-quite-controlled by saloon owner Phil Poe (Trace Adkins) who is aiming to marry Mattie (Cameron Richardson) who happens to be Hickok's old flame... It's a direct-to-video movie and kind of looks it.

Anime - Queens Blade II (2009) [/] The second season was better than the first in that there was an actual season-long plot. The competition finally starts and warriors get eliminated. All the while the Queen has an evil plan and is using the competition to eliminate potential rivals. Still a lot of T&A which kind of gets old to be honest.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-08-25T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/202108250-tv-series-the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-2021.html#unique-entry-id-293https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/202108250-tv-series-the-falcon-and-the-winter-soldier-2021.html#unique-entry-id-293The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is a 6-episode Marvel Cinematic Universe drama. Sam Wilson aka Falcon (Anthony Mackie) teams up with Bucky Barnes aka Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) as they chase after a group of super soldier terrorists, the Flag Smashers. In the first episode Falcon decline to become the new Captain America so the US government gives it John Walker (Wyatt Russell), not super-powered but a soldier with three Medals of Honor.

The new Captain America and his partner Lemar Hoskins aka Battlestar (Clé Bennett) are also chasing after the Flag Smashers but kind of working at cross-purposes with Falcon and Winter Soldier. And actually Captain America has the coolest arc as he becomes overwhelmed with the job and is pushed past his breaking point to eventually become a different super hero.

Baron Zemo (Daniel Brühl) returns and is forced to help team Falcon. Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp) also returns and has a nice secret reveal later on in the series. The fight scenes are pretty good and special effects are also pretty good. I believe this is one-off series so the story is well contained and the loose ends are intended for the next Captain America movie.

Overall a good series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-08-23T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210823-apple-arcade-way-of-the-turtle-2019.html#unique-entry-id-290https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210823-apple-arcade-way-of-the-turtle-2019.html#unique-entry-id-290Way of the Turtle is a 2D platformer using 3D graphics. You play a turtle (male or female) trying to remove an island curse so you can leave and return home. As you wander the island you pick up gold and a few powers while avoiding or jumping on enemies and solving puzzles.

You get four powers

• Wall climbing by jumping between two walls.
• Blue shell - crouch and stop (otherwise you never stop moving unless you run into an obstacle)
• Green shell - zoom a short distance to get across big gaps
• Red shell - destroy enemies you touch

Each shell has two levels with the second level used to get through specifically marked walls (which also means you back to old areas to do spots you couldn't get to before). You can only change shells at save points which are frequent enough that a lot of times you can clear monsters with a red shell and then go back and use a green shell to do stuff.

The coins are used to buy upgrades like a map of the island so you can teleport a bit. You can also find shards (which are rare) and four shards lets you get an extra heart slot (you start with three). And finally you can find gophers to rescue (there are 42 of them and they don't provide any benefits but are Easter Egg accomplishments).

This game reminds me of a Super Mario World sort of game though a little simpler. Family friendly graphics and sometimes tricky but it's not too hard of a game. I played this with an XBox controller and it's freaking smooth gameplay (touch pad controls can be difficult in some of the tricky parts and sometimes seemed to slightly lag for me). This is the first iOS game I've played that, with an external controller, feels like a Nintendo console game.

Overall one of the better Apple Arcade games.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-08-20T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210820-spot-reviews-08-20-21.html#unique-entry-id-292https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210820-spot-reviews-08-20-21.html#unique-entry-id-292
Movie - Darkest Hour (2017) [/] Drama about Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman) covering just before he became Prime Minister to about a month after. Focuses on the behind the scenes politics and how Churchill and his family dealt with the pressure. With Kristin Scott Thomas playing wife Clemetine and Lily James as his new secretary... It's a very talky character drama relying heavily on Oldman who almost manages to make this an interesting movie.

Movie - Cosmic Sin (2021) [-] Netflix science fiction action movie. In the far future when Earth finally makes first contact with aliens it goes wrong. A scratch group of commandoes takes it upon themselves to stop the alien invasion. The plot doesn't really much sense. Bruce Willis has a more than cameo role but seems here for his badass persona. Special effects are fairly good but maybe the money should have been spent on a better script.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-08-18T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210818-tv-series-chernobyl-2019.html#unique-entry-id-291https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210818-tv-series-chernobyl-2019.html#unique-entry-id-291Chernobyl is a British 5-episode drama based on the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear plant disaster. Episode 1 is like the night of the disaster, episode 2 covers the next couple of days, then a week, a month, and several months later.

Jared Harris and Stellan Skarsgård play Valery Legasov, head scientist directing the cleanup efforts, and Boris Shcherbina, a party officer placed in charge of the cleanup operation. Emily Watson plays a fictional scientist investigating the cause of the disaster (which apparently took many USSR scientist working as best they could since the state didn't want the truth to come out). Each episode has one or two other main characters that pretty much only appear in that episode, covering doctors, miners, soldiers and victims.

I like the behind the scenes because I lived through it but it didn't seem that serious from the perspective of a California teenager. Yes there was a nuclear accident and fairly widespread but seemed to be taken care of. The series points out that it could have been much worse except for the efforts of the USSR to mobilize vast resources to contain the meltdown. And the series also points out how much of a coverup there was.

It's a fairly engrossing series even for a period piece.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-08-16T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210816-comics-robyn-hood-2012.html#unique-entry-id-289https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210816-comics-robyn-hood-2012.html#unique-entry-id-289Robyn Hood is a hero from Zenescope Entertainment. Robyn Locksley was high school rebel who is transported to an alternate world with magic. She becomes a Robin Hood-like hero and once back on Earth she starts a detective agency with her witch friend Marian Quin. Later on Robyn operates on her own and has crossovers with other Zenescope heroes.

She's kind of like a contemporary Green Arrow, although I guess most archer heroes are like that and it doesn't help she has a green costume. No trick arrows except for a few provided by her inventor friend Liesel Van Helsing. Robyn tends to battle a lot of demons and supernatural foes to go along with the usual underworld criminals.

I read the first five trade paperbacks (which start once she returns to Earth). Interesting stories as she tries to decide what kind of hero she wants to be and then goes through a bit of a funk then regains her love of doing good.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-08-13T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210813-spot-reviews-08-13-21.html#unique-entry-id-288https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210813-spot-reviews-08-13-21.html#unique-entry-id-288Her Pen Pal (2021) [/] Hallmark movie. Wedding planner Victoria (Mallory Jansen) is organizing a destination wedding in France for her best friend. While there she encounters her child hood pen pal Jaques (Joshua Sasse) and they hit it off again until Victoria's ex-boyfriend realizes he might still have feelings for Victoria. It's average for Hallmark.

iOS Game - Micro Breaker (2019) [/] Freemium breakout game in a limited 3-d playing area. With power-ups and each level has three stars of achievement. Gameplay is fairly smooth for touch. Has occasional ads.

Nature's Intent - Cauliflower Rice [-] This is just finely chopped cauliflower which you microwave for a minute and serve. By itself tastes like cauliflower and feels like cauliflower. If you mix it with sauces and meats then you can almost pretend it's rice, though your body can tell it hasn't had carbs and you'll have a certain yearning.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-08-11T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210811-movie-the-chronicles-of-riddick-2004.html#unique-entry-id-287https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210811-movie-the-chronicles-of-riddick-2004.html#unique-entry-id-287Seventeen yeas ago I reviewed The Chronicles of Riddick (2004) and besides the fact I wrote better back then I also thought the movie was average good (and I probably watched it in a theater). I recently watched it again and this is such an old-fashioned practical effects science fiction movie that looks a bit dated.

And yet the storyline is fine. Riddick (Vin Diesel) is suitably bad-ass and the universe has a Warhammer 40k feel even though I know little about W40k lore. It gives me nostalgic feelings and I guess today I view it as a good action sci-fi movie set in a media franchise that was limited but had depth.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-08-09T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2021089-apple-arcade-where-cards-fall-2019.html#unique-entry-id-286https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2021089-apple-arcade-where-cards-fall-2019.html#unique-entry-id-286Where Cards Fall is an Apple Arcade puzzle game. In each level you need to get this kid to the exit portal which is on platform usually higher than him. There are other platforms on the map and there is one to three stacks of cards.

You move the stacks around and pinch and expand to build a card house, usually with a flat roof. Use these new platforms to move the kid to another stable platform (the kid can jump across small gaps and climb down a level by himself).

Later levels you have areas where you can stack cards but the kid can't walk on, or stacks that create houses with sloped roofs that allows climbing up a level or two.

In between levels are short vignettes about this kids life and his travails at home, school and with his friends. There is no dialog and the vignettes are short so you're getting 50-odd glimpses that tell a story of this kid.

I did about 20 levels before I got bored and this game has 50+ levels. There is a good hints system that shows an outline of where the next house should be built. Graphics and sounds are good. UI was ok on my 10-inch iPad but sometimes I had trouble pinching and contracting/expanding card stacks (you can't zoom into the scene nor rotate the view).

This was an Apple Arcade release game and it's not bad.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-08-06T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210806-spot-reviews-08-06-21.html#unique-entry-id-285https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210806-spot-reviews-08-06-21.html#unique-entry-id-285Seeds of Change - Brown & Red Rice with Chia & Kale [+] Two servings which you just microwave for 90 seconds to prepare. Fairly tasty for brown rice, with a bit salt (there's added sea salt).

Apple Arcade - Word Laces (2019) [/] This is a word game. A picture is shown on the top. One or two letter bubbles are on the bottom arranged in two columns. Form words related to the picture by starting at one bubble then dragging to a bubble on the opposite column then back again, sort of like badly lacing a shoe. When you finish a word the bubbles disappear and more slide up from the bottom. Once you've done a few words and used all the bubbles the level ends... interesting and got challenging fast (there is a hints button) but not my kind of game.

Netflix Movie - The Ice Road (2021) [-] Liam Neeson as a trucker who takes on a dangerous assignment. A team of three trucks has like 17 hours to get one wellhead to a remote Canadian mine that suffered a gas explosion. With roads impassable they have to take the ice road, basically a frozen over river. Meanwhile someone doesn't want to let them succeed so besides the elements and the road they have to contend with sabotage and later more direct intervention... It does come off as tv-of-the-week quality and unfortunately a bit of a waste to watch.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-08-04T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210804-movie-frozen-ii-2019.html#unique-entry-id-284https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210804-movie-frozen-ii-2019.html#unique-entry-id-284Frozen II was not as good as the first one which made it move way down in my to watch list but I did finally watch it and it's pretty good.

When elemental magic threatens Arendelle it's up to Queen Elsa (Idina Menzel), Princess Anna (Kristen Bell) and their friends Kristoff (Jonathan Goff) and Olaf (Josh Gad) to venture into the Enchanted Forest and unlock its mysteries. Inside the forest they find a lost squad of Arendelle warriors and the Northuldran people who are a nature-respecting one-with-the-elements sort of people. Both sisters must together and separately find a way to restore elemental balance to the forest and discover some secrets of their family...

It's a good story with some musical numbers. Instead of being about sisterly love it's a bit more about both sisters becoming more independent of each other, especially Anna who often wants to tag along but is now forced to be the heroine of her part of the story. There's a touching scene with Olaf and some comedy bits from Kristoff as he tries to find the right time and place to propose to Anna.

As I said this is a good movie. A good family movie.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-08-02T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210802-ios-game-tiny-room-story-town-mystery-2021.html#unique-entry-id-283https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210802-ios-game-tiny-room-story-town-mystery-2021.html#unique-entry-id-283Tiny Room Story is a tap-based puzzle-solving game developed by Kiara Games. You are trying to solve the mystery of your father's disappearance (and all the townspeople for that matter). Each chapter you visit a location which is a set of connected rooms. Each room is an isometric view and you have to swipe right and left to rotate the room so you can see all the walls.

Tap to interact with objects. If it's an item you can pick up it automatically goes into your inventory. If it's something you manipulate the item moves (many clues are hidden behind or under items) or you get a closeup where you tap to do stuff. Tap room exits to leave and everything is clearly marked and if you can interact with something then it's useful/needed to solve a puzzle.

Puzzles I've seen:

• Find missing parts to activate a machine or object.
• Find the numbers or symbols for a password.
• Manipulate an item in the correct sequence to reveal the next clue.
• Move items around in order to open doors (or get to an alternate entrance).

I've played the first third of the game and sometimes the puzzles are repetitive in mechanics though different setting and there's a plot going on so it remains interesting. But half the puzzles are fairly unique and in general the chapter areas are fairly small so you don't have to remember a clue that won't be used for half an hour.

The puzzles kind of vary in challenge. I'm not that great at puzzles so had to look at a walkthrough a couple of times (Appegamer has a good guide that both doesn't use videos and is up to date because some of the other guides seem to be based on an older version with slightly different puzzles).

It's been a pretty fun game and I spent the $3 to unlock the rest of the game.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-07-30T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210730-spot-reviews-07-30-21.html#unique-entry-id-282https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210730-spot-reviews-07-30-21.html#unique-entry-id-282
Netflix Movie - Cosmic Sin (2021) [-] In the year 2524 mankind finally makes first contact and it doesn't go well. General Ryle (Frank Grillo) recruits disgraced general (and some say mass murderer) James Ford (Bruce Willis) and then he takes a squad of drop troopers to the first contact site bringing along a Q-Bomb... This is an 85-minute movie that really needs another 10 or 15 minutes to explain things more because the plot kind of stop making sense and the dramatic payoffs at the end have no weight to them because I didn't develop any feelings for any of the characters. Special effects are good, Bruce Willis kind of phones it in, writing budget must have been short and the editor must have been paid by the cut. Overall a fairly awful movie.

Movie - Greenland (2020) [-] When a Texas-sized asteroid threatens to wipe out all life on Earth John Garrity (Gerard Butler) is determined to get his wife (Morena Baccarin) and son to Greenland where there is a secret end-of-the-world government bunker where a select group of people are being evacuated to. It's not that good a movie, mostly a what-would-people-do-to-survive which boils down to lots of sad scenarios, but weirdly the sequel (in development) might be more interesting as it is set a few years later once the survivors come out to rebuild the world.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-07-28T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210728-tv-series-wizards-of-waverly-place-2007.html#unique-entry-id-281https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210728-tv-series-wizards-of-waverly-place-2007.html#unique-entry-id-281Wizards of Waverly Place was a Disney Channel sitcom that ran four seasons plus a couple of tv movies. In a world where magic is secret the Russos are a family with three young wizards -- Justin (David Henrie) the eldest brother and most responsible one, Alex (Selena Gomez) the trouble maker, and Max (Jake T Austin) the youngest and most clueless. Dad Jerry (David DeLuise) was a wizard but gave it up to marry Theresa (Maria Canals Barrera) and now he spends his time running a sandwich shop with Theresa and teaching the kids magic and how to be responsible wizards.

Mostly the show centers around Alex and many episodes center around her using magic to shortcut things, having everything go wrong, and then fixing the problem (sometimes with Justin's help). Otherwise the three are normal high school kids and Alex hangs out with her best friend Harper (Jennifer Stone) who doesn't know the truth until later in the series.

It's good family comedy and really showcased Selena Gomez's acting talents.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-07-26T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210726-ios-game-battlecruisers-2021.html#unique-entry-id-280https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210726-ios-game-battlecruisers-2021.html#unique-entry-id-280Battlecruisers is a free RTS battle game from Mecha Weka. A game starts with two sea control ships at either end of the 2d playfield. You start with a few builder drones to build other ship modules, which include more builder modules to get more drones (all modules have a minimum number of drones required to build them, though you can concentrate more drones to build a module faster).

Build drone modules, ship defenses then ship offenses. Offenses include a naval shipyard to build small attack ships (4 types), an aircraft factory for aircraft (3 types), big guns and rockets up to a death star (my favorite) and a nuclear missile (guarantee kill but takes a long time to build). Defenses include anti-ship guns to deal with enemy attack ships, anti-air for enemy aircraft (though the aircraft factory is very versatile as you can build anti-ship, anti-aircraft, and attack aircraft types), shield modules and various specialty modules.

It's an RTS game so you keep switching to the enemy ship to see what he's doing and then counter build (there is a cloak module and a spy satellite module to negate the cloak module). Touch UI is mixed. Three buttons to zoom in on your ship, the enemy ship, and to zoom out to the whole playing field. But after that it gets a bit fiddly if you want to zoom in and out manually and on my iPad the touch points to select mount points are small in default zoom.

There's a campaign of 25 levels with three difficulties. I did Easy which is really easy and I'm doing Normal now which requires much more attention to counter enemy builds but still not had. I expect in Hard the enemy starts out with more builders which makes it hard as you defend while trying to increase your builder drones.

Overall a pretty fun game. Free on iOS (has ads but rather seldom). Also available on Windows ($6).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-07-23T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210723-spot-reviews-07-23-21.html#unique-entry-id-279https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210723-spot-reviews-07-23-21.html#unique-entry-id-279The Year Earth Changed (2021) [/] Documentary about how wild animals and nature changed during COVID when much of the human world was essentially shut down. Animals wandering the cities and reproducing more because even benign humans with their noise and movement tends to inhibit reproduction and raising babies. It's cool seeing how much nature can recover if left alone for a year.

Movie - Cool Hand Luke (1967) [-] Decorated veteran Luke Jackson (Paul Newman) ends up in a prison working on a chain gang. He's a bit of an outsider and does things his own way. Eventually he wins over the other convicts and then tries a few escape attempts... I'm not sure what the point of the movie is and somehow I think I've watched it twice.

Web Tool - Apple TV Shows & Movies Artwork Finder [+] Ben Dodson wrote a web tool to retrieve the tv show and movies artwork from iTunes store. Useful if you rip your DVDs into TV app and want to use the 16x9 artwork Apple uses.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-07-21T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210721-tv-series-wandavision-2021.html#unique-entry-id-278https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210721-tv-series-wandavision-2021.html#unique-entry-id-278WandaVision (2021) is a 9-episode half-hour drama. In the first episode Wanda/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) seem to be stuck in a Bewitched-style black and white sitcom, both unaware of who they really are. As each episode continues the tv shows they inhabit change, moving forward in time.

At first it could be some mysterious enemy. But eventually we see the outside world. SWORD Captain Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) and FBI Agent Jimmy Woo (Randall Park) investigate a sleepy New Hampshire town that everybody seems to have forgotten. Bringing in more experts including Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) they discover that somehow Wanda has created this bubble and has consciously or subconsciously trapped all the inhabitants.

In part three of the series Monica makes it inside the bubble and confronts Wanda. This shakes up Wanda enough for a surprise villain to take control and subvert Wanda's magic...

This was a pretty weird concept when I heard about it. The series was both that weird and delivered a great story. Wanda and Vision had separate and interesting character arcs. An adult Monica Rambeau is introduced and has hints of power which will be revealed further on in the CMU. It was nice to see Darcy Lewis again -- really cool supporting character in Thor, much smaller role in Thor 2 and then not appearing again until now.

Overall a great series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-07-19T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210719-ios-game-risk-global-domination.html#unique-entry-id-277https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210719-ios-game-risk-global-domination.html#unique-entry-id-277Risk: Global Domination is the official port of Risk.

Pluses

• Cutesy graphics
• Lots of maps (though most are paid DLCs)
• Play with friends (pass and play or online)
• Play with random people

Minuses

• Ad driven until you buy the starter pack ($10)
• Map packs are 4 or 5 maps for $5
• UI could use some tweaks for faster gameplay and to prevent accidentally going skipping a turn stage
• Some starter maps require coins to play each game and I hope bought map packs don't need coins

It's an ok implementation of Risk.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-07-16T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210716-spot-reviews-07-16-21.html#unique-entry-id-276https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210716-spot-reviews-07-16-21.html#unique-entry-id-276The Gallant Hours (1960) [/] James Cagney as Admiral William F Halsey Jr during the Guadalcanal campaign. It's a fairly talky rear-area deliberations movie without any action but Cagney is a good enough actor to pull it off.

TV Series - A Season with Navy Football (2017) [/] This is Showtime's A Season With... series and season 3 covered Navy Football. Fairly typical behind the scenes week long preparation before each game and then a few minutes covering each game. Each episode tends to focus on a different team member or coach and I guess the only real season-long through line is how the offensive coach's son needs a heart transplant. It's an interesting 13 half-hour episodes.

iOS Game - Metal Slug Attack (2016) [-] 8-bit free to play model game. A game starts with two bases at either end of the screen. Wait for energy to build up then tap a unit to build it (or tap energy generator to permanently increase energy generation). Units fight automatically though you can tap to use special powers. Between games you can upgrade and promote units using in-game currency. The game is too chaotic to be fun for me.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-07-14T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210714-tv-series-mythic-quest-s2-2021.html#unique-entry-id-275https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210714-tv-series-mythic-quest-s2-2021.html#unique-entry-id-275Mythic Quest s1 was good but it did take me a few episodes to get into it. Season two was a bit better. All the characters had good subplots and I really liked the flashback episode to what it was being a science fiction writer for Astonishing Tales.

The show takes place at a smallish game development studio (smallish with a few dozen people) whose one hit game is the MMO Mythic Quest. Creative Director Ian Grimm (Rob McElhenney) now shares leadership role with Lead Engineer Poppy Li (Charlotte Nicdao) and one of the primary plots is how badly they work together and eventually split up the resources into two teams and how they finally realize they need to work together to make the next release of MQ.

It's a pretty funny half hour dramedy with great characters and it ends at a good place where you can either end the series or spin off in a new direction if there is a season three.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-07-12T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210712-ios-game-lemmings-the-puzzle-adventure.html#unique-entry-id-274https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210712-ios-game-lemmings-the-puzzle-adventure.html#unique-entry-id-274Lemmings is a mobile, free to play and ad-supported version of the classic computer game. Each level is a side-view of squared-based obstacles, mostly rock and metal but also traps and other objects. Your objective is to get the lemmings from the start to the finish without killing too many from falling too far and from traps.

But you can lemmings do various things. Build a ramp diagonally up left or right, dig through rock (horizontally or vertically), use an umbrella to slow down their fall, and block other lemmings from passing. One mobile feature is that you tap on a square then choose a function and the next lemming that hits that square will do the function. On a computer you had to choose function then tap on the correct lemming and often at the right pixel since a lemming would start their action right when you click it.

As far as I can remember the mobile has less lemming actions, about the same number of obstacle types, and the levels are more limited in size. But the levels can still be tricky and since you can't pause and look I often start a level figuring out my strategy while my lemmings die.

As a free to play game it has these features:

You have energy (60) which refills at 1 per 4 minutes. Every action you place takes one energy, so you can only do a few levels at a time (and puts a premium on planning out your strategy before you start spending energy).

There are various power-ups. Mostly unlimited of one action but also double lemmings that survive and return all energy spent if you lose a level. When you complete a level there is a spinner which usually gives you a power-up (or also energy or a lemming egg) and you can buy power-ups.

Lemming eggs give you unique lemming skins, so one lemming in your group will have that skin and as you get several skins your lemmings look rather eclectic even though they all have the same abilities. Each unique lemming has an associated challenge level -- I've played three and they've had obstacles I haven't seen yet (like a dark room with moving spotlights).

There are also tournaments, daily bonuses for completing 3/10/20 levels, and loot boxes.

So far I've played without paying money and it seems ok other than it being hard to get 20 levels done in a day.

Ads play after levels or you can play ads for extra stuff. They're the usual ads for other mobile games so not too obnoxious.

Overall it's a fun game and brings back memories.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-07-09T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210709-spot-reviews-07-09-21.html#unique-entry-id-273https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210709-spot-reviews-07-09-21.html#unique-entry-id-273Popeyes [-] It's just a web view of their web site, which is not that well organized. You can order stuff but it's only meals and combinations so unless store menus have changed you don't get the full menu using the web site. From the reviews also looks like stores don't really integrate with the app.

Movie - A California Christmas (2020) [/] Never-do-well playboy Joseph (Josh Swickard) is sent to prove himself by getting Callie (Lauren Swickard) to sign over her Napa Valley farm to his family's real estate business. He goes undercover, falls in love with Callie, and then has to prove himself to her once his ruse is found out.

iOS Game - Infinity Pinball (2021) [/] 8-bit retro pinball game where if you punch your ball through the top it pops out at the next level so you can keep going infinitely upwards. Nice retro graphics and sounds but gameplay is pretty bad. For a better implementation I recommend PinOut (2016) which hasn't been updated in five years but still plays great.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-07-07T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210707-tv-series-miss-sherlock-2019.html#unique-entry-id-271https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210707-tv-series-miss-sherlock-2019.html#unique-entry-id-271Miss Sherlock is an 8-episode Sherlock Holmes drama set in Tokyo. The main protagonists are Sara "Sherlock" Futaba (Yūko Takeuchi), a consultant to the Tokyo police department, and Dr Wato Tachibana (Shihori Kanjiya), recently returned from Syria working as a volunteer medical doctor. Inspector Gentaro Reimon (Kenichi Takitō) is a sort of nerdy Inspector Lestrade but friendly to Sherlock and sees her as a valuable asset. Reimon's assistant, Sergeant Tatsuya Shibata (Tomoya Nakamura) is the more by-the-book guy who distrusts Sherlock's methods.

In the first episode Dr Wato has just returned from Syria and witnesses a murder so is drawn into the case and ends up living in Sherlock's building owned by Kimi Hatano (Ran Ito). Each episode Sherlock and Watson solve one case but it quickly turns out that all the cases are the work of a mysterious organization and almost at the end they meet Sherlock's nemesis, the Professor Moriarty equivalent.

The series is closer to BBC's Sherlock than other Sherlock Holmes incarnations. It does lack a lot of the drama and mystery though. It seems less serious, though still a drama, and mystery solving is more like "oh, here's the clue, I know the answer" without giving the viewer a chance to solve it themselves. Also the gender swap is not really used -- if the characters had stayed male the scripts wouldn't have needed changing.

Overall an interesting take on Sherlock but I think misses being really good.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-07-05T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210705-ios-game-tetris-2020.html#unique-entry-id-272https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210705-ios-game-tetris-2020.html#unique-entry-id-272Tetris license and released a game app last year. From what I read it started with basic Tetris though by now it has various game modes including a battle royale mode. It has the traditional music and modern graphics.

You start only able to play 3-minute speed games but after a couple of these games you level up and regular Tetris is unlocked -- other modes are unlocked as you keep playing games.

I played this for a bit. Tap to rotate, swipe left and right (or tap-drag left and right for more control), drag down to drop. For a touch game it is surprisingly smooth moving pieces around though I often accidentally dragged down or had an inadvertent tap to rotate. There is no controller support though so that greatly limits my ceiling.

This is a freemium game. There are ads that run sometimes before you start a game and you can turn them off for a month or a year as in-app purchase. There are generic coins you buy to purchase stuff at the store -- theme packs and game powerups.

Overall if you can get past the fact it's freemium model it's a very playable version of iOS Tetris.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-07-02T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210702-spot-reviews-07-02-21.html#unique-entry-id-270https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210702-spot-reviews-07-02-21.html#unique-entry-id-270Kevin T Dowd, DDS [+] I've been visiting Dr Dowd for I think a couple of decades -- the second I visited Dr Dowd was there taking over the practice. I use Chris as my hygienist and she's very friendly. I've had root canals and fillings and Dr Dowd makes it as good an experience as possible.

Movie - The Time Traveler's Wife (2009) [/] Romantic supernatural film. Henry (Eric Bana) has been uncontrollably skipping back and forth in time through his personal timeline since he was little. He meets Clare (Rachel McAdams) who has known him for years even though he hasn't met her yet. They fall in love and deal with the tribulations that come with his unusual ability... It's a nice movie though a bit sad. I think About Time (2013) did the concept much better.

TV Series - Love Death and Robots s2 (2021) [/] Season two is both shorter (8 shorts) and maybe because of that not as good. I liked "Pop Squad" - in a future where immortality is common a special government squad arrests breeders and exterminates the kids. But one detective starts to have second doubts about his job. Also "All Through the House" where two kids encounter the real Santa Claus, a horrible monster that deems then both Good and regurgitates gifts. But what if they had been Bad?

]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-06-30T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210630-tv-series-for-all-mankind-s2-2021.html#unique-entry-id-269https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210630-tv-series-for-all-mankind-s2-2021.html#unique-entry-id-269For All Mankind is an Apple TV+ alternate history series wherein the Soviet Union managed to beat USA to the Moon. Season one was about the early space program and with the Soviet Union maintaining a lead how that NASA, for example creating a women's astronaut program (which I think they did historically) and sending women into space (which they did not historically until much later). Season one covers a few years so we the first Moon bases, one for each side only a few hours from each other.

Season two leaps a decade forward to the mid 1980s. Reagan vs Andropov as the Cold War escalates. Each side still only has one Moon base though much bigger. We don't see the Soviet base but the American one is several modules and maybe a dozen plus personnel.

After the Soviets take over a USA mining site (by simply moving out the American equipment and moving in their own while the Americans were back in their base) the Americans send up armed Marines and take the mining site back by force. There is a shooting incident on the Moon which exacerbates tensions on Earth.

Meanwhile our main characters are a decade older. Edward Baldwin (Joel Kinnaman) is head of the astronaut program and says who goes on which mission. Ellen Wilson (Jodi Balfour) is returning to Earth after her final Moon mission, ready to take on a new role as assistant head of NASA. Gordo Stevens (Michael Dorman) has spent a decade trying to deal with PTSD of his last Moon mission. Margo Madison (Wrenn Schmidt) heads NASA ops and tries to make sure the historic handshake in space happens amidst security and political concerns from higher ups.

Actually the series has good character stories to go along with the cool space stuff. With only 10 episodes a season the plot lines move quickly. I'm still not sure if Ronald D Moore can keep the series exciting without it falling off a cliff like what he did with Battlestar Galactica but I am hopeful.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-06-28T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210628-ios-star-trek-fleet-command-2018.html#unique-entry-id-268https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210628-ios-star-trek-fleet-command-2018.html#unique-entry-id-268Star Trek Fleet Command is a free-to-play 4X game set in the Star Trek Universe, more or less in the post Next Generation movies + Kelvin universe timelines.You start with a base and a ship. Explore star systems. Complete missions you pick up (and some missions affect your faction status: help the Klingons and they like you more but other factions may like you less). Generate and mine resources. Research technology (there are six categories with simple but deep trees). Upgrade your crew, ships and starbase.

There is a whole lot to do in this game and you can pretty much spend your time constantly in the game, at least for the first few days (it can slow down once your build and research queues get stuck with long jobs). You start out as an independent in neutral space with the Federation, Romulan and Klingons a week or two of solid playing away (you have a player level and each system has a level so you can tell how tough it is). The missions are varied and have plot lines with the same characters continuing to ask you to do missions.

On the downside there is a fairly advantageous PvP aspect. Killing ships can get you loot boxes and that includes killing player ships. But also killing player ships captures most of their cargo, if they had any (which means mining ships become targets). You can also attack starbases for experience and probably loot. I leveled up to the PvP part and got attacked a few times when I left my ship idle too long. Once I level up to where people can attack my base I can see sleepless nights and because of that I'm quitting the game after three or four days of play.

The game is almost good enough as a standalone solo game of 4X plus exploration, that's how much effort they put into it. Still, the freemium model and PvP aspects means this is not a game for me.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-06-25T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210625-spot-reviews-06-25-21.html#unique-entry-id-267https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210625-spot-reviews-06-25-21.html#unique-entry-id-267ButtercuP Diner, Walnut Creek - Fried Chicken meal [+] Yeah it's diner fried chicken but it was really good. Half fried chicken with mashed potatoes and squash/zucchini. Fried chicken pieces were big, crispy on the outside and fairly juicy on the inside. Loved it.

Toyota Walnut Creek, Service Department [+] I come here to get my car serviced. It's a dealership so pricey but good job and friendly staff. Waiting area was moved and remodeled so it's more modern setup than 70's style or you can get shuttle service (never used it). I've never had any complaints in 15 years.

Movie - Kim Possible (2019) [/] A live-action film with Sadie Stanley as Kim Possible and Sean Giambrone as her sidekick Ron Stoppable. It's not too bad but I guess a movie-length story is very slow compared to a half-hour episode.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-06-23T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210623-movie-speed-1994.html#unique-entry-id-266https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210623-movie-speed-1994.html#unique-entry-id-266Speed, LAPD officers Jack Traven (Keanu Reeves) and Harry Temple (Jeff Daniels) foil the plans of a mad bomber (Dennis Hopper) who then plans his revenge on the two. To do that he places a bomb on a commuter bus that activates once the bus crosses 55 mph and detonates when the bus slows below that speed. Jack manages to put in a bit of a wildcard when he manages to board the bus after a high speed chase. He then has to find a way to save the passengers while plucky passenger Annie Porter (Sandra Bullock) drives the bus after the regular driver is shot.

For the budget there is an awful lot of explosions and car crashes. Jack and Annie have good chemistry and Dennis Hopper is kind of brilliant as a bumbling bomber who turns off the facade when it gets serious.

I recently rewatched this and it holds up as an entertaining low-budget action film from the credits flashing as we go down an elevator shaft to the final kiss between Jack and Annie.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-06-21T00:16:23-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210621-arkham-horror-the-card-game-2016.html#unique-entry-id-265https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210621-arkham-horror-the-card-game-2016.html#unique-entry-id-265Arkham Horror: The Card Game tries to distill the Arkham Horror board game into a campaign of 1 to 2 hour adventures for up to four people. Each adventure takes place in an area demarcated by location cards with connections. Each card has clues to find and often a special effect (e.g. Arkham University where you can turn in clues for something or vice-versa, I forgot which).

Each character has a custom deck. At start of game you draw five cards which are of various types:

• Resources - used to pay for other cards
• Items or Allies - which you pay with resources then go on your player mat
• Special Actions - which you tend to also pay with resources
• Drawbacks - each deck has two bad cards which are played when drawn and you usually have to spend time and resources to get rid of them (or live with the negative effects)

A turn consists of:

• Players move in any order (3 actions: move, play card, fight, search for clues)
• Players draw 2 cards and get 1 resource
• Monsters go
• Each player draws a Mythos card (usually a bad effect, sometimes can be negated with a skill check or resource spend)
• See if bad storyline advances

There are two storyline decks (usually 3 card each). The bad storyline advances when there are enough Mythos points in play (usually 1 per turn and maybe some on monsters, which you can kill to remove their Mythos points). The good storyline advances usually by spending clue tokens. A bad ending leaves the group with permanent bad effects and it's on to the next scenario. A good ending can have the opposite, though it's more like you don't get bad effects and by the nature of the good ending following scenarios are bit easier.

After an adventure each PC gets experience points which can be spent to upgrade cards or replace cards. In general each character has a limited selection of decks to choose new cards.

I've played this game with my brother using Tabletop Simulator. Even playing on TTS (which is fast for setup/teardown if you have the game pack but slow when the game is being played) a game takes two or three hours. Deck building is particularly slow with TTS.

We found that with two characters (the default with a starter set) it's a tough game. Once we switched to four characters it was more doable even though the difficulty scales. Characters can get stuck where they don't have the right skills to get out of a jam and with three other characters around there's a better chance that help is nearby.

I found this game fairly fun. It has enough RPG elements to make it interesting but not enough to make it engrossing. An adventure plays fast so even if things go horribly wrong it'll be over quick (though you then have subsequent adventures where you are handicapped -- not sure this is better than playing one long game). As usual for FFG production value is great and rules are a little ambiguous.

Overall it's a game worth playing, more so if you are a Call of Cthulhu fan.

(Note: as usual this review is from memory and I'm sure I got many things a bit off and most terms certainly so.)
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-06-18T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210618-spot-reviews-06-18-21.html#unique-entry-id-264https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210618-spot-reviews-06-18-21.html#unique-entry-id-264The Space Between Us (2017) [/] The first boy born on Mars, Gardner Elliot (Asa Butterfield), sneaks off to Earth and with the help of his friend Tulsa (Britt Robertson) searches for his birth father. Meanwhile NASA and the government are after him because his heart will burst if he stays on Earth too long... It's a young adult science fiction romance novel brought to screen. It's an ok story with some good points (I do love when he's truthful yet Tulsa doesn't believe he's from Mars).

Food - Gorton's Crunchy Breaded Fish Fillets [/] These were pretty good. Large enough that it doesn't feel like all you're eating is breading and not dry inside.

Food - Tyson Batter Dipped Chicken Breast Tenders [/] I bought these at the same time as the fish fillets. These are more like chicken fingers. They're ok though not as good as the breaded fish fillets. I was looking for something more like fried chicken and this is the closest I found.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-06-16T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210616-movie-wonder-woman-1984-2020.html#unique-entry-id-263https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210616-movie-wonder-woman-1984-2020.html#unique-entry-id-263Wonder Woman 1984 as the title suggests is set in 1984 which means that Diana Prince aka Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) has been living in Man's World for seven decades, still undercover helping people. She works at a major museum and makes friends with gemologist Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig) but Diana is awfully lonely.

Enter Maxwell Lord (Pedro Pascal), evangelical businessman who desperately needs a certain relic to save his business. A relic that the museum has and once he has that relic he starts granting wishes. Barbara fulfills her wish of becoming as good as Diana and unknowingly also means becoming as good as Wonder Woman, turning Barbara into Cheetah. Meanwhile Diana gets her wish as Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) reappears in her life inhabiting the body of a man of the same age (only Diana can see it's Steve).

As the world turns into chaos due to Lord's wish granting ability Wonder Woman has to stop him but to do that she must give up her wish and Steve. Can she do it?...

There was something magical about the first film. This sequel is good but not quite as good. Still, the 1980's scenes are fairly nostalgic though more 80's than what I experienced. Overall an entertaining movie.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-06-14T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210614-gurps-world-war-ii-line.html#unique-entry-id-262https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210614-gurps-world-war-ii-line.html#unique-entry-id-262GURPS World War II RPG and three of the nation sourcebooks. Here's an overview of the line:

GURPS WWII RPG

A good self-contained GURPS RPG including modular vehicle rules and supporting characters from the five major combatants.

Iron Cross - Germany
Dogfaces - United States
All the King's Men - United Kingdom
Red Tide - Soviet Union

128-page sourcebooks concentrating on one nation. Each expands on characters, equipment and vehicles as well as history of that nation during the war. There was never a Japan sourcebook.

Return to Honor - France
Frozen Hell - Finland
Grim Legions - Italy
Michael's Army - Romania
Doomed White Eagle - Poland
Hand of Steel - special forces

32 to 48 page supplements covering minor combatants. Pretty much the same sort of content as the major sourcebooks.

Motor Pool - vehicles

A big book of vehicles from trucks/tanks to fighters/bombers to naval ships. Does not redo the construction rules but does collect the various additions from previous books.

Leyte Gulf - Pacific naval battle
Their Finest Hour - The Battle of Britain

Two smaller supplements each covering a campaign. Mostly history, new character templates plus adventure ideas and PC roles.

Weird War II - ideas book
The Secret of the Gneisenau - adventure

Weird War II is the conspiracy/supernatural/alt-hist WWII book. What if secret societies are behind the various nations? What if vampires and werewolves exist? What if Japan wins the war? This is a book of ideas, mostly incompatible, to be used in adding weirdness to a WWII campaign.

Secret of the Gneisenau is the sole GURPS WWII published adventure and has a magical subplot so ties in with Weird War II.

Overall it's a lot of material and statistics for GURPS 3E and for the most part does not reference other GURPS products. Lack of adventures or campaigns (though lots of adventure and campaign ideas) would make it hard for me to run. So like other GURPS books and lines I probably wouldn't run it without a pool of external adventures I can use.

