New Bloggy Update! 7/9/25

Keep Calm and Carry On.

Isn’t that the saying? Very accurate for this year for so many reasons. BUT, sticking with the blog’s intention…I’m excited to say that the book signing for my newest creation, In a Corner, Darkly: Volume #3 is just around the corner. Saturday, July 19th from 10 to Noon, I’ll be at Bobzbay Bookstore in Bloomington, Illinois. If you are local, swing on by! It should be a very groovy happening!

The next official event doesn’t happen until Saturday, August 9th (Painted Wraith Festival) here in Bloomington as well. I’ll have a chance to try out the new tent I had to buy (the last one died a violent death at the past event in Grayslake – wind is not my friend). So, again, if you are local, you know what to do! 🙂

Our trip to Norway/Denmark is happening! Very excited and still planning and setting things up. Cannot wait to see goats on fjords and eat amazing food. More as it gets closer!

As to what we’ve been watching? A few things:

The Surfer (2024) – A man revisits his childhood beach to surf with his son. Humiliated by locals, he becomes entangled in an escalating conflict that pushes him to his limits. (Google) Nick Cage doing a modified “Nick Cage”, I found this movie both intriguing and bothersome. It’s difficult to tell who exactly is the “trustworthy” narrator in this, while at the same time, most of the characters are REALLY horrible people. So – a quandary, to be sure. If you’re looking for something weird and off-putting yet keeps you pulled in, try this. I ended up with a 5.2 and Charlie gave it an 8.7.

Poop Cruise (2025) – Trainwreck: Poop Cruise” is a Netflix documentary that recounts the 2013 Carnival Triumph disaster, where a fire left the ship without power, including toilets, resulting in unsanitary conditions and chaos for thousands of passengers. The documentary, released recently, features interviews with passengers and crew members who experienced the ordeal firsthand. (Google) I have to say, when I first walked into the house and saw this on the screen (as Charlie had just started watching it), I was like “No.” But, after gathering my bravery, I was in. (lol) I have to say, it wasn’t what I expected. This isn’t some “Big Brother/Survivor” show. It’s a documentary on a tragic and horrific disaster that really happened. If you have any interest in how a “good time can go wrong” all because of cutting costs and bad business practices, this should be up your alley. I gave it a 7 and Charlie gave it a 7.6.

Rez Ball (2024) – The Chuska Warriors, a Native American high school basketball team from New Mexico, must band together after losing their star player if they want to keep their quest for a state championship alive. (Google) I don’t know much about indigenous cultures, so I thought this might be a good opportunity to learn. I enjoyed it and thought it was solid. It’s reminiscent of “Hoosiers”, so if you’ve seen that and liked it, give this a shot. I gave it a 7.3 and Charlie came in at 6.4.

Bupkis (2023) – Season 1 (almost) –Bupkis is an American comedy drama television series created by and starring Pete Davidson (Google). Ooooookay. The word itself stems from the Yiddish language. It basically means “nothing” or as one site puts it, “having as much as goat turds”. So…we tried it. Full transparency – I’m not a big fan of Pete Davidson. Nothing personal. He’s just not my kind of comedian. I didn’t know where this was going to go as I thought he was just a cast member in this series and not the MAIN FEATURE. My mistake. While some may find this hilarious (it’s been compared to Larry David’s ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm”), I was not the right audience. We made it through 5 episodes before tapping out. It has a few moments that are humorous and a LOT of cameos, but overall? Not for me. We haven’t officially rated it yet, but I’d give it a 3.0 at best.

Squid Game (Season 3) – Hundreds of cash-strapped contestants accept an invitation to compete in children’s games for a tempting prize, but the stakes are deadly. (Google) What started out as an intense, incredible look into what can only be summarized as a wild trip into Japan’s gaming culture ended up petering out and leaving both of us scratching our collective heads. No spoilers here, but I found this season to be lacking in a variety of areas. There IS a set-up for a potential season 4, but I have no idea if they’ll go down that road. If so, I might not join them. I gave this season a 4.8, but Charlie found more to like and gave it a 7.5.

Okay – that’s all I’ve got. Stay cool. And be nice to animals. 🙂