Keith Mukai

I had Claude take the Chicago Bears logo and vertically extrude it into a 3d-printable STL.

Kind of amazed how well it turned out! Hard to appreciate the 3d extrusion from the top view.

Sorry for neglecting all you nostr folks!

Most important thing you missed: I did as careful an analysis as I could to dig into AND stress test the

image entropy feature.

Could AI find flaws? What kind of entropy quality does the actual image data provide? What are the degenerate worst-case scenarios?

I structured this so it would be easy to be adversarially reviewed by anyone else's AI. Don't trust, verify.

https://kdmukai-bot.github.io/seedsigner-ai-analysis/image-entropy/

HAMNET (2025)

Director Chloé Zhao brings incredible filmmaking talent to adopt Maggie O'Farrell's lovely (but flawed) novel, with O'Farrell along as a co-writer on the screenplay.

The film fixes many of the novel's core flaws, but... makes its own unfortunate bad decisions along the way.

First of all, the film is gorgeous and patient, matching the feel of Agnes' deep inner world that is so well conveyed in the novel. Zhao is impressively UN-intrusive in her directing and editing; she stays on the actors for long takes so that moments can just play out.

But the approach never feels boring or small. The performances are so strong that you don't need or want choppy cuts or dramatically panning cameras swooshing about. Zhao is the anti-Michael Bay.

The GOOD:

The film fixes the novel's biggest flaw in that Shakespeare himself is unrecognizable. Yes, his identity is intentionally obscured (it's about HER, not HIM) but it's utterly unbelievable that this character would become the world-reknowned Shakespeare.

So instead the film shows more of his passion for writing and the development of his craft. Even dropping in a moment of him working through early Romeo & Juliet lines.

The BAD:

But then the film way overcorrects and succumbs to the cheap writer trap that O'Farrell had gone out of her way to avoid: working too many of Shakespeare's most famous lines directly into the script.

As he contemplates suicide, he begins to extemporaneously invent the Hamlet "to be or not to be" monologue.

Are you fucking kidding me? No no no no.

The SAME:

The novel's original exploration -- what's the relationship between Shakespeare's son Hamnet (who dies at 11yrs old) and the play Hamlet (which was written 4yrs later)? -- never came together. There just aren't connective threads; the play in no way reflects on a son dying in childhood. Yes, Hamlet dies at the end of the play, and the moment is played up to full effect in the film. But still no real connective tissue.

And so the film has no answer either.

But also BETTER:

Zhao does manage to elevate the ending over the novel's deeply dissatisfying one. It doesn't solve the core problem, but it does fill much of the hole.

• It's more about Agnes experiencing the power of Shakespeare's work for the first time. She finally gets it. Finally sees that, yeah, okay, maybe he's not a total ass for giving time to this pursuit instead of staying with his family.

• Shakespeare playing the ghost of the king saying farewell to his son Hamlet IS nicely done (and not in the novel). Having been away when 11yr old Hamnet died, it gives him a deep symbolic closure he needs.

• There IS a nice phrasing callback (the ONE instance I'll allow!). It's Agnes early on who uses the phrase "undiscovered countries" which helps melt her anger toward her husband when she hears Hamlet utter it in the "To be or not to be" monologue.

• There's a really, really lovely moment of closure that brings home her dying son's spiritual journey with the closing moments of the onstage Hamlet performance. It's wonderful. But, notably, could have happened at the end of any of Shakespeare's plays.

A MODEST REWRITE:

There's a scene in the film where Shakespeare is training his son in a stage swordfighting sequence. In a different scene, Hamnet tells his mother that he wants to work at his dad's theater as an actor.

So let's combine them and have that convo with dad. Dad can naturally say, "Oh, then I'll have to write you a leading role!"

And then... (yes, tiptoeing on cringe factor): "You know... there IS a famous HAMLET who has quite a story to tell."

The boy, excited, wants to hear more. "Well son, it would be quite serious. A tragedy. BUT... with a GRAND final swordfight!!" and back to play swordfighting...