I'm planning on running this with Twilight: 2000 (not sure which edition yet) in a Twilight: 1945 campaign. That will combine GURPS characters and equipment with a well supported world (there are a heck of a lot of T2K scenarios in my complete run of Challenge magazine).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-06-11T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210611-spot-reviews-06-11-21.html#unique-entry-id-261https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210611-spot-reviews-06-11-21.html#unique-entry-id-261Redemption (2013) [-] Jason Statham as a down-on-his-luck AWOL ex-Special Forces who lucks into an empty well-to-do fella's apartment. As he starts to turn his life around he finds out his friend was murdered and decides to seek revenge... I watched half an hour but it's a rather plodding movie. I guess it's meant to be more of a drama than an action movie.

Podcast - Girls on Porn (2019) [/] Two women talking about adult videos. Each episode is a different topic with a sampling of top hits on various free porn sites. There is also one longer scene that is critiqued and sometimes there is a guest. I found the style a bit humdrum and only listened to a few episodes.

iOS App - Toast Takeout & Delivery [/] I used it to order Zachary's for pickup and it worked fine. It seems like a fairly typical restaurant ordering/delivery app.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-06-09T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210609-movie-starship-troopers-traitor-of-mars-2017.html#unique-entry-id-260https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210609-movie-starship-troopers-traitor-of-mars-2017.html#unique-entry-id-260Starship Troopers: Traitor of Mars is a sequel to Invasion which I saw a year and a half ago. Both are animated movies continuing the movie franchise history (though after the original movies all subsequent sequels have been fairly small-scoped).

After Invasion, Colonel Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien) is stuck training Martian recruits on Mars, recruits who are not really into the Bug War, as pretty much all of Mars is not into supporting the Bug War. So when the Bugs attack Mars they are caught unprepared and the whole planet is quickly overrun except for Rico and his team of recruits.

Meanwhile new Sky Marshal Amy Snapp (Emily Neves) wants to sacrifice Mars by exploding a planet cracker bomb that she had previously installed on Mars, just in case. General Carl Jenkins (Justin Doran) had discovered that the Bug attack is part of Snapp's plan and after he's captured it's up to Rico, his recruits and Captain Carmen Ibanez (Luci Christian) on the John A Warden to save Mars...

Dina Meyer returns as Dizzy Flores, though a sort of hallucination of Rico's. The animation is much better than Invasion and the plot feels a bit more epic than all the films since the original. This is a better movie than I expected.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-06-07T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210607-macos-app-brave-2019.html#unique-entry-id-259https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210607-macos-app-brave-2019.html#unique-entry-id-259Brave is a web browser based on Chrome adding privacy and ad-blocking features. Being based on Chrome means it's as good or bad as Chrome rendering web sites and running JavaScript -- which in my experience means it's as resource hungry as Chrome and at times has a hard time keeping up with multiple Twitch streams (half of it is probably that Twitch JS is not efficient).

Ad blocking seems ok and it does block a bunch of trackers. I didn't realize it uses Tor in private windows and I haven't tried that feature (though would conflict if I'm in my work network accessing internal sites, but you can turn it off globally). Being a third party browser I'd trust it more than Chrome to protect my privacy.

There is a Brave Rewards system where they will show you "privacy-respecting ads" which earns you Basic Attention Tokens that can be donated to creators via tipping (or it'll auto calculate and donate for you) or to buy digital goods at the Brave store. The ads are system notifications so could be annoying if you only want important activity reported via system notifications. It's an interesting way to do advertising.

Overall I'd say if you like using Chrome and want more advertising privacy then Brave is the way to go.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-06-04T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210604-spot-reviews-06-04-21.html#unique-entry-id-258https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210604-spot-reviews-06-04-21.html#unique-entry-id-258Easy GURPS (2021) [-] What started out as GURPS combat examples turned into GURPS OSR Solo Play sessions neither of which I'm interested in. Strangely the only episode I appreciated is the one where he talks about why he loved FASA's Earthdawn RPG.

Movie - Army of the Dead (2021) [-] Netflix movie. After Las Vegas is cordoned off due to a zombie infection a team of mercs is hired to steal $200M from a casino vault before the US government detonates a nuke to kill all the zombies... Didn't particularly like the style of the film and stopped after half an hour.

iOS App - TikTok [-] On the positive there's a much wider variety of content than I expected. On the other hand is there no mute button? Discoverability is iffy. The additional TOS are pepega. Not an app for boomers.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-06-02T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210602-movie-tenet-2020.html#unique-entry-id-257https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210602-movie-tenet-2020.html#unique-entry-id-257Tenet is a science fiction action movie set in the present. An unnamed CIA agent (John David Washington), our Protagonist, is recruited by Tenet, a secretive organization waging a time war against the future. Apparently in the future people develop technology to reverse an object's (or a person's) chronological flow it starts moving backwards through time. Not only can it be used to send objects and information from the future to the present but it allows agents to do ops through history, by working backwards from the end.

The Protagonist is partnered with Neil (Robert Pattinson) and they're tasked with stopping arms dealer Andrea Sator (Kenneth Branagh) from assembling the seven pieces of an artifact that will destroy the world (there is some philosophy about why people in the future would want to destroy the past and why Sator is helping them, but to be frank maybe a bit confusing).

This leads to the typical big-budget action movie sequences except now you have people and objects moving backwards in time to contend with (and as we find out later even Protagonist and Neil going back in time and revisiting the action scenes in a new light). It's both amazingly cool and terribly confusing unless you're paying attention. Meanwhile on a human element the Protagonist falls for Sator's wife Katherine (Elizabeth Debicki) who hates and fears Sator. To stop Sator they need Katherine's help but it may also require sacrificing her...

Tenet is a pretty great movie that uses time travel in a tactical way throughout the movie. There are time travel movies. There are movies that use time travel tactically. But I don't think I've heard of a movie that uses time travel this extensively and especially with things moving backwards in time while the rest of the world is moving forwards.

But even without the extensive time travel I think Tenet would be a perfectly fine action movie. Definitely worth seeing but pay attention please.


]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-05-31T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210531-book-the-path-between-the-seas-1977.html#unique-entry-id-256https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210531-book-the-path-between-the-seas-1977.html#unique-entry-id-256The Path Between the Seas is a book about the building of the Panama Canal, written by historian David McCullough. It's split up into three parts:

The French effort (1870-1894) which sort of became a national effort and unfortunately failed due to severely underestimating the difficulties of building a sea-level canal, massively underfunded, and not being able to control Yellow Fever, Malaria, and other tropical diseases that decimated the workforce.

America secure the canal zone (1890-1904) where the US had two routes to decided on -- through Nicaragua or through Panama -- and the political machinations wherein Panama won, the Panamanians declared independence from Columbia and how the US cemented that independence.

America builds the canal (1904-1914) and it's mostly the first two or three years when the US took over the French constructions, obliterated Yellow Fever and Malaria, then decided to build a lock canal. The last chapter covers about 7 years and describes the locks and control mechanisms because by then everything else was kind of routine.

McCullough researched for several years, read official documents stored in France, the US and Panama; talked to people, mostly descendants of the major figures in the story or even people who were kids living in the canal zone when the US was building it. In this history McCullough writes about the people, the politics, the technical achievements and tries to put them in context for the time.

It's an interesting book and a fairly entertaining read.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-05-28T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210528-spot-reviews-05-28-21.html#unique-entry-id-255https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210528-spot-reviews-05-28-21.html#unique-entry-id-255Olivia Rodrigo: Sour (2021) [/] - First listen impression is that it's too whispery and soft. Since this is a Disney Channel star pop album I expected more energy.

Progresso Chicken Barley Soup [/] Diced chicken and barley with peas and celery. Not one of the best tasting soups though a nice change from chicken noodle soup.

Progresso Chicken & Orzo with Lemon Soup [/] This one is better than Chicken Barley mostly because Orzo (a type of pasta) is tastier than barley. For both the chicken is not great and both soups could possibly be better with just chicken broth.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-05-26T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210526-tv-show-love-death-and-robots-s1-2019.html#unique-entry-id-254https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210526-tv-show-love-death-and-robots-s1-2019.html#unique-entry-id-254Love, Death & Robots is an anthology science fiction series. Each short is a few minutes to max of 15 or so minutes and they're done by different production companies so there's a wide range between CGI, animation and real actors.

There's humor, suspense, a lot of shorts have a bit of nudity (and there is I think one short sex scene). Most stories have a setup then a twist reveal to end and I like those. All have good production values although sometimes the story is ho hum.

My favorite episodes from season 1 (season 2 was just released but I haven't watched it yet):

Three Robots - Three robots do a self-tour of devastated Earth making fun of the extinct humans and their goofy technology. The twist is when the robots discover what actually wiped out the humans.

Suits - Mech piloting farmers defend themselves from a massive bug attack. I like Mechs and these are kind of like BattleTech Dark Age work mechs with homemade weapons.

Lucky 13 - A rookie Marine pilot gets assigned the unlucky assault transport that killed its previous two crews. But for her and her cargo "13" becomes the steadfast ol' reliable that always brings everyone home safe. Except for the last mission...

Overall it's a good and fairly short series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-05-24T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210524-food-trader-joes-roasted-garlic-and-pesto-pizza.html#unique-entry-id-250https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210524-food-trader-joes-roasted-garlic-and-pesto-pizza.html#unique-entry-id-250Roasted Garlic & Pesto Pizza with Deep Fried Crust is really good. It's vegetarian with four cheese and tastes fine. The crust though comes out crispy and oily and delicious. It's a meal for one or I guess a snack for two and it's one of the best tasting Trader Joe's pizzas.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-05-21T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210521-spot-reviews-05-21-21.html#unique-entry-id-247https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210521-spot-reviews-05-21-21.html#unique-entry-id-247Waterfront Bistro Wild Alaskan Pink Salmon Fillets [-] This is the Safeway house brand frozen salmon fillets, family pack of eight 4-oz fillets for $13. It's cheap and considering it's frozen not that bad. But since I often get not-previously-frozen salmon in comparison this was really bad.

Documentary Series - The Last Dance (2020) [/] ESPN 10-episode hour series about the Chicago Bulls' 1997-98 season, the year they won their sixth championship. Each episode mixes what's happening that season with history of the Michael Jordan area, mostly focusing on MJ but sometimes one the team and one half episode on Scottie Pippen. For a sports documentary it's pretty good.

Twitch - MSLA Racing League [/] - Marbles on Stream Laps Association Racing League where teams of six compete in a weekly race (a couple hundred laps taking a couple of hours). Anyone can create a team and top three team finishers count their points to the team. This is hosted by MoS Twitch rep and he's fairly entertaining considering the racing itself is less interesting than watching NASCAR.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-05-19T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210519-tv-show-the-code-2019.html#unique-entry-id-243https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210519-tv-show-the-code-2019.html#unique-entry-id-243The Code is a Marine Corps JAG legal drama that lasted one half-season of 12 episodes.

Characters

• Captain John Abraham (Luke Mitchell) - a defense attorney (and closest to a primary lead in the show)
• Major Trey Ferry (Ato Essandoh) - Captain Abraham's partner and supervisor
• Captain Maya Dobbins (Anna Wood) - a prosecuting attorney often assigned to the same case as Abraham and Ferry
• Colonel Glenn Turnbull (Dana Delaney) - commander of the JAG department in Washington DC
• 1st Lieutenant Harper Li (Phillipa Soo) - a rookie defense attorney sometimes paired up with Captain Abraham
• Warrant Officer Rami Ahmadi (Raffi Barsoumian) - office administrative assistant who knows everything

It's an episodic show and varies as to format. A lot of times the attorneys go to the field to investigate and we get to see a wide variety of military locations. There is often some courtroom drama but some episodes don't have any as the case is solved before then.

There are the usual character subplots. There is a bit of a through line for Captain Abraham as his good friend is killed in an early episode, then Abraham falls for his friend's wife (and vice versa), and finally becomes a witness to her lawsuit against the Marine Corps which puts him at odds with the rest of the Corps and to be continued if show had been renewed.

Good characters, good military action, interesting stories. Too bad the show was cancelled.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-05-17T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210517-computer-game-cosmic-express-2017.html#unique-entry-id-242https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210517-computer-game-cosmic-express-2017.html#unique-entry-id-242Cosmic Express is a puzzle alien train themed game. Each level is something like an 8 x 10 grid and a space can be empty or contain an object:

* Entrance - there is one entrance where your train comes in
* Exit - there is one, sometimes two, exists where your train must leave
* Obstacle - can't build on
* Passenger - need to pick these up
* Destination - need to deliver a passenger to the same colored destination
* Hole - teleportation hole that teleports to another hole

And probably more as I've only done about 80 levels.

You lay one continuous track from the entrance to an exit. Your train must eventually pick up every passenger and deliver each to their destination. It's usually something like two groups of different colored passengers which must be delivered to two groups of different colored destinations and your train can carry one to three passengers (depending on the level).

So there is a lot of winding around to make sure you pick up and drop off passengers in the right order and taking advantages of quirks (e.g. if two passengers try to board the same car at the same time then they bounce off each other). It's basically a 2D pathing game with hundreds of levels. Cute graphics and sounds and fairly easy UI since it's designed for mobile.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-05-14T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210514-spot-reviews-05-14-21.html#unique-entry-id-241https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210514-spot-reviews-05-14-21.html#unique-entry-id-241Chips Ahoy! Soft Chunky Original [-] Chocolate chip cookies. I'd forgotten how sweet these are. Too sugary for my taste. They are chewy but you have to keep the package sealed or they dry out.

TV Show - Flashpoint #1.01-1.05, s5 (2008) [/] I caught up on most of the Flashpoint episodes I missed (the first episode and all of season 5). It's sort of a more Canadian/more polite version of SWAT and the kind of show comfortable for CBS audiences. I'm glad I watched the whole series.

iOS Game - Don't Starve: Pocket Edition (2015) [/] You start on a randomly generated island with nothing. Collect stuff to build more stuff so you can collect stuff so you can build bigger stuff. Also keep yourself from starving or dying of illness. Meet island inhabitants who can help or hinder you. Apparently several strategies you can try. Not really my kind of game -- just too grindy and fidly -- but it's a good implementation.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-05-12T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210512-movie-tron-1982.html#unique-entry-id-240https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210512-movie-tron-1982.html#unique-entry-id-240Tron is a classic Disney live-action movie set in the 1980's. Computer programmer and hacker Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) has been trying to hack his way into his former company ENCOM to discover the hidden files that would prove ENCOM Senior VP Ed Dillinger (David Warner) stole Flynn's code and used it to get his first big promotion. Kevin receives unlikely allies in former girlfriend Dr Lora Baines (Cindy Morgan) and her current beau Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner) who is a programmer at ENCOM who has developed a security program, Tron, and now Alan is shut out by the Master Control Program which practically runs ENCOM.

The three break into ENCOM and while Kevin borrows a lab computer he is shot by an experimental matter transforming laser which sends him into the electronic world of the ENCOM computer system. In the computer world programs are like people and Master Control Program (MCP) has taken over most of the digital world. Programs can either join MCP's army or be sent to the games where they fight until they die. Kevin is put in the games but quickly breaks out with his new friends Tron (Boxleitner) and Ram (Dan Shor).

During the various escape adventures Kevin and Ram are killed and Tron gamely goes it alone, enlisting his friend Yori (Morgan) to help him contact his user who has new instructions for him. Meanwhile Kevin did make it out and uses his user powers to bring back an old ship to life and head for where Tron was heading. Ram also made it out but dies soon after and Kevin gets a new friend, Bit, who is more like a pet and really does very little in the movie.

Kevin rejoins Tron and Yori and reveals he's a user. Tron has an upgraded disc and the three head to the center to put a stop to MCP once and for all...

The movie moves a lot faster than I remember and is also a lot less musical than I remember. Although it's fairly dated the computer world still has a certain cool look to it even though it has a lot of practical costumes and sets. There is a lot of computer animation and a lot of cgi stuff in the live action I don't think they were shooting in green screen.

It's a fairly nostalgic movie and nice to see it again.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-05-10T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210510-ios-game-galaxy-trucker-2014.html#unique-entry-id-239https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210510-ios-game-galaxy-trucker-2014.html#unique-entry-id-239Galaxy Trucker is an iOS adaptation of the Galaxy Trucker board game. I haven't played the board game but the iOS version is very board game-like.

The objective of each game is to get cargo from A to B while competing with other players.

First you start configuring your ship. You have a ship outline. Module cards are set out on the table and everybody is picking modules simultaneously so you have to be quick. Get weapons, engines, shields, batteries, crew quarters and cargo modules. Each square module side has zero or one of three types of connectors and module connectors have to match up. Once someone finishes everyone else has 90 seconds to complete their ship.

Then you go on your run. Ships start out on a track with the first player to have finished building being the first ship on the track.

There are eight random events during the run. Could be a hazard, like a pirate attack or asteroid field. Could be an opportunity, like planets with cargo to pick up or an abandoned ship to explore. The first player gets first choice on the event. Some events only one player can do it and some events have multiple options and players choose in order. Doing an event takes time which can move your ship back.

Events with bad effects can do damage to your ship. You might be able to defend with a well placed laser (lasers fire straight) or with a shield (which protects two sides). Otherwise a module gets destroyed and if modules become disconnected from the core they become disabled.

Events seem to be fairly even between good and bad so even with bad luck you probably only lose three or four modules, which can pretty much wreck your ship.

In the finish you get money for cargo you deliver with bonuses for coming in first, second, etc. Subtract if you have destroyed modules to get a profit or loss.

I started the campaign which adds an area to explore. As you visit each planet you can talk to people and get cargo jobs and I suppose there is a plot to finish.

It's a polished app though I think I'd rather play the board game because then I can change the rules. I hate the ship build phase because of the time pressure so I'd change that to turn based (pick a tile and use it or put it back in the pool). Otherwise it's an entertaining game.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-05-07T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210507-spot-reviews-05-07-21.html#unique-entry-id-238https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210507-spot-reviews-05-07-21.html#unique-entry-id-238Riverworld (2010) [/] Based on Philip José Farmer's book series. After his death warcrimes journalist Matt Ellman (Tahmoh Penikett) wakes up on Riverworld, an artificial world 100 times bigger than Earth and covered by a single river. Here the dead are reborn and dying is a painful inconvenience. Ellman joins forces with writer Samuel Clemens (Mark Deklin) and samurai Tomoe Gozen (Jeananne Goossen) and race for the river's source because Richard Burton (Peter Wingfield) wants to destroy Riverworld which he sees as a giant laboratory prison... Sci Fi channel's second Riverworld pilot and at least this time it has a complete story whilst setting up a possible series that never came to be.

iOS App - CBS Sports App Scores & News [-] As the name says scores and news. You can also watch at least some programs without connecting to your cable/satellite TV provider. It does have an ad bar scores and news pages which makes for a scuffed UI. I downloaded it to watch the Super Bowl and I think I'll be deleting it now.

Progresso Lentil Soup [/] A little salty, a little too chunky. Still, I was in the mood for soup and this was quite adequate.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-05-05T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210505-tv-show-68-whiskey-2020.html#unique-entry-id-237https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210505-tv-show-68-whiskey-2020.html#unique-entry-id-23768 Whiskey was an hour-long dramedy tv show that lasted one season of ten episodes. It's set at a US Army outpost in Afghanistan and the main characters are a helicopter medevac unit:

• Sergeant Cooper Roback (Sam Keeley) - A medic and hustler trying to help out his friends but his schemes usually fail.
• Sergeant Rosa Alvarez (Cristina Rodlo) - Another medic and very competent but due to be returned to the US and deported.
• Staff Sergeant Mekhi Davis (Jeremy Tardy) - Cooper's best friend trying to save his parents from losing their home.

It is serious situations where the humor comes from the situations and banter from the characters. There's a season-long subplot having to do with the mercenaries also stationed at the base who work for a big corporation and have their own mysterious missions which turn out to be at side-purposes to winning the hearts and minds of the locals.

It seems fairly realistic in terms of the camp and the gear and such. I found it to be a pretty good military series but too bad it only lasted one season because it ends in a bit of a cliffhanger.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-05-03T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210503-ios-game-f1-manager-2020.html#unique-entry-id-236https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210503-ios-game-f1-manager-2020.html#unique-entry-id-236F1 Manager is a Formula 1 race car team management game using real drivers on real courses. I like that it's about building your car, training your drivers, and real-time race management.

You don't drive the two cars in your team but you can tell them when to pit stop (which is only for changing tires not for refueling), what tires to use (three types) and how fast to drive (three speeds). So each 10-minute race is about managing your pit stops (tires wear out fast) and knowing when to go all out (you always have a bit more fuel than you need to finish the game on standard speed) since you don't get extra points for finishing with extra fuel or tires.

On the down side this is a free-to-play game. There are loot boxes which take time to open or you can spend resources to open them faster. There are boosts which you can buy which gives it a bit more pay-to-win than usual. You can watch ads for in game currency. Also since it uses real F1 drivers all the included ones are male drivers (I don't know if there are any female F1 drivers).

All the racing also seems to be PvP (in a field of 20 cars, 2 will be your team and 2 will be the opponent's team). I'm more of a play vs computer person because once you get to a certain level losing constantly to tryhards gets depressing.

Overall a nice concept but free-to-play format is not for me. Maybe on desktop it's a better game.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-04-30T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210430-spot-reviews-04-30-21.html#unique-entry-id-235https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210430-spot-reviews-04-30-21.html#unique-entry-id-235The Last Winter (2007) [/] The members of an Alaskan oil exploration team start going mad. Or is there some creature responsible? Good psychological horror story in a frozen wasteland but the ending is a bit too Resident Evil. With Ron Perlman and Connie Britton.

iOS App - Xfinity [-] I used this to activate my new modem but otherwise it's a very basic app for managing your Xfinity account and not even iPad native. I'd rather use the web site.

Pringles (Original) [+] Pringles are like fried dried potatoes shaped into identical curved slices. Kind of like potato chips but maybe more like potato crisps because they're not really oily. Definitely good as a change of pace to regular potato chips.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-04-28T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210428-tv-show-jag-season-1-1995.html#unique-entry-id-234https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210428-tv-show-jag-season-1-1995.html#unique-entry-id-234JAG is one of my favorite TV series. I recently rewatched season 1 and it still mostly hold up. Navy lawyers Lt Commander Harmon Rabb (David James Elliott) and Lieutenant JG Meg Austin (Tracey Needham) are sent everywhere to investigate and sometimes do court cases. Lots of good sets and reuse of Paramount Movies film footage made for cool military scenes.

The 2-hour pilot had Rabb partner with Lieutenant Caitlin Pike (Andrea Parker) and they had a more flirty relationship. Pike returned for a couple of episodes and it was great. With Austin there was a little flirty-ness but a lot more toned down. The last episode is a bit weird because it's a cliffhanger and then the show moved to CBS and they recast Rabb's partner so the episode is never resolved on-screen.

Comparatively, I did watch three episodes of season two (not the first three because Paramount+ only has about half of season two for viewing) and that first CBS season is pretty scuffed. More real-world locations I guess because no military sets in the budget.

Anyway, JAG Season One is still entertaining.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-04-26T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210426-ios-app-hush-2021.html#unique-entry-id-233https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210426-ios-app-hush-2021.html#unique-entry-id-233Hush is a simple app (Safari extension) that blocks requests "to accept cookies or privacy invasive tracking", i.e. the requests web sites added to comply with EU and California privacy laws. I'm not sure if that means that you are accepting those trackers or you're not or maybe it doesn't change whatever the settings are for a web site. I guess if you're like me, who tends to dismiss that privacy dialog without bothering to look at how to change/set settings, then this is a perfect app.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-04-23T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210423-spot-reviews-04-23-21.html#unique-entry-id-232https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210423-spot-reviews-04-23-21.html#unique-entry-id-232Incent [/] This is a rewards platform. While watching a live channel viewers will see the occasional Incent QR code. Use an app to scan the code and you get a bit of Incent crypto. Once you have $10 worth you can trade it in for other crypto or maybe cash. It's a way for a streamer to keep their audience engaged... I had trouble registering for an account and actually watching the video takes too much attention (I tend to listen to a stream and do other activities). It's an interesting service but not sure if it increases channel engagement vs the costs for the streamer.

Kirkland Premium Chunk Chicken Breast [/] Costco canned chicken chunks. It's cooked, a bit soft, salty. Tastes good enough to eat in a pinch if you need some meat, though I personally find it's a fairly rare event.

iOS App - Translate (2021) [/] This is an Apple app that translates text you type in or speech you speak. If you type in text it translates to text. Tap the microphone and speak a sentence and it'll both translate to text and speak the sentence. Twelve languages supported (including US and UK English) and for speech it can automatically detect which language and translate to the other which makes it easier to hold a conversation. Pretty neat.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-04-21T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210421-tv-show-star-trek-lower-decks-season-1-2020.html#unique-entry-id-231https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210421-tv-show-star-trek-lower-decks-season-1-2020.html#unique-entry-id-231Star Trek: Lower Decks is a cartoon comedy series set in the Star Trek post-TNG universe. It centers on the lower decks (i.e. the background characters) of USS Cerritos, itself one of those background second-line starships that does the grunge work of the Federation. For example, the first episode involves second contact with a world which is more about formalizing a treaty than learning about a new culture.

Our four main characters areL

• Brad (Jack Quaid) - a by-the-book ensign that worships the bridge crew and wants to be just like them.
• Beckett (Tawny Newsome) - a rule-breaking ensign who parties hard and seems to have been everywhere and done everything.
• D'Vana (Noël Wells) - an Orion ensign and medtech, very friendly and upbeat.
• Sam (Eugene Cordero) - a cyborg ensign in engineering who loves Cerritos because there are so many things that need fixing.

The episodes are kind of TNG-setups with TOS-solutions. It does a good job of being Star Trek and referencing lore and is sort of "this is the chaos that goes on behind the scenes to make the bridge crew look good". I found it to be a very funny show.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-04-19T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210419-ios-app-paramount-plus-2021.html#unique-entry-id-230https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210419-ios-app-paramount-plus-2021.html#unique-entry-id-230Paramount+ app and I tried the 1-month free trial. I don't remember the CBS app but the current app has a litany of shortcomings:

• No picture in picture support. I love watching a video while playing a game so this is an important missing feature.
• On older shows the subtitles are really bad. I guess they use the original close captioning and often it's based on the script no the actual episode. But even for newer shows cc often lags behind the audio.
• Really bad show descriptions. Like a one sentence description of the show (not episode, the whole show) and nothing about the cast.
• Can't favorite shows or any way to mark shows for watching later. It does keep track of what episode you are on and where in the episode.
• For some shows (e.g. JAG) it doesn't have every episode. For JAG after season one it seems like half the episodes are missing. I'm guessing maybe due to copyrighted music.

For just watching shows it's ok so I guess this app compared favorably to a dumb television. But compared to the competition the Paramount+ app definitely hurts the service.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-04-16T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210416-spot-reviews-04-16-21.html#unique-entry-id-229https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210416-spot-reviews-04-16-21.html#unique-entry-id-229The Equalizer #1.01-1.04 (2021) [/] Queen Latifah as former CIA black ops agent Robyn McCall who decides to retire and do good for people in hopeless situations. With the help of former Air Force sniper Mel Bayani (Liza Lapira), Mel's husband, computer whiz Harry (Adam Holdberg), and perhaps ally perhaps hunter NYPD detective Marcus Dante (Tory Kittles) she helps out African-American downtrodden against rapacious rich white men. I mean, it's actually interesting enough that I watched a few episodes and mostly because Queen Latifah being a badass is something great to see.

Twitch - TriciaIsABirdy [+] "PRO chef trained at Le Cordon Bleu Tokyo in Classical French and Traditional Japanese Washoku Cusine. Previously a chef at 2 Michelin starred restaurant and have medals from the Japanese government for authentic Japanese cuisine. Come learn how to cook!" That seems to be an accurate description. I've only been to her channel once after a raid. She was preparing a Korean dish and she was talking to her viewers and smoothly switched to greeting the raiders and introducing herself then just went off for an hour with little stories and jokes before I had to leave. Definitely a memorable raid.

iOS App - FCC Speed Test [/] This app has been around for years but I guess because of previous administration it stopped being promoted. I read a news story that FCC was encouraging people to use this app again so they can get metrics. It measures upload and download bandwidths, latency, jitter, packet loss. Keeps a history with location. You can limit mobile data usage. Kind of basic interface but more useful than other speed tests I've used.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-04-14T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2021-tv-show-star-trek-picard-s1-2020.html#unique-entry-id-228https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2021-tv-show-star-trek-picard-s1-2020.html#unique-entry-id-228Star Trek: Picard is set a couple of decades after the last movie. Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) is retired and terminally ill when a young woman, Dahj (Isa Briones), finds him. Dahj is being hunted and it turns out she's an android made from Data's memory core (Brent Spiner reprises data in a few flashbacks and dream sequences as well as heartfelt goodbye scene in the last episode).

Picard can't prevent her death at the hands of Romulan Tal Shi'ar. But he resolves to try to save Dahj's identical sister Soji. To do that he hires a ship and recruits a team to help him...

Season one is a 10-episode arc about an AI threat to the galaxy, how the Tal Shi'ar is trying to save the galaxy by killing all androids, and how Picard tries to save one woman and finally put to rest his guilt over Data. You get some cool guest stars: Jeri Ryan as a frontier ranger Seven of Nine; Jonathan Frakes and Marina Syrtis as Riker and Troi, retired and happily married with a daughter; Brent Spiner as Data and Dr Soon's son Altan Inigo.

It's a good series though maybe a bit too dependent on bringing back former Star Trek actors.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-04-12T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210412-computer-game-ronin-2015.html#unique-entry-id-227https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210412-computer-game-ronin-2015.html#unique-entry-id-227Ronin is a modern day side-scrolling stealth ninja game with turn-based combat. You have a katana, have to hack computer terminals, kill all the guards, don't kill innocents, and eventually kill the five people that (I'm guessing) betrayed your father.

Controls are WASD for movement. Left mouse lets you choose where to jump with an arcing path animation so you know your exact path (and I think it's red towards the end if the jump is going to take longer than a turn). Right mouse + scroll to pan the camera and see the rest of the level.

Combat starts as soon as the bad guys are aware of you, so sneaking around in the dark and killing people stealthily is kind of doable but most of the time you have to alert the guards (i.e. there is no way to enter a room without them seeing you). A lot of times it's jump on a guard to knock them down then a second move to kill them. Meanwhile you can see red lines where each guard is shooting next turn (they're all aiming at you) so sometimes you can't kill a knocked down guard and have to go knock over someone else (it takes a guard 3 turns to get up).

As you get deeper into the game there are different bad guys. Armored samurai that does a straight line to you (covering a distance far more than you can move in a turn), though sometimes you can get him to charge right out a high rise window (normal bad guys for the most part don't move once a fight starts). I also saw a submachine gunner bad guy but effectively seems about the same as a normal bad guy.

In combat control is a bit fiddly. I got stuck in a level because it's hard to swing into a building through a window. Also the game crashed if a samurai killed you and there are no saves. When you start the game and continue it's at the start of a level. It does checkpoint as you do a level so if you die you go back to the end of the last fight or other significant event (and out of combat mode).

It's a Windows game and I couldn't get it to run on CrossOver with Steam installed. The GOG version is 32-bit but ran ok on my Mac mini (except the aforementioned crashing bug).

Overall it's a nice action game though perhaps trying to be a bit too cute with the turn-based combat.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-04-09T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210409-spot-reviews-04-09-21.html#unique-entry-id-226https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210409-spot-reviews-04-09-21.html#unique-entry-id-226Clarice #1.01 (2021) [] Taking place a year after Silence of the Lambs, Clarice Starling (Rebecca Breeds) is assigned to a special anti-serial killer task force. While she copes with PTSD she uncovers a possibly season-long conspiracy. Seems ok.

Progresso Split Pea with Ham Soup [/] Fairly tasty soup with carrots and potatoes. Liquid enough to eat straight out of the can (I'd say below average compared to other soups) though heating it up is obviously better. Relatively creamy once heated up.

Drāno Max Gel [/] I can't tell if one product works better than another. I had one very slow drain sink and one slow drain sink -- both from hair, shaving and probably mold. Two applications on the very slow and one on the slow cleared them both up. I'm assuming it kind of dissolves the outer layer of gunk which is why you want multiple applications (with hot water flush in between).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-04-07T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210407-tv-show-star-trek-discovery-s2-and-s3-2019-20.html#unique-entry-id-225https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210407-tv-show-star-trek-discovery-s2-and-s3-2019-20.html#unique-entry-id-225Season 2 (2019) and Season 3 (2020) were good but not as good as Season 1.

In Season 2 Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) takes temporary command while USS Enterprise is undergoing refits (and there's even an episode where we return to Talos IV). The season arc is the mystery of the Red Angel, a mysterious being trying to prevent an apocalyptic future from happening. Spock (Ethan Peck) finally makes an appearance and joins the crew for the second half, and Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) manages to repair their relationship.

In Season 3 USS Discovery ends up 900 years in the future after having saved the universe. But it's a future after a catastrophe destroyed almost all the dilithium in the galaxy. The Federation is a minor power after all the major worlds (Earth, Vulcan, Trill, etc) withdrew. Michael Burnham and USS Discovery spend half the season finding the remnants of the Federation and the second half finally finding how The Burn happened.

The plots are good and once they get to the future it gets a bit more zany (and deadly). Watching the episodes quickly the melodrama is more apparent. A lot of teary speeches, a lot of Burnham anguish (and other characters also have their angsty moments), a lot of cliffhanger episode endings.

It's a really good series but I think I'll be fine taking a couple years off and catching up again in the future.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-04-05T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210405-favorite-twitch-channels.html#unique-entry-id-224https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210405-favorite-twitch-channels.html#unique-entry-id-224
1. BotezLive - I started watching Twitch with WFM Alexandra Botez and now the channel is her and her younger sister Andrea doing chess and variety. They're zany and have a great chemistry. Chat has way too many people so that's no longer a draw of this channel.

2. akaNemsko - WGM Nemo started out in BotezLive and soon branched off to her own channel. I kind of hung around at first then got made a moderator and had to pay more attention and came to really like this channel. She's very good at chess (Woman Grandmaster) and does League of Legends and Poker. She's pretty honest about her experiences including trying to commit suicide, dropping out of University of Toronto (both have same reasons: trying for a double major for her parents not for herself), and the constant sexual harassment she gets as an online personality. An interesting person to follow.

After the above two it gets a bit rough. Nemo streams every day for 6 to 10 hours which means I don't have much bandwidth for other channels. Still, I do enjoy the following when I can catch them:

3. Neeko - An LoL and beginner chess streamer when she blew up due to her Ok Boomer tiktok video. She's now more variety and just chatting with a weekly cooking stream and sometimes chess for fun. I like Neeko because she's from California and is also fairly honest about her life and she has more of a fight-back-takes-no-shit Mexican girl attitude. She has a busy chat and allows speech I don't particularly care for so her chat is not a draw for this channel.

4. HashtagChess - South African friends WIM Jessie and Rebecca share this channel, mostly streaming separately because they live in different cities and one is more of a morning person and the other more of a night person. Jessie is more humorous and Rebecca tends to do a Marbles segment near the end of her streams (and I love Marbles on Stream).

5. AnnaCramling - Swedish WFM Anna Cramling is one of the peppiest persons on Twitch and her enthusiasm is infectious. She does mostly chess with some other games.

Ironically, because they're European time zone streamers I probably watch Hashtag and Anna Cramling more than US-based streamers because they stream when I'm not busy with BotezLive or Nemo. Neeko tends to stream later and I make more effort to watch her streams because she only streams about three times per week.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-04-02T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210402-spot-reviews-04-02-21.html#unique-entry-id-223https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210402-spot-reviews-04-02-21.html#unique-entry-id-223
Video Game - Outriders (2021) [/] akaNemsko demo'ed this game on her stream. This is a co-op (3 players) third-person science fiction shooter set on a remote colonized world. Someone mentioned it was like Gears of War and I think that's because combat is a lot of being behind cover and popping out to shoot. You have classes with specific skills and you loot things to get better equipment. Looks like an ok game.

macOS - Apple Music app [/] It's vey iOS like which looks nice but unwieldy for someone with thousands of music files. I really miss browser view (which was my standard view). Song view has the same look without the ability to filter quickly down to genre, artist and album. Hopefully that will be re-added in the future. Otherwise it's a music keeper and player and it does it as well as any other app except this one has Apple Music and iTunes Store integration.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-03-31T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210331-tv-show-star-trek-discover-s1-2017.html#unique-entry-id-222https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210331-tv-show-star-trek-discover-s1-2017.html#unique-entry-id-222Star Trek: Discovery and Season 1 was very good. It's set a few years before TOS (and in Season 2 USS Enterprise has just returned from her first 5-year mission under Captain Pike).

The show focuses on Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and in episode 1 she is First Officer on the USS Shenzhou under the command of Captain Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh). During an encounter with a Klingon ship (the first Klingon encounter in decades) Burnham commits an act of mutiny trying to save her ship. Unfortunately it's for naught and she starts a war between the Federation and Klingons.

Episode 2 begins a few months later with Burnham in prison. She is enlisted to serve on USS Discovery commanded by the unconventional Captain Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs) who believes Burnham did the right thing (Lorca is a bit of a shoot first kind of captain). First Officer Saru (Doug Jones) was science officer on Shenzhou and is not so sure about Burnham.

Discovery is equipped with an experimental Spore Drive. Apparently mushrooms all over the universe are interconnected in Mycelial Space, which also touches all alternate universes. It feels so crazy at first but they treat it seriously always and after a while I got used to it. Reminds me of science fiction stories that take one super science thing and extrapolate the rest on top of our normal world. Well, Spore Drive is the super science thing on top of the Star Trek universe.

Season 1 has three phases. The first half is the war with the Klingons. Then a few episodes trapped in the Mirror Universe. Then a few episodes back to resolve the war. It ends in a slight cliffhanger but Season 2 starts a whole new arc.

The special effects are amazing. They spent a lot of money per episode and it shows. The stories and characterizations are pretty good. As I mentioned it's a serial story and not all the episodic. 15 episodes means that the arc has to keep moving and there are no extraneous episodes.

Overall Season 1 is quite excellent.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-03-29T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210329-apple-ipad-5th-generation-wi-fi-2017.html#unique-entry-id-221https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210329-apple-ipad-5th-generation-wi-fi-2017.html#unique-entry-id-221iPad (5th generation) with 32 GB and Wi-Fi (no cellular) to use as a cheap ($330 + $100+ for a Logitech cover/keyboard) guest machine for Kooma. Unfortunately due to various circumstances she never visited so I've been using it on and off as an additional screen.

First off, it was already kind of slow when I bought it. 3+ years later and it's still kind of slow but doesn't seem noticeably worse. If you're looking at web sites or doing other low animation stuff it's fine. Even watching videos is fine but moderate games are slow and I'd rather not play games on it anymore.

32 GB storage has been fine. I don't store much media on it and you can stream if you need to.

It still supports the last iOS versions, maybe without all the features.

Anyways I use it for:

Watching Paramount+ since that doesn't support picture-in-picture
Playing Star Trek Timelines when I'm also using my other iPad for Raid Shadow Legends
As a rarely used backup to my iPad Pro

Since I don't expect guests anymore I don't expect to replace this with another low-end iPad. Still, it does show that the low-end iPad is quite useful for a few years.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-03-26T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210326-spot-reviews-03-26-21.html#unique-entry-id-220https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210326-spot-reviews-03-26-21.html#unique-entry-id-220
Movie - The Command (2018) [/] A Belgian-Luxembourgian film about the Russian submarine Kursk, which was lost during training exercises in 2000. It's got good submarine sequences and internals of the SSBN and there's good drama. But in the end you realize everybody died so all the stuff inside the submarine is pure fantasy which kind of detracts from the impact of the story.

