Category: Books, Movies & More

Thoughts inspired by, cool things discovered in, or reviews of:

• Books I’ve read
• Movies I’ve seen
• TV I’ve watched
• Music I’ve listened to
• Games I’ve played
• Software I’ve used

Most of this is usually posts about science fiction & fantasy books & movies, though I also often enjoy history & historical fiction, and occasionally post about cool music, videos, geeky software or tech gadgets I’ve used.

Is the Habit of Hope Immoral?

“She wondered, faintly, if it was immoral to raise children in the habit of hope. Was it not, in the end, all the harder for them to adjust to the reality of how the world worked?”
– Gregory Maguire, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

PERSONAL NOTE: Too cynical? Perhaps. I’ve wondered the same. I think, however, that I’d rather hope than not. Yes, if you don’t maintain hope, you won’t be disappointed; but if you don’t hope, you will also be just as miserable the whole time as you would be for the far shorter periods of disappointment you might experience. Also, I like to believe the positive attitude that Hope provides decreases the frequency with which you will be disappointed, as you will be more likely to make the sacrifices or changes necessary to achieve your goals if you have Hope, versus the cynical expectation of failure and the associated “Why bother?” mentality that goes with it.

Home Is Where You Are Never Forgiven

“Maybe the definition of home is the place where you are never forgiven, so you may always belong there, bound by guilt. And maybe the cost of belonging is worth it.”
– Gregory Maguire, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

PERSONAL NOTE: Holy crap this seems incredibly true from my experience of struggling for acceptance in a relationship with someone who uses guilt in place of love, where the concept of Unconditional Love is a fantasy, versus a reality of Lingering Resentments. I’m not sure if the cost of belonging in such situations is worth it, but I do wonder sometimes the reverse: if deciding to not pay that cost in one person’s case is worth not belonging.

Remember Yourself

“Sometimes, you have to step outside of the person you’ve been and remember the person you were meant to be. The person you want to be. The person you are.”
– HG Wells

PERSONAL NOTE: Commonly attributed to H.G. Wells, but I have been unable to find a definitive source in online searches for this from his published works, letters, or papers. Regardless of whether he actually said it, I believe it holds a deep Truth, as I find this is what meditation does for me.

If one door closes, look for an opening door.

“When one door of happiness closes, another opens, but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.”

– Helen Keller

NOTE: As usual I later looked back for the original source of this quote and verify its attribution to Keller. Turns out she did say it, but some original version of the saying was around before then, and its many sources and variations is muddled if interesting (to me). Regardles, the saying is another of those that I find very True.

UPDATED: Another Babylon 5 Star Has Gone Out

[Originally published 1/22/21, updated 1/27/21]
😥😭 For me Mira’s role as Delenn, and her always amazing performance, defined Babylon 5. It was her talent for me that made that show not just a good show, but a great show. And yes, I’ve always had a crush on Mira, in large part due to her role in B5.
Continue reading UPDATED: Another Babylon 5 Star Has Gone Out

Avasarala The Expanse Seasons 1-4 Supercut

I wish I could find this somewhere else than on Twitter, but the actress who plays the character in The Expanse posted this supercut from the first 4 seasons of The Expanse of some of Avasarala’s best lines and potty mouth moments. I’m glad the show left broadcast tv so that her character could be fully realized just as shocking as it was in the books. If anything her grandmotherly looks and no shit taken out-spoken personality comes out even better in the tv series where the visual and audio juxtaposition is more effective than printed word and imagination.

TENET: Updated with Review 1/25

(Initially posted 8/24/20) I only heard about this upcoming flick awhile back. A new trailer just came out, and needless to say I want to see it, preferably in a movie theater now that Covid nonsense allows, and not a year later on DVD.

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