That's it. That's the whole Hamnet <-> Hamlet connection. We can infer that at some point in his grief, Shakespeare recalled this moment and dragged himself to make it happen. The work becomes a tribute to his son -- the role his son would have starred in. The name coincidence would just be the initial inspiration, nothing more.

And all of Zhao's nice additions at the end still work.

---

nevent1qy2hwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnyv9kh2uewd9hj7qg3waehxw309ahx7um5wgh8w6twv5hszrnhwden5te0dehhxtnvdakz7qpq892q23euv4yycswxajcpxutmqppul97xej39mh9824rnl75cjr9qy4cxe5

THE DARK CRYSTAL (1982)

The new 4k UHD restoration looks AMAZING.

But after a fresh viewing, it PAINS me to say this but: the movie only really works if you first see it as a ~8-12yr old.

It's just too slow and weird and dated to get through once you're older.

It has a special place in my heart since I first saw it when I was probably a little too young for it: it was scary and challenging and hideous and magical.

I was hoping to watch it with my teenage nieces, but it definitely would NOT work for them. The creepy creatures and various delights would still land, but there's just too much slower paced / puppet awkwardness "meh" that would make it a slog for them to get through.

If you think of it fondly, definitely watch this restored version (dunno if it's available via streaming or only on the 4k disc). It's an absolutely marvelous effort to capture everything this had to offer 44 years ago.

4k is so sharp that you can now see the wires holding up the crystal 🤣!

The film is a remarkable achievement... but also an artifact of the past.

THE TRUMAN SHOW (1998)

Killer combo of director Peter Weir + writer Andrew Niccol.

Great news: It still holds up extremely well almost 30yrs later.

Back then it was wildly inventive speculation on how far the then-nascent reality TV craze might go. In 2026 it's just as fun and interesting and entertaining, but is no longer shockingly absurd. If anything, it's too idealistic.

Part of the fun in revisiting some of these movies is when they have a new 4k UHD restoration. This one looks great, relative to its modest source material (though it's astonishing to think that THE MATRIX was just one year later and looks incredible).

MOON (2009)

Director Duncan Jones' debut. He clearly has a knack for pretty well-made yet stealthily low budget movies (see: SOURCE CODE).

Respectable effort here. Somewhat intriguing premise. But some odd misses for crucial emotional turns. This is a one-man character study / situation study and you just can't screw up how you deliver his evolving internal state.

• Biggest complaint (mild spoilers): After being completely isolated for almost 3 years, Sam awakens to find there's a clone of him(!!) at the base. His reaction: mild, dull confusion. And moments earlier his clone (not knowing he's a clone) finds Sam #1 near death and rescues him. Sam #2's reaction is also way too muted and internal.

Both of them should have been:

I have no clue why they chose to play it this way.

• (bigger spoiler) It's clear that the clones have a 3yr lifespan and Sam #1 discovers a long history of Sam clones hitting their expiration date, just as he's about to. But, oddly again, that realization is only half played out. And he doesn't share that info with Sam #2 who will be similarly doomed in 3yrs.

• So the writing and directing is a disappointment here. Surprising considering how well-executed Jones' follow-up SOURCE CODE was.

• The vapid THE SIXTH DAY (2000) covered some of the same philosophical / moral ground and, embarrassingly, did it better than MOON. https://blossom.primal.net/6a93b0f52cf6b1bab04624c749c9afce1a16509ec911314b65bf3454441302b1.png

SOURCE CODE (2011)

tldr: It's basically Groundhog Day but... on a train... that blows up in a terrorist attack. Pretty well done mild sci-fi thriller with a simple but really effective emotional core. But not terribly memorable, either.

Interesting faux-science-y premise: Mostly hand-wavey quantum state magic leftover in a dead person's brain lets a soldier explore that person's last eight minutes of life. Not just replaying their memories, but fully interacting with the world as it existed in those 8 minutes.

They boot up this full clone of the universe's quantum state at that point in time over and over again so he can figure out who's responsible for the terrorist attack that goes off at the 8min mark.