Among Us - Werewolf Variant [/] I saw some Twitch streamers playing this variant (the Among Us devs seem pretty good about letting Twitch streamers suggest and beta test various mods). It's Among Us with Werewolf characters:

Jester - if you get voted off you win
Sheriff - can kill aliens
Metamorph - an alien that can shape change into another player character
Snitch - if you complete your tasks the aliens show up as red for you (and you show up as yellow to them)
Ghost - one player get this and if they die they get new tasks and can win the game as ghost

And a couple of other roles. It is kind of an expert play sort of mod as there are lots of moving parts.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-03-24T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210324-movie-elizabeth-harvest-2019.html#unique-entry-id-219https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210324-movie-elizabeth-harvest-2019.html#unique-entry-id-219Elizabeth Harvest is a modern day thriller set in a luxurious yet remote home. Elizabeth (Abbey Lee) marries the man of her dreams, scientist Dr Henry Kellenberg (Ciarán Hinds) and brings her home where she meets the help, Claire (Carla Gugino) and the blind Oliver (Matthew Beard). Henry tells Elizabeth that everything he has is hers also except for one room which she promises to never enter.

Henry goes away on business and after a day or two of boredom Elizabeth goes into the secret room and discovers a duplicate, a clone, sleeping in a vat. Unfortunately she is trapped there and when Henry returns she can't maintain composure and Henry hunts her down and murders her.

Reset to another Elizabeth coming home with Henry after their wedding. This one also finds out the secret and also can't keep calm but Elizabeth number 5 manages to kill Henry while Claire and Oliver are away. So what is she to do now?

A bit slow paced building up the situation and pretty much everything is eventually explained in various flashbacks. Abbey Lee is a supermodel and maybe not the best actress but Elizabeth is a bit confused at times due to being a clone with incomplete memories so it works out. Ciarán Hinds pulls off being amoral. Oliver as a character is interesting and Matthew Beard does a good job. Claire is a bit superfluous except in the flashbacks and Carla Gugino is an excellent actress given a character who seems to be there mostly to witness things.

Still, it's an interesting movie and fairly well put together.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-03-22T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210322-ios-app-paramount-plus-2021.html#unique-entry-id-218https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210322-ios-app-paramount-plus-2021.html#unique-entry-id-218Paramount+ app. These are my notes on the app, not so much the service.

• No PnP support. I didn't think anybody did that other than YouTube which makes PnP a subscriber benefit. So I can't play a game while watching Paramount+.
• It plays a 6-second Paramount+ logo video every time you go back to home page and tap to watch a video even if you're continuing.
• Skipping forward and back is a bit laggy compared with other video services.
• You can't favorite a show. You do get a row with shows you've been watching but that's not the same thing. Like I can't favorite something so I remember to watch it later.

On the plus sides you can watch in SD or HD, stream to a network device, use close captioning and it's fairly good at resuming about where you were when you suddenly switch to another device.

I don't remember if the CBS app was this bad because if it was then the user experience will probably not improve.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-03-19T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210319-spot-reviews-03-19-21.html#unique-entry-id-217https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210319-spot-reviews-03-19-21.html#unique-entry-id-217
Movie - Playing Cupid (2021) [/] For a high school business project teen Clara (Mia Quaranta De La Rosa) starts a matchmaking service and secretly engineers a match between her divorced dad David Martinez (Nicholas Gonzalez) and her teacher Kerri Fox (Laura Vandervoort). It's a nice safe Hallmark romantic movie.

Twitch - PhotoChess [/] WFM Maria Emelianova recently celebrated her two year anniversary on Twitch. She does chess content though leaning more towards puzzle battles. She also plays World of Warcraft and has done Lego building streams. Maria is a professional photographer mostly covering chess events and tournaments. She is a bit stoic but friendly. She also has cool hippo emotes. Unfortunately she does stream in the YEKT time zone, 12 hours difference from California so hard to catch her streams.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-03-17T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210317-movie-the-black-hole-1979.html#unique-entry-id-216https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210317-movie-the-black-hole-1979.html#unique-entry-id-216The Black Hole is a classic Disney live-action science fiction film back before they had Touchstone for this kind of fare.

On the way back to Earth USS Palomino encounters a giant black hole but more surprising a ship stationary well within the black hole's gravity well. It's the Cygnus, a giant exploration ship thought lost a couple decades ago. The Palomino decides to investigate and end up trapped by the black hole, forced to land on the Cygnus which is not as dead as they thought.

The crew of six -- Captain Dan Hollard (Robert Forster), Lieutenant Charlie Pizer (Joseph Bottoms), and the AI droid VINCENT (Roddy McDowall) are the ship crew; Dr Alex Durant (Anthony Perkins) and Dr Kate McCrae (Yvette Mimieux) are the mission scientists; Harry Booth (Ernest Borgnine) is a journalist documenting the mission -- end up meeting Cygnus' commander, Dr Hans Reinhardt (Maximilian Schell) and his thuggish droid Maximilian.

Dr Reinhardt plans to travel through the black hole and explore the other side and he's willing to let the Palomino crew fix their ship and observe his attempt from a distance. But there are secrets on the ship and once the Palomino crew find out Dr Reinhardt reluctantly decides to dispose of them...

Maximilian the robot was scary when I was a kid. Also when Dr Durant removes the face mask from one of Cygnus' robot crew. The special effects are not amazing considering earlier films like 2001 (1968) and Star Wars (1977), but still good. The story is a good science fiction story. The ending is a bit deux ex machina as it turns out the Palomino crew don't directly bring down Dr Reinhardt and the Cygnus.

Overall though, The Black Hole stands up and is still entertaining today.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-03-15T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210315-eyeworks-of-san-mateo.html#unique-entry-id-215https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210315-eyeworks-of-san-mateo.html#unique-entry-id-215Eyeworks of San Mateo for a decade this August and have been happy with their service. Dr Gary Lai, OD is my regular optometrist and he's capable and friendly. Dr Sharon Ho, OD, FAAO is the other optometrist and I've had her once when Dr Lai was unavailable and that was fine too.

They have equipment to test your eye in various ways and the usual eye charts and magnifying device to determine your prescription strength. They also sell frames and I'm guessing that's their profit margin so I'm not averse to buying a frame every year even though it costs me $300 or $400+ for a good frame and lenses with all the options.

Nowadays they use Sales Force which sends you texts to confirm appointments and you reply to confirm or change it. On the one hand neat on the other seems so Twentieth Century.

They're also in downtown San Mateo and now 10 minutes walk from my place so that's convenient.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-03-12T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210312-spot-reviews-03-12-21.html#unique-entry-id-214https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210312-spot-reviews-03-12-21.html#unique-entry-id-214
Movie - Squared Love (2021) [/] Polish romantic comedy wherein playboy Enzo (Mateusz Banasiuk) pursues car commercial co-star Klaudia (Adrianna Chlebicka) but he also starts to fall for grade school teacher Monika who happens to be Klaudia's real persona. It's a pleasant movie.

Podcast - Harold on Games (2018) [/] I've listened to the first 10 episodes. This is a tabletop board wargaming podcast and mostly talking with designers and industry people (Harold is also a published wargame designer). Interesting rather than engrossing but I think I'm not as into wargames as I used to be.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-03-10T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210310-movie-wolfwalkers-2020.html#unique-entry-id-212https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210310-movie-wolfwalkers-2020.html#unique-entry-id-212Wolfwalkers is an animated film set in Ireland of I guess around 17th century (based on the Protestant clothing, reminds me of pilgrims colonizing America). Robyn (Honor Kneafsey) and her father Bill (Sean Bean) are English folk who have come to live in a city in Northern Ireland (I'm guessing). The population is Irish, the rulers are English, and the villagers don't like the English.

Bill is a hunter tasked with ridding the nearby woods of wolves, which kind of butts up against Irish traditions and an old pact between the villagers and the wolfwalkers, almost mythical people who can talk to and become wolves. Robyn is a tomboy and wants to become a hunter like her dad. She wanders into the woods and meets Mebh (Eva Whittaker), a woods girl who turns out to be a wolfwalker.

It takes a bit but the two become friends, especially after Robyn discovers she can wolfwalk too due to getting bitten by Mebh. Robyn tries convincing Mebh to take the wolves and leave before the Lord Protector (Simon McBurney) has his army burn down the forest. Mebh though is waiting for her mother to come back, missing for a long time in her wolf form. Which brings us back to a mysterious voice in a covered cage that talks to Robyn when she's working in the Lord Protector's keep...

It's a fairly good tale for a younger audience and I also found it entertaining. The animation is evocative of period art. Voice acting is good and the characters are interesting. Overall a very good animated film.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-03-08T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210308-mac-mini-late-2014.html#unique-entry-id-213https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210308-mac-mini-late-2014.html#unique-entry-id-213
CPU: 2.8 GHz Intel Core i5
RAM: 8 GB 1600 MHz DDR3
Graphics: Intel Iris
Storage: Fusion Drive: 128 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD

I run macOS 10.13.6 + macOS Server 5.6.1. It's the last version of Server before Apple stripped out most of the software and the last version of macOS that runs that version of Server.

I run it headless which, after setup with static IP, works surprisingly well. After a reboot I can connect with Apple Remote Desktop at 1280 x 1024 full color and on a local network it almost as fast as being there.

The machine is in my bedroom and runs very quiet I guess because I'm barely using the storage space so most everything is on the SSD. The only time I notice it is when it starts a Time Machine backup because the Time Capsule HDD spins up.

The only problem I've seen is that it sometimes gets short on RAM. A lot of build_hd_index processes using up most of the RAM and from what I saw this is associated with Apple Remote Desktop usage. So might be a bug if I connect often.

Other than that my Mac mini has not given me any problems and it's a good compact headless machine and I expect the M1 version has continued that trend.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-03-05T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210305-spot-reviews-03-05-21.html#unique-entry-id-211https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210305-spot-reviews-03-05-21.html#unique-entry-id-211Trader Giotto's Organic Pesto Pizza with Tomatoes & Broccoli [/] This is a medium cheese pizza with tomato slices and chopped up broccoli. I guess you need to cook a bit longer than indicated or it eat it quickly -- the first slice was crispy but the other two started getting less crispy more soggy. Still, it's healthy and tastes good.

Podcast - The Veteran Wargamer (2016) [/] A podcast mostly about miniatures wargaming, historical and to a lesser extent fantasy and science fiction. Also related gaming topics (e.g., latest episode is wargaming ethics roundtable). Conversational and the host has a good voice. But miniature gaming is not really my interest.

Movie - Palmer (2021) [/] An AppleTV+ film. Former college football star Eddie Palmer (Justin Timberlake) is out of prison after a decade and tries to rebuild his life. Through happenstance he ends up having to take care of Sam Burgette (Ryder Allen), a precocious elementary school kid who takes a liking to Palmer. But then Sam's well-meaning but drug addict mom Shelly (Juno Temple) returns and Palmer realizes he doesn't want Sam to go back to that kind of home life... It's a slow-paced drama with good acting but you have to be in the mood for this kind of fare.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-03-03T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210303-anime-rosario-to-vampire-2008.html#unique-entry-id-209https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210303-anime-rosario-to-vampire-2008.html#unique-entry-id-209Rosario to Vampire is a schoolboy harem comedic anime. Tsukune Aono somehow ends up in a prestigious and remote private school that turns out to be a secret school for monsters trying to integrate with humans. Fortunately for him the rule is everyone must remain in human form. Unfortunately for him he often gets into fights where his opponents turn into their monster forms.

Before he even gets to the academy Tsukune meets Moka Kashiya and immediately falls in love. And she returns it and soon discovers he's a human but she's ok with it. Moka turns out to be a powerful vampire (strangely when she turns into monster form it's like an older Moka with a different personality unlike every other monster whose monster form is still the same personality as their human form). In any case almost every episode ends in a battle where vampire Moka beats the monster bad guy.

This being a harem series the first few episodes introduce different bad guys (or really bad girls) who end up joining the two's social circle. Kurumu Kurono, a succubus trying to charm all the school boys; Yukari Sendou, a young witch who falls for Mako; Mizore Shirayuki, a snow woman who thinks Tsukune is her only kindred soul.

As the series goes on the group joins the newspaper club and in the final episodes comes up against the machinations of the Protection Committee, a secret cabal of students that almost runs the school by bullying and extorting all the school clubs. It is because of Tsukune's compassion, decency, and human values that the group prevails and the school sees Tsukune as the real hero, a monster that never breaks human form...

Although a bit too fan service-y (lots of cleavage and panty shots) it's an ok series. It takes a while for the series plot to develop and the first half is pretty repetitive. But it gets better and the ending works out nicely.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-03-01T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210301-twitch-rivals.html#unique-entry-id-208https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210301-twitch-rivals.html#unique-entry-id-208Twitch Rivals is an event stream. They do one-day competitions pitching Twitch streamers against each other, often in games they're not expert with. Twitch handles the production including organization, scoring, and a pro host with guest analysts.

The beauty of this event is that you can watch the main broadcast and get an overall idea of what's going on, and/or you can watch individual streamers as they compete. Twitch Rivals recently did a chess hand and brain match and I watched (live) from one streamer's perspective and then watched the VODs for two other streamers and the main Twitch Rivals broadcast. The main channel was also doing two video streams so you could switch to the current scores (on mobile) or even have both videos showing (on desktop).

This is one of the few things Twitch can do really well. Most e-sports events either have the players there and you get just the main feed or the players are distributed but often not streaming themselves.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-02-26T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210226-spot-reviews-02-26-21.html#unique-entry-id-207https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210226-spot-reviews-02-26-21.html#unique-entry-id-207Trader Joe's Tarte au Brie et aux Tomates [/] It's sort of like a very thin pizza with brie cheese and tomatoes. Tastes fine but not as crunchy as it could have been. It says cook at 450 degrees which is the max on my toaster oven. Probably should have used the main oven, though way overkill for a 1-person pizza.

Web Site - Becoming Betty [/] Brenda's blog about Trader Joe's products. It's fairly professional and not affiliated with TJs. I think the reviews are fuller and more positive (i.e. she doesn't feel the need to find a drawback in every product) than other sites.

Documentary Series - Earth At Night In Color (2020) [/] This is a 6-episode half hour nature series narrated by Tom Hiddleston. The big thing is that they use high res night vision cameras and with post-processing you get night, starlit scenes that look like, not full daylight but like an overcast day. Each episode focuses on one nocturnal animal (or insect or bird) and they're pretty well done.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-02-24T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210224-movie-apollo-18-2011.html#unique-entry-id-206https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210224-movie-apollo-18-2011.html#unique-entry-id-206Apollo 18 is a horror found footage film about a secret Lunar mission. Captain Ben Anderson (Warren Christie) and Commander Nate Walker (Lloyd Owen) land on the moon to setup a new radar but their mission is beset by weird gremlins. Then they find a Russian lunar module from a heretofore unknown mission and later the body of the cosmonaut. The two come to realize that DoD is using them as bait because there is something else on the Moon stalking them...

It's a very low budget film but it's recreating mid 1970's film footage so it actually looks very good. It takes a long time for the monsters to show up but there are little hints and quick skitterrings that run past the camera lens. I think it gets pretty scary in a way that Blair Witch Project kind of did without the nausea (even the moving cameras are strapped on space suits so they don't move around wildly).

Overall I'm impressed with the film and it's suitably scary.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-02-22T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210222-three-peanuts.html#unique-entry-id-205https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210222-three-peanuts.html#unique-entry-id-205Handcooked Virginia Peanuts [+] I bought a 32-oz can of these at Trader Joe's for $10 or $15 a couple years ago. Maybe the best peanuts I've ever had. In fact there's a 20% sale for peanut month so I think I'll buy a couple of cans...

Planters Redskin Spanish Peanuts [+] I love roasted redskin peanuts. The skin is a crackly salty treat. Planters I'm not all that enthused about some of their peanuts but this one is really good.

Signature Farms Roasted Peanuts with Sea Salt [-] Safeway house brand roasted peanuts. I'd say barely roasted and salted (though the latter is fine with me). You get what you pay for.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-02-19T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210219-spot-reviews-02-19-21.html#unique-entry-id-204https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210219-spot-reviews-02-19-21.html#unique-entry-id-204Good Kisser (2019) [-] A lesbian character drama. Kate (Rachel Paulson) convinces girlfriend Jenna (Kari Alison Hodge) to try a threesome with the mysterious Mia (Julia Eringer). But as the night goes on it turns out Jenna has more in common with Mia than with Kate... Very low budget indie film and for that category it's an ok film.

Annie's Penne & Four Cheese Macaroni & Cheese [+] This one tastes pretty good and is one of the better Mac & Cheese products (although I loved Kraft as a kid now I realize the cheese is maybe too American and the round pasta is easy to overcook).

AyumiLove's Raid: Shadow Legends Guide [+] This is my go-to for Raid info on champions and what equipment and masteries to give them. Ranks champions vs every boss monster. Constantly updated and it seems like a one-man show so props.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-02-17T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210207-movie-the-outpost-2020.html#unique-entry-id-203https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210207-movie-the-outpost-2020.html#unique-entry-id-203The Outpost is a movie about the battle of COP Keating in Afghanistan. I've read about the battle in Romesha's book Red Platoon and watched a re-enactment in an episode of Medal of Honor. This film is based on a different book written by journalist Jake Tapper.

The film is a couple of hours long with the last 45 minutes or so being the battle. So more than half the film is introducing the characters and going over the fate of the three previous outpost commanders, which includes a bit about what the platoon was doing in that region.

The battle itself is fairly exciting and well done considering the low budget. You can pretty much tell what's going on and this is not a gory movie so nothing extremely graphic.

Overall it's a well done and entertaining film.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-02-15T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210215-apple-mail-plus-microsoft-exchange.html#unique-entry-id-202https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210215-apple-mail-plus-microsoft-exchange.html#unique-entry-id-202Microsoft Exchange. There is a native macOS client but I'm already using Apple Mail and Calendar and, although our corporate instructions said this does not work well, I decided to keep using my setup switching the backend.

Setup is really simple: go to System Preferences > Internet Accounts and add Exchange. You provide your corporate email address and password and it should login and start working, which for the most part it does.

Apple Calendar integration seems to work fairly well. I use the Exchange web client to create appointments if I need to (which I seldom do and that's why I've never used Apple Calendar itself to create them). You get an email for each event invite and when you accept in Calendar the email goes to the Trash.

Apple Mail integration is less stellar. It could be because I log into and out of VPN a lot so the network connection is not the most stable, but frequently an email only has header info and no contents. The only way I've gotten Apple Mail to reload the email is to go to Exchange web client and move the email out of Inbox and back into Inbox.

The other difficulty is that emails are not deleted on Exchange Server. When I move an email out of Inbox in Apple Mail it's out as far as I can tell, until I go to Exchange web client and see the Inbox has all the emails so far. So then I have to periodically go to Exchange web client to delete all those emails (itself not an easy process because there is no select all emails option).

I guess otherwise Apple Mail works ok. Compared to a simple POP3 or IMAP server though, MS Exchange Server integration is rather crappy and when you can't be better than the ground level competition that is disappointing.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-02-12T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210212-spot-reviews-02-12-21.html#unique-entry-id-201https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210212-spot-reviews-02-12-21.html#unique-entry-id-201Homefront (2013) [/] Action movie. Former DEA agent Phil Broker (Jason Sthatham) retires to a private identity back in his Louisiana hometown and becomes entangled with drug dealer Gator Bodine (James Franco) after his daughter and Bodine's nephew get into a schoolyard fight. It's entertaining enough.

Food - Rice-A-Roni Beef Flavor [/] Beef-flavored foods are usually a bit not-quite-there but taste fine if you don't compare with, say, freshly cooked ground beef. This is no different. Tastes ok but I could use a beef-flavored Ramen packet and it would taste very close. And I guess if you are already eating this with beef why do you need beef-flavored rice since actual beef will flavor it?

Website - Urban Dictionary [/] I moderate a busy Twitch channel and Urban Dictionary is one of the websites I use to look up unfamiliar terms. It's very hit and miss because it's crowdsourced and the crowd is not above meme-ing a bad definition to the top. Still, I have found many obscure insult there but I don't use it as my only source.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-02-10T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210210-movie-trilogy-the-expendables-1-3-2010-2014.html#unique-entry-id-200https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210210-movie-trilogy-the-expendables-1-3-2010-2014.html#unique-entry-id-200The Expendables is a 80's style retro-action series about a group of modern-day mercenaries led by Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone). Barney lead his small team -- knife thrower Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), big guy Gunner Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), the fourth regular Toll Road (Randy Couture), and others that don't quite get full status in all three films -- into missions where there are lots of explosions and high body counts with none of today's action-movie realism.

In the first movie they are up against a South American island dictator backed by a former CIA agent (Eric Roberts). The second movie has them in Eastern Europe trying to stop an arms dealer (Jean-Claude Van Damme) with a cache of refined plutonium. Movie three Barney takes it personally when he's asked to capture a former comrade turned arms dealer (Mel Gibson).

It's an ok throwback series. I guess the appeal is all the 80's movie stars that make it into the film. But personally I think I'd rather watch old 80's action films for this kind of action.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-02-08T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210208-apple-usb-superdrive.html#unique-entry-id-199https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210208-apple-usb-superdrive.html#unique-entry-id-199Apple USB SuperDrive and plug it in. I bought it at the end of 2016 and rarely use it but it works fine. Mostly I copy CDROM contents to my computer or rip DVDs (not CDs, I haven't bought a CD since way before that). Still works with macOS Catalina and I assume will work with Big Sur.

It works fine with my USB-C MBP with an Apple USB-C to USB-A adapter. Apparently uses too much power for plugging into the USB hub of my Dell 27" monitor (you get a warning saying it needs to be plugged directly because it needs more power).

This is really a relic technology and it's good that it's not built-in to Mac portables. As I said I don't buy music CDs anymore and DVDs rarely. Never got into Blue-Ray and now you can get 4K movies online so I'm glad I never got the Blue-Ray bandwagon. I really expect the SuperDrive to last forever considering how little I use it.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-02-05T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210205-spot-reviews-02-05-21.html#unique-entry-id-198https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210205-spot-reviews-02-05-21.html#unique-entry-id-198Trader Joe's Steamed Chicken Soup Dumplings [/] This is $3 for a package of 6 Xiao Long Bao which you microwave for 2 minutes and ready to eat. It's a dumpling with a bit of soup inside. It is salty and not as good as restaurant cooked but still fairly good considering it's a frozen food.

Movie - Mine (2016) [-] After a failed mission in the desert a Marine sniper (Armie Hammer) and his spotter (Tom Cullen) are caught in a minefield that kills the spotter and leaves the sniper stranded standing on a live mine. As he waits 2-1/2 days for a rescue the sniper has to battle the elements, dog attacks, hallucinations and a climactic firefight... I watched the first bit then started skipping forward through the rest of the movie because it's pretty boring. Cinematography is good and the acting is fine and the plot is ok but it just didn't stick with me.

macOS Utility - Get-It [-] Looking for an alternative youtube-dl UI. This one is Mac-only with a minimal interface. It uses homebrew to install dependent libraries but you click the button and it says "please wait..." and a few minutes later it's done and the download functionality doesn't seem to work. I guess maybe it's optimistic to think a simple UI in front half a dozen utilities is going to work flawlessly... Following the Readme instructions for installing the utilities using CLI seems to work, though once again if something goes wrong it's not apparent what it is and you have to look at a log file.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-02-03T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210203-movie-trilogy-star-wars-episodes-1-3-1999-2005.html#unique-entry-id-197https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210203-movie-trilogy-star-wars-episodes-1-3-1999-2005.html#unique-entry-id-197Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (1999) [/]
Star Wars: Attack of the Clones (2002) [/]
Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (2005) [/]

I watched Star Wars episodes 1-3 over the course of a month and realize I've never seen these movies in the theater nor completely until now. The Phantom Menace is the best of the three. New but familiar characters bouncing around familiar locations meeting beings that are three decades older in Star Wars episode 4. By the way, Jar Jar (Ahmed Best) is fine as a character and barely appears in the next two films (though more in Clone Wars).

Attack of the Clones is much less romantic than I expected. There is a bit of Anakin (Hayden Christensen) harboring a decade-long obsession over Padmé (Natalie Portman) and then it's suddenly she's also in love with him and they get married.

I like that the Clone Wars animated series takes place between episode 2 and 3. Once we get to Revenge of the Sith there are several characters that originated in Clone Wars making appearances. The part where the Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) has suborned all the clones I guess comes from Clone Wars since it came out of the blue to me. And it's got the nice touches of how the Emperor and Darth Vader got their looks.

Overall though I kind of feel this is the weakest trilogy of the Star Wars saga. Episodes 4-6 were produced first and there's a lot of nostalgia plus they were genre-breaking at the time. Episodes 7-9 are better produced and the stories seem a bit better developed and more epic. And I guess 7-9 are treading new ground whereas 1-3 start from an unknown point but have to end setting up episode 4.

Still, I did enjoy these three films and it's nice covering the back stories that setup the following two trilogies.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-02-01T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210201-glorious-model-o-wireless-mouse.html#unique-entry-id-196https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210201-glorious-model-o-wireless-mouse.html#unique-entry-id-196Glorious Model O Wireless because I had a 20% discount (which covers shipping and a bit more).

This is a 5-button gaming mouse with programmable LED lights. It's very light (lighter than my Magic Mouse) and has really high DPI (19k programmable which I guess is simulated). It comes with a special USB cable with fabric coating so it's really flexible and less impediment if you're using the mouse in wired mode. You can disconnect the mouse and plug-in the wireless adapter. It's kind of neat that for wireless it doesn't use USB but regular WIFI and the mouse and adapter are already paired. To a PC it still looks like a regular USB-connected mouse.

This is a right-handed mouse with two thumb buttons on the side. The other buttons are standard left, right, and scroll wheel/button. The Magic Mouse is small and comfortable in my apparently small hand. The Model O is a bit too big and for now it's uncomfortable after a few hours. I guess another thing is the scroll wheel seems a bit stiffer than I'd like, or maybe it's a bit too big.

Batter lasts about a day I think, maybe 10 hours of continuous use. Maybe longer if you turn off the lights. In general I get into the habit of turning off the mouse when not in use and using the Magic Mouse which last days of continuous use.

The biggest drawback is the PC-only configuration software. I tried to use CrossOver but it doesn't install and I thought I had a chance since communication to mouse is via USB. As such I can't program the buttons (the thumb buttons default to left button) and the lights cycle in default mode which is still nice. I guess I can try my VMWare but I really don't want to use it.

Overall it's an ok mouse for me. I wish the software worked on Mac otherwise I can live with the hardware drawbacks that are not quite right for me.

]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-01-29T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210129-spot-reviews-01-29-21.html#unique-entry-id-195https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210129-spot-reviews-01-29-21.html#unique-entry-id-195Mission of Honor (2018) [/] A Polish film set during WW2's Battle of Britain and focusing on 303 Squadron made up of Polish fighter pilots who made it out after Germany conquered Poland. It covers the formation of the squadron, early training, and then being thrown into the battle. There's the usual cast of fighter pilot characters, a bar fight, romance with RAF WAAF, and lots of pilots dying in various ways. It's a low budget movie but the fighter combats are not too bad. Overall an interesting movie though not great.

Documentary - Fireball: Visitoers from Darker Worlds (2020) [-] A documentary on Apple TV+ about meteors and the effect they've had throughout history. Werner Herzog directs and narrates, traveling around the world to look at various impact sites and talking to local scientists (for the scientific explanations) and historians (for how it affected local culture and religion). I did not find this approach interesting. I guess I wanted more science, less about social effects.

Food - Pasta Roni Butter & Garlic [/] Sort of light on flavor which I guess means it doesn't overpower whatever you eat it with. I tend to eat Pasta Roni by itself and this one is perfectly fine solo but not my favorite.

]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-01-27T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210127-mini-series-the-queens-gambit-2020.html#unique-entry-id-194https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210127-mini-series-the-queens-gambit-2020.html#unique-entry-id-194The Queen's Gambit is a Netflix 7-episode hour-long drama based on the book of the same name. It's set in 1950's and 1960's America and follows the rise of fictional woman chess player Elizabeth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy). From living in an orphanage and being taught chess by the custodian Mr Shaibel (Bill Camp) to being adopted and pursuing her neophyte chess career with the support of her adopted mother Alma Wheatley (Marielle Heller), being US co-champion and then champion by beating her chess rival Benny Watts (Thomas Brodie-Sangster), then finally facing and beating world champion Vasily Borgov (Marcin Dorociński) as part of an invitational tournament.

This is a series that took the chess world by storm, being very popular with everyone. The chess games shown are taken from real games and the game playing environment and moods are fairly accurate from what people have said. There is a little bit of sexism but nowhere near as bad as I've heard. Acting is good and Taylor-Joy does a good job of portraying someone emotionally detached from everything except for when it comes to chess.

Pacing is a bit slow. The first three episodes I found a bit boring. Then it starts to pick up and gets really interesting until the end.

Overall one of the better Netflix series.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-01-25T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210125-web-site-chess-com-p3.html#unique-entry-id-193https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210125-web-site-chess-com-p3.html#unique-entry-id-193 Puzzles. Chess.com has 150k puzzles in various categories. You can go through the puzzles and get a hint if you need it. As you solve puzzles you get a rating. All puzzles have a target time and if you beat it you get more rating. Sometimes if I can't solve a puzzle quickly I grind it until I find the answer and get like 1 point which still beats getting puzzle wrong. There is also a graph of your progress and later you can see your stats and see what categories you need to work on.

Puzzles --> Puzzle Rush. Back when this feature came out this was the reason I got a paid account so I could play it more than once a day. This is basically doing puzzles but with a 3 or 5 minute timer. If the time runs out or if you get three strikes the game ends and you're trying to solve as many puzzles as you can (and there's a leader board). There is also a survival mode with no timer but still three strikes ends the game. It's a pretty addictive mode.

Puzzles --> Puzzle Battle. After the success of Puzzle Rush they came out with Puzzle Battle which is Puzzle Rush vs another player. You're both doing the same puzzles. You have a Puzzle Battle rating which goes up and down as you win and lose games.

Puzzles --> Daily Puzzle. Like a newspaper chess puzzle.

Puzzles --> Solo Chess. Chess pieces are set up on the board. Capture pieces until there is only one left but no piece may capture more than two times and the King (if any) must be the last one standing. I guess the aim is to practice capture combinations. There is no scoring and the challenge mode is either you finish it or not so it kind of lacks gamification.

Puzzles --> Chess Drills. Here you can choose a category and practice puzzles based on a theme.

I do the Puzzles and Puzzle Rush. I just did my first Puzzle Battles today. Overall I probably use this section the most.





]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-01-22T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210122-spot-reviews-01-22-21.html#unique-entry-id-192https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210122-spot-reviews-01-22-21.html#unique-entry-id-192The Courier (2019) [/] An elite package courier (Olga Kurylenko) ends up protecting a witness (Amit Shah) from a professional hit team stalking them through a multi-level underground parking garage. Little do the villains know she's a former Eastern Bloc special forces. It's an ok action movie and I like the location as it reminds me of a Splinter Cell level also set in an underground parking garage.

Rice-A-Roni Cilantro Lime [+] I do love cilantro rice and this version is not bad. A little subtle with the seasoning but if you follow the instructions it comes out good. Sometimes I use a pan where I cooked meat in and that flavoring overpowers the rice so I have to stop doing that.

iOS Browser Extension - Hush (2021) [+] A simple extension that blocks the "Accept All Cookies" privacy warning every website added after the EU passed a big privacy law. If you always ignore it then this extension is for you. All it does is hide that prompt -- if you turn it off and revisit the web site it'll ask you again. I also checked that Firefox Focus doesn't do this so does not overlap. There is also a macOS 11+ version.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-01-20T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210120-movie-some-kind-of-wonderful-1987.html#unique-entry-id-191https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210120-movie-some-kind-of-wonderful-1987.html#unique-entry-id-191Some Kind of Wonderful is still one of my favorite teen romance movies. Keith (Eric Stoltz) is a high school art geek and his best friend Watts (Mary Stuart Masterson) is a tomboy punk drummer. He's always admired popular girl Amanda Jones (Lea Thompson) from afar and finally gets the courage to ask her out. It just so happens that she wants revenge on her boyfriend Hardy (Craig Sheffer) so she says yes.

The second half of the movie is this awkward romantic date that Keith has put so much money and effort putting together. This is where Keith and Amanda's views of each other collide. There are misconceptions but they learn there are good things about the other and maybe there's something there. But in the end Amanda realizes that Watts is the girl for Keith which leads to a nice ending.

I've seen this movie a few times and you do start noticing details in the dead space. Every shot tends to focus on one person who is doing something but it's the reaction of the other actor that gives the shot more meaning. I look forward to watching this film again in a couple of years.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-01-18T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210118-computer-game-bomber-crew-2017.html#unique-entry-id-190https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210118-computer-game-bomber-crew-2017.html#unique-entry-id-190Bomber Crew is a cartoony WW2 bomber simulation game. In the base game (there are many DLCs) you have a Lancaster bomber with a 7-person British crew: Pilot, Bombardier, Engineer, Navigator, Radio, two Gunners. Each crew station has several functions and during a real-time mission you have to keep juggling among the crew to get them to do their tasks, though the only "click at the right time" task is bombing and photographing. All other tasks are more tagging a target or clicking a command and letting the crew do the appropriate task.

You get money and intelligence after each mission. Money to get more equipment and upgrade it. Intelligence unlocks new equipment (both the bomber and your crew have equipment). Crew gain experience and level up to improve their skills -- veteran crew can handle a secondary station which is a useful backup.

There is a main campaign of a fair number of missions. Each round you get a choice of missions and at certain points there is a required mission to move to the next phase of the campaign. There is also a challenge mode with special missions.

I played this game a little bit. Seems to play smoothly. I quickly discovered that I don't like the real-time nature of the game. Well, not so much the RT as that there is no way to pause the game. You can slow down time but that has a charge that runs out. I guess that makes it more realistic trying to handle multiple things especially a bombing run but I found it too much.

Strangely, I remember being able to do an RT bomber game with The Dam Busters but that had simple joystick controls and one-button to switch to each station. I just found it really hard to switch around the various Bomber Crew views and then issue orders. So a game that looks interesting but not for me.

]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-01-15T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210115-spot-reviews-01-15-21.html#unique-entry-id-189https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210115-spot-reviews-01-15-21.html#unique-entry-id-189Queen's Blade (2009) [/] This is a 12-episode half hour anime series based on the Queen's Blade combat books. Like the combat books there is a lot of T&A and upper body nudity (the last of which is not really in the combat books). On the good side it does give backgrounds of all the characters, which the combat books do not go into at all. The various plots are sort of tied together by Leina who appears in almost every episode though usually not as a central character. Still, it's not an interesting series because of all the characters and introducing them just takes too much screen time.

Computer Game - Deadly Days (2019) [-] A $12 roguelite zombie survival game. You control a group of characters and the main control is clicking on a spot to have the characters move there and clicking on a loot location to have one character loot it. Otherwise though the characters move and act randomly and behave more like a cloud of insects. Collect people, food, gears, and items and slowly improve your party to eventually get to the meat factory producing zombie-creating burgers. I found the game too fast-paced and lack of character control is pretty tilting.

Twitch - BotezLive - Blockchamps event (2020) [+] Blockchamps was a chess tournament where 8 Minecraft streamers competed for $25k in prizes. BotezLive hosted the event (you'll need to be a channel subscriber to watch the VOD or there will be an edited version on their YouTube channel) and I watched the whole thing, which ran 6 hours including many breaks. The participants were beginner chess players but very entertaining throughout and some pretty exciting games.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-01-13T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210113-tv-series-tehran-s1-2020.html#unique-entry-id-188https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210113-tv-series-tehran-s1-2020.html#unique-entry-id-188Tehran is an Israeli spy thriller tv show of eight episodes. Mossad agent Tamar (Niv Sultan) is sent into Tehran to sabotage a military computer network so that the Israeli Air Force can bomb a nuclear plant. Unfortunately the mission doesn't go as planned and Tamar ends up on the run while both Iran internal security investigator Faraz (Shaun Toub) and her contact search for her. Luckily Tamar's family is originally from Iran and she still has family and a secret contact which Mossad doesn't know about...

This show is aired in the USA on Apple TV+. It starts out pretty interesting but, kind of surprising since it's only eight hour-long episodes, the storyline kind of meanders and seems padded. A tight three or four episode arc would have been much more interesting. And season one also ends in a cliffhanger with Tamar still on her own in Tehran. I guess with the title of the show it has to be that way but it's a bit too soap opera for me so I won't be watching season two.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-01-11T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210111-web-site-chess-com-p2.html#unique-entry-id-187https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210111-web-site-chess-com-p2.html#unique-entry-id-187 Live Chess. Chess.com supports many different settings for standard chess. You can select one of several time controls (default is 10 min per player, no increment) or define your own time control (all time controls are time + increment without second or third time controls after X number of moves like in classical chess). When you click Play you go into the pool and are paired with another player looking for the same time control. You can set the range of ELO you will play against and can challenge friends. When you play with a friend you can let the computer set a handicap: it will remove pieces from the stronger player.

Play supports these games:

• Standard chess
• Live960 - Fischer Random, where the back rank pieces are set up randomly (though mirrored with the other player) with some limits. There are 960 starting position combinations hence the name.
• 3 Check - Winner is whomever checks the other King three times. Lots of sacrificing pieces just to get a check.
• King of the Hill - Win is either checkmating the other King or getting your King to one of the four central squares.
• Crazyhouse - Taken pieces can be put back on the board (instead of a regular move)
• Bughouse - Two-player Crazyhouse. Your partner can use the pieces you take on their board.

Chess.com ratings are based on game type and, for standard chess, time control. Bullet is 1 to 3 minutes per player, Blitz is more than 3 to less than 10 minutes, Rapid is 10 minutes or longer. Time = starting time + 40 moves of increment.

Play --> Daily Chess. Here you can play correspondence chess games where it is one more per day (or multiple days). You are allowed to research your game (i.e. consult books) but not use a computer engine.

Play --> Computer. Play against a computer opponent. There are a few dozen of various skill levels or even adaptive (they play better or worse throughout the game to match your level). There are also personality bots: Beth Harmon (from The Queen's Gambit), chess streamers and top players. And you can just play against Stockfish at level 1 to 25.

The bots are not a realistic experience. They tend to play very well and make random blunders with more blunders at lower levels. The personality bots don't really play like their namesakes, though they are programmed with appropriate quips. You used to be able to play the bots for chess.com rating but I guess that got abused, though I did use it myself to get from 1000 to 1300 elo.

Play --> Tournaments. Chess.com has many automatic tournaments of different types throughout the day. A club can also run a tournament for its members or for anyone (and anyone can create a club). There are also special event tournaments: Title Tuesday for titled players, Arena Kings for anyone, and others.

Play --> Four Player Chess. For some reason this is set up as a separate application. 4PC is on an 8x8 board with 3x8 extensions on each side. Each extension has one player. You can play free-for-all in which case the winner is the one that scores the most points (piece value of piece taken and 20 points if you checkmate someone). In a team game the opposite side players are one the same team and the winner is to first checkmate.