• Strikes a nice balance between the ticking clock of uncovering terrorist (can't stop the train from exploding; that already happened. But CAN stop the next, bigger attack), the soldier's own internal struggles and priorities, and a growing bond with a girl on the train (which is hopeless; we already know she died in the explosion).

• The human side is the highlight and really well delivered by the three leads (Gyllenhaal, Monaghan, and Farmiga).

• So it's a shame I won't really remember this movie. Has a lot of great things going for it, but just somehow ends up not being that memorable, perhaps in part due to its small scale (it's mostly a "locked room" thriller in 2 train cars).

• Clever way to make a low-budget sci-fi movie without the audience noticing. Only 2.5 sets: the train where the 8min replay takes place. The command center managing the quantum reboots. And the soldier's cramped technopod.

Voice dictation L.

Parakeet v2 would rather invent nonsense than correctly transcribe

.

This one's new; I usually get "Seat Center".

Annoying, but still: talking > typing

Thankfully Claude gracefully ignores dictation garble and usually understands what I'm trying to say.

ARRIVAL (2016)

I saw this a while ago but somehow had no memory of its core twist.

Director Denis Villeneuve is a master craftsman and ONLY makes interesting movies (Blade Runner 2049, Dune pt I & II). This generation's Spielberg? Is there anyone better right now?

There's a much deeper emotional core to this film than you'd think at first (and, indeed, in my lackluster memory). And its fascinating plot twist ending (I won't spoil it here) is really cool and enjoyable, even though I'm pretty sure it doesn't actually make sense.

Villeneuve masterfully manages the pacing which is amped up with tension and lots of anxiety yet is also incredibly patient and is never in a rush. Villeneuve's films know how to breathe.

Highly recommended for people who enjoy the filmmaking craft.

But did I love it? I don't think it was designed to be a movie that someone would love, exactly. Respect the hell out of? Yes. Engrossed in the storytelling? Yes. Kind of the same for his Dune pt I & pt II, slightly less so for Blade Runner 2049.

He casts an all-encompassing spell and delivers sumptuous storytelling.

It's not about loving it, it's about being fully enveloped in the experience he creates.

THE CREATOR (2023)

Ambitious, earnest, mostly well crafted, and yet... meh?

Damn, so much good filmmaking DNA here:

• Director Gareth Edwards (Rogue One).
• Co-writer Chris Weitz ("About a Boy" was wonderful and special, Rogue One, more recently Murderbot).
• Cinematographer Greig Fraser (Rogue One, Dune pt I & II, The Batman, Project Hail Mary).

They all worked on Rogue One, which is my favorite Star Wars film as an adult (12yr-old me would still go RotJ or ESB).

THE CREATOR plays out logically but most of the key emotional turns along the way just don't really land. Some combo failure of acting, directing, and editing, I suppose. Pretty disappointing.

---

Side nerd rant: one thing they totally blew was the portrayal of the giant threatening sky/space fortress.

They wanted it visible in shots from the ground, which was undoubtedly cool looking and cinematic, but it made it look like it was just hovering nearby in the sky rather than something up in orbit. It should have been a tiny speck.

But when they show that it is indeed in orbit... there's normal gravity on it.

And knowing how orbits work... everything about it is a science disaster. It's obviously portrayed as a low Earth orbit but you can't just hover over targets in LEO.

I know, I know, not everything is trying to be hard sci-fi.

For whichever employee sorted the Daily Specials this way:

THIS IS A FIREABLE OFFENSE!!

Sixth book this year: THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY by Matt Haig.

Really lovely read. Which is odd to say given that it starts with the protagonist, Nora, having such a miserable day in her incredibly disappointing life that she commits suicide.

But she wakes in an infinite library. Each book is an alternate universe version of her life where she had made different choices. She can jump into those other lives and experience what might have been.

And if she finds one that fits, she can stay and make that her REAL life and live it out to its end.

But if the life proves to have its own unacceptable flaws, she's transported back to the infinite library to choose again.

---

Somehow, despite involving suicide, the novel isn't hopelessly depressing nor unpleasant. Nora's shitty day and state of mind is darkly comedic in a way, with Haig deftly walking the reader across an unusual emotional tightrope.