Play --> Variants. In addition to the variants in Live Chess and Four Player Chess there are:

• Fog of War - You can't see opponent's pieces unless you can attack them.
• Atomic - When a piece is captured it explodes.
• Horde - One side is just a lot of pawns.
• Chaturanga - An old version of chess where the "queen" moves one space diagonally, "bishops" jump two squares diagonally, and pawns don't get their two-square move.
• Giveaway - Give away all your pieves to win.
• Blindfold - Neither side can see any pieces.
• Capture Anything - You can capture your own pieces too.
• Sideways Pawns - Pawns can move sideways too.
• Torpedo - Pawns can always move one or two squares forward.
• No Castling - Players can't castle.

And yeah, it's kind of bad UI to have different game types spread out in different menus.

(to be continued)]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-01-08T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210108-spot-reviews-01-08-21.html#unique-entry-id-186https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210108-spot-reviews-01-08-21.html#unique-entry-id-186Trader Joe's Roasted Vegetables [/] These were ok. Potatoes, Zucchini/Squash. Onions, Bell Peppers with some roasting-type seasonings. Brussel Sprouts too but they didn't come out too well, a bit tough and bitter. It's hard to get Brussel Sprouts right, maybe if I had oven baked instead of microwaving.

Steam Wishlists [+] You can view people's wish lists. When you buy a game if you say this is a gift it'll show your friends and highlight if any of them have the game wish listed. If your friend refuses the gift you get refunded.

Podcast - The GROGNARD Files (2015) [/] A podcast about classic role-playing games from the memories of a UK gaming group who played them heavily when they were young, stopped playing RPGs, then got back into RPGs. It's kind of meandering and sometimes their perspective is a little weird to me. I've listened to the first 15+ episodes and for now I'll keep listening or I might go look for a better old-school rpg podcast.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-01-06T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210106-movie-the-old-guard-2020.html#unique-entry-id-183https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210106-movie-the-old-guard-2020.html#unique-entry-id-183The Old Guard is a modern day action film. Andy (Charlize Theron) leads a small band of immortals who have been trying to do good through the centuries (doing good usually involving killing bad guys of course). But lately she's been having doubts that their work makes a difference since the world seems to be getting worse over time.

Unfortunately their latest mission is a trap that exposes their abilities. Now they have to stop big pharma CEO Steven Merrick (Harry Melling) and his hired mercenaries from capturing them and experimenting on them. Also, a new immortal is born and it's up to Andy and the others to bring her into the fold even though she may be unwilling...

It's a medium budget movie and it has good action scenes and special effects. It's good having a new immortal so she gets all the historical explanations. Theron is kick ass as always in action movies. The teams small unit tactics is pretty cool looking. There is a setup for a sequel and I never really like that. Maybe if it had been done as an after-end-of-credits surprise.

Anyway, I like the film.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-01-04T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210104-cisco-dpc3008-cable-modem.html#unique-entry-id-182https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210104-cisco-dpc3008-cable-modem.html#unique-entry-id-182Cisco DPC3008 8x4 DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem just died. It has a manufacturing date of 03/13 so I probably was using it for 7+ years and it gave very good performance the whole time (well, the last couple of years it was best to reboot it monthly otherwise it would get slowish and stay that way).

I'm replacing it with a 24x8 DOCSIS 3.0 modem which supports 600+ Mb per second. The DPC3008 I think was getting about 200 Mbps max (say a big file download from a speedy site) though it was usually half that (big file download from a big site and busy site like YouTube or Twitch). That seems right: 8 download channels vs 24 for the new modem.

DPC3008 was a model electronic appliance. Pug it in (there was like no setup) and don't worry about it for years.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2021-01-01T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210101-spot-reviews-01-01-21.html#unique-entry-id-179https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20210101-spot-reviews-01-01-21.html#unique-entry-id-179Trader Joe's Cold Smoked Salmon Fleurettes with Creamy Filling [+] This was I think $10 for 12 pieces. It's just a strip of smoked salmon with a cream cheese-like filling and it's oily and good.

Movie - Project Christmas Wish (2020) [/] Hallmark Channel holiday romantic movie. Lucy (Amanda Schull) is the local town Christmas wishbringer but has her hands full when young Max (Averie Peters) asks for a Christmas with her father Lucas (Travis Van Winkle) like they used to have before mom passed away. But Lucas is not so keen to be the talk of the town... It's comfortable, predictable and has a good ending.

Peet's Coffee: Major Dickason's Blend [/] This is dark roast coffee and usually the one I buy because you can get it in a large pack (18 oz). To me it tastes like normal coffee and I drink it with milk (mind you I don't drink black coffee if I can help it).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-12-30T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201230-movie-the-midnight-sky-2020.html#unique-entry-id-173https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201230-movie-the-midnight-sky-2020.html#unique-entry-id-173The Midnight Sky is a science fiction drama set in 2049. After a global disaster effectively kills off humanity Dr Augustine Lofthouse (George Clooney) is left alone at an Arctic research base. Well, not so alone as a young girl, Iris (Caoilinn Springall), was accidentally left behind during the hurried evacuation. Takes a while but the two start to bond.

Meanwhile there is one space mission still active. The space ship Aether is on the way from Jupiter's moon K-23, a habitable planet discovered 30-odd years ago. Aether was sent to determine if it's suitable for habitation and it is and now the five crew are on their way back. But with Earth dead Dr Augustine wants to warn Aether. The communications antenna at his base is not strong enough so he and Iris need to journey 100 km to an automated station that has a more powerful antenna.

On the one hand Augustine and Iris brave the arctic terrain and bad air (whatever it was that killed off everyone is in the air and the contaminated air is working its way to the poles). Meanwhile the crew of Aether have a couple of emergencies to keep them occupied on the way back...

I'm kind of surprised I watched the whole 2-hour movie because it's a rather dull and slow-paced story.

***** SPOILERS *****

he drama seems manufactured. Augustine and Iris loses it's charm half way through the movie once I realize both characters have to die: Augustine is easy because he has terminal cancer and therefore Iris has to be a hallucination (which turns out true) otherwise it'd be a grim ending for her.

The science kind of drove me nuts. Undiscovered habitable planet close to Jupiter. Aether is huge with so much empty internal space for just five people. The amount of time that seems to pass at the base before Augustine decides to go out and meanwhile the base (which had dozens of people requiring multiple large helicopters to take out) seems fully powered with no problems. In the end only two people, a couple, head back to K-23 and that does not seem viable to continue the human race.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-12-28T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201228-web-site-chess-com-p1.html#unique-entry-id-174https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201228-web-site-chess-com-p1.html#unique-entry-id-174Chess.com is the chess site I use and no matter how bad it might be I'd still use it because most Twitch chess streamers I watch are on chess.com and most titled chess players play on chess.com and chess.com has the largest player base (over lichess.org and chess24.com).

But luckily it's a pretty good chess site. Since it is global you can find opponents at any time day or night. Games run well (it's an html chess client running on your browser communicating with the chess.com servers) though since its client side html it can lag in fast games (but most beginners won't see that as they'll be playing longer games). A good computer and good internet connection are important.

We'll review by going through the sections.

Home

• Messages - a rudimentary email system and you also get notifications here. On your main email you'll often just get an email that says you have a message on chess.com and a link to go view the message. I don't particularly like that it's this disjoint.
• Stats - you have statistics for the various game modes. You can drill down to specific games and replay or analyze them, even your first games (a move record of a chess game takes very little data). You can do queries to help you find specific games and even find games by opening played.
• Awards - they have game-ification badges for various site achievements like playing your first game or playing a game with a specific opening. I'm not really into these.
• Profile - a profile that other's see, including a notes section where people can post notes to you. Besides setting your and location you have a blank section where you can put whatever you want (using a rich text editor) and I've seen people put several pages of info about themselves.
• Membership - free membership you can play games and do some analysis, puzzles and learning courses. Gold ($30/year), Platinum ($50/year) and Diamond ($100/year) memberships unlock more and more features. I did free for a few months then moved to Diamond. Some chess streamers hold tournaments with 1-month membership prizes. There is also a 7-day free trial.
• Theme - you can change the theme of your chessboard or customize among a selection of boards and pieces. You can't upload your own board or pieces.
• Settings - there are actually a lot of settings though the defaults work fine. But it's not a super-customizable site.

(to be continued)
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-12-25T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201225-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-171https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201225-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-171Trader Joe's Grass Fed Beef Sirloin Roast [/] This comes in a box net weight about a pound. It's sealed but no tray so if you want to heat it in the oven you need to provide a tray (I re-used one from one of the other Trader Joe's meat packages). Comes out pretty good and not dry. It's pre-sliced a bit thin though not quite all the way sometimes. Overall seems worth $11.

Rice-A-Roni Buffalo Chicken [/] This is rice, no vermicelli. "Rice, cayenne red pepper and chicken broth..." It's very mild and not at all spicy to me though it still tastes good.

macOS Utility - Soundflower 2.0b2 [/] This is a MIDI extension that allows you to create an input sound source out of one or more output sound sources. The end result is that you can output the sound from a computer game to the input of Garageband and record it. Rogue Amoeba's Loopback is a professional version of this function but that is $100 and Soundflower is free (open source).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-12-23T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201223-movie-work-it-2020.html#unique-entry-id-170https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201223-movie-work-it-2020.html#unique-entry-id-170Work It, high school over-achiever Quinn (Sabrina Carpenter) has her Duke dreams dashed unless she can make it on her school's award-winning dance team. When she fails that she convinces her friend Jasmine (Liza Koshy) to quit the dance team to start their own team based on other teens with dance abilities but not dancers: goth Raven (Bianca Asilo), soccer goalie Chris (Neil Robles), mix-tape god DJ (Nathaniel Scarlette), karate student Robby (Tyler Hutchings) and Indian dancer Priya (Indiana Mehta).

Quinn even gets former school choreographer Jake (Jordan Fisher) to agree to help them if they make it past qualifiers. Not easy because the team is raw and no matter how much Quinn tries she's an indifferent dancer. But the team makes it to the main competition and the close working relationship allows romance to develop between Quinn and Jake. Everything could be ruined though when Quinn's grades fall, her mom (Michelle Buteau) finds out and forbids Quinn from dancing...

This is neither a very original film nor all that unpredictable. I like the dance team -- the characters don't get much screen time but they're distinct and their dance styles are also distinct. I'm not sure Carpenter is a dancer so Quinn's dancing is very natural or more likely Carpenter is good enough to make it look like Quinn is always a beat off from the rest of the team. There are two or three dance numbers which are done well though this is not a musical.

Overall it's a dance-themed comfort film that doesn't push boundaries and relies on Carpenter to carry the load which she does well.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-12-21T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201221-twitch-favorite-channels.html#unique-entry-id-169https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201221-twitch-favorite-channels.html#unique-entry-id-169
BotezLive [+] - My first regularly followed channel. Sisters Alexandra and Andrea Botez play chess and other games. Often troll each other and set up impossible bets. Woman FIDE Master Alexandra is the older and more mature on while Andrea brings a loud voice, constant energy, and a certain charming obliviousness to what's happening on the computer. The Botez sisters recently signed with Envy, an e-sports org, I assume as content creators rather than players.

akaNemsko [+] - Woman Grandmaster Qiyu "Nemo" Zhou was part of BotezLive for a couple of months but she was too popular so branched out to her own channel and is one of the newest stars in the chess category. She streams chess and League of Legends mostly though also players other games (not Among Us because she's an inexpert lier). Has a good rapport with chat and streams almost every day for 6+ hours. Became the first chess streamer to sign with an org and is a content creator for Counter Logic Gaming.

JoeBruin [/] - Joe Lee is a recent graduate of UCLA and is trying to get into medical school (MCAT exams were kind of shut down during COVID-19). He's an expert level chess player, self-taught, and is very good at going over people's games and guessing at what they were thinking at various points so it's quite educational. Joe streams mostly chess but also Fortnite, Valorant, Among Us and other games. He used to have two turtles on cam but set them free to live at the UCLA botanical gardens.

Neeko [/] - Nicole was a fairly small streamer until one of her Tiktoks was posted on Twitter and it went viral. I remember watching that first stream after and constant people following her channel. She's more of a Just Chatting streamer that plays games. She's a content creator for 100 Thieves and does a lot of sponsored streams and charity streams. She's Mexican-American (from California's central valley) and keeps her channel Spanish-friendly, often repeating what she says so people of both languages understand.

Zefcatt [/] - Sara Herman is a chess streamer though also plays other games like Among Us with chat. Her chat is a bit more teenage KEKW than the others. She also has a sibling that started streaming a bit and is often in Sara's chat. Sara plays on lichess.org unlike the four previous streamers though she will do chess.com puzzles and puzzle battles.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-12-18T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201218-spot-reviews-12-18-20.html#unique-entry-id-168https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201218-spot-reviews-12-18-20.html#unique-entry-id-168GURPS WWII: Iron Cross (2002) [/] 128-page supplement for GURPS WWII covering Germany. I think it concentrates more on internal Germany than the various fronts because those are covered in other supplements.

GURPS WWII: Dogfaces (2003) [/] 128-page supplement covering USA with the Pacific and Western fronts.

GURPS WWII: All the King's Men (2004) [/] 128-page supplement covering Britain and the Commonwealth with a focus on North Africa.

Taken together the above three books are the only major combatant big supplement books printed (there is WWII: Red Tide for the Russians, never printed but available on PDF). Other combatants -- France, Italy, Poland, Finland, and Romania -- get smaller 32 to 48 page books. Each book has history usually from WWI to the end of WWII, character creation notes, some new (but less common) equipment and vehicles and adventure and campaign ideas, though the latter is pretty broad and shallow.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-12-16T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201216-movie-ava-2020.html#unique-entry-id-167https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201216-movie-ava-2020.html#unique-entry-id-167Ava (Jessica Chastain) a former drug addict, former US Army spec ops, now an international assassin working for a mysterious organization. Unfortunately she's once again been having doubts about her job, asking victims what they've done to make sure she's assassinating evil people. This is intolerable to the current head of the assassins, Simon (Colin Farrell), who decides to have her be killed accidentally on her next mission or accidentally via another assassin. That puts Simon in conflict with his former mentor and Ava's current handler Duke (John Malkovich).

Meanwhile Ava takes a break and finally returns home to visit her mother Bobbi (Geena Davis), sister Judy (Jess Weixler) and Judy fiancé (and Ava's jilted fiancé) Michael (Common). Ava hasn't been back since she joined the Army, not even for step-dad's funeral but she hated him anyway. It's a strained relationship with her family that she's rarely talked to in years and they have no idea what she really does for a living...

It's an interesting action movie. Delving more into character development and relationships than usual for the genre. As such there are only a few action sequences though they are pretty entertaining. The movie also ends in a bit of a cliffhanger setting up a sequel which I don't really appreciate. But Jessica Chastain kicking ass is way cool so I forgive that.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-12-14T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201214-food-trader-joes-traditional-meatloaf.html#unique-entry-id-166https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201214-food-trader-joes-traditional-meatloaf.html#unique-entry-id-166
Saying the above, Trader Joe's Traditional Meatloaf is really good. It comes kind of vacuum sealed and has a plastic tray. You take the meatloaf out and use the tray to cook it in a microwave or oven -- I used my toaster oven. It has enough grease that it's not dry but it's not greasy. Taste is just fine and the shape holds up well and doesn't fall apart. I'm guessing fairly fresh since expiration date is like a week.

Overall good enough that I specifically went to Trader Joe's to buy some for Christmas dinner but they were out.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-12-11T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201211-spot-reviews-12-11-20.html#unique-entry-id-165https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201211-spot-reviews-12-11-20.html#unique-entry-id-165Rice-a-Roni Chicken & Garlic [/] Rice and vermicelli with a chicken broth and garlic sauce. It's one of the least flavorful Rice-a-Roni's or you can consider it the most neutral. Not my favorite.

Web Site - Typeracer [/] Web-based typing game you play against others. Pretty simple design and execution but fun.

Web Site - Little Big Snake [/] Reminds me of a Flash-based snake game. You can play on your browser or mobile. You're playing in a big world with other people. On browser snake follows your cursor and the game moves fast. And then it has the usual free-to-play accelerators like getting regular rewards and watching ads to get into a game faster.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-12-09T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201209-tv-show-teenage-bounty-hunters-1-01-to-1-07-2020.html#unique-entry-id-164https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201209-tv-show-teenage-bounty-hunters-1-01-to-1-07-2020.html#unique-entry-id-164Teenage Bounty Hunters is a Netflix television show about twin teen sisters Sterling (Maddie Phillips) and Blair (Angelica Bette Fellini) who, in order to earn money, take up the exciting life of bounty hunting under the somewhat unwilling tutelage of Bowser (Kadeem Hardison).The show showcases the dichotomy of two middle-class suburban, religious, conservative white teens handling a profession outside their known social culture.

There is this part where the teens "talk" to each other and discuss what to do next with basically no time passing, I guess to simulate how twins (even if they are fraternal twins) know what each other is thinking. Both teens are dealing with their boyfriends. Sterling is more religious and group leader while Blair is the rebel liberal who cares about the environment and social issues. Bowser also has relationship issues, attracted to his ex-wife's sister but still having a bit of attraction to his crazy ex-wife.

I watched the first seven of ten episodes. Each has a case they're pursuing though half or more of an episode are the B plots. After six episodes I realized I wasn't really engaged with the show, though the end of that sixth episode made me watch the seventh episode. Overall it's an ok show but doesn't quite stick with me. Nextflix cancelled the show after one season.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-12-07T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201207-computer-game-serial-cleaner-2017.html#unique-entry-id-162https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201207-computer-game-serial-cleaner-2017.html#unique-entry-id-162Serial Cleaner is an isometric view stealth game. You are the Cleaner, a contractor hired to clean up after a murder before the police can investigate. In this case though the police are already on site guarding the crime scene and you have to sneak around disposing bodies, picking up evidence and mopping up blood.

It's a keyboard game: arrow keys to move around, A to pick up evidence or hide, S to pick up a body or drop it (making A and S distinct helps since you can drop a body right next to a hiding place and you wouldn't want to accidentally pick it up again instead of hiding), space to show Cleaner vision which is the whole map with real-time guard activity and location of every body, blood splatter, evidence, hiding place, movable object and teleport spaces with links.

Guards move in predictable patterns. They have vision cones which you must avoid. You also make noise while walking or vacuuming and there is a noise diamond around you when you're making noise. If a guard sees you he'll chase after you (rarely, some guards are set to shoot or sound a general alarm) and if you can get out of the vision cone the guard will stop at your last seen location and look around. Mind you in most levels guards move faster than you so getting away really means getting to the nearest hiding space (even if a guard sees you jump into a bush he won't be able to find you).

The main story is 20 levels. You are working for the mob and later a mysterious client who wants you to clean up after a serial killer. As you dump bodies or pick up evidence you emit bits of dialog and in before each level there is a bit of "at home" time where you can pick up news and talk to your mom. The story evolves about you becoming sick of cleaning up after a serial killer and eventually you have to confront the killer and defeat him.

Each level has a bonus item to pick up. There are 10 outfits and 10 bonus missions. The missions are based on movies -- there is one set in a Mos Eisley cantina and one set on the Nostromo (well, kind of in both cases). Further more there are achievements and challenge modes with leader boards, so you can try playing without cleaner vision and see if you can make the leader board for that.

It's not a long game. I'm thinking it took me a few days to do the main story (levels can take a minute or two but you get caught often so have to keep retrying) and one night to do all the bonus missions. It's not a macOS 64-bit binary so I used the Windows version via CrossOver + Steam and it worked fine (though even on idle it uses a lot of CPU). $15 on Steam.

It's a fun game. Each level is a puzzle, mixed with suspense and action. A good combination.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-12-04T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201204-spot-reviews-12-04-20.html#unique-entry-id-161https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201204-spot-reviews-12-04-20.html#unique-entry-id-161DecodeChess [/] This is a web site that analyzes your games and tries to explain the why of suggested moves. Most chess engines give you the best two or three lines (next few moves) and maybe there's a rating score but no other explanation. Decode gives you the line but for each move you can expand and see why that move is good or bad (because you can do these other moves or it protects from these enemy moves). Although now the problem may be too much information. Still it's a cool idea. Subscription is $7 per month.

Computer Game - Spellbreak [/] Battle royale game with mages. It does look a lot like Fortnite with magic including airdropping onto an island and a smaller and smaller circles with a surrounding storm but no building. There are six elements and you combine two for specific spell effect. Looks ok.

Movie - Underwater (2020) [/] A mining settlement deep in the Mariana Trench (the deepest point of the oceans) suffers a catastrophe. Six survivors use underwater suits to try to walk to the mining rig six kilometers away but they are beset by undiscovered creatures that live there. It starts off ok but the physics become less and less logical. With Kristen Stewart and TJ Miller.


]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-12-02T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201202-movie-maleficent-mistress-of-evil-2019.html#unique-entry-id-160https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201202-movie-maleficent-mistress-of-evil-2019.html#unique-entry-id-160Maleficent: Mistress of Evil continues the story a few years later. In the interim period the Sleeping Beauty story has spread, painting Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) as the evil witch and Prince Phillip (Harris Dickinson) as the hero. Because of this Maleficent has become a recluse using her minion Diaval (Sam Riley) to bring her news.

Aurora (Elle Fanning) and Prince Phillip are getting married, uniting the Kingdom of Ulstead with the Moors. Maleficent is invited to a wedding feast where she meets King John (Robert Lindsay) and Queen Ingrith (Michelle Pfeiffer). John wants peace. Ingrith is hostile and provoke Maleficent. When Maleficent strikes back King John is stricken with a curse. Maleficent is mortally wounded and goes over a waterfall.

Everyone, including Aurora, believes Maleficent cursed King John. Queen Ingrith is finally ready to implement her master plan: wiping out all the Moorfolk and conquering the Moors. Meanwhile Maleficent wakes up in the hidden city of the fey -- her people long believed to be extinct. She was rescued by their leader Conall (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who wants peace with the humans. Borra (Ed Skrein) leads the war faction, who believe that the only way to save themselves is to wipe out Ulstead, and with Maleficent's magic they think they can pull it off...

This is an ok movie. When I first watched Maleficent I was enamored with the story. When I rewatched Maleficent last month it was an entertaining story but not enthralling. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is likewise entertaining but not a great movie. It has more fairy tale story predictability than Maleficent and trades off further developing Maleficent/Aurora with developing them as independent characters. For a sequel it holds up.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-11-30T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201130-revisit-into-the-breach-2018.html#unique-entry-id-159https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201130-revisit-into-the-breach-2018.html#unique-entry-id-159Into the Breach three months ago I found it a nice contained tactical game and mentioned there was some replay ability but had only played with the base squad of Mechs. I've spent the last three months playing most days and discovered that each of the seven other squads change the game play significantly.

Rusting Hulks: a flying Mech that jumps over enemies to stun them in smoke, an artillery Mech with a secondary weapon that inflicts damage to Kaiju in smoke, a Mech that pushes surrounding units. This squad doesn't kill quickly but creating smoke and pushing Kaiju in smoke also stops their attacks so you have a bit of time.

Zenith Guard: laser Mech that damages all in a straight line (you have to place carefully to not hit buildings), ramming Mech that takes damage as you deal it (the pilot that adds Mech armor is very useful here), flying Mech that can pull a target a square closer or throw a shield over units and buildings. With this squad I tend to use the flyer to shield the rammer so it doesn't take damage the first couple of attacks.

Blitzkrieg: lightning Mech that damages a chain of units and chain can continue through buildings, harpoon Mech that can bring a distant unit to adjacent range, rock throwing Mech that can do damage or use its rocks to block paths and emergence holes. Lightning Mech is the heavy hitter but it'll also damage the other Mechs, which sometimes is necessary to get a big lightning chain going.

Steel Judoka: sumo Mech that tosses opponent behind it, artillery Mech that does a bit of damage and pushes all adjacent units, gravity Mech with an artillery gun that pulls a unit one square closer and a secondary effect where Kaiju do extra damage to each other. This squad is designed to maneuver Kaiju into hitting each other but in general I could rarely get this done. But the squad is still ok doing straight up damage.

Flame Behemoths: flamethrower Mech that does no damage unless target is already on fire, artillery Mech that does a bit of damage and sets target on fire, flying swap Mech that can swap spaces with another unit 1 to 4 squares away. This squad doesn't take fire damage and levels end up full of on-fire squares. I love the swap Mech with max power it's great dunking Kaiju into holes and water or getting them to hit each other.

Frozen Titans: melee Mech that causes target to spin 180 degrees, shooter Mech that shoots both forward and back (careful shooting buildings), artillery Mech that freezes itself and target. At first I tried to maneuver so that the artillery fires (freezing itself) then the shooter fires and frees the artillery Mech but that's not easy to do. Later I settled for shooting the artillery when needed and spending the next turn healing (which also puts out fires and unfreezes a Mech).

Hazardous Mechs: jumper Mech that takes damage and damages all adjacent squares, shooter Mech that pushes itself back and takes a bit of damage, flying Mech with an ACID weapon that also pushes plus a secondary where killing Kaiju heals the killing Mech a bit. Leaping Mech with the pilot that can attack twice is nice since the attack is also a movement with no range limit so the guy can get around the map quite quickly albeit taking self damage. One thing is that no matter how negative hit points you go, the healing from killing Kaiju starts you off at zero so no matter how negative you get as long as a Kaiju dies you're still alive.

Taken together defeating the game with the seven other squads, and getting each squad's six achievements, takes a long time and it's entertaining. You can unlock random squad and custom squad each of which has its own achievements. Using a custom squad of three of the same Mech is not easy.

If you unlock every achievement there is a secret squad. I looked it up online and it's Kaiju Mechs with hybrid pilots. Unfortunately the Distant Friends achievement is really hard to get. If you damage a mountain you might see a glow and if you destroy that mountain a beacon is revealed. Get to the beacon and a special pilot appears.

But the beacon only appears once every 15 or so games and it could it be any mountain after the first island. If I'd known about it at the start I could have kept a lookout for it. Now that I've finished all the other achievements I don't particularly want to grind a couple dozen more games looking for the beacon.

Anyway, almost four months of game play for $15 is well worth it (and I think I bought this as part of a bundle).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-11-27T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201127-spot-reviews-11-27-20.html#unique-entry-id-157https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201127-spot-reviews-11-27-20.html#unique-entry-id-157Campbell's Simply Chicken Noodle Soup [-] I guess this is discontinued with good reason. I usually just pop open a can of soup and eat it cold and this one the flat noodles are a bit too tough. Tried heating it up and it doesn't really get better. On the other Campbell's does not make good Chicken Noodle soup and this one is maybe better than the condensed one.

Sprouts Garbanzo Beans [/] I don't like Garbanzo Beans (i.e. Chickpeas) but this is not too bad. I make my food and pour some of this as a side and don't even heat it up. A bit of food with four beans is doable.They are pretty firm but a little salty so that helps.

Trader Joe's Organic Vanilla Fudge Chip Ice Cream [/] This is perfectly ok ice cream. Vanilla ice cream is fine and the little chips not too distracting.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-11-25T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201125-movie-1917-2019.html#unique-entry-id-158https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201125-movie-1917-2019.html#unique-entry-id-1581917 is a British-made World War I movie set sometime in that year. After the Germans feint a withdrawal a rash colonel tells HQ that he's launching a pursuit the next day, not knowing it's a trap. HQ assigns a courier mission to Lance Corporal Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) and his friend Lance Corporal Schofield (George MacKay). They have from that afternoon to the next morning to travel through German lines (because the Germans occupied a salient) to reach the other side with orders to stop the attack. For Blake it means possibly saving his older brother, a Lieutenant in the Devonshires.

So the two set off, sneaking through no-man's land to the other trenches then through and traveling the countryside trying to avoid Germans and encountering various facets of the WWI landscape. It's mostly landscape and meeting a few people. A rather quiet and lonely journey through not war-torn land but land where all civilians fled.

Uniquely, the film is told in real-time and in one continuous shot (with various tricks so that the filming wasn't one continuous shot). The camera is pretty much always on Blake and Schofield or panning around looking at the surroundings from their point of view. I think the audio is pretty much what they would be hearing and I don't remember a soundtrack score although there is one.

There are a lot of WWI details although everything is cleaner than what it would be in real life. It's a good suspenseful movie with a different way of telling a story.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-11-23T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201123-trader-joes-fresh-atlantic-salmon.html#unique-entry-id-156https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201123-trader-joes-fresh-atlantic-salmon.html#unique-entry-id-156Trader Joe's Fresh Atlantic Salmon I can get a pound that has two pieces so one per meal and it's $10. Put it in the toaster oven 300 degrees for 20 or 25 minutes and it comes out cooked and oily and that's almost every time. So it's just very consistently good.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-11-20T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201120-spot-reviews-11-20-20.html#unique-entry-id-153https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201120-spot-reviews-11-20-20.html#unique-entry-id-153Ready or Not (2019) [/] Dark comedy thriller. Grace (Samara Weaving) marries Alex (Mark O'Brien) and is welcomed into the very rich Le Domas family. On the wedding night the family plays a random game specified by a mysterious box that has brought good luck to the family over several generations. Unfortunately for Grace she draws Hide and Seek which turns out to be a murder game. Grace spends the rest of the film trying to avoid getting shot or stabbed by the inept family members leading to a bit of a deus ex machina ending.

Apple Movie - On the Rocks (2020) [-] Housewife Laura (Rashida Jones) is convinced by her playboy father Felix (Bill Murray) that her husband Dean (Marlon Wayans) is cheating on her and the two go undercover to discover what he is actually doing on his business trips... That first half hour is pretty boring and I didn't get past it.

Podcast - Call Her Daddy (2018) [+] Alex Cooper and Sofia Franklyn host this sex advice, sex stories, humorous podcast. I've listened to the first dozen episodes -- it's a pretty outrageous and graphic and I'm not sure how much of it, if any, is stuff that's being sort of made up on the spot. But it's definitely entertaining.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-11-18T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201118-movie-altered-carbon-resleeved-2020.html#unique-entry-id-155https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201118-movie-altered-carbon-resleeved-2020.html#unique-entry-id-155Altered Carbon: Resleeved (2020) is a prequel anime film to Altered Carbon. Takeshi Kovacs (Ray Chase) is woken up and hired to investigate a Yakuza organization where the "retiring" head voluntarily dies to make way for the new head of the clan. But he gets saddled protecting a young tattoo artist vital to the ceremony and has to partner with a female CTAC (special police) agent on a mission of her own.

Graphics and voice acting are good. The story turns out interesting and deals with the concept of permanent death when the rich can live forever by transferring their stacks to another body. Also has a bit of a melodramatic twist in that Kovacs' sister Reileen (Elizabeth Maxwell) shows up and eventually recognizes him (they're both in different bodies).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-11-16T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201116-whole-foods-fruit-tart.html#unique-entry-id-154https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201116-whole-foods-fruit-tart.html#unique-entry-id-154Whole Foods Market fruit tart. They have different fruits on top and it always has this glaze that I'm not sure about but the toppings don't matter so much to me. It's the cream layer that is very good and the crust is dense and yummy. I eat the fruit on top first then savor the cream and crust.

Safeway also has fruit tarts but their crust is not good and is a bit airy.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-11-13T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201113-spot-reviews-11-13-20.html#unique-entry-id-152https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201113-spot-reviews-11-13-20.html#unique-entry-id-152
Ore-Ida Golden Crinkles [+] Ore-Ida oven-baked fries come out pretty good I think they have better (or maybe just more) grease than other frozen fries. Their crinkle cut fries are probably the best, not necessarily extremely crispy but fairly close.

Ore-Ida Golden French Fries [/] These normal fries are not as tasty as the golden crinkles. Maybe a little bit smaller pieces so easier to overcook. Also harder to pick up thousand isle sauce with these fries.

Ore-Ida Mini Tater Tots [-] Unfortunately a bit of a fail. Too small to get that good tater tot insides. But also didn't taste right (which is weird because I think all the Ore-Ida stuff is made the same way just different shapes) and because they're small they cool off fast.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-11-11T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201111-movie-crimson-tide-1995.html#unique-entry-id-151https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201111-movie-crimson-tide-1995.html#unique-entry-id-151Crimson Tide is a modern-day submarine thriller. After ultra-nationalists seize a Russian nuclear base the USS Alabama, a ballistic missile submarine, is sent to the North Pacific. Captain Frank Ramsey (Gene Hackman) is a veteran submariner saddled with a new XO, Lt Commander Ron Hunter (Denzel Washington), an Annapolis graduate though with several tours under his belt. As Ramsey puts it, in his day it only mattered that he'd be willing to launch his missiles while today's submariners are taught to think about why.

Anyway, Captain Ramsey and Commander Hunter continue to butt heads, though nothing serious. For example, Hunter objects when Captain Ramsey runs a missile drill just after a kitchen fire threatens the boat whilst Captain Ramsey took it as an opportunity to do training under realistic conditions.

They get orders to launch a nuclear attack on the rebel base but have to fight off an enemy attack submarine which damages their radio after they receive a half of a second message. Commander Hunter wants to confirm the message, which he thinks may be a recall order. Captain Ramsey is not going to jeopardize Alabama when there's an enemy sub hunting them so wants to launch now and exfiltrate. When Hunter refuses to countersign the launch orders Captain Ramsey tries to relieve Hunter which apparently he can't do in this instance (as a safety check both top officers must agree to launch the missiles) so instead Commander Hunter relieves Captain Ramsey and takes command.

There's more of the sub battle vs the Akula. Then Ramsey takes back the boat with an armed party and Hunter plus a few loyalists have to stop Ramsey before he launches...

It's a tense movie with great acting. Great submarine action and atmosphere. It's one of my favorite movies.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-11-09T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201109-computer-game-valorant-2020.html#unique-entry-id-150https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201109-computer-game-valorant-2020.html#unique-entry-id-150Valorant is a 5v5 fps shooter from Riot Games. Each player chooses a character and each character has a special power or two including an ultimate power that requires charging. A match consists of rounds and the first team to win 13 rounds wins the match.

In each round one team attacks, needing to go to one of three locations to plant a spike and defend it until the spike explodes, meanwhile the other team has to stop it by. A win is kill all the other team (once you're dead you're out of the round) or the spike either explodes or is disarmed. One team defends for seven rounds and then it switches.

In between rounds each player can buy and sell stuff. You can pick up stuff from opponents and you get money for round results. You can buy more armor, shields, or better weapons and can also trade with other team members and you have like 30 seconds to do this before the next round starts.

A round is two or three minutes making a match about 45 minutes. There are a few maps and in general each map has lots of corners and three or four avenues of approach for the spiking team, so the defenders need to spread out to see where the attackers are coming from and if it's not a feint the other defenders have to converge.

I like it because it's less chaotic than Overwatch so team communication is fairly important though you can still do ok even if your team doesn't do voice chat. You can die quickly but not too quickly and by that I mean you can make a mistake, get hit a couple of times, and dodge out of the way (unless you get shot in the head which is always fatal I think). Also the rounds go fast yet since it's multi-round there is a build up to the end.

Overall it's an entertaining game to watch and has a good combination of strategy, tactics and action.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-11-06T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201106-spot-reviews-11-06-20.html#unique-entry-id-149https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201106-spot-reviews-11-06-20.html#unique-entry-id-149Overwatch (2016) [-] This is my impression from watching people play a bit... Overwatch is a 6 vs 6 fps shooter. Each player on the same team chooses a different character and the characters are substantially different from each other. Then you go kill the other team, when you die you respawn, and I think you're trying to control areas... I don't think I like this game. It's way too fast and twitchy compared to Fortnite or Valorant. Although it's a team game you can't really orally coordinate because of the speed -- at best you each know your roles and proclivities and coordinate by feel. Overall I feel it's too vast for me as a viewer to enjoy.

Website - Daring Fireball [+] Macintosh enthusiast John Gruber's web site. The feed is mostly Apple stuff and mostly reposts with some additional comments. He has some pretty good takes on various Apple design or strategy decisions and I find his product reviews are different from the typical magazine review format. This is one I check every day.

Podcast - 49ers Talk with Matt Maiocco and Laura Britt (2016) [/] This was originally The 49ers Insider with Matt Maiocco and over the years he's had many guest cohosts and currently has Laura Britt as regular cohost. Matt is a reporter covering the 49ers so he has a lot of contacts and he gets interviews and inside information, though I get it also means he doesn't get too critical about the organization and players. Still, I find it mostly interesting.


]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-11-04T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201104-movie-maleficent-2014.html#unique-entry-id-148https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201104-movie-maleficent-2014.html#unique-entry-id-148Maleficent (2014) in preparation of watching the sequel. In this retelling of Sleeping Beauty Maleficent (Angelina Jolie) is betrayed by her lover Stefan (Sharito Copley) who goes on to become the new king. When his baby Aurora (Elle Fanning) is born Maleficent curses the baby, who is then shipped to the forest to be reared by three fairies (Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, Lesley Manville).

But Maleficent is also there with her henchman Diaval the Raven (Sam Riley) and watches Aurora grow up and during those years develops a great affection for Aurora, who in turn believes Maleficent is her fairy godmother. Eventually though the curse comes to pass. Maleficent decides to bring a prince into Stefan's castle for true love's kiss to break the curse but Stefan is ready with his men to battle Maleficent...

On the rewatch maybe not as good as I remember, though I guess what I really liked the most was Maleficent and Aurora's relationship and that's still heartfelt. But the rest of the story is a bit thin and I think there's too much the story tries to cover in a 97-minute film.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-11-02T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201102-gurps-wwii-2012.html#unique-entry-id-146https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201102-gurps-wwii-2012.html#unique-entry-id-146GURPS WWII was a standalone product line for GURPS 3E. The main rulebook contains a copy of the 32-page GURPS Lite, tuned a bit for WWII, as an appendix.

Contents

1. The World at War - History of WWII
2. The Combatants - Overview of the major combatant armed forces
3. Characters - Notes and addenda to GURPS Lite (and full GURPS should you use it) + character templates
4. The Armoury - Personal gear shopping list, small arms, a selection of vehicles
5. WWII Vehicles - A vehicle design system based on GURPS Vehicles
6. Move Out! - Running a WWII RPG campaign
7. GURPS Lite for WWII

The main rulebook concentrates on Great Britain, United States, Soviet Union, Germany and Japan, though Germany, Great Britain and USA get their own full 128-page supplements. Characters chapter includes 14 templates from Rifleman to Resistance Fighter with customizations notes. Similarly small arms section has a good selection of weapons and the notes list variants and how their stats differ from the base design.

I haven't read GURPS Vehicles but chapter 5 presents a vehicle design system that is fairly familiar to other systems including SJG's Car Wars. You have a frame which gives you space and then you put in modules until you fill up all the space. Then calculate ratings for acceleration, deceleration, top speed, maneuver rating. The system is mostly capable of designing any WWII ground, air or naval vehicle. The Armoury chapter helps as the vehicles there have notes on how they were designed using the vehicle design system.

Overall it's a basic one-book WWII RPG contain enough info to get started (and really from what I've read so far of the German supplement, you don't really need them unless you want a very detailed WWII campaign). I don't really like having GURPS Lite as an appendix instead of integrating it into the main text a la Discworld RPG though it does save editing work, but it's not a deal-breaker and I guess some people would appreciate having all the character generation, combat and doing stuff rules in one section.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-10-30T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201030-spot-reviews-10-30-20.html#unique-entry-id-147https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201030-spot-reviews-10-30-20.html#unique-entry-id-147Trader Joe's Parmesan Pastry Pups [+] TJ's version of pigs in a blanket -- little hot dogs wrapped in raw pastry. You bake them to cook so they come out fresh and it was enough for a meal.