Each of Nora's alternate lives (Olympic champ! Rock star! Arctic researcher!) fill some hole her real life missed. But they also give her perspective to help her more fully understand her small/shitty/insignificant/failure life in pretty touching and profound and insightful ways.

---

Haig doesn't try too hard, doesn't really go for overly melodramatic schmaltz. Just strikes a lovely, reflective, and generally fun tone throughout. Despite the cosmic / quantum mechanics conceit, he has modest ambitions here (in a good way) and easily succeeds.

It's a book that demands reflection on one's own life. But isn't heavy-handed about it. And almost seems designed to NOT throw you into your own life re-evaluation crisis.

Haig could have punched way harder. But he chose instead to aim for palatable and enjoyable.

I think it was the right call, but totally fair if someone feels it was a missed opportunity to really examine the fuck out of life.

It's interesting. It's well done. It's an easy 6-7hr read. Definitely recommended.

Oof, only at about the halfway point through the 6mo rehab after shoulder surgery. PTs are very happy with my progress, but it's such a grind to push through an hour of this twice a day. Every day. No exceptions.

The repair has healed at this point but the exercises to regain the range of motion HURT.

So sad but these 5lb dumbbells are absolutely kicking my ass. 😢

Some days the effort just saps my resilience / willpower / energy. Need to cook a meal? Nah, mebbe not. Laundry? Pfft. Any annoying parts of my TO-DO list just ain't gonna get done.

I'm prioritizing the recovery. Can't skimp there. Just surprised how little there is left over some days.

Successful shoulder surgery yesterday!

Surgeon wasn't sure what he'd find. Thankfully there was more repairing to do than he had expected. I didn't want to wake up and have him say, "eh, didn't see much, not sure how much it'll help."

So, cool, got a bunch fixed.

Means the recovery will be longer. 6wks in the sling. No driving (👀). 6mo rehab. But it'll be worth it if I can hang from a bar again, tumble again, umm... wash my back again...

And so far no terrible pain, but the nerve block is still wearing off so the pain is steadily increasing.

Probably going to avoid writing any new

PRs until I'm off the narcotics!

Can't say that

is being extra caring, but she's always a good snuggler so we're getting in good pass-out-from-morphine nap time.

Best crappy handstand I could do the day before my shoulder surgery. Was a good reinforcement for me for why the surgery was necessary; the limitations I've had the last 12-18mo are NOT acceptable!

(can't do a good handstand if you can't fully open your shoulder angle. Can't adjust the handstand if you can't exert much force through the front of your delts)

I've always been annoyed by Debian's version naming. My first encounters with it were in the "Stretch" and "Buster" eras. Which was the more recent one and which was being phased out?

When you search for compatible binaries, libraries, etc, you have to specifically search by name: We're currently in a "Bookworm" vs "Bullseye" era. Which do I need? And the repetition of the "B" names makes it even harder to remember which is which.

(note to self: Bookworm... except in the older setups that need Bullseye... 😭)

But I never thought to ask what the naming convention was.

Fuck, I kind of love that.

But as cute as it may be, VERSION NUMBERS WILL ALWAYS BE MORE USER-FRIENDLY!!!

I haven't gotten too deep into AI yet, but is this logo an actual wink to Vonnegut or do the folks there just not read? 🤣

REVERSE SEAR YOUR SALMON!!

The ultimate crispy + buttery smooth combo!

My first time trying it (I usually just saute small single-serving thin filets in a cast iron pan). Amazing results! It's better overall AND easier to cook thicker filets and larger portions.

Pre-salt it on both sides. Light coat of high-temp oil (I use avocado).

Oven at a low 325°F. Cook until internal temp hits 135°F. This 1lb cut was about 1.5" thick so it took about 25min. Low and slow keeps it moist.

You could let it proceed to 145°F and eat it as-is, but low-temp baked salmon just looks horrible. Do the next step!