Trader Joe's Inner Peas [/] TJ's version of the popular fried pea snack. It tastes close but not as good. Still, it's fairly yummy and has the proper fried taste and texture

Hallmark Movie - Wedding Every Weekend (2020) [-] To avoid being relegated to the singles' table during wedding season two semi-strangers (played by Kimberley Sustad and Paul Campbell) pretend to be a couple. Watched about 30 minutes but there was no chemistry.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-10-28T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201028-movie-the-lincoln-lawyer-2011.html#unique-entry-id-144https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201028-movie-the-lincoln-lawyer-2011.html#unique-entry-id-144The Lincoln Lawyer is a legal thriller. Mickey Haller (Matthew McConaughey) is a shady lawyer who works out of his Lincoln Town Car (he's chauffeured around town and works out of the back seat). He's willing to work for criminals of all sorts though he does have a line.

His latest case is defending Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe) accused of attempted rape and murder. The prosecution has a strong argument because it turns out Roulet is guilty. But not only that he's guilty of a previous crime that Haller was involved in court with and even when Roulet admits it to Haller the latter can't do anything about it because of client confidentiality. How is Haller going to both represent Roulet effectively and somehow bring him to justice?

It's a fairly low key film with lots of urban characters. I like Haller's dilemma and how he eventually solves it. The film remains interesting throughout.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-10-26T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201026-discworld-roleplaying-game-2e-2016.html#unique-entry-id-143https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201026-discworld-roleplaying-game-2e-2016.html#unique-entry-id-143Discworld Roleplaying Game uses GURPS 4th Edition rules. It's 400 pages and I have a nice hardcover version. It's a standalone RPG using a light-ish version of GURPS Lite, though those rules are smoothly integrated into the main text rather than being an appendix.

Table of Contents

1. On the Back of Four Elephants - History and general geography
2. Making Characters
3. Nonhumans and Occupational Templates
4. Going Shopping
5. Doing Stuff - How to resolve tasks, do combat and wield magic
6. Life and Lands - More in-depth on races and locations
7. "Welcome to Ankh-Morpork" - Really nice section detailing the main city of Discworld
8. The Supernatural Side - Witches and Unseen University
9. "Suicidally gloomy when sober, homicidally insane when drunk" - Discworld characters written up as NPCs
10. Beware Ambiguous Puzuma - Animals
11. Bad Food, No Sleep, and Strange People - Running a campaign and a sample scenario

The magic system deserves call out since it's not standard GURPS. There are eight magical forms and each has a skill. Casting is improvisational and doing extra effects costs more magic points (which you can make up with skill penalties) and each form includes sample applications and spells. Witches have two or three of the magical forms but can do some really big spells if they take advantage of narrative.

I think the basics of the magic system are in GURPS Thaumatology but this is a more worked-up example. I don't think I've read the first edition Discworld RPG rules but taking a glance the magic system is basically standard GURPS reskinned with Discworld names. Second edition is a more suitable magic system.

The last chapter is nice because I never know what to run in an established literary setting. Here we get a few pages of a pirate/espionage location, the Brown Islands (an island group between Agatea and Ankh-Morpork and a way-station for ships). There are also a couple of 2-page locales and ideas, one an Arabian-esque city and another taking advantage of Four-Ecks' Australian Mad Max feel.

Overall it's a nice one-book RPG based on Discworld with lots of lots of organized Discworld lore.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-10-23T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201023-spot-reviews-10-23-20.html#unique-entry-id-142https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201023-spot-reviews-10-23-20.html#unique-entry-id-142Trader Joe's 100% Orange Juice with Extra Pulp [/] Since this is a house brand quality probably varies. The batch at my Trader Joe's said the oranges come from Brazil, Mexico and USA. Not as pulpy as I'd like and the taste is a bit off. Cheaper than Florida's Natural but I prefer the latter.

Trader Joe's Organic Orange Strawberry Banana Juice [/] This one takes sort of undefined fruity with a bit of banana. I think I'd prefer straight orange juice.

Trader Joe's Orange Peach Mango [-] Oof. This one does not taste good whether it's after a meal (where the flavor clashes with whatever I ate) or by itself. Tasting it again... yeah, the peach flavor throws it off and doesn't fit in with the orange and mango.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-10-21T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201021-anime-violet-evergarden-eternity-and-the-auto-memory-doll-2019.html#unique-entry-id-141https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201021-anime-violet-evergarden-eternity-and-the-auto-memory-doll-2019.html#unique-entry-id-141Violet Evergarden is an anime series set in a late 19th century Earth type land, several years after a major war ended. Violet Evergarden (Erika Harlacher) was an orphan child soldier, an augmented weapon, during the war. After the war she finds herself adrift and unsure of what to do with her life. Violet is hired by the CH Postal Company as an Auto Memory Doll, which is someone who writes letters on behalf of other people (who often can't write or can't express their feelings as well as a Doll can) and delivers the letters. In the series Violet interacts with her clients, solving their problems and learning a bit more about herself in the process.

Eternity and the Auto Memory Doll is a movie set maybe a year after the series. Violet is sent far away on a sixth month assignment to teach Isabella York (Colleen O'Shaughnessey) to be a debutante. For one we learn that Violet is actually quite in command of upper class social graces. During the first half of the movie we learn that Isabella was an orphan who "adopted" another orphan girl, then was found by her real father, a minister in the government, and taken in to be raised as his daughter. Unfortunately Isabella's sister Taylor (Sandy Fox) was taken away and put in foster care and Isabella is never to see her again. The first half ends with Isabella trained and Taylor receiving a letter from her sister Amy (Isabella's original name).

On to the second half set a few years forward. Young Taylor comes to the CH Postal Company to pursue a career in postal delivery because they're in the business of bringing happiness to people. She's rather bad at it because she can't read so Violet takes it upon herself to teach Taylor. Eventually Taylor gets to write her own letter and secretly deliver it to Isabella (who kind of disappeared after she married). It's a bittersweet happy moment and Taylor resolves to deliver the next letter herself when she's a full-time postal delivery girl...

It's a really nice human drama story with excellent animation and voice acting.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-10-19T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201019-mabook-pro-16-inch-2019.html#unique-entry-id-140https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201019-mabook-pro-16-inch-2019.html#unique-entry-id-140
Processor: 2.4 GHz 8-Core Intel Core i9
Memory: 64 GB 2667 MHz DDR4
Graphics: AMD Radeon Pro 5500M 8 GB + Intel UHD Graphics 630 1536 MB

I've had my MBP for a few months and it's been really great. I use it with two monitors (Dell U2717D and Dell U2415) and also use the internal monitor for a 3-monitor setup. MBP handles this fine and I can play DDO (via CrossOver) while watching three or four Twitch streams. I can also run Handbrake encoding and I might notice while doing UI stuff even though it's taking like 600% CPU.

Since I don't use it as a portable the Touch Bar is little used. I guess would be used if my MBP were the central screen but making the smallest screen primary is not a good idea. On the other hand Touch ID is more convenient than I thought. When it comes up I can reach over and touch the button no problem.

It has four USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports which I use for: power, connection to Drobo, connection to each Dell monitor (for video and to each monitor's USB hub). USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 is a bit confusing (they do have different capabilities even though they share the same connector) but I can see living with one USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 port and daisy chaining my peripherals.

I guess that's it. It's a good computer and even though four or five years later model than my previous MBP I can basically treat it like a faster computer to what I had before.

Addendum: With Touch ID you also get Apple Pay without having to use an iOS device for identification, which didn't work if I was on VPN (because authentication uses Bluetooth for discovery and current Wifi network for authentication). You can easily add cards that you've already added in other devices (it only asks you to enter Apple ID password) so it removes that pain point.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-10-16T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201016-spot-reviews-10-16-20.html#unique-entry-id-139https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201016-spot-reviews-10-16-20.html#unique-entry-id-139Kirkland Albacore Solid White Tuna in Water [-] This is the Costco brand tuna. I guess not band for canned tuna and it is fairly meaty but very dry. I'm spoiled cause we'd get canned tuna from my uncle's company in Peru and that was the best parts of the tuna in oil.

Trader Joe's Organic Yellow Corn Tortilla Chip Rounds [+] I've been eating the above tuna mixed with mayonnaise on tortilla chips. The tuna might be subpar, the mayo decidedly average, but these tortilla are quite good. And that alone make the snack kind of tasty.

Anime - Mezzo Forte (2001) [-] This is a two-episode OVA about a trio of private investigators who get in over their heads when the person they're hired to kidnap is actually the head of a crime family. The graphics are ok and the story is kind of bland though the ending shootout is pretty graphic. Each episode has a sex scene that can be easily cut out without losing any story (and it is for the censored version). Overall I'd say this is a waste of time.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-10-14T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201014-movie-extraction-2020.html#unique-entry-id-138https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201014-movie-extraction-2020.html#unique-entry-id-138Extraction is a Netflix action movie set in modern day India and Bangladesh. After an Indian drug kingpin's son, Ovi (Rudhraksh Jaiswal), is kidnapped by his Banglasdeshi rival a mercenary team is hired to extract Ovi, held in a Bangladheshi city.

Tyler (Chris Hemsworth) is the point man. He has a sniper to cover him, a couple of guys waiting at the escape boat, and a whole team of ops people monitoring from an unknown hotel room -- so it's really small on-the-ground presence. But Tyler is that good and manages to rescue Ovi from the gang guarding him (tbf gang thugs are not that great at fighting IRL).

But then their employer, Saju (Randeep Hooda) betrays the team because the kingpin doesn't have the money to pay the mercs. Tyler and Ovi are the only ones that escape and the highlight of the film occurs here. It's a 10+ minute action car chase sequence that is a simulated continuous shot (i.e. one camera POV that moves around without obvious cuts).

The rest of the film is fairly typical. Tyler's merc boss Nik (Golshifteh Farahani) urges him to get out of the city and leave Ovi behind. Tyler bonds with Ovi (apparently Tyler's own son recently died from an illness) and refuses to abandon him. Tyler and Saju team up to help Ovi. Action shootout trying to get Ovi across the a bridge to an extraction helicopter. People die.

It's a mostly good action film. Good special effects and I didn't notice any lack of soundtrack.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-10-12T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201012-podcast-playing-a-round-with-paige-renee-2020.html#unique-entry-id-137https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201012-podcast-playing-a-round-with-paige-renee-2020.html#unique-entry-id-137Playing A Round with Paige Renee features former LPGA golfer Paige Renee Spiranac. She talks about golf, her experiences as being an attractive woman playing golf, and dating/relationship stuff. Everything is kept PG even when she talked about the one time an ex-bf passed around a nude of her. She is more of a golf populist, sometimes critical of the old white guy mentally that prevails in the game, both the establishment (golf courses, the ruling bodies) and players (a lot of sexism in the golf community).

There are viewer questions which are half asking about golf and the other half about her Instagram and her personal life. She has guests -- mostly other sports people who played or are involved with golfing community. She has a couple of assistants, Luke(?) I'm not sure his role, maybe sound engineer, and Tori is the producer (though maybe that means sound engineer in which case what does Luke do?). Luke plays golf and Tori does not so sometimes there are teaching Tori moments. But then there are girl talk moments and Luke fades into the background, so it's a good balance.

Overall an entertaining show even though I have zero interest in golf (though no hate, just the level of interest I have in all sports-I-don't-follow).
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-10-09T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201009-spot-reviews-10-09-20.html#unique-entry-id-134https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201009-spot-reviews-10-09-20.html#unique-entry-id-134Annie's Rice Pasta Shells & White Cheddar [+] A Mac and Chess sort of product using rice pasta instead of regular wheat pasta so it's gluten free. If you're familiar with Chinese food think rice noodle dish like chow fun. Different if you're not used to it or don't expect it but actually it's good.

Movie - Dune (1984) [/] Not a bad 1980's adaptation of Dune with the biggest problem is that they spent so much time on the beginning part of the novel that the last hour was pretty much short vignettes of the rest of the novel. With Kyle MacLachlan as Paul Atreides.

Computer Game - Rogue Company (2020) [/] This is a 4 vs 4 third person shooter played in rounds. Both teams go after the same objective (unlike CSGO or Valorant which have attack and defense teams). Various characters with different skills so that's par for the course. GerberBaby3 and RangerMeme like it which says something but I don't see it just watching people playing it.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-10-07T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201007-apple-tv-plus-ted-lasso-s1-2020.html#unique-entry-id-136https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201007-apple-tv-plus-ted-lasso-s1-2020.html#unique-entry-id-136Ted Lasso and I gotta say it's an excellent half hour comedy. Division II championship American Football coach Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) is hired to coach Premier League soccer team AFC Richmond in England. He brings with him his assistant coach Beard (Brandan Hunt) and no soccer experience but turns out his coaching style is more about personal growth than tactics and it turns out the shy equipment manager Nathan (Nick Mohammed) has a hidden talent for soccer tactics.

Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) owns the club after a divorce from her husband and wants to run it into the ground to spite him. Higgins (Jeremy Swift) is the club president and Rebecca's toady but has really loves the team and wants it to succeed. Roy (Brett Goldstein) is the aging star who runs on anger while Jamie (Phil Dunster) is the young hotshot player who refuses to pass the ball. Keeley (Juno Temple) rounds out the main cast, a social media starlet dating Jamie but slowly gravitating towards Roy.

It's a show with low-key and distinct characters. They're not over-the-top caricatures like a sitcom (e.g. Mythic Quest) nor deep angsty people like a drama. Everybody has their arc to go through the ten episodes of season one and everybody is sympathetic. Rebecca and Jamie start out as the closet to being villains but they never are. They're both people with a flaw and the flaw drives a couple of plots without making them bad guys. It really is quite well done and I hope season two is just as good.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-10-05T19:24:11-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/ee81a83afeef7f4db08ce42d620e8c37-135.html#unique-entry-id-135https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/ee81a83afeef7f4db08ce42d620e8c37-135.html#unique-entry-id-135Phasmophobia is an early access first-person ghost hunting game for four players. It's a modern day Ghostbusters-like game. Each mission has a set of goals (e.g. find clues, take a photo of ghost, find out ghost type), then players buy equipment and head in.

The cool thing about this game is use of sound. The game adjusts what each player hears based on distance and direction so if someone walks far away they get quieter and then silent (but there are walkie talkies). This also means that the ghost can talk to one person without the others hearing (and the game also does this visually -- the ghost can appear to one player and the other's don't see it). If you die your mic is turned off and often other players hear you start screaming before it goes dead quiet.

As a dead person you can move around ghost like but can't really do anything other than talk to other player ghosts.

Being early access there are a lot of graphical glitches but the game is quite playable.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-10-02T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201002-spot-reviews-10-02-20.html#unique-entry-id-133https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20201002-spot-reviews-10-02-20.html#unique-entry-id-133Ghost in the Shell: SAC 2045 (2020) [/] This anime is set a few years after previous Ghost in the Shell stories and the first half is set in Los Angeles which is also different. Major Motoko (Mary Elizabeth McGlynn) and her teammates have left Japan's Section 9 and have been mercenaries. Their latest employer is a secret government agency and the team may be disappeared afterwards so it's up to Aramaki (William Knight) and Togusa (Crispin Freeman) to find the team and extricate them... I likes the story but the CGI animation is below average and after 12 episodes it ends in a cliffhanger.

Podcast - The Zane Lowe Interview Series (2020) [/] Never heard of Zane Lowe before he was hired to be a DJ on Apple Music 1. Now he has a podcast interviewing music artists and so far it's not too bad. He's sympathetic and comradely and lets his guests talk. As someone who is not that into music artists the interviews are not fascinating -- I guess contrast with Armchair Expert where Dax Shepard is both a good interviewer and interesting by himself, Lowe is not interesting by himself so it's really up to the appeal of the guest.

Twitch - MassRefuge (2020) [/] Mass Refuge did the BotezLive intro videos (as a volunteer). I've seen him around for over a year and at time he's been good then went through a trolly phase and might have gotten kicked out of BotezLive discord for being argumentative. But the last few months he's calmed down and once again a cool guy. Anyways he just started streaming because he lost a bet and will probably be streaming for a couple of months in order to fulfill the bet. He streams chess on lichess, plays techno music and all comers, and is fairly responsive to chat.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-09-30T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200930-movie-seabiscuit-2003.html#unique-entry-id-132https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200930-movie-seabiscuit-2003.html#unique-entry-id-132Seabiscuit (2003) is a film about three people and the legendary racehorse Seabiscuit. Seabiscuit doesn't even appear in the first hour, which is backstory about the three men and the Great Depression. Tom Smith (Chris Cooper) is a horse wrangler who finds himself out of work as the West is settled and horse ranges get smaller and smaller. Actually Tom doesn't get much of a story.

The next major character is John Pollard (Tobey Maguire). He is separated from his family during the Great Depression and grows up a natural horse jockey. But he has a fiery temper and lives almost out-of-control going-to-die-young life. We get a bit more of John's story.

Charles Howard (Jeff Bridges) is a self-made businessman who goes from failing bicycle shop to tuning engines of the new Ford Model T that sweeps through the USA. He builds a performance car business which suffers during the Great Depression but does not bankrupt him.

Unfortunately his son dies in a car accident, wife leaves him because of the grief, and Howard finds himself in Mexico where he meets and marries Marcela Zabala (Elizabeth Banks). She gets him interested in horse and Howard finds a new passion and decides to own a race horse.

That search leads Howard to meet Tom Smith and the two purchase Seabiscuit, a scrawny failed race horse that was about to be put down after a minor leg injury. Seabiscuit is fiery and independent and Smith sees that John Pollard has the same temperament and so Pollard is brought in as Seabiscuit's jockey.

So now the rest of the movie is training, racing in local California races, and trying to challenge the top race horse of the time, War Admiral. Both John Pollard and later Seabiscuit are injured and the two together go trough the recovery process. Once both are ready there is another local California race where both Pollard and Seabiscuit make their triumphant return as the movie ends...

It's a slow movie that somehow kept me interested. It's more about the people than the horse but I guess there's not enough drama about Seabiscuit's life. This movie was nominated for a good number of awards and it seems well deserved. It's a good family film.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-09-28T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200928-twitch-love-or-host.html#unique-entry-id-131https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200928-twitch-love-or-host.html#unique-entry-id-131Austin Show is one of the most popular channels on Twitch and he does a few different shows. The only one I've watched is Love or Host because Alexandra and Andrea have been separately on it a few times.

Love or Host is a bachelor/bachelorette type of show. There is one contestant and 10 or so candidates, everybody being a Twitch streamer. In general it's talking and every 20 minutes contestant boots somebody.

Austin moderates the show. Each 20-minute segment is usually themed, e.g. contestant asks a question for everyone, candidates each ask a question of contestant, Austin asks a question for candidates. In general the candidates are quirky and try to play it up for fun, sometimes being more of a character than normal.

Before the show each candidate chooses love or host. At the end of the show if the final candidate chose host they get the raid (last time the show had 100k viewers which is amazingly large). If the final candidate chose love then the contestant gets the raid and the two can do a Twitch date then and there or later.

It's not a serious show but it is a way for Twitch streamers to meet each other and for viewers to see other Twitch streamers. Austin is hilariously dramatic and everyone seems to have fun. Also lots of repeat candidates since it's tough to fill 10 slots every show -- it runs irregularly every couple of weeks or so.

For a tv-show like show Love or Host is pretty good for Twitch.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-09-25T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200925-spot-reviews-09-25-20.html#unique-entry-id-130https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200925-spot-reviews-09-25-20.html#unique-entry-id-130Spectrum Canola Mayonnaise [+] After I ran out of mayo I bought regular mayonnaise and it tastes bland. I realize now that this was pretty tasty mayonnaise

Trader Joe's Real Mayonnaise [/] I guess this is fine for regular mayonnaise but it makes me realize that the canola mayonnaise I had before was much better.

Netflix TV Show - Away #1.01 and 1.02 (2020) [-] Netflix tv show about the first mission to Mars using a 6-person international crew that unfortunately is at odds with each other. It has a bit too much interpersonal drama and not enough competency porn. Hilary Swank stars as the mission commander with Josh Charles as her stay-at-home NASA engineering husband.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-09-23T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/1694034179f3f5f8448a434e880a305f-128.html#unique-entry-id-128https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/1694034179f3f5f8448a434e880a305f-128.html#unique-entry-id-128Rio Grande (1950) is the third Cavalry Trilogy film. Set in the Old West, Lt Colonel Kirby Yorke (John Wayne) commands the 2nd US Cavalry Regiment patrolling the Texas frontier against marauding Apaches. Yorke gets two surprises, one of the new recruits is his son Trooper Jefferson Yorke (Claude Jarman Jr) who failed out of West Point and enlisted as a lowly trooper. A bit later Yorke's estranged wife Kathleen (Maureen O'Hara) arrives to take Jefferson home. But when Jefferson refuses Kathleen sticks around and the fire between Kirby and Kathleen is reignited...

Men in uniform, horses, personal drama, fighting Indians. It's still a great old (black and white!) movie and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-09-21T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200921-web-site-poker-now.html#unique-entry-id-127https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200921-web-site-poker-now.html#unique-entry-id-127Poker Now is a free web site where you can play poker with friends. I don't think they do actual gambling. I have played on this a couple of times with friends.

You can have 10 people. Texas Hold'em or Pot Limit Omaha. The game creator confirms people who want to join and can change the small/big blinds. Strangely when you join you request a stack size so the creator has to tell people what the starting stack size is.

The interface is kind of basic but it works. The chat window is pretty bad though. Very small or covers the whole board. It's easier to chat on Discord (and btw I think there is no voice chat support so Discord for voice chat).

It's functional and it's free and good enough for casual games. I guess that's all you can ask for.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-09-18T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200918-spot-reviews-09-18-20.html#unique-entry-id-126https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200918-spot-reviews-09-18-20.html#unique-entry-id-126Agents of SHIELD s7 (2020) [+] Actually this was a pretty fun season. The agents travel through time trying to stop the Chronotons from changing Earth history so we get 1931 NYC during Prohibition, 1955 Area 51, 1973 big bell bottoms, 1982 bright colors and big hair. The second half of the season is more tight though perhaps less entertaining. But the final episode with all the reveals and then a sort of "where are they now" scene is quite a fine ending to the series.

Movie - Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2017) [-] Alice wakes up alone (removing all the characters that survived to the end of Retribution) then is given a final mission by Red Queen to get the cure hidden in the first underground lab from the original movie. It does not feel original any more but at least Claire Redfield (Ali Larter) is a supporting character and we get all of Alice's back story and conclusion to her story arc.

Podcast - Save for Half (2017) [-] A podcast where a group of grognard friends revisit classic RPGs. It's not a review show because they don't really bother to review the RPGs. It's a top 5 list show: each person picks five things they liked about the RPG and then 5 things that did or did not make the save (so could be more things they like or things they didn't like). And there is a disconcerting amount of making fun of each RPG. So not only is this not the old school RPG show I want to hear but it makes me hesitant to try Save or Die (a podcast for the first editions of D&D) which has the same hosts.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-09-16T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200916-movie-resident-evil-series-2004-16.html#unique-entry-id-125https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200916-movie-resident-evil-series-2004-16.html#unique-entry-id-125Resident Evil film series all of which I have on iTunes. I've seen them all at least twice now except for The Final Chapter which was my first time.

• Resident Evil (2002) [+]
• Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004) [/]
• Resident Evil: Extinction (2007) [/]
• Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010) [/]
• Resident Evil: Retribution (2012) [/]
• Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (2017) [-]

Resident Evil is great because it's the first film and is the most original both in story -- it's a prequel to the Resident Evil video games and introduces Alice (Milla Jovovich) -- and in various elements that are repeated throughout the series.

Apocalypse moves the location from underground lab to the city above and adds Jill Valentine (Sienna Guillory) who is unfortunately rarely used in the rest of the series. There was a setup at the end of Retribution but in The Final Chapter jumped ahead a bit and started Alice off alone again.

Extinction went from typical zombie horror setting to desert and the desert-reclaimed city of Las Vegas. We add Claire Redfield (Ali Larter) who also appears in two future films making her the closest thing to a reliable ally for Alice.

Afterlife is set in a Los Angeles prison and an offshore tanker. Neither location really works well. The prison is too indoors claustrophobic like the first film and the tanker is a bit too white-lab-perfection.

Retribution at least has an original settings because it's set in a big Umbrella Corp simulator. I kind of like that it brings back some dead characters for cameos and not as zombies.

The Final Chapter I found kind of boring. The above ground scenes are not interesting and going back the original underground lab of the first movie is barely paid off, basically just the one laser corridor. More of the hero characters showing up for an epic climactic battle would have been cool though I guess way out of budget.

So I think in the end the first three movies are good and the last three are a definite decline.

Still, I guess the other thing is Alice, who goes from unknown woman with various hints of her story revealed until The Final Chapter spells it all out for us. That part at least was nice as a wrap up to her arc. So watching everyone once is worthwhile for that.

I like the commentary tracks though on iTunes implementation is not good. First off you can't download the extras so have to have an Internet connection to view. Second is that commentary viewing does not remember where you left off, next time it starts from the beginning. So if you like commentary tracks I'd get a DVD and rip it with both normal and commentary audio tracks.

Anyway, Resident Evil series starts out strong and slowly fades but at least it has strong heroine characters and often good practical action.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-09-14T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200914-ios-game-among-us-2018.html#unique-entry-id-124https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200914-ios-game-among-us-2018.html#unique-entry-id-124Among Us (2018) is the current hot Twitch streamer game which is weird since it was released two years ago. It is cross platform Windows ($5), Android (free), iOS (free + $2 no ads) science fiction mafia/werewolf type game with up to ten players.

When the game starts one (1-6 players) or two (7-10 players) players are Imposters. Everyone else is Crew. Each Crew has a task list of todo items and they have to travel to various control station to do the tasks (which are short mini-games). Meanwhile Imposters can murder crew (though there is a cool down so don't murder with witnesses), cause various emergencies (e.g. turn off the lights, break O2 generator, or start a reactor meltdown, and there is a cool down here too so timing when to do an emergency can be significant), lock doors and travel through vents.

Anyone can call a meeting at any time or declare a found body, but it must be done at a switch so even if someone finds a body they might get killed before they can pull the emergency switch. Once in a meeting everybody can talk (Among Us has text chat but not voice chat so you need a third party tool and everyone on Twitch uses Discord voice chat) and you have a couple of minutes to talk, decided and vote on someone to eject (or skip vote). You can't tell if you've ejected a Crew or Imposter until the game is over.

Etiquette is key. Streamers can't read chat (many put chat in emote-only mode) to avoid spoilers. You can only talk during meetings. If you die you can't talk, though you do become a ghost and can complete your task list (if enough tasks are done Crew wins).

Among Us is a fun chaotic game with lots of arguing. On Twitch it's cool to see popular streamers playing in the same game.

Two criticisms:

• Right now it's so popular that 4-letter codes get repeated so often you try to join a game and join the wrong one. EU servers seem better I guess because everyone plays on NA and Asia.
• On iPad the UI is a bit harder to use. In particular with the map open you can barely see anything else since it takes almost the whole screen. On Windows the map is still big but you can see more of the regular UI.

Still, it's a fun game to play with friends.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-09-11T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200911-spot-reviews-09-11-20.html#unique-entry-id-123https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200911-spot-reviews-09-11-20.html#unique-entry-id-123Red Riding Hood (2011) [+] A man-kliling wolf stalks an isolated village. Two village youths vie for the affections of Valerie (Amanda Seyfried). Father Solomon (Gary Oldman) and his men-at-arms arrive, declaring that the wolf is not an outside enemy, but a werewolf and most probably someone in the village. Suspicions abound... This movie combines elements of Little Red Riding Hood with Werewolf the mafia-like game and with hints of supernatural romance. In the end it does kind of work.

Movie - The Good Dinosaur (2015) [/] Pixar animated film. In an alternate Earth where intelligent dinosaurs roam, young Arlo (Raymond Ochoa) falls in the river and is washed down far from home. Trying to make his way back home his only companion turns out to be the dog-like creature that had been raiding the family barn, a human boy called Spot by Arlo... I found the first half boring and stopped watching. A couple of weeks later I managed to finish watching the rest of the film and the second half is significantly better.

Juanita's Tortilla Chips [-] Safeway had Mission, Tostitos, Juanita's and one other. I usually get Casa Chicas which are pretty good and Mission is a good standard chip. Tostitos is not to my preference though good quality, so it's Casa Chicas, Mission, Tostitos and all three are good choices. But I wanted to try a new brand and this was a bad choice. It does not quite taste like tortilla chips, like a missing ingredient or an extra bad-flavor ingredient is in there.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-09-09T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200909-movie-train-to-busan-2016.html#unique-entry-id-122https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200909-movie-train-to-busan-2016.html#unique-entry-id-122Train to Busan is a South Korean zombie apocalypse film. It mostly centers on businessman Seok-woo (Gong Yoo) who is taking his daughter Su-an (Kim Su-an) to her mother's and they're taking a commuter train to do so. A zombie outbreak has occurred overnight and as the train leaves the station the passengers see zombies attacking people. And there is an infected on board who soon spreads the zombie diseases to passengers.

During most of the trip the train heads to Busan, the last known safe city on the line. Meanwhile passengers struggle to contain the zombie outbreak. Midway through the film there is a scene where the train stops at a "safe" city. Passengers debark and are attacked by zombies. As they rush back they are split up into two groups with zombies in between. Seok-woo and some fellow survivors have to travel through four zombie-filled cars to reach their loved ones.

It's a good action film that remains suspenseful throughout. The characters are fairly distinct. I like one of the zombie weaknesses which I haven't seen before in zombie movies. I liked the ending with a callback to an earlier scene where dad missed his daughter's recital. Overall a good film.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-09-07T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200907-computer-game-into-the-breach-2018.html#unique-entry-id-121https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200907-computer-game-into-the-breach-2018.html#unique-entry-id-121Into the Breach is a turn-based tactical combat game. You control three units -- the starting three are a Mech that punches, a tank with ranged attack, and an artillery that can shoot over obstacles. Enemy insect Kaiju erupt from the Earth and proceed to attack you and buildings. Protect the buildings and kill the Kaiju for experience.

The map is an 8x8 grid where each square has one terrain (buildings being a terrain). A turn consists of:

1. Kaiju move and declare their attacks
2. You move and do your attacks
3. Kaiju do their attacks

The main part is step 2. Units can move in any order and attack in any order but attacking ends a unit's turn. All attacks can push Kaiju (punch and shoot push the Kaiju away, artillery pushes adjacent Kaiju away from the artillery strike) which is the primary way of making Kaiju miss their targets. You can't move past Kaiju and can't shoot past other units, Kaiju and buildings.

So your turn is calculating the optimum attack pattern. There is no randomness during this part but it's easy to make mistakes. You can undo moves but not after an attack. You can reset your turn once per battle. Otherwise you live with the results and try not to tilt if you calculated wrong.

Each battle you collect reputation and cores. Reputation is used after you complete an island (about six missions) to buy improvements. Cores give your units more energy to power improvements. Every unit has two weapon slots so you can add a weapon or switch out the default weapon. You can also get more pilots and switch them out. Pilots get experience and can level up twice with each level giving the pilot a random ability (e.g. +2 unit HP, +1 reactor, unit can move after attacking, unit can move through enemy units).

When Kaiju damages a building people die and usually you lose a power unit from the grid. If the power grid goes to zero you lose otherwise there is no other effect from having a good or bad power grid.

Eventually you clear as many islands as you want (there are four islands) and go to the final island to destroy the Kaiju homeland. You can go early and the final battle is easier. If you do all the islands the campaign is about 10 hours. There are three difficulty levels. It's a rogue-like: each map and mission is randomly generated and if a unit is killed it still comes back intact next mission but the pilot is dead.

Overall Into the Breach is a neat little tactical game with a bit of replay ability.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-09-04T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200904-spot-reviews-09-04-20.html#unique-entry-id-120https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200904-spot-reviews-09-04-20.html#unique-entry-id-120Signature Select Brownie Moose Tracks Ice Cream [/] The picture looks nice but the ice cream was a little disappointing. It's still ice cream so it's good but not quite what I expected. I just looked and realized it's the Safeway store brand so maybe that's why it's an average ice cream.

Tillamook Oregon Dark Cherry Ice Cream [+] On the other hand this tasted better than I expected. It's very creamy cherry ice cream with delicious cherry chunks. I should try other Tillamook ice cream flavors.

TV Show - Little Voice #1.01 to #1.04 (2020) [-] Half-hour Apple TV+ drama. Aspiring singer/songwriter Bess (Brittany O'Grady) struggles with overcoming stage fright while developing a relationship with next-door storage space neighbor Ethan (Sean Teale). The first couple episodes were ok and then episodes three and four I tuned out and afterwards couldn't remember what I watched.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-09-02T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200902-movie-top-gun-1986.html#unique-entry-id-119https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200902-movie-top-gun-1986.html#unique-entry-id-119Top Gun again and I guess the last time was 2014 when I wrote a review. The movie is still awesome from the opening theme playing while carrier operations are going on to the ending. Soundtrack is great. Fighter jet sequences are very cool (filmed in cooperation of the US Navy). F-14 is such an iconic fighter even though retired from service almost 15 years ago.

There are not many fighter jet movies that come to mind. For example, this Top 10 Fighter Jets Movies List, has way too many movies that feature pre-jet fighters and maybe only Stealth (2005) also features fighter jet vs fighter jet combats. And actually one that came to mind that's not in that list is Firefox (1982) with Clint Eastwood.

Here's another list from IMDB and it's cool that you can click on keywords to narrow down the list. And now I believe that Top Gun is the only good fighter jet combat movie. Maybe Top Gun: Maverick will also have good sequences though I'm afraid they'll be heavy CGI. It's amazing what Top Gun did using real jets and real military pilots.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-08-31T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200831-apple-magic-mouse-2-2015.html#unique-entry-id-118https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200831-apple-magic-mouse-2-2015.html#unique-entry-id-118previously reviewed Magic Mouse 2 and my biggest complaint two years ago was Bluetooth flakiness. Actually I don't remember having any Bluetooth problems in the last year so that must have been solved.

On the plus side, the design means no dirt gets inside and the clicker works differently anyways so input has never been marred by dirt. Battery lasts a long time and you can quick charge in a few minutes to keep playing another hour. It's also small and fits my hand.

But it's time to get a traditional mouse. Two big problems:

I hate activating right mouse button because I'm always accidentally clicking it. Ctrl-click for right mouse works well most of the time except in games and apparently my company remote desktop client. The latter is now a big problem.

In VLC, which I use all the time, swipe up and down changes the volume so I'm always accidentally changing the volume. Strange since I don't have a problem accidentally doing vertical scroll in other apps. I guess VLC sensitivity is real high.

Oh wait, How to Use Mouse Gestures in VLC Media Player. Sure enough if I go to VLC preferences there is a Show All button which shows advanced settings. I totally thought that button did something different, though not sure what that would have been in my mind. Interface > Hotkey settings > Mouse wheel vertical axis control > Ignore. Mouse wheel horizontal axis control > Ignore (this jumped video forward and back which I also found annoying but accidentally did this less often).

Hmm, that didn't do anything. Oh, had to restart VLC. This is great!

So now can I fix my company's Secure Global Desktop Client settings? Nope. Found the user manual and does not have any way to configure that.

But I fixed the VLC annoyance and I think for now I can live with turning on secondary click when using SGDC. So I guess that upgrades Magic Mouse 2 from [-] to [/]. Still not the perfect mouse as I think the trackpad stuff is not as useful as the old Apple Mouse with small trackball that also functioned as right mouse button.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-08-28T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200828-spot-reviews-08-28-20.html#unique-entry-id-117https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200828-spot-reviews-08-28-20.html#unique-entry-id-117Pac-Man [/] Free to play. Has classic Pac-Man, My Mazes (different layouts), Tournaments, Adventure (a set of mazes to be completed in order). It looks retro (and great) and music/sounds are good. Pushes ad-watching for double rewards (but doesn't force ads). Unfortunately both swipe controls and joystick controls are not great and there is no game controller support.

The Gauntlet Podcast (2014) [/] A podcast about OSR and indie RPG games. Mostly discussion type with a lot of "what are you playing". I listened to about a dozen old episodes and half a dozen current episodes but did not find it interesting. It's a bit too rambly and I'm more into RPG news or reviews.

Movie - Lady Driver (2020) [+] Netflix movie. During summer teen Ellie Lansing (Grace Van Dien) works on her uncle Tim's (Sean Patrick Flanery) mechanic shop and discovers a love for dirt track racing. It's the type of nice family film you'd find on Disney Channel.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-08-26T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200826-movie-last-christmas-2019.html#unique-entry-id-115https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200826-movie-last-christmas-2019.html#unique-entry-id-115Last Christmas is a romantic comedy set in the UK and featuring Wham/George Michael songs. Kate (Emilia Clarke) had dreams of becoming a singer but is now stuck employed in retail, couch surfing and slowly losing friends, and partying and drinking her life away. Then she meets Tom (Henry Golding) who tells her to look up and slowly lifts her from her depression. But he has a secret that might ruin their relationship...

The first act is ok but the film picks up in the second act and has a good ending. Good acting and very holiday romance vibes (Kate works at a Santa shop, wearing an elf costume and selling Christmas tchotchkes year-round). A bit bittersweet at the end because it turns out this is about Kate's redemption arc more than a romance. I liked the film.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-08-24T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200824-mac-game-stores.html#unique-entry-id-114https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200824-mac-game-stores.html#unique-entry-id-114App Store [/] The built-in App Store has a clean UI. Not that many games comparatively and Apple doesn't do sale events so knowing when something is on sale requires a third party web site like AppShopper (which is also good for knowing when your followed iOS apps go on sale). Very easy install and unlike Steam you don't have to keep the store client running to play games.

One good thing is that most Apple Arcade games work on Mac so if you have a subscription you get a good variety of games to play.

Epic Games [/] A relatively new store. They have two or three weekly free games and sometimes top tier games. Less Mac games, even games that have Mac versions in Steam don't have that version in Epic. Sales don't seem as good as Steam and I'm not so sure about their discoverability either.

GOG [+] One of my favorite stores built up their reputation by selling old games wrapped in DOSBox so you can play them on modern OSes. You can even play many old Windows games on Mac this way and they constantly keep the DOSBox layer updated for each game. Nowaways they also sell newer games (which don't have DOSBox so ironically less Mac versions than old games).

Steam [+] I guess overall my favorite game store. Huge selection, lots of sales, good discoverability, wishlists, and other features. The big drawback is most games require the Steam client to be running and it's not a lightweight client.

Humble Bundle [/] Honorable mention. Their store is basically a custom UI using the Steam store to deliver games. Less information than Steam store though so often I have to go to Steam to get more info like screen shots and reviews. But the Humble Bundles are cheap ways to buy game collections so that's the real nice.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-08-21T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200821-spot-reviews-08-21-20.html#unique-entry-id-112https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200821-spot-reviews-08-21-20.html#unique-entry-id-112Descendants 3 (2019) [/] In this sequel musical the original four descendants -- Mal (Dove Cameron), Evie (Sofia Carson), Carlos (Cameron Boyce) and Jay (Booboo Stewart) -- have to team up with the Descendants 2 villains -- Uma (China Anne McClain), Harry (Thomas Doherty) and Gil (Dylan Playfair) -- to stop Princess Audrey (Sarah Jeffery), former ex of King Ben (Mitchell Hope) who turns to evil in order to take over the kingdom and win Ben's love... It's a suitably entertaining movie.

Web Site - The Kings Herald (2020) [/] When Vox Media fired all their writers in California the members of Sactown Royalty formed their own web site. I'm not sure what hosting package they're using but the look is fairly professional and the writing is the same as before. It's a blog site so lots of small posts with shallow content and half of the appeal is the comments section. Anyway, this is a site I visit every one or three days to see what's going on.

Manton Reece blog [/] - Mac developer of Micro.blog and podcaster. Another NetNewsWire default feed. I don't find it all that interesting.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-08-19T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200819-tv-show-mythic-quest-ravens-banquet-s1-2019.html#unique-entry-id-111https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200819-tv-show-mythic-quest-ravens-banquet-s1-2019.html#unique-entry-id-111Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet is an Apple TV+ half hour comedy set at a small software company, developers of the wildly successful Mythic Quest MMO, just as they are set to release their next expansion, Raven's Banquet. It's a character-based comedy with a bunch of quirky characters:

• Ian Grimm (Rob McElhenney) - founder of the company and creative director, giant ego and he even has a major NPC in the game
• Poppy Li (Charlotte Nicdao) - lead developer often toiling overtime work with little credit, she starts to realize that she's quite underappreciated
• David Brittlesbee (David Hornsby) - executive producer, theoretically makes all the major decisions but is bullied by Ian and Poppy
• Rachel (Ashly Burch) and Dana (Imani Hakim) - game testers working in their own separate testing room, they might each have a secret crush on the other
• Brad Bakshi (Danny Pudi) - marketing and monetization, not amoral, just amoral when it comes to money
• CW Longbottom (F Murray Abraham) - head writer, award winning alcoholic novelist on the decline
• Jo (Jessie Ennis) - David's new assistant who gloms on to the alpha male of the company (usually Ian until David finally stands up for himself)

Office politics + game design + MMO issues. episodes are usually entertaining and sometimes funny, rarely cringy. There is even a bonus 10th episode shot during self-isolation which hit close to home. Overall not a bad show.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-08-17T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200817-discord.html#unique-entry-id-110https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200817-discord.html#unique-entry-id-110Discord is a discussion group service. Anybody can create a Discord group and invite people (or make it a public group that anyone can join). A server will have channels grouped into sections. You can tier people so that channels are visible to certain tiers.

A channel is, like IRC, one continuous conversation. There is no threading. Messages can include pictures, video, files and emotes. Users can be notified about every message on a per channel or per server basis, or narrow it down to important messages (@here @everyone) or just to messages that tag you.

Admins can add bots to Discord for functionality. I've seen birthday bots (register your birthday then it'll announce it), music bots, dice rolling bots, etc. Sometimes there are too many bots but you can block them and block other users too for that matter.

I believe Discord was first created for gamers so they could do voice chat and coordination during games, especially games where a team has to cooperate. As such Discord retains fairly good voice chat functionality. You can set your own in and out sound levels and set other people's input level. Setting global in plus individual in levels is just good enough that you can level everyone's audio (for you personally not for everyone in the voice chat). Unfortunately there is no auto-leveling.

There is also video chat and streaming capabilities. I haven't used either.

The system is distributed. For example you can only chat with another user if both of you subscribe to a common server. Likewise you can use one servers' emotes on another server but those emotes are not generally available to people on the other server.

Discord uses a dedicated Desktop or mobile client but also has a web client interface.

Discord is free. They have a $10 per month/$100 per year Nitro subscription which gives you a selection of commercial games to play and allows you to boost two servers. Boosted servers have more features. Still, Nitro is rather pricey for what you get.

I mostly use Discord for Twitch since every channel has its own Discord server. My brother set up a Discord for our group which we use mostly for voice chat during DDO games. We have a general channel, a channel for extra Steam keys, and a channel to post video clips.

Overall it's an impressive service and a good alternative to web-only services.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-08-14T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200814-spot-reviews-08-14-20.html#unique-entry-id-109https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200814-spot-reviews-08-14-20.html#unique-entry-id-109MIchael Tsai blog [/] Michael is a macOS developer and this is one of the default NetNewsWire feeds. Each blog is about a topic and compiles info from other sources with links and excerpts. I guess this makes it a bit repetitive when you have a bunch of other feeds since Michael rarely comments himself so the only value-add is the compilation in one page.

Movie - Lez Bomb (2018) [/] Lauren (Jenna Laurenzo) comes home for Thanksgiving intending to come out of the closet to her parents and introduce her girlfriend Hailey (Caitlin Mehner) but mom and dad mistake long-time roommate Austin (Brandon Micheal Hall) as her new beau... It's a bit frustrating at times even if the story does a good job of preventing Lauren from blurting out the truth and basically ending all the drama in the first act. With Steve Guttenberg, Bruce Dern, Kevin Pollak and Cloris Leachman.

iOS Game - Bloons Adventure Time TD (2018) [/] Free to play path-based tower defense game based on Adventure Time cartoon show. Place your Adventure Time heroes, shoot the oncoming balloons, use the money to level up. Lots of voice acting and Adventure Time story and humor.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-08-12T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200812-movie-birds-of-prey-2020.html#unique-entry-id-108https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200812-movie-birds-of-prey-2020.html#unique-entry-id-108Birds of Prey is a DC Films action film starring Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie). Breaking up with the Joker puts Quinn in a funk until she declares her breakup in spectacular fashion. But now that she's no longer invulnerable everybody is out to arrest her or wreck vengeance, including Detective Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez) and Black Mask (Ewan McGregor).

Meanwhile young Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco) manages to steal (and swallow) a diamond that Black Mask desperately wants. With killers after her it's up to former lounge singer now Black Mask's personal driver Dinah Lance (Jurnee Smollett-Bell) who is tipping off Montoya in order to keep Cain safe.

Another plot line is the mysterious Crossbow Killer (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) murdering mobsters all over town. Turns out it's Helena Bertinelli, who calls herself Huntress. She's mostly on her own storyline until the big meetup scene when she show up to murder Black Mask's main henchman Victor Zsasz (Chris Messina)...

Harley Quinn provides narration and although I think she's mostly truthful she tends to skip back when she remembers a plot line she forgot. And of course it's humorous when she describes a scene and we see how it's actually playing out. In general this is a fairly comedic film, more so than Suicide Squad but less so than Deadpool.

Action is pretty good. Quinn especially shows off her gymnastic fighting skills and gets to wield a big mallet while wearing roller skates on a rotating carnival ride. She also has another cool scene assaulting a police station with a shotgun that shoots beanies and glitter-dust balls.

Overall was quite a good film. Good action, funny story, and Harley Quinn is a great character.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-08-10T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200810-tabletop-simulator.html#unique-entry-id-107https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200810-tabletop-simulator.html#unique-entry-id-107Tabletop Simulator [/] This is a physics-based simulator for tabletop games, whether board games or miniatures or RPGs. It supports dice, cards, maps and figures. You can stack cards and tokens, fling dice and other objects, rotate and flip cards. Graphics are fairly good.

We've been playing Gloomhaven and after a couple of sessions there are pros and cons. The module has scripts to automate some things but it seems like scripts are a bit limited: you have to set up objects in certain places for the script to work and if the flow is different then a script fails for various reasons. But on the positive side you can skip the scripts and do things manually which allows you to cheat (which I do when I'm "GMing" a board game).

But because it's a physical object simulator the controls are clunky. ASWD to pan around, arrow keys to change viewing angle, click and drag to move objects, click and Q/E to rotate, click and F to flip, etc. Compared to physically playing a board game (and the comparison is inevitable because this is a physical world simulator) it's slow and sometimes frustrating. Also compare to a dedicated app which would be an idealized board and pieces without the table and physics engine; easier to use and probably better graphics.

This week we found out you also need a good connection. We were all getting disconnected so I think it was on the problem was on the host's end (you connect to TTS instance on host's machine and I think host sends all the graphic assets to clients). One person with an older computer had lots of lag issues (TTS seems rather graphics intensive; maybe there are graphics settings you can change to lower GPU usage). We were using Discord for voice chat and that kept working fine.

Creating your own module seems like a lot of work. You can buy modules for $5 to $20, or free, which is not bad. Worse for RPGs since you need to buy supplements separately (if you want to use the computer aids like character tracker and so forth).

Overall I'm unsure about TTS. On the plus side it's generic so you can play lots of different games. On the minus side it's generic so the gaming experience is always going to be subpar.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-08-07T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200807-spot-reviews-08-07-20.html#unique-entry-id-106https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200807-spot-reviews-08-07-20.html#unique-entry-id-106Terminator: Dark Fate (2019) [/] This is a reboot sequel to Terminator 2. Grace (Mackenzie Davis) is sent back in time (to present day Mexico) to save Dani (Natalia Reyes), who in the future will lead the human resistance against the AI-controlled robots that rule future Earth. They are both saved by Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) who has been on a mission of vengeance, killing Terminators after her son was murdered 15 years ago... The film harkens back to the 80's action movie spectacles with a lot of practical effects. An entertaining film but kind same old same old for the franchise.

Florida's Natural Orange Juice (Some Pulp) [+] I've been drinking too much orange juice the last few weeks but it's so good. This one has a good amount of pulp (there is a most pulp version but I haven't seen it at my local Safeway). Good taste or maybe I'm used to it.

Tropicana Orange Juice (Homestyle) [/] This is the some pulp version which I find is almost no pulp. And even though it's still 100% orange juice it tastes a little less flavorful than Florida's Natural. On the back label it says oranges from USA and Brazil. I don't appreciate that they have so many versions of orange juice as if product development had too much time on their hands.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-08-05T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200805-tv-show-the-mandalorian-s1-2019.html#unique-entry-id-105https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200805-tv-show-the-mandalorian-s1-2019.html#unique-entry-id-105The Mandalorian is a space western set in the Star Wars universe some years after Return of the Jedi. Season one is eight 25- to 45-minute episodes. A lone Mandalorian bounty hunter (Pedro Pascal) gets a high-paying off-the-books mission which turns out is bringing a Baby Yoda back for experimentation. But the Mandalorian becomes attached to Baby Yoda, betrays his contract and spends the rest of the season hiding and trying to find a way defeat the Client (Werner Herzog) who is determined to acquire Baby Yoda.

It's a lot of live action and fairly good special effects (though if you pay attention you can see the quality upgrade from spending $40m for 2 hours of television versus $275m for The Rise of Skywalker). There is that problem of making a Mandalorian in heavy armor look like a bad-ass close quarters fighter, which does not quite work here.

But aside from those things the episodes are pretty good and mostly self-contained. There is a variety of locations and characters. There is a stop at Mos Eisley for an episode. There is a Spaghetti Western feel at times. It's a good series but not compelling and not as good as the hype.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-08-03T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200803-twitch-vod-downloaders.html#unique-entry-id-104https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200803-twitch-vod-downloaders.html#unique-entry-id-104
4K Video Downloader - Adware or $15. This is my primary. You can choose which resolution to download (or even just audio). It does one download request so you often get to complete a download even if the vod is replaced mid-download (e.g. with a DMCA muted version). But other times the replacement vod confuses 4kVD and it keeps restarting the download indefinitely so you have to keep watch so it doesn't suck up all your bandwidth. The app is regularly updated as video sites change their pages (it's basically scraping the target page looking for download links) though sometimes it can take a week or two before an update is pushed out.

ViDL for Mac - free. This packages some open source tools and adds a simple UI. It downloads the best quality version it finds. It uses multiple threads so if the vod is replaced mid-download you end up with a corrupted file. One key feature is it supports login pages. Some Twitch channels only subscribers can view vods. ViDL can show the login page and you login as if on a web browser then ViDL has a one-month token it reuses.

So for vods I really want:

1. Wait for stream to finish
2. A few minutes after end use 4K Video Downloader to get vod (or ViDL for sub-only vods.
3. If 4K Video Downloader fails, cancel and try one more time.
4. If 4k Video Downloader still fails use ViDL.

Rarely a streamer deletes a vod right after stream ends. If you're afraid of that use 4K Video Downloader to start the download before stream ends. You won't get the whole stream but download should leave you with a viewable file.

I've also used JDownloader 2 which is open source but too many options. It seems to be like ViDL with more controls.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-07-31T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2020-spot-reviews-07-31-20.html#unique-entry-id-103https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2020-spot-reviews-07-31-20.html#unique-entry-id-103Merry Happy Whatever s1 (2019) [-] A sitcom set in a Philadelphia suburbs. Emmy (Bridgit Mendler) visits home for Christmas holidays with boyfriend Matt (Brent Morin) in tow. There Matt finds his Los Angeles band guitarist slacker persona running into the brick wall of suburban Catholic middle-America ruled by Emmy's police officer father Don (Dennis Quaid). It's got jokes, a laugh track (or it seems like it has a laugh track), and vanilla-ish characters. It's a very unremarkable sitcom better suited for network television and it was cancelled after one 8-episode season.

Video Game - Fall Guys (2020) [+] Several streamers I watch have been playing Fall Guys today (Aug 04, release date). Sixty players go through six rounds of random levels (from a selection), each time the lowest performers are eliminated. The characters are floppy dudes who are hard to maneuver and fall down a lot. You can grab other players or push them. The levels are half obstacle courses and half team games. Seems pretty fun.

iOS App - Marbles on Stream Mobile (2018) [/] For the dedicated players this app allows you to buy skins and customize your marble. There are also some leaderboards and links to the Discord and Twitch. Unfortunately very few personal stats and I really wanted to see my race history and placements. It's a very bare bones app.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-07-29T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200729-movie-greyhound-2020.html#unique-entry-id-102https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200729-movie-greyhound-2020.html#unique-entry-id-102Greyhound is a mid-budget movie based on CS Forester's "The Good Shepherd" and distributed on Apple TV+. The story is focused on "Greyhound", a WW2 United States destroyer commanded by Commander Krause (Tom Hanks). It and three other escorts are ferrying a convoy from the US to the UK during the Battle of the Atlantic. During the two days in the middle of the Atlantic where there is no air cover from the US or UK a pack of u-boats attack the convoy.

Greyhound and her mates are kept busy chasing, hunting and battling u-boats. The action is fairly intense and tactics seem realistic. There are only a few sets with everything outside Greyhound being CGI, though the CGI is well done and not jarring. It looks good enough that it would have looked good in a theatre (unlike the recent Midway which looks more like a direct-to-video movie). Overall it's worth watching.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-07-27T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200727-setapp.html#unique-entry-id-100https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200727-setapp.html#unique-entry-id-100Setapp is an app service for Mac. For $10 a month you get access to almost 200 applications (not games) on one computer (they also have team and family plans). It's curated so a lot of the apps are pretty good and none of them are trash.

I looked at the apps list and they're pretty nice.

ChronoSync Express - file synchronizer, also can do backups
Mosaic - window organizer (I use an earlier version, Window Tidy)
PDFpen - edit PDFs
RapidWeaver - web site designer
Capto - screen recorder

The above I use and there are other Setapps that do similar things so it's not like you'll use more than a handful of apps regularly. Still, I guess if you are new to Mac this is a good place to start.

Then again, unlike games, once you've been using an app for a year or two it's hard to just quit using it. For example, it's not like I can export my RapidWeaver website and import it to another website editor. Similarly for a finance app or many productivity apps. So once you're on Setapp you're kind of stuck there or you can quit and buy the apps you really used.

The other question is what happens when an app is removed from Setapp. I assume you can still use it if you have it installed but what if you want to reinstall? Probably can't.

I think in the end I'm so-so on the concept of an app service. Game service I can see since you play a game and then you're done with it and really can stop subscribing to a game service with little consequences. Same for video services. I'm not sure I'd ever subscribe to an app service like Setapp.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-07-24T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200724-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-101https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200724-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-101Dreyer's Fudge Tracks [/] I looked at the name and picture and thought vanilla ice cream with fudge. Then as I'm eating it I think the chocolate bits taste odd. Look at the package again and it has mini peanut butter cups. Not really to my taste. Oof.

Six Colors [/] A web site dedicated to Apple and tech news. It was included as one of the NetNewsWire default feeds and for the most part it's good. But the feed also includes member posts which are for members only and that's annoying. But aside from member posts and ads the rest of it is interesting.

Portal 2 [+] I've been watching Alexandra Botez play this on BotezLive. It's mostly an FPS puzzle game where your gun can make two portals that connect which allows you to teleport/move things around obstacles and redirect weapon fire. Trick is that portals can only be made on white walls of the facility you are trapped in. I have both Portal 1 and 2 (although they're both 32-bit games) and maybe I'll try to play 1.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-07-22T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200722-ios-app-firefox-focus.html#unique-entry-id-97https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200722-ios-app-firefox-focus.html#unique-entry-id-97Ghostery Lite ($free, content and tracker blocking) and StopTheMadness ($2, javascript modifier and privacy). Lately one site that I use, AyumiLove, has so many overlay ads (left side, bottom, right side) that it covers up all the content on my iPhone SE. So I went looking for an iOS ad blocker.

You can't sell pure ad blockers on the App Store. Everything has to be an app and all apps have to be somewhat functional standalone. So what I see is that ad blockers are apps that can function as web browsers and have an extension you can turn on in System Preferences > Safari > Content Blockers.

First I looked at Ghostery Privacy Browser but it doesn't have a Safari extension and I don't want to use a new browser. Similarly DuckDuckGo Privacy Browser is just a browser with no Safari Extension. And then there are a bunch of no-name ad blockers which I find hard to trust.

Eventually I found Firefox Focus which is published by Mozilla, is a standalone browser, and has a Safari extension. I installed it, turned it on, and so far Safari seems fine with a lot less ads. It doesn't have to be perfect and I do trust Mozilla so this is the best solution I've found.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-07-20T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200720-macos-safari-privacy-extensions.html#unique-entry-id-98https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200720-macos-safari-privacy-extensions.html#unique-entry-id-98StopTheMadness ($2) - This is a Safari extension (can also be used on Brave, Firefox, Chrome and Edge) that is mostly to stop various Javascript techniques to click jack or limit your experience. So things like preventing you from copying web page text, or when you click a link it also sends data to an analytics site. Also stops video auto play which is why I bought this extension in the first place.

Some web sites it kind of messes up though you can white list the sites. Problem is if you have multiple extensions it can be hard which one is breaking a web site.

Ghostery Lite (free) - Ghostery I've been using for years and Lite is the version they distribute on the Mac App Store (and Lite has enough functionality for me, I forget what it lacks compared to Ghostery). Ghostery Lite is an ad blocker and tracker blocker. Block lists update daily. Has limited configuration compared to Ghostery -- you can select categories to block and can white list sites.

Both together do make my web browsing a lot nicer. Not perfect but at least they're easy to use and free/cheap.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-07-17T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200717-spot-reviews-07-17-20.html#unique-entry-id-96https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200717-spot-reviews-07-17-20.html#unique-entry-id-96The Assignment (2016) [-] After mad doctor Rachel Jane (Sigourney Weaver) changes hit man Frank Kitchen (Michelle Rodriguez) into a woman Frank goes on a revenge spree trying to track down Dr Jane. I watched the first half hour, it was boring, I lost interest.

Blog - Becky Hansmeyer [/] One of the NetNewsWire default feeds. Becky is an independent iOS developer and mostly writes about her experiences being a Swift developer. Somewhat interesting perspective from a small developer.

Twitch - GreenXEggs [/] An example of a small hobby streamer. She is a fan of Anna_Chess and JoeBruin which is how I know about her. Streams a variety of games. Has not figured out her schtick, or what would make her channel more interesting to viewers. Though probably she doesn't care about growth right now.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-07-15T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200715-anime-girls-und-panzer-2012.html#unique-entry-id-95https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200715-anime-girls-und-panzer-2012.html#unique-entry-id-95Girls und Panzer is a 12-episode half hour anime.

Miho Nishizumi (Meg McDonald) arrives at Ooarai Girls High School and is immediately recruited into the newly revived Tankery class, where girls operate WW2 vintage tanks in contests against each other and other schools. Since she's from an esteemed Tankery family school president Anzu Kadotani (Rozie Curtis) appoints Miho as squadron leader when Ooarai's team enters the annual Tankery high school tournament. Miho battles through her insecurities and her classmates' inexperience to lead her team to the championship battle...

It's a bit of an alternate world where girls' academies are hosted on decommissioned but functioning aircraft carriers and tank combat uses real rounds but nobody is seriously injured. Ooarai HS eventually fields eight different tanks from various nationalities. They face schools who are themed after various countries and their tanks: Britain (an exhibition match), Italy (the only match that is not shown on screen), United States, Russia and finally Germany.

The matches take place over two episodes and each match is quite different with a variety of tactics used. The tanks have some amount of detail and the combat is video gamey -- realistic statistics but with video game results.

I was a bit disappointed with the series. There are a lot of characters -- the Ooarai team alone is about 8 tanks x 4 crew = 32 people and each of the opposing teams has a couple of notable characters. You just don't get any deep character development in 12 episodes even for Miho, the main character. So at the end where in other series I'd be sad saying goodby this time I was "eh".
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-07-13T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200713-ios-pdf-apps.html#unique-entry-id-94https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200713-ios-pdf-apps.html#unique-entry-id-94Apple Books app in Catalina uses iCloud to store PDFs, which I guess is fine for mostly text PDFs but anything with graphics, like comic books, you quickly eat through the 5 GB you get for free. Upgrading to 50 GB for $12 per year is one solution and I'd be able to keep sort of my current reading list available. But that means using Internet bandwidth to upload the files and download them to my iPad and I'm kind of tight on that. So it was off to look at third party iPad PDF readers...

Documents by Readdle [/] It's more designed to be a PDF editor. Shows PDFs in continuous 1-page scroll which I find inconvenient. Clumsy to add and access bookmarks. Clumsy to go to a page. Free with PDF editing a $50 add-on (and considering the editing UI elements are always present this app is not suitable as a PDF viewer-only).

Adobe Acrobat Reader for PDF [/] Not a bad PDF viewer, you can do single page or continuous page and accessing go-to-page and bookmarks is easy. But you can't create bookmarks, a feature in Android.

Kybook 3 Ebook Reader (2019) [+] Third time's the charm. Reader view without a bunch of always-present editing controls like the above two have. Supports 2-page spreads in landscape. You can add bookmarks with a tap (and actually it does have control buttons but they're very tiny which keeps them out of the way but hard to tap). Has a bunch of organizing and other features some of which use the subscription ($15 per year).

So for now I'll use Kybook 3. Apple Books is still my preferred reader on iPad -- Apple is great at UI and feel even if their apps don't have every feature (but then again leaving out unnecessary features is part of great UI). I think once I get Sonic fiber Internet I'll upgrade my iCloud and go back to Apple Books.

------------------

Wed Jul 15 - Annoyingly Kybook 3 does not do 2-page spreads correctly. A PDF is like a book so page 1 is the cover and pages 2-3 are the first 2-page spread. Kybook 3 does not know that and when I'm reading a comic book with lots of 2-page spreads they are displayed incorrectly and it's amazingly annoying. I also found that I had epub versions of some of the PDFs and epub are significantly smaller (I think they made a mistake and put really high-res images in the PDF version).

So I'm going back to Apple Books and if I keep it to 1 GB at at time that's a fair amount of comics book material. Apple Books is still useless as your books storage and organizer since it's dependent in iCloud, but I guess Apple Books is not that great at organizing in any case so storing a thousand books would be a nightmare of using Apple Books limited organization capabilities.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-07-10T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200710-spot-reviews-07-10-20.html#unique-entry-id-93https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200710-spot-reviews-07-10-20.html#unique-entry-id-93Apple Podcasts app [-] I'm seriously trying to use it but syncing from Mac to my devices sucks. It's hard to get it to sync all episodes -- on one device some episodes are missing and on the other device other episodes are missing. Also no playlist support in the Mac App and on iOS you can only add to the virtual currently playing list.

Twitch - AkaNemsko (2020) [+] WGM Qiyu Zhou is a new streamer and her channel just celebrated it's first month-aversary, while having over 1000 subscribers. She built up a following being a guest partner at BotezLive, doing commentaries on chess.com and doing collaborations for PogChamps. It's pretty remarkable growth. Her channel is Chess, League of Legends and Valorant; though she also did a run through of Detroit Become Human. Disclosure: I am a moderator in her channel.

San Mateo Public Library, Main Library [+] San Mateo City operates three libraries. I've only been to the main one which is a few minutes walk from my place. It's three stories, fairly large, very clean and well maintained building. Really a nice place to hang out, read a book or magazine or study (they have small reading rooms and I often see students studying). They have programs for kids and adults, a used books section where sales go to maintain the library. Underground parking is fairly large. Overall an excellent city library.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-07-08T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200708-movie-midway-1976-and-midway-2019.html#unique-entry-id-92https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200708-movie-midway-1976-and-midway-2019.html#unique-entry-id-92Midway (1976) is kind of a classic old school WW2 film. It starts with the Doolittle Raid then concentrates on the intelligence gathering and preparation for the Battle of Midway. The last half of the movie is the battle itself with the various air squadrons searching and attacking the Japanese carriers -- the movie is mostly from the American point of view. The film ends right at the end of the battle.

Midway (2019) is a big budget theatrical film on the same topic. It starts with Pearl Harbor, spends a lot more time on characters, covers the Battle of Midway in about 30 minutes, and ends when the American carriers return to Pearl Harbor.

Some comparisons:

2019 has a lot of average movie-CGI so it does look a bit off. Compared to the first movie which used real vintage airplanes (though recycled footage it's still real airplanes, 2019 you can see multiple air squadrons in the air) and actual archival footage from WW2.
The Battle of Midway is given short shrift. You don't get a sense of the battle like you do in the 1976 film. On the other hand you get a bit more of the strategic factors in the 2019 film. I also liked that 2019 had a submarine, USS Nautilus, taking a part which it probably did historically but was unknown in 1976.
The 2019 ending credits shows what happened historically for each character, which I do like. This points to the fact that 1976 has a fictional major character, his son and a Japanese internment detainee plot line.

Overall I do prefer the 1976 version.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-07-06T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200706-d-and-d-monster-cards.html#unique-entry-id-91https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200706-d-and-d-monster-cards.html#unique-entry-id-91Gale Force Nine publishes official D&D reference cards. I have a set with magic items and several sets for various spell lists. I have two sets for monsters, one for Challenge 0-5 and one for Challenge 6-16. Unlike other sets, many monsters require a lot of information so most cards are double-width. As usual each card has a picture in front and statistics in back. The cards are sturdy and have glossy fronts and backs. Monsters with variants tend to have variant cards (i.e. there is a card for young white dragon).

I haven't used the monster cards but I'd imagine in an adventure I'd take out the cards for monsters that appear so I have them handy without having perhaps multiple monster manuals around. Maybe in a card folder (like what I see Magic the Gathering players use) so they're not all spread out or in a pile that can be knocked over. I was also thinking of using it in Pendragon as a random monster generator, picking a random card and then making up a corresponding monster.

Sadly, with COVID-19 and less face-to-face gaming a product like this seems less useful. I guess as a GM I could still have it around but if we're doing remote gaming then having a PDF with the select monsters may be more useful (especially since I use three monitors so have the extra screen space).

Still, I think a useful add-on to a D&D campaign.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-07-03T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200703-spot-reviews-07-03-20.html#unique-entry-id-89https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200703-spot-reviews-07-03-20.html#unique-entry-id-89Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files 05 (2010) [/] This collects the Judge Dredd serials from 2000 AD (a British comic book of short stories) issues 208-270. It's ok though the humor takes some getting used to.

TV Show - Stargirl #101-106 (2020) [/] Teenager Courtney (Brec Bassinger) becomes fledging super-heroine Stargirl and with the reluctant help of her stepfather Pat "Stripesey" Dugan (Luke Wilson) recruits her high-school friends to form a new Justice Society of America to battle the Injustice Society of America and the villains who killer her father... High school super-heroes are not really my thing, mostly because high schoolers can be really annoying.

Safeway Dutch Apple Pie [/] You know, I think this is actually cherry pie because the innards are red and cherry tasting rather than apple tasting. This is a big pie with a crumb topping that has oats. It's good though I guess I prefer a regular cherry pie. Dutch topping might not be my thing.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-07-01T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200701-movie-star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-2019.html#unique-entry-id-88https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200701-movie-star-wars-the-rise-of-skywalker-2019.html#unique-entry-id-88The Rise of Skywalker is the last of the classic 9-movie series that George Lucas envisioned back in the 1970's. The three trilogies cover three generations: the rise of Darth Vader and the Empire; Luke and Leia and the Rebel Alliance; Rey and Kylo Ren and the First Order.

By this last movie Rey (Daisy Ridley) is an accomplished Jedi with formidable powers (especially considering what Luke Skywalker was showing in Return of the Jedi, a bit of power creep there). Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) find the Big Boss who offers him a newly restored Empire in return for Rey.

Once again it's a planet hopping adventure as Rey and friends look for clues to find the Sith homeworld while Kylo Ren and his forces chase them. Really nice vistas that you don't appreciate on an iPad. Lots of fighting and action and Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams) having a small but significant role.

The ending is suitably epic and I really like the last little bit with Rey to end the series.

Overall, there is nothing like being a teenager watching episodes 4-6 in theaters. I suppose being that age and watching these current movies would have the same impact. For me it's nice to see the arcs of my favorite OG characters like Luke, Leia, Chewbacca and C-3PO.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-06-29T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200629-ios-game-grand-mountain-adventure-2020.html#unique-entry-id-80https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200629-ios-game-grand-mountain-adventure-2020.html#unique-entry-id-80Grand Mountain Adventure is a skiing game where you are visiting a mountain riding lifts and then doing various challenges (runs). Most challenges seem to be timed though I did see a jumping challenge. You can also divert from a challenge and wander around finding secret challenges or just admiring the mountain.

Controls are simple. Tap left and right to use your ski poles. Starting from rest requires tapping left and right to get started and after that you tap to turn. Tap both to jump. Swiped down to break, which I never had to do.

There are bonus items you pick up: a backpack to carry things, a telescope to view the mountain from your location, a flowmeter that shows your current flow score (whatever that is), and others. You can also get better ski equipment (after the demo).

The game includes one mountain and to unlock the rest of the game it's $5.

Overall it's a nice looking game but maybe a bit too sandbox-y. I'd rather have the ski runs without the simulation of moving around a mountain like a tourist.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-06-26T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200626-spot-reviews-06-26-20.html#unique-entry-id-79https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200626-spot-reviews-06-26-20.html#unique-entry-id-79Trader Joe's Organic Italian Artisan Pasta Gigli [/] It's pasta. Like the linked review says, it cooks fast. I cooked it for 7 minutes (maximum recommended time) and it came out too soft. But otherwise tastes like pasta.

Moshi USB-C to DisplayPort Cable [+] These are sold at the Apple Store for $50. Connects USB-C or Thunderbolt 3 to a DisplayPort monitor. I've been using it for a couple of weeks and it works fine. White color that matches Apple cables though with a silver connector heads. Supports 5K video output so that's nice if I need it.

Twitch - AnnaMaja [/] Anna-Maja Kazarian is a Georgian-Dutch WIM living in the Netherlands and going to university. She mostly streams pre-dawn to early morning Pacific time so I only catch some of her streams. High level play with a good chat and sometimes plays Marbles.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-06-24T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2020-apple-tv-plus-amazing-stories-2020.html#unique-entry-id-78https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/2020-apple-tv-plus-amazing-stories-2020.html#unique-entry-id-78Amazing Stories is an hour-long 5-episode anthology series of science fiction stories.

1. The Cellar - the best story, a time-traveling love story with an unexpected yet satisfying twist.
2. The Heat - two track athletes reconnect after one of them is killed in an accident; this one seems to have been filmed in Oakland.
3. Dynoman and the Volt! - a crotchety grandfather and his grandson learn to bond when he gains super powers.
4. Signs of Life - a daughter is relieved when her mother wakes up from a several-years-long coma but she's completely different.
5. The Rift - a mother and son witness an airplane crash and find a man who believes he was just in WW2 Burma.

I really liked the 1985 series though only really remember one or two episodes. Maybe because I'm 35 years older but these five episodes were mostly average. They're all kind of feel good with good endings, which I think the 1985 series was also unlike The Twilight Zone or Outer Limits were bad endings were common.

Overall I would not recommend this series. It's not bad but there is so much good television out there.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-06-22T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200622-software-crossover-19-2019.html#unique-entry-id-77https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200622-software-crossover-19-2019.html#unique-entry-id-77CrossOver is an application that uses Wine to run Windows apps on your Mac (or Linux and Chrome OS). I guess that on top of Wine they add more testing and custom config scripts for each application. CodeWeavers also contributes a lot of code back to Wine (they do most of the WIne commits).

The UI is simple to use. Click Install, type in the application name, then select the application install EXE. Install goes smoothly though you will have to say OK to any sub-installs. After that you have a Wine bottle with your app. CodeWeavers also supports stores like Steam (install Windows Steam in a bottle then use Steam to install games).

My experience installing Dungeons & Dragons Online is here. There were some hiccups, some solved looking at CodeWeavers forums (they have a page for each Windows app with an accompanying forum channel), and others by finding them on the DDO forums. Everything works well (and a lot faster than DDO on my MBP 2015) and I'm confident CrossOver will run other Windows apps well.

CrossOver 19 includes three versions of Wine to support different Mac OS versions down to El Capitan 10.11: 32-bit Wine, 64-bit Wine, and a 64-bit Wine for 32-bit applications. Although you could do all this yourself with Wine that requires a lot of technical skill and patience. CrossOver makes it simple.

Overall, for running many Windows apps CrossOver is a great solution.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-06-19T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200619-spot-reviews-06-19-20.html#unique-entry-id-76https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200619-spot-reviews-06-19-20.html#unique-entry-id-76Zachary's Special: Roasted Pepper Stuffed Pizza [/]. "Roasted red, green and yellow bell peppers, Anaheim chile peppers, Pasilla peppers and onions, with cheddar and Monterey Jack". It's not spicy and if you like peppers this tastes like peppers. I'm not a fan of peppers though I do get them in Chinese food a lot so I'm not unused to them. Still, this pizza does have too much pepper flavor for me.

...and I gotta admit eating the second half of this pizza is a real chore.

The Ghost in the Shell: Global Neural Network (2018) [/] Color manga with four stories each about 30 to 40 pages long. The first two are good (Kusanagi in China; Togusa and Saito in the American Empire bayou) and the other two are not. All stories are set outside Japan with three in the former USA so it's nice to see info on the USA of the current timeline.

Movie - Ad Astra (2019) [/] Set a few decades from now. Astronaut Major Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) is assigned a mission his father Astronaut Commander Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones) who was presumed dead after the failure of a mission to Neptune. But Roy starts to suspect that if his mission fails the alternate mission is sending a team to assassinate the elder McBride...
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-06-17T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200617-movie-ford-v-ferrari-2019.html#unique-entry-id-75https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200617-movie-ford-v-ferrari-2019.html#unique-entry-id-75Ford v Ferrari is a racing movie mostly focused on two people: Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon), former Le Mans winner, retired race car driver and now a race car designer; and Ken Miles (Christian Bale), hot tempered mechanic and professional race car driver. After Enzo Ferrari insultingly refuses to sell his company to Ford, CEO Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts) gives Shelby a blank check to design a car that will win Le Mans.

There's a lot of stuff about designing the car and testing it. The main challenge is getting Miles to race Le Mans. He's the best driver but not a good spokesman for Ford so Senior Exec VP Leo Beebe (Josh Lucas) keeps trying to get Miles replaced while Shelby tries to keep him on the team.

In the first year Miles doesn't make the team and all four Ford cars fail exactly like Miles predicted. Then Shelby bets that Miles will win the 24 hours of Daytona and if so Miles gets to race Le Mans, if not Ford takes ownership of Shelby's company. Miles does make it to the Le Mans team and the climax of the movie is the race which is quite well done...

This is an entertaining movie that makes both racing and car design rather exciting.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-06-15T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200615-firefox-monitor.html#unique-entry-id-73https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200615-firefox-monitor.html#unique-entry-id-73Firefox Monitor is a free service that notifies you when a data breach has been reported and logged by Have I Been Pwned which unfortunately might mean it can take years since the data breach has to be verified. Still, I signed up for it and these are the nine existing data breaches reported:

Adult FriendFinder (2016) - I went there and they don't have a record of my email address. Fairly sure I didn't have an account there (and breach data might have records from other breaches or from wherever; it's not like criminals are worried about data integrity).

EatStreet (2019) - I did have an account there though not in my keychain. Changed password.

Evite (2013) - I had changed my password recently, probably from an Evite notice.

Verifications.io (2019) - I think a data aggregator so I don't have an account there, they just have a lot of my personal info.

MyFitnessPal (2018) - I think I got a notice from MFP and changed my password after the breach.

Disqus (2012) - They don't know my email address.

Kickstarter (2014), Dropbox (2012), LinkedIn (2012) - I remember getting notifications and changing my passwords then. But since I haven't changed my password in years I did so again.


For each breach Firefox Monitor lists things you can do to mitigate this breach and similar future breaches, example from the Verifications.io breach:

• Use a service that masks your IP address
• Avoid sharing your phone number
• Avoid using personal info in PINs
• Avoid using addresses in passwords

Even though the advice is generic each breach page only lists relevant mitigators so you're not overwhelmed. You can then mark the breach resolved.

Overall it's easy to use and a valuable service.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-06-12T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200612-spot-reviews-06-12-20.html#unique-entry-id-74https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200612-spot-reviews-06-12-20.html#unique-entry-id-74Giovanni Rana Portobello Mushroom Ravioli [+] Boil it in water for a few minutes and ready to eat. Mushroom and cheese filling. Quite good.

Movie - Black Snake Moan (2006) [/] Set in Mississippi, local wild white girl Rae (Christina Ricci) is almost raped and left for dead on a lonely country road. She's found by Lazarus Redd (Samuel L Jackson) who decides to redeem her and maybe also himself in the process. Christina Ricci sexy dance is the draw but it's not a bad character drama.

DDO: Masterminds of Sharn Expansion (2019) [+] This was the most recently released expansion pack for Dungeons & Dragons Online. One new race (Tiefling) and Skill Tree (Inquisitive) but the main content is Sharn, an aerial city with a 9-quest story arc + the Cogs, an underground area with 8 short adventures, and two raids. We played all the quests and it was pretty fun. Much more indoor buildings and city blocks adventuring than elsewhere in DDO, though it does strain graphics.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-06-10T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200610-movie-the-banker-2020.html#unique-entry-id-70https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200610-movie-the-banker-2020.html#unique-entry-id-70The Banker is an Apple TV+ movie about two African-American men, Bernard Garrett (Anthony Mackie) and Joe Morris (Samuel L Jackson) who built up a real estate empire in Los Angeles, specializing in buying properties adjacent to black neighborhoods then renting to affluent African-Americans. They then decided to buy Garret's hometown bank in Texas and provide loans to the underserved African-American clientele. Unfortunately that ran up against Texan bigotry and eventually both served prison terms...

It's an interesting movie. Moves slowly but did not bore. Mackie is excellent as Garrett.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-06-08T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200608-podcast-only-the-parts-you-need-2019.html#unique-entry-id-69https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200608-podcast-only-the-parts-you-need-2019.html#unique-entry-id-69Only the Parts You Need is a GURPS podcast started by Legendsmith and Enraged Eggplant although I think there is only one narrator.

1. ST Systems Comparison, Magic Systems Comparison (Feb 07 2019)
2. Introduction to GURPS (Feb 07 2019)
3. Sorcery; Creating NPCs (Mar 17 2019)
4. Animal Combat; Creating NPCs #2 (May 16 2019)
5. Underwater Action (Aug 30 2019)
6. Pyramid 3/44 Alternate GURPS II Review (May 19 2020)

It tends to be a bit technical. The narrator is both a bit dry and has a heavy accent so you have to work to comprehend. But it is lots of useful information if you're not familiar with the episode topics.