Prep a blazing hot cast iron pan w/more oil or butter. Just like a steak, sear the shit out of all sides with high heat. Should only take ~30s per side, plus the edges.

Perfectly juicy on the inside (and, yes, I left the temp probe in and confirmed that the center reached 145°F during the sear). The sear gives it a flavor kick and looks SO MUCH better than baked salmon's gross pastiness.

I then used the leftover oil and the hot cast iron pan to saute broccoli, mixed in some spinach and miso paste at the end.

FOURTH book of the year finished last week!

HAMNET is a fictional portrayal of Shakespeare's real son who died of the plague. O'Farrell says she couldn't understand how Shakespeare could write "Hamlet" just 4yrs after his Hamnet's death. So she had to explore it.

This opening note explains wtf is up with the weird HamNet vs HamLet thing happening here, which I found maddening upon first hearing about this book:

O'Farrell is a beautiful writer. It's somewhat stream-of-consciousness; a character enters a room and notes each moment that hits their senses: this quality of the light, a faint aroma, etc. O'Farrell is a lovely observer of the world and imbues her main character, Shakespeare's wife, Agnes, with a deep connection to nature.

It took me about 50 pages to get settled in and accustomed to O'Farrell's style. Well worth it. "Lovely" really is the key word here.

(pretty baller way to open the novel!)

And this really is Agnes' story. The Shakespeare-y-ness of it all is deliberately shrouded; the name Shakespeare is never mentioned and her husband's first name is actually never uttered, either.

Agnes has a kind of magic about her via her deep intuitions. It's lovely and in a horrible way makes the death of her son even more painful. I absolutely can NOT recommend this for anyone who has young children; it's just too steeped in the mother's grief and despair.

(The book has been adapted into a film that is now winning all the awards)

One critique: the portrayal of Shakespeare as a ne'er-do-well lost dreamer just isn't credible. There's no way he could discover theater in early adulthood and within 4 years write "Hamlet". The works of Shakespeare reflect a life dedicated deeply to the craft from an early age. Simply wandering into his calling later in life is absurd.

At a showing of "Hamlet" he even wonders to himself if his writing is any good. Abso-fucking-lutely absurd to have that kind of doubt when that play is the pinnacle of his skills.

Another: When O'Farrell finally pays off the concept -- how does Hamnet relate to "Hamlet"? -- it's quite disappointing. Cathartic for Agnes but just a too-thin attempt to join the ideas together for anyone who's studied the play. "Hamlet" just isn't how you'd honor your dead 11yr old son.

O'Farrell seems to get unmoored as Agnes is lost in despair. Her narrative stops making much progress and then the final payoff is meh.

But overall, O'Farrell is such a strong writer and Agnes being such a unique, in-tune creature in the world make HAMNET still well worth the read.

---

*(My UCLA Shakespeare prof favored the theory that the Earl of Oxford, Edward de Vere, was really the author of Shakespeare's plays. De Vere had the privilege and deep + broad education that was exceptionally rare at the time that would seem to be a prerequisite for being able to produce those plays. Always made more sense to me)

Got some AMAZING news yesterday:

's giant golfball-sized brain tumor has "almost completely resolved"!

There is residual meningioma around the outside of her brain, but her doc says she has "an estimated 90% reduction in overall tumor burden"!

Her pet insurance covered the very expensive radiation therapy to zap the tumor last April. Now 10 months later her doc is thrilled to say that this is probably the best outcome he's ever seen.

She has residual brain damage and will need to stay on her anti-seizure meds. And there's no way to predict if or when the tumor might come charging back.

But for now there's a real chance that she'll live well past her upcoming 8th birthday.

She's my first doggie and, as a single guy, my only constant companion. The moment I sit on the couch, she hops up to snuggle. Every time. No creature (dog, human, or otherwise) has ever wanted to spend so much time with me, so consistently. 🤣

So glad to get this bonus time with her!

After reading three sci-fi books in a row, it's time to change things up.

Here's my current queue:

Yes, I'm a typical programmer nerd sci-fi geek. But I also studied Literature at UCLA and loved my two Shakespeare classes. The buzz on "Hamnet" is insane and it's a shorter read. And I'd rather read the book first before seeing the film.