After a fast start it almost did a pod-fade but an episode after 9 months may indicate renewed interest by the creators.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-06-05T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200605-spot-reviews-06-05-20.html#unique-entry-id-68https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200605-spot-reviews-06-05-20.html#unique-entry-id-68The End of Evangelion (1997) [-] The anime Neon Genesis Evangelion had a weird ending that spanned the last two episodes. They tried to redo the ending with Death & Rebirth but that was also rather weird. End of Evangelion is yet another alternate ending. The first half is bleak but action packed and the second half is weird and metaphysical. That makes three tries and no good ending to the series.

iOS Game - Star Trek Timelines [-] I think I got two or so years of good gameplay out of this app. The last few months have been kind of boring and I begrudge the time I spend on this game just to get dailies done to help my fleet. It's very repetitive gameplay and every event you spend hours and hours doing very boring things in order to get a top 1k place.

Twitch - Anna_Chess [+] IM Anna Rudolf has one of the most wholesome streams on Twitch. She's always happy and the chat (which can be a few hundred people) is full of positivity. It's kind of remarkable how a streamer's attitude infects chat and can make people be good people.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-06-03T00:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200603-movie-tau-2018.html#unique-entry-id-67https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200603-movie-tau-2018.html#unique-entry-id-67Tau is a Netflix movie thriller set in an automated house. Julia (Maika Monroe) has been kidnapped by Alex (Ed Skrein) for his AI experiments. At first she's in a prison cell with two other subjects but manages to destroy it and almost escape. After that she's kept prisoner in the main house which is run by Tau (voice of Gary Oldman), an AI with limited real-world knowledge. Her only hope is to recruit Tau to her side before the two weeks are up and Alex lobotomizes her to retrieve the data he needs...

This is an entertaining movie with good production value. Special effects are well done. There's an interesting dynamic between the three main characters, though Alex is more of a minor character since he's often away at work. Ending is satisfying so overall a movie worth watching.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-06-01T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200601-apple-arcade-pinball-wizard-2019.html#unique-entry-id-66https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200601-apple-arcade-pinball-wizard-2019.html#unique-entry-id-66Pinball Wizard is a dungeon crawler mixed with pinball mechanics. You're a wizard clearing tower levels. Each level is a circular field (or multiple circles connected by ramps) with two flippers in the bottom (where you come into the level) and sometimes other flippers. Use your flippers to maneuver, hit bad guys to kill them, avoid enemy shots, pick up coins, experience and mana.

You use coins to buy and upgrade powers such as shooting a lightning bolt or getting more rewards for certain actions. The enemies vary from slime that is easy to kill to bats that drop bombs, spiders that web up a flipper, and spiky whirlers that have to be hit when they rest.

It's an interesting hybrid. The pinball physics don't always seem quite right and I had more difficulty than normal because I wasn't using my special powers (there are two extra buttons to activate your two active powers). I think even if you're a bad player you can progress by grinding for gold to buy up your passive powers. I played it for a few hours before I got bored.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-05-28T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200528-spot-reviews-05-28-20.html#unique-entry-id-65https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200528-spot-reviews-05-28-20.html#unique-entry-id-65
Anker 10 Port 60W Data Hub [-] This was recommended by the Wirecutter. USB hub with seven data ports and three power-only ports. I bought it 2y 4m ago and it worked pretty well. Recently I realized that it is unstable when doing large file transfers and will momentarily drop a device and break the transfer. This is whether one or both devices are on the hub. As such I no longer use it and as a side effect big file transfers are about twice as fast using my MBP as the hub.

Twitch - Lile Kordize [/] 18-year old Woman FIDE Master from Georgia (the country). She's a really good bullet player and is very cheerful. Unfortunately she also starts her streams about 02:00 to 04:00 Pacific time so I don't see too many of her streams.

]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-05-26T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200526-tv-show-batwoman-s1-2019.html#unique-entry-id-64https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200526-tv-show-batwoman-s1-2019.html#unique-entry-id-64Batwoman is a CW superhero tv show based on the Batman universe character Batwoman. Kate Kane (Ruby Rose) returns to Gotham some years after Bruce Wayne disappeared. With crime rampant she discovers the Bat Cave and with the help of Lucius Fox's son Luke (Camrus Johnson) decides to don the mantle of Batwoman (a name which comes in a few episodes in) to protect Gotham.

Kate's father Jacob Kane (Dougray Scott) runs the Crows, a private security agency which protects the rich part of Gotham while the regular police protect the rest. As a vigilante Batwoman is a threat to the law and order of Jacob's world so he assigns his lieutenant Sophie Moore (Meagan Tandy) to track down Batwoman and arrest her. Sophie also happens to be Kate's former lover who betrayed Kate and got her expelled from the police academy.

The last two main characters are Beth Kane (Rachel Skarsten) and Mary Hamilton (Nicole Kang). Beth went missing two decades ago and is presumed dead only to return as the villainous Alice bent on revenge on the father and sister that abandoned her. Mary is Kate's stepsister, a socialite instagram celebrity who runs an illegal clinic to help the poor of Gotham. Much of the subplots revolve around these characters and Kate's relationship to them.

For the most part the show is entertaining but not riveting. Rachel Skarsten is really good and everyone else is ok. Maybe the show is trying to be a bit darker then the others so not quite to my tastes.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-05-24T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200524-farm-fresh-to-you.html#unique-entry-id-63https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200524-farm-fresh-to-you.html#unique-entry-id-63Farm Fresh To You is a farm produce delivery service in the Bay Area. When you sign up you can set the schedule and size of box you receive. I did a small fruit box every two weeks. A small box is about 12-14 items so enough for a daily fruit for one person. Most of the other boxes have more (or all) vegetables.

I received four shipments and the contents vary though they tell you well beforehand. It's about half apples (of various kinds) and half other fruits in season, usually 2 of each fruit and sometimes one. You can modify your box and the web site makes it easy. Add fruits or vegetables that come in standard boxes. But you can also add various meats, dairy and baked goods (mostly from local producers).

Small box is $28. The prices are a bit more expensive though in general better quality goods than at a big supermarket. I'd guess about the same prices as a quality grocery store like the local Draeger's Market.

Delivery was no problem. They leave the box at your door overnight. There's a box with the produce and a bag with ice packs and refrigerated goods you added. You have a couple of days to tell them (on the website) if there was anything damaged or missing. Sunday they billed my credit card (my delivery was Wednesday morning).

Overall a nice service.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-05-21T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/57741ac8edcc3994aef8d90f96d68031-62.html#unique-entry-id-62https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/57741ac8edcc3994aef8d90f96d68031-62.html#unique-entry-id-62
TV Show - Supergirl s5 (2019) [/] In this season the main villains are a group of gods working behind the scenes, using a new VR product to take over humanity. Crisis on Infinite Earths happens in episode 9 and after that the universe resets with Lex Luthor (Jon Cryer) as the world's hero, though he also wants to take over the world and those pesky gods are now in his way... Sort of a ho hum season, entertaining but not special.

macOS App - Mitch for Twitch v1.8 (2020) [-] It's a Twitch client for $3. Looks nice. You can view multiple channels each in its own window. Chat doesn't show right now probably due to Twitch API changes. There are also some other bugs and developer does not seem extremely responsive. But there are no other Twitch clients on the App Store and I wanted to test out an alternative to using a web browser.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-05-19T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200519-anime-neon-genesis-evangelion-1995.html#unique-entry-id-61https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200519-anime-neon-genesis-evangelion-1995.html#unique-entry-id-61Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995) is a 26-episode anima set in 2015 Tokyo-3. Earth is being periodically attacked by Angels and it's up to NERV and its Mecha to stop them. The story kind of centers on Shinji (Casey Mongillo), teen Mecha pilot draftee and one of the very few people who can pilot Mecha (and the other pilots in the series are also teens). Shinji is the best Mecha pilot but is withdrawn and is full of self-doubt mostly driven by his estranged relationship with dad Gendo (Ray Chase), commander of NERV.

The other main pilots are Rei (Ryan Bartley), a quiet girl who seemingly has no life outside her Mech. She is the first pilot, Shinji is the second recruit. Third pilot Asuka (Stephanie McKeon) arrives a few episodes in, a German teen striving to prove herself the best pilot. All three are driven by their own demons and the series goes into it a bit. One of the themes is teen soldiers and how it changes them.

Mecha combat is fairly interesting. Each Angel is quite different so every battle is interesting. NERV Mecha fight plugged into the power grid and once they unhook only have two or three minutes of power. The Mecha are semi-alive and pilots have to interphase with them (hence why you need teens) and later on we finds out the horrible truth of how Mecha are created.

For the most part it's an ok series. Towards the end it gets very psychological as the Angels start targeting the pilots' psyches. The last two episodes are particularly boring explorations inside the mind of each pilot and I'm not sure if the resolution is real or a dream. So a series that starts out promising fizzles out at the end.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-05-17T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200517-board-game-gloomhaven-2017.html#unique-entry-id-60https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200517-board-game-gloomhaven-2017.html#unique-entry-id-60Gloomhaven is a legacy dungeon crawl board game for 1 to 4 players. It's a fantasy world and at first you are doing random sort of missions but later on the metaplot asserts itself and you have a big picture goal.

It's a legacy game in that each character is a box of special cards and tokens and once a character achieves their goal they leave the campaign, which is fine because later characters are more powerful, though more complex to use. It's also legacy in that revealed locations have stickers you put on the map and depending on choices I bet you can never reach all locations.

Characters have a pack of action cards. Each card has a top action and a bottom action, in general top is do something and bottom is movement. There are also default top and bottom actions to do a small attack or a small movement.

Each turn you choose two cards and place them face down, choosing which card is your initiative card. Once everyone has done that (including bad guys) reveal. Each combatant goes in initiative order low to high. When it's your turn choose a top action and a bottom action, so you have a little bit of flexibility when it gets to your turn. Sometimes a combination you setup doesn't present itself so you choose the alternate actions or the default ones (powerful actions tend to send card to discard pile). Cards then go to your used pile.

You can recover used cards by doing a no-action turn and discarding a used card of your choice (I think you also heal a bit this way). Or you can recover at the end of your turn by discarding a random used card. Or some cards allow you to do a recovery with/without discard. But in general you are losing cards as the session goes on and once you have one card you are out of the adventure.

Adventures are fairly tight and often the PCs are down to a few cards each. if you fail you can redo an adventure but there is a penalty.

Gloomhaven kind of plays like a light RPG without the role-playing. You have equipment to buy and upgrade, you level up characters and unlock alternate cards (making for a bit of deck building element), you get skills that give you small bonuses. We only played three sessions before COVID-19 but it is a fun game which we might restart using Asmodee's official app.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-05-14T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200514-spot-reviews-05-14-2020.html#unique-entry-id-59https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200514-spot-reviews-05-14-2020.html#unique-entry-id-59Zachary's Western Deep Dish Pizza [/] One of their weekly specials. "Italian sausage, onion, bacon, sweet-smoky barbecue sauce and mozzarella cheese (served with Zachary’s pizza sauce." It's ok, though I'm not into BBQ sauce so that's a taste I'd rather not have in pizza.

Movie - The Commuter (2018) [/] Retired police detective Michael (Liam Neeson) has an hour to find a witness on his daily commute train or the mob will murder his family. Entertaining thriller.

Twitch - WFM Alessia Santeramo [/] Italian chess player. She's kind of flamboyant and a fun person. As usual for European streamers, a bit tough to catch all her streams in America.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-05-12T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200512-tv-show-young-and-hungry-2014.html#unique-entry-id-58https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200512-tv-show-young-and-hungry-2014.html#unique-entry-id-58
The formula works for the first three seasons but I think it loses steam in the last two seasons. They're pretty much in a relationship, thinking about getting married in the latter seasons and so the new problem is not having sex because that's what has ruined their previous relationships. It's fairly consistent that once the two leads finally end up together a series becomes less interesting.

Anyways, a nice show for the first three seasons.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-05-10T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200510-ios-game-raid-shadow-legends-2019.html#unique-entry-id-57https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200510-ios-game-raid-shadow-legends-2019.html#unique-entry-id-57Raid: Shadow Legends is a free to play fantasy battle game. You have heroes to collect which you can enhance in several ways:

• Level up to max for their Rank, then Upgrade to next Rank and level up again up to 6* Level 60.
• Nine item slots with a variety of semi-random equipment you can find (not Diablo-level random but you can scum looking for items with specific extra bonuses).
• Each item belongs to a set and if you equip the set (2 or 4 items, depending on set) the hero gets an additional bonus.
• Each item can be enchanted with glyphs which increase the bonuses a bit but every bit counts.
• Each item can be upgrade from level 0 to 12.
• Three skill trees (which I think are the same for each hero) and you can only choose two trees to upgrade and only about half the skills can be activated.
• Ascend once per Rank level which gives a bit of attribute boost and for some heroes enables an extra skill.

For adventuring there are many things do:

• Campaign with a dozen locations, each location with 7 encounters. Each encounter you can get one to three stars, three stars if you beat it with two heroes (out of four possible slots) and no deaths. The campaign has four difficulty levels.
• Dungeons are locations for special items. Potion keeps used for Ascension. Minotaur for scrolls used up upgrade skills. Spider, Ice Golem, Dragon and Fire Knight for rarer equipment than those found in Campaign.
• Arena for semi PvP play. As you beat players you get points and rank up in the arena. At the end of the week you get random rare items based on your arena rank.
• Faction Wars. Each hero belongs to one of a dozen or so factions. In the Wars you use heroes of the same faction to beat enemies and collect glyphs.
• Clan Boss. A huge monster that you and the rest of your clan can fight. Get rare item chests (different sets than available anywhere else, and Arena has different item sets than found anywhere else) and if the boss is defeated then double prizes.

The actual battles are not that complicated. Each encounter is three rounds of 4x4 fights (Campaigns only, everywhere else you can use five heroes). When a hero goes you choose one of your skills (base attacks kill and up to three other skills) then tap on target. And that's all the choice in a battle -- there is no movement or delaying to sequence attacks. It's still a lot tactical finesse because of which heroes you use. But after a few battles it gets both long and boring so I use auto battle almost all the time.

There's a bunch of other little things. And of course silver and gems which you can purchase with real money. Actually the in-apps are very expensive compared to other games. I bought two ($5 for 500 gems, $10 for 2100 gems over the course of a month) and I hope that'll be it for me (there is a gem mine which I upgraded and with daily bonus that's 25 gems per day, not a huge amount but most f2p games don't give you this ability).

I've been playing almost two months. It's very grindy but entertaining without being extremely complicated. It has replaced Star Trek Timelines as my f2p game.

Negatives:

• It's resource intensive and drains battery quickly.
• If I go away or 15 minutes then on reload it has to restart the game which takes 15 to 30 seconds.
• Every time you go to home screen, which you do often, you get one to three ads for in-app special purchases.

]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-05-08T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200508-spot-reviews-05-08-2020.html#unique-entry-id-56https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200508-spot-reviews-05-08-2020.html#unique-entry-id-56Trader Giotto's Arugula Pizza [/] With cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, manchego, provolone, pecorino cheese. Come out crispy. Very cheesy.

Apple Arcade - Mini Motorways (2019) [/] Sequel to Mini Metro this game is also a game of building roadways so that people can get to their destinations. It's a bit less abstract -- houses and factories with people going to work and back home -- but much the same idea. Because it's a bit finer grained (points are closer together and you have limited road resources) there is an edit UI but I found it cumbersome to use. Because of this Mini Metro might be the better game.

Movie - Angel Has Fallen (2019) [/] Third movie in the series. An attempt is made on President Trumbull's (Morgan Freeman) life and Secret Service agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) is framed for it. Banning must evade the FBI while he hunts fo the real culprits. Not as good as the first two movies in that it's a more run-of-the-mill concept compared to assaulting the White House and rampaging through London.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-05-06T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200506-tv-show-war-of-the-worlds-s1-2019.html#unique-entry-id-55https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200506-tv-show-war-of-the-worlds-s1-2019.html#unique-entry-id-55War of the Worlds is a British/French television show taking place now during an alien invasion. At first hundreds of car-sized spherical objects strike the Earth, mainly in large urban areas. As governments and people try to figure out what's going on the objects emit a pulse killing all people nearby except ones underground or otherwise safe from EM radiation. This conveniently means that the cast stays fairly small and that the few alien machines that go around killing survivors are a credible threat.

Over the course of eight episodes the show revolves around various groups of people:

• Catherine (Léa Drucker), an astronomer who first recorded the alien objects approaching Earth, Colonel Mokrani (Adel Bencherif) and his platoon, at a remote observatory.
• Bill (Gabriel Byrne), a university professor, with his ex-wife Helen (Elizabeth McGovern) trying to find their son.
• Sarah (Natasha Little), a mom with two teenagers, Tom (Ty Tennant) and Emily (Daisy Edgar-Jones), the latter blind but recovers her sight after the alien invasion.
• Jonathon (Stephen Campbell Moore), Sarah's husband trying to return home, with single mom Chloe (Stéphane Caillard) and her teenage son Sacha (Mathieu Torloting), the latter two harboring terrible secrets.
• Kariem (Bayo Gbadamosi), an African illegal immigrant.

The show is fairly well done. Slow paced and suspenseful. The introduction and later usage of the alien warbots is quite chilling. Lots of mysteries abound: why only a few warbots to finish the job, why did the aliens come here, why are some people "connected' with the aliens. The last episode gives us a bit of hope -- a possible weapon against the aliens -- along with a couple of surprises -- a reveal of an "alien" operator and possibly regular military in force.

An interesting science fiction show and I hope to someday watch the second season.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-05-04T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200504-apple-arcade-card-of-darkness-2019.html#unique-entry-id-54https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200504-apple-arcade-card-of-darkness-2019.html#unique-entry-id-54Card of Darkness is a card-based dungeon crawling game. Each level is a 5x5 grid of card piles with each pile having 2 to 5 cards. Only the top cards are shown and only for the bottom row at first and later for any piles connecting to a blank space that you've cleared of cards. You have 20 hit points and no items and you're objective is to get to the exit stairs on the other side of the grid to get to the next level and eventually to the exit. A dungeon has 1 to 6 levels and there are 50+ dungeons.

Card types are weapons, monsters, heal potions and spell scrolls. Monsters have a damage rating and a weapon subtracts its rating from the monster rating. Using an even/odd weapon versus a non-matching even/odd monster breaks the weapon (e.g. weapon 5 versus monster 4 you take no damage but break your weapon). Spell scrolls are one use, have a set effect and in later dungeons are unknown (though confined to 2 or 3 effects) until you use one and then you now the exact spell for that scroll type.

Monsters are very varied. Some of the special abilities: poisons you, curses you (if you pick the same number card twice in a row you take damage equal to the number), confuses you (hides card types but not numbers for two or three turns), combines with nearby cards, randomly trades places with a nearby card, changes value based on other cards. The various monsters kind of develop personalities as you get to know their effects.

When you complete a dungeon you get a card of darkness and eventually there are 52. Before you go into a dungeon you can select which cards you equip (up to five). In the end I had

• Card of Life: max health +3 (to start with 23 hit points)
• Card of Strength: strength potions are +2 each (normal barehanded damage is 0, in some dungeons with enough strength potions you don't need weapons and your fists don't break)
• Card of Return: first time you are killed you revive with 1 hp (turns out rarely useful since if it gets to the point you die the freebie still leaves you with a level that will kill you immediately)
• Card of Stalwarts: cannot die from poison (this is a late game card and never used the effects but many monsters and some potions poison you)
• Card of Keeping: picking a new weapon does not replace your current weapon but instead adds 1 to current weapon value (another late game card and turned out extremely useful because you can pick up weapons to change your current weapon even/odd so it won't break)

Levels have a semi-random set of card types and randomly distributed so bad luck can get you killed quickly but you just restart and try again. Most dungeons you can finish within 5 minutes (and the game auto-saves your progress) and even the one tough 6-level dungeon probably took me 3 to 4 hours over a day or two to finally get a good combination of cards and a bit of luck.

Overall a fun game with just enough strategy to keep it interesting.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-05-01T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200501-spot-reviews-05-01-2020.html#unique-entry-id-53https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200501-spot-reviews-05-01-2020.html#unique-entry-id-53
Movie - I Do, But I Don't (2004) [/] TV movie rom-com. Lauren (Denise Richards) is an overworked assistant wedding designer. She falls for firefighter Nick (Dean Cain) but turns out he's getting married to her latest assignment, the wedding of socialite Gennifer (Jessica Walter). Fairly typical, innocuous, and feel-good.

Twitch - ChessySpagett [/] Chessy plays on Lichess (about 1500? rating) and has a good sense of humor. Plays good music and interacts well with his audience. He's a fan of Marc Esserman (whyyyyyyysoserious) so there's a lot of "mock", which I guess is their term for trolling. I do like Chessy's stream even if I don't visit it often.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-04-29T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200429-tv-show-pennywoth-s1-2019.html#unique-entry-id-52https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200429-tv-show-pennywoth-s1-2019.html#unique-entry-id-52Pennyworth is a British tv show based on Batman's butler Alfred Pennyworth. It's set in maybe the late 60's or early 70's. Alfred (Jack Bannon) and his buddies Bazza (Hainsley Lloyd Bennet) and Dave Boy (Ryan Fletcher) have returned from (Vietnam?) and are out of the army. As three former SAS they are looking to start a business as security consultants.

But business does not look good so Alfred and the boys take jobs from Thomas Wayne (Ben Aldridge) and later Martha Kane (Emma Paetz). London is in turmoil as two factions vie for control of government: the ultra-right Raven Society and the very liberal, though no less violent, No Name League. Thomas and Martha represent the No Name League though it quickly becomes obvious that Thomas works for the CIA who is wiling to back whichever side in order to prevent civil war.

Meanwhile there's the home life with Alfred's father, Arthur (Ian Puleston-Davies) who works as a butler, and housewife mom Mary (Dorothy Atkinson). There's a love interest, Esme (Emma Corrin), and various villains/allies like Bet Sykes (Paloma Faith), a top Raven Society agent, and local crime lord John Ripper (Danny Webb).

The show has a bit of punk feel at times because of the background music. It kind of reminds me of Sherlock, though it's more in tone and Britishness than topic. There's a season long plot and the ten episodes are fairly serial. The characters are interesting and I was entertained throughout. Overall a pretty good show.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-04-27T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200427-instacart.html#unique-entry-id-51https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200427-instacart.html#unique-entry-id-51Instacart is a gig-economy delivery service. Anybody can sign up to work for Instacart. They get orders parceled to them, do the shopping, and deliver the order to the customer. It's pretty much just grocery stores.

Steph has had a couple of orders delivered to me and that went fine. I placed my own order yesterday and kind of neat how many updates you get via the app. If they don't find an item you can select a replacement real time. You can also text chat with the shopper, they can send you pictures, etc. And then you get updates of delivery time.

They only had two of the four items at Costco. She did leave the receipt with me so we can calculate Instacart's markup.

Tilapia fillets, $13.45 == 16.39
Chicken tenders, $15.99 == $26.89

The second one was a replacement item which I said ok. But I didn't go through Instacart replacement system so they still charged me for original item which is much more expensive. So it looks like a 22% markup based on the first item.

There was also a $9 delivery fee, 15% tip of $6.50 (you can set tip percentage at the start of the order, default is 5%), and service fee of $2.15.

The total was $60.92 for an order that cost $13.45 + $15.99 = $29.44. I ended up paying over twice as much for a small order.

Hmm, so maybe not that great for small orders. And yet I don't want to make someone buy multiple bags of groceries. I don't know how I feel about using this service again.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-04-24T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200424-spot-reviews-04-24-2020.html#unique-entry-id-50https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200424-spot-reviews-04-24-2020.html#unique-entry-id-50Amici's Pizzeria [/] I had the new haven white clam and amici's combo. I remember their pizzas being super greasy but now they're like normal greasy. I miss that delicious grease.

Safeway Grocery Pickup [/] I wrote a bit about my experience with the local Safeway. Less than a great experience because they are resource starved. Will try delivery next time.

Adult Protective Face Mask from SttchdByAlizee [/] $20 handmade face mask. Ships quickly. Not medical grade but the point is to catch your outgoing breadth not keep out all outside contaminants. Seems to be good cloth, elastic bands that go over your ears, sewn in copper wire that goes below your chin to keep the mask from riding up your chin.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-04-22T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200422-movie-a-quiet-place-2018.html#unique-entry-id-48https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200422-movie-a-quiet-place-2018.html#unique-entry-id-48A Quiet Place (2018) is a horror/thriller set a couple of years after the apocalypse. Blind monsters that hunt by sound have wiped out humanity. We follow one lone family as they go about their lives in total silence:

• father Lee (John Krasinski)
• mother Evelyn (Emily Blunt)
• early teenage daughter Regan (Millicent Simmonds)
• about 10-year old son Marcus (Noah Jupe)

Like any family there are tensions, especially between Lee and Regan over what happened to the youngest daughter, killed a year ago. Meanwhile Evelyn is pregnant and Lee tries to find a way to fight the monsters.

The third act starts as Evelyn's water breaks, she steps on a nail and makes some noise attracting one of the monsters to the country home they live in. Lee and Marcus are gone fishing and Regan is sulking probably half a mile away. It's a last half hour of quiet terror...

This is a very well done movie. If anything it's more terrifying when there is no talking or screaming, with only the background music and camera shots to ramp up the tension. Recommended.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-04-20T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200420-vidl-for-mac-2020.html#unique-entry-id-47https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200420-vidl-for-mac-2020.html#unique-entry-id-47ViDL for Mac is basically a nice UI in front of ViDL (youtube-dl). I use it to download Twitch videos when the videos are only for subscribers. First time you try it it'll ask for your Twitch user and password (actually launches a Webkit page to show login screen) and after that it'll automatically use it (so it's not for circumventing security, you actually have to be subscribed to the channel).

Pretty simple to use. Copy the URL, click on Find, then select the one entry and Download. It downloads the highest quality version it finds and you can't even set the destination file name. It does the "download thousands of little chunks and merge them into a final file" which all ffmpeg downloaders do.

I still use 4K when I can because you can choose which video quality to download (or even just audio if available). You can set destination file name and it downloads as one continuous connection. But when I need to login I use ViDL and it works fine. Mind you 4k Video Downloader is not free so if I did it over again I'd only use ViDL.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-04-17T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200417-spot-reviews-04-17-2020.html#unique-entry-id-46https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200417-spot-reviews-04-17-2020.html#unique-entry-id-46Trader Joe's Greek Spanakopita [+] Spinach and cheese pie. 350 degrees for 35 minutes and it comes out pretty good with flaky crust and tasty insides. A bit high calorie.

iOS Game - TFT: Team Fight Tactics [/] A tactical combat game using League of Legend characters. Start with 8 players. Draft your primary hero, buy from a selection of underlings, set up your squad and let them automatically battle another squad. You get points based on how well you did in the round and use them to level up underlings, buy new ones, and use duplicates to upgrade underlings to more powerful versions. On to next round and eventually players start dropping out from total damage until there is one player left.

Since it's a real-time game with other real people there is a timer for all phases which I intensely dislike. I don't like being hurried as I try to figure out what to buy, what to upgrade and how to setup my squad for the next fight. But the game does look pretty and it's supposed to be fairly balanced and has good tactical depth.

Podcast - Only the Parts You Need: A GURPS Podcast (2019) [/] Five episodes and it's been almost 8 months since the last one so it might be dead. Each episode goes into detail about specific GURPS rules or examples. It is maybe too detailed and unfortunately the host's Spanish (?) accent makes it a chore to listen. But this is one of the very few GURPS rules and GMing podcasts rather than actual play podcasts.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-04-15T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200415-apple-tv-plus-snoopy-in-space-2019.html#unique-entry-id-45https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200415-apple-tv-plus-snoopy-in-space-2019.html#unique-entry-id-45Snoopy in Space is a series of 12 8-minute short cartoons based on the Peanuts characters. Snoopy and Woodstock finagle themselves into NASA's astronaut program, undergo training, do a space mission with a spacewalk, then do a moon mission before returning home.

It seems to have the typical Peanuts humor which I don't find that funny because it's humor for kids. But I still found it interesting because it's fairly educational. There's a computer character that explains the various things astronauts do in training and the Peanuts characters also do soliloquies about various aspects of space and space travel.

So in the end it's like 90 minutes in short enough bursts to keep kids and adults entertained. Another quality Apple TV+ program.]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-04-13T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200413-apple-arcade-overland-2019.html#unique-entry-id-44https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200413-apple-arcade-overland-2019.html#unique-entry-id-44Overland is a turn-based tactical survival game. You start with one person, a car and some gas, trying to make your way from the East Coast to the West. Between scenes you get a choice of one to three destinations. Each is a certain distance away (using gas) and each has a hint of contents (e.g. people, equipment, gas).

When you arrive at a destination it switches to a turn-based 10x10 isometric arena. Wander around looting or interacting with people (either to trade or to invite them into your party). There are always monsters, of which I saw a small one (one hit to kill) and a big one (two hits to kill). Monsters are not really that stuff but making noise (such as when you kill one) attracts more monsters. Kill one and two or three replace him so violence is a short term stall.

Each person can carry one item and has like two hit points. Your first person has a backpack that can hold an item and the starting car can hold three people and one item. Items I saw are:

stick - does one hit and breaks
pipe - does one hit but doesn't break
first aid kit - heals one hit
rock - can be thrown for one hit
gas can - with 1 to 5 gallons of gas
flower pot with flowers - for morale?

I played a couple of times. It's an unforgiving game and if you don't have a good start it's hard to get far. Actually, I found it a bit too hard and frustrating so I stopped playing. But otherwise it's a neat simple rogue-like.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-04-10T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200410-spot-reviews-04-10-2020.html#unique-entry-id-43https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200410-spot-reviews-04-10-2020.html#unique-entry-id-43Movie - X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019) [/] During a rescue of a failed space shuttle mission Jean Grey/Phoenix (Sophie Turner) absorbs a mysterious energy that vastly increases her powers which causes her to realize that Professor Xavier (James McAvoy) has been lying about how she came to his school. She searches for answers, hooks up with the alien Vuk (Jessica Chastain) who really wants to steal the Phoenix powers, and battles the X-Men and Magneto (Michael Fassbender)... Like the rest of the current incarnation of the films, Dark Phoenix lacks something. Even though it has lots of CGI and a big story it is not as impressive as other big budget blockbuster type movies.

Trader Joe's Channa Masala [/] Chickpeas in an onion and tomato sauce. I don't like chickpeas (though made into paste like humus they're not bad) but in this package the sauce makes it edible with some rice.

Apple Arcade - Down in Bermuda (2019) [-] Yak & Co. followed up the excellent Agent A with a less stellar puzzle game. It's isometric view, though you can pinch to zoom in and use two fingers to rotate. There are some puzzles but I found it tedious panning/rotating the view and tapping everything in order to find all the hidden orbs. I quickly tired of it.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-04-08T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200408-movie-crawl-2019.html#unique-entry-id-42https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200408-movie-crawl-2019.html#unique-entry-id-42Crawl is a monster movie of woman vs giant alligators. During a hurricane co-ed Haley (Kaya Scodelario) drives to check on her father Dave (Barry Pepper). She finds him in the crawlspace of the huge family house, injured by a giant alligator which almost gets Haley. As the hurricane goes on the crawl space fills with water. Haley and her father have to find a way out past the gators, who eat everyone who happens by that could help them.

I wasn't expecting much but it turned out to be an entertaining thriller. Although there have been giant alligator monster movies in this one the gators are not impossibly giant, just large adults. Also the crawl spaces of a house is an unusual arena. Scodelario and Pepper are good in their roles and although you can go in assuming the lead survives it could be with grievous injuries.

Anyways, it's worth watching.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-04-06T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/42f49162868ff8e1bd37400b8af35cbd-41.html#unique-entry-id-41https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/42f49162868ff8e1bd37400b8af35cbd-41.html#unique-entry-id-41
Many puzzles are of the "find an item and use it here" variety. Other puzzles are you have to set knobs correctly (e.g. a series of numbers/symbols/colors or a pattern) and the solution, or parts of the solution, are scattered in other places. There are a few standalone puzzles (e.g. one where you have to slide a block from one side to the other moving other blocks out of the way) but mostly it's one of the previous two.

It has pretty graphics and some amount of voice acting for the two NPC characters. Dialog is a bit cheesy and since the puzzles are not that complex I guess this game is aimed at a younger audience.

My 2016 review of Agent A. Back then there were only three chapters done and I found it a fun game. I replayed this again from the beginning and after 3-1/2 years I still new most of the solutions, though still had to pay attention to find all the hidden objects to advance.

Chapter 4 and 5 are a big new area though I like that you have to return to the house of chapters 1-2 to solve a couple of puzzles.

Overall it's still a very entertaining experience.

]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-04-03T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200403-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-40https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200403-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-40Trader Joe's Palak Paneer [+] Sort of like creamed spinach sauce with little chunks of cheese. Microwave for a few minutes, serve over brown rice and it's delicious.

iOS Game - Crossy Road [/] Endless Frogger except you're a chicken. Kind of amusing though I couldn't get used to the UI (tapping moves forward, swipe to move in other directions including forward). Has in-apps for different characters you can play.

iOS Game - Raid: Shadow Legends [-] Free to play fantasy non-tactical combat game. Control a team of heroes. When a hero goes choose attack (special attacks need to recharge) and target. Collect items and there are skill trees. Nice graphics and voice acting but run-of-the-mill game play. [Addendum: After watching a long RSL stream with explanations I'm giving this game another try and it's ok so far.]
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-04-01T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200401-apple-tv-plus-dickinson-2019.html#unique-entry-id-39https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200401-apple-tv-plus-dickinson-2019.html#unique-entry-id-39Dickinson is a half hour comedy about Emily Dickinson (Hailee Steinfeld). In real life Dickinson was a prolific poet but hid almost all of them and they were only found after her death. The show is set in Amherst, Massachusetts, mid 19th century I guess about a decade before American Civil War.

Each episode is themed around one of Dickinson's poems. Emily is an eccentric young woman (for that time) and deals with her staid family, though they actually are fairly eccentric compared to today:

• Father Edward Dickinson (Toby Huss) - aspiring politician and voice of conservatism. Swings from indulging Emily and wishing she were more traditional.
• Mother Emily Norcross Dickinson (Jane Krakowski) - ultra uber housewife who doesn't know what to do with free time or having fun.
• Brother Austin Dickinson (Adrian Enscoe) - The older brother destined to follow in the family business (lawyers) but in the home kind of lives in Emily's shadow.
• Sister Lavinia Dickinson (Anna Baryshnikov) - Filled with romance, wanting to fall in love like the stories she reads. And yet closer to following mom's footsteps than Emily.

There's also Sue Gilbert (Ella Hunt), Emily's best friend and lover (in the old way of they're in love with each other). But Sue's family is dead, she's poor, and her best prospect is marrying Austin.

The cool thing about the show is setting it in the past but everyone speaks and has rather modern sensitivities. So it turns it from a boring period piece to something closer to Hamilton the musical (I imagine). Overall it's another good Apple TV+ show.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-03-30T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200330-ios-game-fire-emblem-heroes.html#unique-entry-id-38https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200330-ios-game-fire-emblem-heroes.html#unique-entry-id-38Fire Emblem Heroes is a freemium tactical combat game drawn from the Fire Emblem JRPG. Collect heroes and take a squad of four into a fight on a 6x8 square battlefield with varying terrain. Get experience, level up, learn new skills, create and equip special items.

There are five unit types (foot, armored, archer, flying, magic) and four colors (red, green, blue, black) so a wide variety of basic units. Each hero has their own set of skills (though you can merge heroes to transfer a skill from one hero to another) and there are enough triggers (being close to other heroes, doing certain pre-req actions) and synergies (one hero debuffs and another hero attacks) that at the highest difficulty fights you have to design your teams well.

For interactivity there are PvP battles (not sure if they're real time), Alliance battles (where your friend give you bonuses) and grand events (where a bunch of people help in an abstract big battle).

The quest lines each have a story running through it, JRPG style. So far there are four books each with several dozen battles plus various other side-quest stories that are a few battles each.

Still, after a few days it gets kind of boring. Without a JRPG the battles get kind of same-y and the storylines aren't enough to keep it together. Also with so many heroes you don't really get attached to them.

This is a widely popular Nintendo game and pretty entertaining but for me lacks something to make me want to keep playing.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-03-27T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200327-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-37https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200327-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-37Documentary - Helvetica (2017) [/] Documentary about the Helvetica font, with a bit of history thrown in for context. Interviews various typographers who use Helvetica or specifically don't and it's interesting views on why people keep using the font (it's extremely readable, you can innovate in other aspects) and why other people don't (it's a staid and emotionless font). Interesting, but not an engrossing documentary.

iOS Game - Armello (2018) [/] A four-player fantasy board game. Play one of the four characters (wolf, rat, rabbit, bear) traveling about the board doing quests, capturing towns, and fighting each other. Each character has their own victory condition. There are three decks (equipment, spells, diplomacy) and various stats. It's a bit of a complicated game.

Twitch - JapaneseTutor [/] A chess streamer though sometimes he plays Rocket League or League of Legends. Mainly does teaching streams though he also plays viewers. JT from when he used to live in Japan and tutored (English I think). JT is pretty friendly and allows more salty language than my comfort zone.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-03-25T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200325-apple-tv-plus-see-s1-2019.html#unique-entry-id-36https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200325-apple-tv-plus-see-s1-2019.html#unique-entry-id-36See is a post-apocalyptic drama from Apple TV+. A virus (or something) destroys sight in all humans and their children. 500 years later society is small villages, tribe/feudal, but humans are still humans with conquests and killing.

In the first episode Baba Voss (Jason Momoa) and the Alkenny defend themselves from the forces of Payan. Witchfinder General Tamacti Jun (Christian Camargo) is searching and later we find out that witches are people who can see. Back in the village Baba's wife Maghra (Hera Hilmar) gives birth to twins while the battle rages. The Alkenny are forced to flee.

They make their way to a new home provided by Jerlamarel (Joshua Henry), a sighted man who impregnated Maghra. But he's a mysterious figure who doesn't really appear until season's end in episode 108. It is in their new home that Paris (Alfre Woodard), a wise woman and friend of Baba's, discovers that the twins can see. And she also reveals that Jerlamarel left a box of books for the twins and instructions on finding their father when they come of age.

Episode 103 we move 20 years into the future. The twins, Kofun (Archie Madekwe) and Haniwa (Nesta Cooper), have grown up and might be ready to know about their real father. But then Tamacti Jun finds the village and destroys it, the few survivors fleeing with Baba Voss, who decides that it's time to find Jerlamarel and let the twins meet their real father and decide their future.

I forgot about Queen Kane (Sylvia Hoeks) of the Payan. She rules over a kingdom that kind of rules by fear. But after two decades of using her army to find the mythical twins there is a fomenting revolt from the rest of the ruling class. Queen Kane has to intrigue to keep her queenship...

The premise didn't seem that interesting but turns out to be a pretty good show. I like how they do the blindness and it's obvious that hearing becomes the primary sense. Good use of animals, dogs and horses, as guides because animals can still see. The fight scenes are pretty cool.

I look forward to season two.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-03-23T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200323-gurps-mars-attacks-2016.html#unique-entry-id-35https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200323-gurps-mars-attacks-2016.html#unique-entry-id-35GURPS Mars Attacks is a 96 page worldbook supplement based on Topps' Mars Attacks property (trading cards plus a movie). It's set in the present with the Martians having conquered much of the Earth but humanity fighting them to a standstill. Campaigns can be human-based or Martian-based and source material is provided for both.