Excited to keep working my way through The Expanse series, but a 9-book series is a heavy load. I'll keep them spaced out a bit so I don't go stale.

---

Aside: I haven't read all of Shakespeare's works, but I think Hamlet is the best written while The Tempest is probably my favorite (it's pretty intense to read it as Shakespeare speaking almost directly for himself via Prospero).

Finished reading my THIRD book this year!

Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse book 1)

Gorgeous 10th anniversary edition!

Loved the TV show but only now getting around to reading the books.

The authors are very good writers. Reading this right after Andy Weir and John Scalzi is a night-and-day difference. Abraham and Franck (aka "James S. A. Corey") are adults who write like they've thoroughly experienced the real world.

The tight pacing caters to short attention spans (they imposed their own target of ~3k words per chapter) but isn't insultingly dumbed down like a Dan Brown novel (he intentionally writes for a ~6th grade reading level).

The chapter structure alternates between the two main characters' POV, giving us a very rich look inside their very different minds.

These are writers who understand people in a deep way that a lot of (most?) sci-fi nerd authors totally lack. Their characters have depth, grit, imperfections, hard-earned wisdom. Dialog and especially their inner thoughts are spot-on. They're not trying to create characters, they're just letting these "real" people speak and act for themselves.

That being said, since I saw the TV show first, I can't say how disorienting or not it might be for completely noob eyes to take in and keep track of the wide variety of characters. I complained that with "Redshirts", an ensemble cast doesn't work in a novel. You'll have to tell me if this succeeds where "Redshirts" failed.

The sci-fi elements are of course fascinating and so richly detailed and well thought out; everything in this first book is foundational to why the TV series was so successful (btw: this book is roughly the first 1.5 seasons).

I did not expect to be this impressed. Read it.

Reflection now that I'm actually reading books again:

But first some eye-candy: Third book of the year in progress!

(and what a beauty she is!)

My years-long reading dry spell seems to have been at least partially because the books I was trying to read were just too hard and/or not engaging enough.

I can listen to endless hours of bitcoin podcasts, but it turns out that reading bitcoin books and nonfiction just puts me to sleep.

I also had a snobby resistance to popcorn fare (light entertainment that isn't trying to be Jane Austen).

But now here I am devouring fun sci-fi page-turners.

I also forgot that a book can be as short as a 6-10hr read; it doesn't have to be a weeks-long / months-long slog.

So reading a book can be roughly on par time-wise with watching a TV season. But is more mentally active and, added bonus: less associated with snacking. 😂

My worries about having a pinch of permanent cognitive decline are lessening.

So it's been awesome to rediscover reading. Can recommend.

---

And notably / sadly / redemptively(?), this is coming from a guy who had gone back to school to do UCLA's entire undergrad Lit program. And holds a Master of Education to teach high school English. And taught for two years. 🤷‍♂️

Finished a SECOND book this year!

Fun, quick read. Basically a must-read for any Star Trek nerd. It's a riff on some of the more absurd elements of Trek, but it's not trashing on Trek and has its own story to tell .

It's consistently interesting and entertaining, but I think it's a bit oversold as a comedy. Writing comedy is hard and I think maybe most sci-fi nerd authors are just kinda mid when it comes to their sense of humor.

I'm also not convinced that Scalzi is a great writer. He's certainly crafted a fun concept, but the word-by-word execution is just... fine... but not exceptional. He has about two main characters too many and never manages the load of all their weight; pretty much right up to the end I was still struggling to remember who was who. Ensembles work way better on TV.

However, the final coda is lovely and lovingly written. It actually is pretty exceptional (reminded me of Ann Patchett which is an absurd, unexpected compliment to Scalzi).

Overall well worth the short time commitment. It's not a masterpiece, but that's okay.

TIL not to touch the exposed contacts of a 24V led strip!

Feels like when you get a strong static electricity shock. Not horrible, but just never encountered that with 12V strips.

I pretty much only learn from experience/mistakes. 🤣 🤷‍♂️

It's both awesome and completely ridiculous that Chicago Bears fans have to actually think about how they're going to survive the conditions at the game.

That being said, if they win, the cold will be a huge part of it.

So, good for the Bears, people shouldn't have to live this way! 🤣

is enjoying the peace after all the screaming tonight.

Fun fact: her name means "bear" in Japanese. But she hates football!

Violent movies, big explosions, she's right there next to me on the couch. But when football is on, she's outta there! 😂

I actually read an entire book! First time in YEARS!

Pretty sad, considering that once upon a time I completed UCLA's entire undergrad Literature curriculum. Or way back in high school in AP English Lit we tore through a novel a week! 👀🤯

The last book I finished might've been The Bitcoin Standard or Popper's "Digital Gold". Focusing on nonfiction and narrowing to mostly just bitcoin books is likely a huge part of my nonexistent reading pace.

Aside from being fiction, I wonder if "Hail Mary" being told in the first person also helped combat my bad attention span. Third person: you're being told what's happening. First person, you're inside someone's thoughts and part of your brain receives it as if it was happening to you ("Ouch, that hurt!" vs "he burned his finger").

---

Quick review:

"Hail Mary" is pretty engaging (good job starting in medias res) with chapter length tailored to short attention spans (🙋‍♂️). Never gets to "omg I can't put this down" intensity but obv kept me hooked enough to enjoy coming back to it each day.

As is usual with Andy Weir, real-world science is baked into the story's bones. Though as it gets more speculative, it can seem a bit disappointingly simplistic. Something like the movie "Arrival" spends all of its focus on solving ONE really complex problem, but Weir's protagonist too easily overcomes what should be a number of near-impossible barriers.

I forgot that Weir is just never as funny as he thinks he is, or perhaps more favorably: his characters have a pretty lame, predictable 4-out-of-10 sense of humor. His protagonists also never talk or think like a normal person and the "it's 'cause I'm a super science nerd" excuse can only take him so far.

But the story is well told, pretty cool and interesting from a sci-fi perspective, moves fast, and never gets boring. The protagonist isn't as annoying as I'm making him sound and he gets a lot more accessible (and even funny!) after his disorienting beginning.

Critiquer gotta critique, but I really enjoyed it.

Recommended for sci-fi nerds who can ease up a bit and take in a nerdy-but-not-super-nerdy story.

Plane landed safely in Panama City, but seeing this while boarding did give me a few doubts.

Wha...?

(no, I don't actually want to know)

Chilling in a cafe in São Paulo* and just as I'm about to leave, the opening riff to Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out" starts playing.

Had to stay the extra ~4 minutes. Of course. So f'n catchy.

---

*(yes, that's Japanese text; huge Japanese community here)

BREAKING: There are banana vending machines in São Paulo! 👀🤯

Find yourself a girl who looks at you like

looks at bread.

https://i.nostr.build/x2JI3vbeiPbL8JrG.jpg https://i.nostr.build/syo4Ao4CSWdA6n8q.jpg

Laundry day for

is always kind of hilarious.

When she's at home she always has a toy in her mouth. So pretty quickly they all reek of dog saliva. 🤢

---

Bonus: Kuma with her croissant overlooking Nashville last week!

Really f'n fun to watch a Chicago Bears game at a hardcore Bears bar in Nashville!

Crowd thinned out a bit as, unusually for the Bears, the game was well in hand by the time the 3rd quarter ended. https://v.nostr.build/3qAn0oC2xoeGwtfp.mp4 https://v.nostr.build/proxy2JxDCnZxaZY.mp4 https://v.nostr.build/In6OUZhjSVQW3ude.mp4

Gorgeous hiking at the Narrows of the Harpeth river trails with

, just outside of Nashville.

https://i.nostr.build/F7xVYK0LAgwg9SVx.jpg https://i.nostr.build/WeX3oNjtLIw8tPCd.jpg https://i.nostr.build/h07Te59qAWMXFern.jpg https://i.nostr.build/ISIuKWGQE9GddUNi.jpg

being weird.