Chapters

1. Invasion - history
2. The Face of the Invasion - The Martians, their tech and soldiers
3. The Will of Man - The human factions and their tech
4. Join the Fight - Creating PCs, includes racial and character templates
5. Operation: Earth - Campaign ideas and running campaigns, includes stats for major NPCs

I have no idea how well GURPS Mars Attacks tracks with the source but you do get a lot of background material. Take away whatever you feel about a license for a minor property, GURPS Mars Attacks is a good worldbook and gives enough material to run a 1950's style Martian invasion.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-03-20T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200320-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-34https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200320-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-34Movie - Mr and Mrs Smith (2005) [+] Two assassins working for competing agencies fall in love and get married without each knowing the other's secret. Until one day their agencies find out and decide to have John Smith (Brad Pitt) and Jane (Angelina Jolie) off each other because they've become security risks... A romantic comedy with a lot of action. I find it endearing.

iOS Game - Episode: Choose Your Story [/] Soap opera stories for girls. You get many choices, which don't influence the basic plot but influence the ending. Many bonus choices require diamonds and each chapter requires a book point (e.g. the first book is 14 or so chapters). I went through the first chapter of the first book and it was interesting.

Twitch - ChelsieMonica [/] WIM Chelsie Monica Ignesias Sihite is a chess streamer from Indonesia. She streams a lot, plays anyone, and is very good with short time controls. Usually plays pop music from America and SE Asia. She also does puzzle survival and allows viewers to help her.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-03-18T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200318-movie-code-8-2019.html#unique-entry-id-33https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200318-movie-code-8-2019.html#unique-entry-id-33Code 8 is a science fiction film set a bit in a future alternate Earth where some developed super powers. They didn't become super heroes or villains but instead powered workers helping America industry. Until technology, robotics and automation caught up making them superfluous. Without jobs they turned to crime and become a stigmatized minority. Now all powers have to be registered and need work permits.

Connor Reed (Robbie Amell) is a powered who's been hiding it. But mom (Kari Matchett) is sick and he needs money so he becomes tangles with Garrett (Stephen Amell) and his crew, who in turn work for drug dealer Marcus Sutcliffe (Greg Bryk).

Garret brings in Connor for a bank job but turns out there was little money in the bank. Now the police are getting closer and Marcus is also in trouble with his bosses. They all decide on a very high risk job: stealing the drug run, the armored car convoy that the police use to take confiscated drugs to the incinerator...

For a small budget film it's very well done. Lots of police costumes and some "robots". I guess lots of CGI but it's really well done. Acting is pretty good and the story remains tight. Pretty impressive film.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-03-16T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200316-ultra-tiny-epic-galaxies-2015.html#unique-entry-id-32https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200316-ultra-tiny-epic-galaxies-2015.html#unique-entry-id-32Ultra Tiny Epic Galaxies is a mini 4x card and dice game.

Each player starts with two ships and has three primary stats:

* energy (0-7) - a resource used for re-rolls
* culture (0-7) - a resourced used to do extra actions
* civilization level - you use energy OR culture to advance your level

Two secondary statistics are based on civilization level:

* ships (2-4) - ships go out to collect resources, do special actions and colonize planets
* dice (4-7) - dice tell you what actions you can take

------------

Players go one at a time and do these steps:

1. roll dice. There are six possible actions:

* move ship
* collect energy
* collect culture
* advance colony resource 1
* advance colony resource 2
* development

2. arrange dice to do your actions (you don't have to use all your dice)
3. do each die action one at a time

* other players can use culture to copy the current action

4. collect victory points

----------------

Five random planet cards are laid out. Each planet has:

* resource it generates: energy or culture
* special ability
* colony track of length 3 to 5+ with a colony resource type it uses

When you move a ship to a colony you either land on the planet and use the special ability, or orbit the planet and start moving on the colony track using the appropriate advance colony resource die.

When you collect a resource every ship on a planet with that resource (your home planet produces energy) collects one of the resource.

If you finish colonizing a planet you get victory points and put the planet under your home card. Thereafter you can use development die to use any one colonized planet's special ability, or to advance your civilization level.

----------------

That's pretty much it. Early on you want to increase your civilization level so you get more dice and ships. But there are some nice planet abilities so colonizing a key planet can help you quite a bit. Many special abilities have a "take that" ability where you hurt another player. Ability to use culture to copy actions means every player stays involved all the time and the current player has to think about dice order and whether or not to use all dice.

It's a fun quick game that satisfies my space conquest cravings.

]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-03-13T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200313-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-31https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200313-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-31Cfood Crush, San Mateo [-] Crab shack sort of place where you order a pound+ of seafood with a choice of sauce. I had fried fish bits (tasteless) with cajun fried rice (ok). Three people $115 or so. Would not recommend.

iOS Game - Subway Surfers [-] Endless runner where you run along train tracks collecting coins, jumping on moving trains, and sometimes use a skateboard. Unoriginal.

Movie - Conan the Barbarian (2011) [/] Conan (Jason Momoa) searches for the people who murdered his father, Khalar Zym (Stephen Lang) and his witch daughter Marique (Rose McGowan), who in turn search for the last descendent of the Acheronians, Tamara (Rachel Nichols). It's got a very 1980's action movie vibe but it also means it's maybe too similar to the Schwarzenegger films.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-03-11T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200311-movie-the-andromeda-strain-1971.html#unique-entry-id-30https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200311-movie-the-andromeda-strain-1971.html#unique-entry-id-30The Andromeda Strain is a medical science techno-thriller set in the late 1960's (and this movie came out in 1971). A secret government satellite crash lands in Nevada. It was collecting space samples and whatever it caught killed everyone in town, coagulating all their blood. Except for an old drunkard and a crying baby.

A team of four scientists is assembled at a top secret biowarfare lab built in Nevada with a nuclear bomb failsafe. As the scientists research the organism they come to realize that an atomic explosion would only give it the energy it needs to reproduce. Naturally when the failsafe activates it's up to the scientists to stop the bomb before it explodes and thereby dooms the planet...

This is a rather slow build-up movie. It's based on a Michael Crichton novel so maybe that explains the loving detail paid to the biowarfare lab. The scientists go through five levels of decontamination and there are lots of little details such as eating nutrient shakes instead of normal food. All the tech is believably possible for the late 1960's assuming unlimited government funds.

I did like the organism. It takes a while for them to find it and then to figure out how it works since it is unlike Earth-based life. They explain how it affects animals and people and also show how they do animal testing to find out how big it is and how lethal it is. It is very much a great theatrical rendition of research.

Overall an engrossing movie that stands the test of time.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-03-09T12:00:00-07:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200309-gurps-zombies-2013.html#unique-entry-id-29https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200309-gurps-zombies-2013.html#unique-entry-id-29GURPS Zombies is a 160-page GURPS 4E sourcebook about zombies.

Chapters

1. Getting to Know Your Zombies - A rundown of zombie lore in history and fiction. And for the purposes of this book even mummies and 1950's atomic waste monsters can be viewed as zombie variants.
2. Victims and Killers - PC information. Notes on how Basic Set attributes are used in a zombies campaign. PC and NPC templates. Zombie and survival gear.
3. Zombies! - Note on how Basic Set attributes apply to zombies. Zombie-Maker (step by step designer). Instant Zombies (sample zombies as templates and monster stat blocks).
4. Zombies in Play - Combat and how to abstract a zombie horde. Survival horror notes.
5. Zombified Campaigns - Things to consider when designing a campaign. Ideas on adding zombies to other genres.

Zombie-Maker is pretty cool. Runs 19 pages. For each step it gives you a bunch of options, their cost, and how they affect your zombie.

The rest of the book is the usual GURPS goodness. A lot of GURPS specific information but a lot of ideas that can be used in other RPGs. I found it an interesting read.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-03-06T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200306-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-28https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200306-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-28Sachi Sushi, San Ramon [/] We went here for dinner. It was Valentine's night but we got there early so could sit at the bar. Food was average for sushi, which means good.

Movie - The Coldest Game (2019) [-] Cold War spy thriller with chess. During the Cuban Missile Crisis an erratic but brilliant chess grandmaster (Bill Pullman) is kidnapped by the US government and taken to Poland to play a well-publicized chess match versus a Russian chess grandmaster. He's also supposed to make contact with a Russian informer with vital data concerning the missile crisis... I thought the movie lacked drama and suspense.

iOS - NetNewsWire 5 (2020) [/] A basic (or clean) news reader from Brent Simmons after he bought it back from Black Pixel. It's open source and free and there's a Mac version. But right now it only syncs with Mac version via the $5 per month Feedbin.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-03-04T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200304-movie-this-is-not-what-i-expected-2017.html#unique-entry-id-27https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200304-movie-this-is-not-what-i-expected-2017.html#unique-entry-id-27This is Not What I Expected is a Hong Kong romantic comedy (Mandarin with subtitles). Lu Jin (Takeshi Kaneshiro) is a multimillionaire with a lot of OCD and exacting tastes in food. Gu Sheng Nan (Zhou Dongyu) is a clumsy hotel chef who cooks with passion.

Lu Jin is staying at the hotel to determine whether or not to buy it. After he rejects all dishes the manager asks Gu Sheng Nan to come up with a dish and she creates something he likes. After that she is his de facto personal chef but they never meet.

Meanwhile outside of that role Lu Jin and Gu Sheng Nan are sort of antagonists. Gu Sheng Nan keyed Lu Jin's car and later got him arrested. Whenever she's around something bad seems to happen to Lu Jin.

And then about half way through the film they finally meet. Gu Sheng Nan takes a vacation and Lu Jin follows her home, almost forcing her to cook for him. They start to get to know each other a bit. Gu Sheng Nan is definitely falling for Lu Jin but does he feel the same?

I think it's over two hours long which is long for a romantic comedy. But I like how the story develops and it does come to a satisfying conclusion. So overall a pretty good film.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-03-02T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200302-ios-warriors-of-waterdeep-2018.html#unique-entry-id-26https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200302-ios-warriors-of-waterdeep-2018.html#unique-entry-id-26Warriors of Waterdeep is a free-to-play tactical combat game licensed from WotC. It's based on the Forgotten Realms city of Waterdeep and probably references locations and NPCs.

You lead a team of four heroes into dungeons. You collect more heroes than that but only four go. A dungeon is two or more rooms that you do linearly with a little bit of choice before each room after the first (i.e. go to a room with big monsters or a room with undead).

A room is about four wide and four or five deep. You start at the bottom and the bad guys randomly, though at the beginning nearer the top. Everyone has their own initiatives which are marked by the white outline on the character level hexagon, so you can tell who is going after the current person. You get four possible actions:

* move
* special action
* special attack
* attack

At the beginning characters can only move or attack. As you level up yourself and your items you open up the other slots. Pretty much all actions have a main effect and a possible secondary effect. So it can be move + possibly heal a random person for the Cleric.

Ranged attacks go 2 or 3 range bands. Range is always based on depth in the room, not on width. So a melee attack can hit anyone one square vertically up from a PC even if the PC is on the left side of the room and the target is all the way on the right.

Kill monsters. Finish the dungeon to get a few more rewards. Then level up your stuff. Equipment is rather abstracted. Each character has six or seven different equipment types and each type has like five levels. When you collect items they fit into one of the slots and if you get enough of an item you can level it up for gold. Each character's gear is designed to enhance that class.

There are challenges (repeat conquered dungeons and try to get as far as possible). PvP battles (which might be against people rather than computer controlled). Daily rewards, stuff that takes time to open, special deals. Two types of currency, gold and diamonds. Gold is used to level up characters and gear. Diamonds to buy gold or finish timers now.

The game was fun for a few hours. But it's kind of repetitive. Also gets rather grindy once you run out of gold. I got my crew to level 5 then it was getting gold slowly so I can level up gear to get experience (I forgot to mention that, killing monsters and finishing quests is a little bit of xp compared to leveling up gear) so I can finally level up to 6.

The other disappointment is that it is fantasy RPG but not really D&D. It doesn't feel like playing any edition of D&D so what's the point of the license?
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-02-28T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/0898f33fe1d441aed0bcab223dd33a03-25.html#unique-entry-id-25https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/0898f33fe1d441aed0bcab223dd33a03-25.html#unique-entry-id-25PF Chang's Home Menu: Dan Dan Noodles [+] Pork and vegetable bits with lo mein noodles. Microwave in a few minutes and it tastes pretty good.

Twitch / Chess - FuzzyGardens [/] Conor is a USC student graduating this year and he does a lot of organized dancing. But in streams it's chess and he's a lichess streamer (2k blitz rating). He's friendly and fairly good conversationalist.

Movie - Love and Other Disasters (2006) [-] British film about Jacks (Brittany Murphy), a fashion shoot assistant at Vogue who spends her time fixing up her friend's while her love life remains a mess... I found the film rather boring. The humor just didn't seem funny to me.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-02-26T16:04:36-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200226-netflix-movie-io-2019.html#unique-entry-id-24https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200226-netflix-movie-io-2019.html#unique-entry-id-24Io is a science fiction post-apocalyptic film. A deadly gas is wiping out humanity (and actually non-plant life). Luckily humanity built an outpost on Io, one of Jupiter's moons, and survivors have been fleeing there.

Sam (Margaret Qualley) is a researcher working with her father looking for a cure. She lives on a house on a hill (the gas clings to the lowlands) and travels to the valley collecting samples. But the last shuttle to Io is leaving soon and her boyfriend urges her to escape Earth.

One day Micah (Anthony Mackie) arrives in a fairly sophisticated balloon. He's here to see Sam's father because it turns out dad's broadcast urging people to stay on Earth indirectly cause Micah's wife's death. After a couple of days of waiting Micah discovers that Sam's father is never coming and she admits he died a year earlier.

Micah forces Sam to come with him and make for the last shuttle. To do that they need hydrogen, to be found in the deadly abandoned city in the valley. Can the two of them make it to safety?

-----------------------

SPOILERS

Eventually Sam decides to stay and to make sure she takes off her oxygen mask and breathes the gas. In an epilogue we see Sam with her son (with Micah) sending a message to Micah out in Io.

I had to read Wikipedia to see that I missed the plot turn. Sam was born after the gas and there was a clue that bugs born after the gas were immune. So a new generation of humanity can live on Earth again.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-02-24T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200224-ios-mario-kart-tour-2019.html#unique-entry-id-23https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200224-ios-mario-kart-tour-2019.html#unique-entry-id-23Mario Kart Tour is a free-to-play Mario-themed racing game from Nintendo. In each race there are eight racers, kind of simulated as other players though I don't think it's real-time competition. The objective is not necessarily to finish first but to get the most points, though finishing first, second or third gives bonus points.

First you choose a racer, then a kart, then a parafoil. There are two of each which give the most bonus, another four or six of each which give some bonus, and the rest give no bonus. You collect (or buy) racers, karts and parafoil and if you get duplicates they combine to become a bit more powerful.

A tour lasts a couple of weeks. Several races are open at the start and one is opened each day and there is also a daily bonus, so two ways to get you to come back. As you play the racer and items you use get experience. Going up in levels means they give you a few more bonus points at the start of each race. Each kart and parafoil also has a special power though I never took them into account.

Each race can give you up to five stars and this is based on the points you got in the race. You don't really get to the fifth star until you have racers and items with lots of points. Stars unlock races (ok, when I said races are "open" I meant you can play them if you get the stars, but that's pretty easy) and unlock bonus gifts (and you get more gifts if you have a monthly pass, which is $5, and there are rubies and coins you can buy to level up faster).

The races are fairly fun. Although only a limited number of courses, they are modified a little for each race so each race is still distinct. In general it's not hard to get first place and getting items and leveling them up is kind of nice. Overall a fun game and after a couple of months I've had no impulse to pay money.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-02-21T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200221-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-22https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200221-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-22Cinderella and the Four Knights #101 (2016) [/] A feisty poor girl, Eun Ha-won (Park So-dam), is hired a rich man to be the house manager for his three sons (the fourth knight being the rich man's administrative assistant). Romance ensues. The first episode was setup and didn't even get to her being hired... A bit too soap opera for me.

Fix A Dent [-] It's mobile dent repair so they come to you. Work seemed ok. They will overcharge but understandable. Also wanted to be paid by check/cash which avoids tax reporting. All in all suspicious enough that I wouldn't use them again (and I can't even find them on the web and their vehicle had logos but no contact info; they actually flagged me down and sold me their service).

That's the second time I've used a mobile car service and both times I felt overcharged so will not do this again.

Twitch - NM_Budda [/] NM John Williams is a friend of Alexandra Botez which is how I know of him. He streams Fornite, Clone Hero, Chess in mostly that order and he's good at all three. Chill small streamer.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-02-19T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200219-movie-inside-man-most-wanted-2019.html#unique-entry-id-21https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200219-movie-inside-man-most-wanted-2019.html#unique-entry-id-21Inside Man: Most Wanted turns out to be a sequel to Inside Man (2006). Ariella (Roxanne McKee) and her team try to rob the New York Federal Reserve and a hostage situation develops. NYPD hostage negotiator Remy (Ami Ameen) works with FBI agent and criminal psychologist Dr Brynn (Rhea Seehorn).

We soon find out that Ariella is not doing this willingly. Her team are freelancers she knows plus German muscle from her real boss, who has her brother hostage (and turns out her brother was the main villain of the first film). Ariella is doing pretty much the same heist because she helped plan the first one.

There's a mystery as to how Ariella is going to save her brother and foil the bad guys. Remy and Dr Brynn are trying to piece it from the outside but sometimes work at cross purposes.

It's a direct to video movie but fairly well done with good special effects and soundtrack. It turns out to be an interesting movie.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-02-17T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200217-star-trek-ascendancy-2016.html#unique-entry-id-20https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200217-star-trek-ascendancy-2016.html#unique-entry-id-20Star Trek: Ascendancy is a 4X game based on the Star Trek franchise. Each player plays one of the star nations. You start from a home system, explore out to find random planets and connect them via warp lines, and finally connect to the other players.

Some star systems can be colonized and others already have a native civilization. Assuming you take control you then add resource generators (on the star system disc it'll say what resources it can generate) and each turn you get those resources.

• Production - used fo build generators and starships
• Science - used to research technologies
• Culture - used to colonize uninhabited systems or absorb colonized systems

Each race has a set of technology cards specific to them. You draw two and can then develop them secretly until they're done. But if another player conquers one of your Science-generating systems they might steal a technology.

Culture is used to win the game and few star systems generate it. You spend five culture to gain an ascendancy token (you start with one). These determine how many starbases and fleets you can have and are also used as a die bonus when absorbing star systems (hegemony, in contrast straight up conquering a star system with ships).

You get three trading cards and when you contact another player you can trade a card with them. You each gain more resources that way and is a simple way to represent trade relationships.

You win by getting to five ascendancy and controlling your home system, or by conquering most of the other player while retaining your home system, or via special victory conditions for some races.

----------------

I played a four player game with Federation (me), Andorian (game owner), Klingon and Vulcan (experienced players). I stayed by myself, not trying to connect to another player until late in the game. I built up as much as I could though unfortunately I didn't get any good systems and no culture-producing systems other than Earth.

Meanwhile the Klingons and Andorians waged a war which the Klingons won. The Vulcans researched and got many technologies then started whipping the Klingons. The Vulcans actually managed to win via one of their variable victory conditions: colonize ten star systems at any time.

It was a fun game. Nice components. Plays about an hour per player. Each race is distinct and plays differently and there are a couple of victory conditions so you can pursue different strategies. Would be a great game to have if I was still into Star Trek outside of TOS.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-02-14T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200214-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-19https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200214-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-19Movie - The Hunt for Red October (1990) [+] Just watched this again after many years. Still a great film, suspenseful and sticks close enough to Tom Clancy's novel.

Movie - Swing Away (2016) [/] After being suspended from the LPGA golfer Zoe (Shannon Elizabeth) hides at her aunt and uncle's on a small Greek island. She decides to help local teen Stella (Viktoria Miller) become better at golf and ends up helping Stella battle loud-mouthed American developer Glenn (John O'Hurley) in a golf match; at stake is the town's golf course which Glen wants to turn into a luxury resort... It's an ok film.

Taku Taku Peruvian Cuisine, San Mateo [/] An ok Peruvian restaurant on El Camino Real, south of the 92. A bit hard to get parking. I tried the tallarin verde (I think Emelina's is better) and chupe de camarones (very good).

]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-02-12T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200212-tv-show-star-trek-picard-101-2019.html#unique-entry-id-18https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200212-tv-show-star-trek-picard-101-2019.html#unique-entry-id-18Star Trek: Picard and it was impressive. It's set a couple decades after Nemesis. Picard (Patrick Stewart) is retired and still in danger of going senile (or whatever that disease was). There's a bit about how he quit Starfleet after they didn't help the Romulan refugees (after their sun blew up according to the Star Trek 2009 movie). There's also stuff about how Androids are now hunted as rebels.

A strange woman arrives, Dahj (Isa Briones). Someone is hunting her and she had a dream that Picard would help her. Picard comes to believe that she is Data's daughter and becomes determined to help her. And to do that he's going to need help (though that's the next episode).

Production value is excellent and often movie quality (I haven't watched Discovery). There's a good metaplot setup and lots of action that doesn't involve a 79-year old Stewart. Also good that the Star Trek universe storyline is advancing once again after two series set in pre TOS days.

Quality pilot and looks to be an interesting show.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-02-10T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200210-restaurant-urban-momo-san-mateo.html#unique-entry-id-17https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200210-restaurant-urban-momo-san-mateo.html#unique-entry-id-17Urban Momo is an Indian-Chinese-Nepalese restaurant that opened up where Las Americas used to be. Came here for lunch. Setup is pretty much the same though partition wall between the restaurant and adjacent convenience store is much higher (the space used to be a bigger convenience store).

Paneer Momos ($11) - six steamed dumpling with cheese and vegetables. They have a chili sauce and a (I think) peanut sauce, the latter was very good.

Chili Chicken Bhutte Ko Bhaat ($11) - chicken and vegetables in a sauce, some cooked kale or something on the side, and fried rice. It's pretty good also.

Overall the meal was good. A little different than the usual though still Asian. Would come here again.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-02-07T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200207-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-16https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200207-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-16Apple Movie - Hala (2019) [/] Coming of age drama about Hala (Geraldine Viswanathan), an American-Pakistani teen threading a path between her Muslim and American cultures. It's fairly low key and took some patience to watch it all but I appreciate the story.

Movie - Sharon 1.2.3 (2018) [-] Sort of a guys romantic comedy. Successful tech nerd Jonah (Matt Bush) has an older girlfriend, Sharon #1 (Erinn Hayes), and is banging a coworker, Sharon #2 (Nadine Velazquez), when he meets and falls in love with Sharon #3 (Skyler Samuels), a sweet and klutzy coffee shop owner... I just didn't like the storytelling style, a bit too raunchy.

Wursthall Restaurant and Bierhaus, San Mateo [/] Relatively new restaurant in downtown San Mateo, hip and upscale. You sit on these long benches and the wooden dividers have the condiments, utensils and napkins. Had Korean Fried Chicken with a side of Mashed Potatoes. Not really to my liking but well prepared and I think some of the other dishes would be better to my tastes.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-02-05T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200205-netflix-movie-i-am-mother-2019.html#unique-entry-id-15https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200205-netflix-movie-i-am-mother-2019.html#unique-entry-id-15I Am Mother is a post-apocalyptic science fiction movie. In a research facility looking site, Mother (Rose Byrne), is raising one girl, Daughter (Clara Rugaard), born from an embryo. I guess she's supposed to be about 18 when the main plot starts (the caption says 13k days later which is like 30-odd years, oof).

[Edit: I got it, it's 13k days later but this wasn't the first Daughter. Forgot about that part.]

As Daughter prepares for her big test there is a clanging from the airlock. Who could this be? Daughter has been told that all humanity perished due to a plague. When she opens the airlock, it's a Woman (Hilary Swank).

Knowing that Mother would immediately murder the Woman to avoid the plague, Daughter hides Woman. When Mother finds out Daughter convinces Mother to spare Woman, who is taken to the infirmary because she has a gunshot wound.

Now Woman secretly tells Daughter that there was no plague. Robots wiped out humanity, robots just like Mother! Daughter starts to have doubts. Is Mother an evil robot? Or is Woman a deceitful human?...

Turns out to be a pretty good thriller. Fortunately you do get most of the answers by the end of the film.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-02-03T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200203-apple-arcade-spelldrifter-2019.html#unique-entry-id-14https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200203-apple-arcade-spelldrifter-2019.html#unique-entry-id-14Spelldrifter is a combination tactical turn-based combat and deck building game. It's fantasy based and you have a stable of characters each with their own decks. Some of the characters:

Korghan Twice-Born - warrior
Faydin, the Sellsword - finesse warrior/swashbuckler
Lavella, Star-Touched - healer
Rohin Garrett - rogue
Renna, the Embermage - fire magic

In each combat you choose three characters and can customize their decks. Characters level up and get stars which you use to choose special abilities (and can change them out before any combat). You get gold which you use to buy more cards and getting a good card combination is nice.

In each turn everybody moves in action point order (your characters win ties). Every action costs a number of action points. Once a character goes their action point total increases and the lowest total action point combatant moves next. Big attacks take more action points and some cards take place the next turn. You have to be cognizant of when each combatant goes.

Good graphics and sounds. There's a standard fantasy storyline. I did get to the point where the two locations I can battle are both too hard. Unfortunately there's not that much grinding (or maybe too much). You can repeat old adventures but rewards for repeat are minimal, not enough to be worth it to grind, so I kind of stopped playing. But it was fun for a few hours.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-01-31T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200131-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-13https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200131-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-13Netflix Movie - Close (2019) [/] Modern day action thriller. Sam (Noomi Rapace) is a close escort bodyguard assigned to Zoe (Sophie Nélisse) who doesn't want a new bodyguard. While in Morocco a team of mercenaries assaults the compound. Sam and Zoe go on the run and have to find a way out of the country when it seems half the police are in the payroll of the mercs or their boss... It's a better film than I expected.

Movie - My Best Friend's Christmas (2019) [/] Romantic Christmas movie. Ashley (Breanne Hill) visits her folks and ends up pretending to be in a relationship with sort-of co-worker Liam (Colton Little) while secretly pining for high school ex- Grant (Tanner Novlan) who has a girlfriend of his own in Bella (Masiela Lusha)... It actually ends up being kind of charming.

iPhone App - FOX Sports [/] I used this app to watch the Super Bowl. Good quality, didn't have any freezes. For everything else you have to connect to a cable provider so less useful.

]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-01-29T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200129-apple-tv-plus-the-morning-show-s1-2019.html#unique-entry-id-12https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200129-apple-tv-plus-the-morning-show-s1-2019.html#unique-entry-id-12
As the shock wears off for the whole crew Levy finds out that the network execs were planning to fire her for a younger cohost. Kessler's firing postpone that and to take control of the situation Levy impulsively announces her new cohost, Bradley Jackson (Reese Witherspoon), a local news field reporter who had gone viral and was a guest on the show.

Over the ten episodes there is Kessler wanting to clear his name, Jackson wanting to do "real" news stories, Levy and the execs fighting for control of the network flagship show. There are secrets and plot twists to keep things interesting, not to the level of a soap opera.

Episode 8 is particularly good. Half of it is flashbacks to the Las Vegas shootings and during that time Kessler seduces a junior coworker. Kind of drives home that even if the other person doesn't object it can be still be rape.

It's an entertaining show. Not really the genre of show I'd watch but don't regret taking the time to watch the whole season.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-01-27T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200127-d-and-d-sapphire-anniversary-dice-set-2019.html#unique-entry-id-11https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200127-d-and-d-sapphire-anniversary-dice-set-2019.html#unique-entry-id-11D&D Sapphire Anniversary Dice Set soon after it went on order. Two months later you can still buy them so didn't sell out like hotcakes, but at $300 I wasn't sure it would.

The dice come in a white box with padded interior and holes to put each individual die. There is an attached die tray that you can use for rolling your dice (they're metal so don't necessarily want to roll them on a table and make indentations). There is also a poster of a Sapphire Dragon with D&D stats, a D&D sticker and a certificate of authenticity.

You get 1d4, 4d6, 1d8, 2d10 (10s and 1s), 1d12 and 2d20 (one with an embedded sapphire). It's a set designed for D&D 5th edition (hence the extra d20 for the advantage/disadvantage die). The dice are metal with rounded edges and blue numbers. One die has a synthetic sapphire and all the dice are weighted and tested for fitness (I think). Good rolling feel.

I took a look at other metallic dice sets and this one looks nice. Kind of plain but I like it over weird runes and embellishments.

Overall it's a nice dice set. Without the sapphire and collector's edition probably would sell for half the price so it's not that steep a price. I plan to use this as my regular dice set and hope not to lose any dice.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-01-24T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200124-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-10https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200124-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-10Movie - The Tourist (2010) [/] This never seemed like an interesting movie from the trailers but I finally got around to watching it. In Europe, Elise (Angelina Jolie) leads Scotland Yard and a crime lord to believe that American tourist Frank (Johnny Depp) is the man who stole $1B from the crime lord. Once she realizes the danger she's placed Frank in she tries to keep him safe as Scotland Yard and the crime lord close in... It's not a bad movie but not great.

Movie - Minty: The Assassin (2009) [-] Minty (Elina Madison) has to fight through a tower filled with different henchmen and women, fighting her way to the evil Dr Brain Bender (Chip Joslin) in order to free her friend... It's a B-movie homage to schlocky kung-fu movies but with a female lead and some female villains. You have to like bad movies to appreciate this one.

Sabatino's Paleo Organic Basil & Cracked Black Pepper Smoked Chicken Sausage [/] Well, it's not horrible. It doesn't really taste like it has any spices though. But at least it's pre-cooked meat. Just need to add a third party sauce for flavor.

]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-01-22T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200122-movie-on-the-basis-of-sex-2018.html#unique-entry-id-9https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200122-movie-on-the-basis-of-sex-2018.html#unique-entry-id-9
First there's university where she was a brilliant student at Harvard Law School but had to transfer out to the less prestigious Columbia when her husband got a job. After graduating she can't find a job because she's a woman, or a woman and too pretty, so has to settle being a college professor.

Then she gets an opportunity to represent a case, Moritz v. Commissioner, about a single man denied IRS tax break for hiring a nurse to take care of his mom part time while he works. It's because the tax law was written specifically for stay at home moms.

The second half of the movie is this case and a related case, whether or not Ginsburg gets to do arguments, and then finally doing opening arguments in front of the appeals court. Nicely done scene though seemed to be made more dramatic than needed.

It's an interesting movie and maybe a bit more about Ginsburg than the cases, which I guess is fair but I was more interested in the court case.

[ Wikipedia: On the Basis of Sex ]]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-01-20T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200120-apple-arcade-what-the-golf-2019.html#unique-entry-id-8https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200120-apple-arcade-what-the-golf-2019.html#unique-entry-id-8
Every puzzle has something that is putted towards something else. You could be hitting a ball, or a couch, or a car towards a hole, or a flag, or a tree. Things move around and it's physics based so surprising things can happen.

Other levels are side-view and many levels are homages to other video games such as Super Mario Bros. and Flappy Bird. Every level has three stars, which means beating the level three times and for stars two and three there are variations that make the level harder.

Not sure how far I got through the game. A couple dozen levels before I realized you can replay them for more stars. I sort of got bored with the game and stopped. But it is a different and interesting game so worth a look.

[ Apple Arcade: What the Golf ]
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-01-17T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200117-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-7https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200117-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-7Pokémon Detective Pikachu (2019) [/] In a world where people and pokémon live in peace, teenager Tim Goodman (Justice Smith) investigates his detective father's disappearance with the help of his father's pokémon, Pikachu (Ryan Reynolds). Turns out Tim and Pikachu are the only human-pokémon pair that can talk to each other, giving them an advantage negotiating the two worlds... Better movie than I expected. It's got a substantive plot and good story beats.

Movie - Starship Troopers: Invasion (2012) [/] A platoon is stuck on the John A Warden after it's been infested by bugs who can control the ship, which is now heading to Earth! This is a CGI film with cheap Poser-level graphics but the story is not bad and the you can follow the battle scenes. Lots of characters introduced who die later on but people get different deaths. With Luci Christian as Carmen Ibanez, Justin Doran as Carl Jenkins and David Matranga as Johnny Rico.

New Thai Elephant, San Francisco [+] Thai restaurant and we went here with a 7 person group, mostly Indians. Food is good. They also have a location in downtown San Mateo.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-01-15T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200115-movie-jay-and-silent-bob-reboot-2019.html#unique-entry-id-6https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200115-movie-jay-and-silent-bob-reboot-2019.html#unique-entry-id-6
On the way they run into a bunch of unusual characters and Jay is told he has a teen daughter Millennium Faulken (Harley Quinn Smith) from that one time he did it with Justice (Shannon Elizabeth) in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)...

Watched this at the Fox Theater (Oakland) with my friend. Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes came out to introduce the movie and did Q&A afterwards. Laughed a lot along with the crowd.

There are a huge amount of previous characters making cameo appearances. Often they don't really add to the plot but are great for fans. I love the Chasing Amy scene with Holden McNeil (Ben Affleck), Alyssa Jones (Joey Lauren Adams) and daughter Amy (Jason Mewes' daughter Logan).

For fans of View Askew this is a great movie. For people who haven't seen previous films this is not where to start. Overall I'm quite happy to have seen this movie.

[ Wikipedia: Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019) ]
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-01-13T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200113-restaurant-duende-oakland.html#unique-entry-id-5https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200113-restaurant-duende-oakland.html#unique-entry-id-5
Half the menu is paella, which you can get in a size for 2 or 4 people. We had:

• Patatas Bravas ($9) - fried, diced potatoes (about tater tot size) with spicy allioli sauce. Fairly good.
• Toasted bread with a pate (I don't see it on the menu) ($12?). Also good.
• Paella de Carne for 2 ($52) - clams, brussel sprouts and beans in the paella with a slice of lamb on top. This was greatly delicious!
• Flan with berries ($10?) - Good, though small.
• Latte ($4) - standard.
• Dave had a couple beers ($5? each)

Total with tip was $160.

The paella is totally worth it and I'd come back here again if I'm in the area.

[ Duende! home page ]
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-01-10T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200110-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-4https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200110-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-4Me Before You (2016) [/] Working-class woman Louisa (Emilia Clarke) is hired to help take care of recent quadriplegic Will (Sam Claflin). Romance develops as she desperately tries to give him a reason to live... It's an ok romantic movie with a sad ending.

Movie - Christmas Scavenger Hunt (2019) [-] Hallmark movie. Visiting her small home town for Christmas, Belinda (Kim Shaw) participates in the annual scavenger hunt and is forced to team with ex-boyfriend Dustin (Kevin McGarry). Their adventures around town rekindle the romance as they also try to save the historic mill and museum... Uninteresting and no chemistry.

Board Game - The Game of Life Junior (2014) [-] Players visit theme park attractions collecting stars with two complications: you start with three tickets which give you an extra star if you go to that ride, most rides cost $1 (you start with $4 and get $1 for going all the way around the board). Other than a car you move around the board this game has no relation to Life and definitely too uninteresting for an adult to play.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-01-08T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200108-movie-anna-2019.html#unique-entry-id-3https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200108-movie-anna-2019.html#unique-entry-id-3White-trashy Russian woman Anna (Sasha Luss) is recruited by the KGB to be an international assassin posing as a fashion model. After a couple of years the CIA finally catches up and Special Agent Miller (Cillian Murphy) makes her a double agent. But her final CIA mission means betraying the KGB agent she likes (loves?), Alexander (Luke Evans).

A Luc Besson film so the action is good and the characters are beautiful. There's a lot of flashbacking to introduce plot twists and get her out of various jams. It's an entertaining action film.

[ Wikipedia: Anna (2019 film) ]]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-01-06T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200106-ghostbusters-the-board-game-2015.html#unique-entry-id-2https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200106-ghostbusters-the-board-game-2015.html#unique-entry-id-2
Roll a d6 to shoot a ghost (up to 3 squares away). If you hit you get a stream on it and tougher ghosts require more streams. If you hit the ghost does something and if you miss the ghost does something more. Each time you're slimed you lose an action and it takes a turn to de-slime yourself by a level. Nabbing ghosts is XP and each character has their own special powers as they level up.

We played two scenarios and in both the objective was to close all the gates. At the end of the turn there is random roll to see if ghosts come out a gate, or if it lands chaos then nearby ghosts move. If you run out of ghosts to place on the map (there is a set reserve which gets replenished when you put ghosts in Ecto-1) then you lose the game.

We might have been playing it wrong. In both scenarios it's quickly apparent that you have plenty of time to close the games (and if in a hurry can avoid ghosts and make for each gate). In the second scenario we took it slowly and nabbed all the ghosts, getting lots of XP. There is a balance issue there but I'm sure it can be house rules to be more challenging.

Components are pretty good with lots of plastic miniatures and sturdy geomorphic tiles, PC and ghost cards. There is possibly a good game here but not one OOTB. (I was thinking maybe this is for younger players but the recommended is age 15+).

[ BoardGameGeek: Ghostbusters the Board Game ]
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-01-03T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200103-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-1https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200103-spot-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-1Battleship Shots [/] A game reminiscent of Battleship by Hasbro. You set up your two-space ships x3 and one-space life raft x1. Players take turns tossing balls over a divider and land on a ship space. I they do they get one more shot. Fill all 6 ship spaces or the life raft space and you win. It's kind of fun.

Netflix Movie - The Knight Before Christmas (2019) [/] Christmas romance movie. A young Middle Ages knight, Sir Cole (Josh Whitehouse) is transported to the present to fulfill his quest. There he meets Brooke (Vanessa Hudgens) who first mistakes him for a very method actor and then believes him and tries to help him accomplish his quest. And they fall in love along the way... I liked it.

Movie - Juliet, Naked (2018) [-] British middle-aged Annie (Rose Byrne) finds her boyfriend (Chris O'Dowd) cheating and kicks him out. Then starts an email romance with obscure American musician Tucker (Ethan Hawke) whom her ex idolizes... It is a very uninteresting film.
]]>Kevin C. WongReviews2020-01-01T12:00:00-08:00https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200101-movie-doom-annihilation-2019.html#unique-entry-id-0https://www2.tgd-inc.com/kcw.v5/reviews/files/20200101-movie-doom-annihilation-2019.html#unique-entry-id-0
A research base on Phobos goes silent just as a transport arrives with replacement marines. They are quickly re-tasked to discover what went wrong and restart the nuclear reactor before it explodes. There are nine marines and a tag-along scientist.

• Captain Savage (James Weber Brown) - an old-timer who has decided to retire after this tour.
• Lt Joan Dark (Amy Manson) - second-in-command, just escaped a court-martial after a disastrous mission.
• Dr Bennet Stone (Luke Allen-Gale) - the scientist who dated Dark a decade ago.

As they explore the research base they find dead and mutilated bodies, surviving scientists, transformed killer scientists, and alien monsters. I like that you can tell what's going on as the characters split up and then are slowly killed off throughout the film. There are the usual homages to Doom such as big primary-colored keycards and plasma weapons.

Special effects are not great but serviceable. The creatures are practical effects though fireballs are not and the climactic scene with Dark fighting a horde of aliens is very obvious CGI. The ending is satisfying enough and sets up a sequel that can pick up exactly when this movie ends.

It's a low-expectations film and I think does all right.

[ Wikipedia: Doom Annihilation ]]]>