News of note…

British Medical Journal demands the immediate release of all data related to COVID-19 vaccines and treatments.

What compelling reason could one make for NOT releasing this data?  It’s like Pfizer dragging their feet on releasing data related to their trials.  I mean, if you want to convince people to take the vaccine, shouldn’t you be as transparent as possible.  This only serves to feed the conspiracies they’re trying to quash.

Moral hypocrisy could be Boris Johnson’s undoing

Okay, now let’s move on to the rest of the hypocrites in office.

CBD may hamper covid infections.

If that’s the case, I know at least one good friend who has to be immune.  I already told him I’m coming for his blood.

Lab monkeys on the loose after crash

So do NOT pick up any suspicious hitchhikers.

Iin Japan, they take their rock, paper, scissors very seriously…

Apparently, the tournament participants are all members of the J-Pop group AKB48, so named because they have 48 members (but, apparently, hundreds of members in their minor league-like training groups).  The winner of this tourney gets to front their own sub-unit.  Each member has their own fan contingent that fervently supports them.  What I find particularly interesting about in this clip is the icon breakdown of past rock, paper, scissors the girls have played in previous rounds.  If something keeps working for you, why change?

Today’s Yes/No…

Suntory Whiskey Chocolates? Yes/No
Suntory whiskey chocolates now exist in Japan thanks to aroma chocolatier https://t.co/bAdMfu9DLf via @RocketNews24En

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 22, 2022

I actually had these the last time I was in Japan.  They were fantastic.

The post January 22, 2022: News of Note! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

Tonight, Akemi and I took out from one of our favorite Toronto restaurants – Edulis.

Everything came individually packaged with simple prep and reheating instructions…

Canapé Toast of Tuna “Sobrassada”

Dungeness Crab with Cucumber, Radish, and Herbs

White Bouillabaisse with Rouille and Croutons.  This one was the smash hit of the evening.

Escarole Salad with Fennel, Celery, and Walnuts

“Stroganoff” of Wild Chanterelle, Black Trumpet, and Yellowfoot Mushrooms with Celeriac “Noodles”

Black truffle “bikini”.  Now this one was my favorite.

Came with its own little story!

Duck Leg Stewed with Castelvetrano Olives and Semolina Polenta.  Akemi tapped out before we got here, electing to save her duck for tomorrow.  This was Suji’s favorite course.

Apple Cake with Salted Caramel Crème Anglaise.  I topped it with a scoop of whiskey salted caramel ice cream from Pandoughra’s Box.  A perfect pairing.

A fantastic meal.

Tomorrow, it’s back to steelcut oatmeal and blueberries!

The post January 21, 2022: Special dinner! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

News of note….

Payback for Space Jam?
Film Studio to Be into Launched in Space in 2024 https://t.co/vutOahWTLL via @thr

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 20, 2022

Really looking forward to not seeing this!

Hollywood planning movie about the January 6th insurrection.

In a totally legit poll, the Chinese ranked Canada as the worst country in the world…

Singapore jumps to China’s favorite country in 2021, as Canada falls to bottom.

Topping the list to no one’s surprise: China.

Daily glass of wine NOT good for you.

My grandmother who loved to the ripe old age of 112 would have probably begged to differ.

I have literally never eaten an M&M because always I found their characters outdated and offensive. Can’t wait to finally try one https://t.co/LrjbmqKV2V

— Tommy Smokes (@TomScibelli) January 20, 2022

I've always had a lot of questions about what the M&M mascots actually are and where they came from. A specific for today is whether the new empowered green M&M, like the rest of Mars' M&Ms, will be made from chocolate farmed by children in West Africa. https://t.co/idpTuBEfnc pic.twitter.com/EVh67HYKHF

— Osita Nwanevu (@OsitaNwanevu) January 20, 2022

Neuralink could soon implant its brain chips in humans.

But think of the conveniences!

What’s the record for most pizza meals in a row?  Asking for a friend.

Today’s Yes/No…

Triple Nama-Chocolate Frappuccino? Yes/No
Starbucks Japan’s newest Frappuccino is the only date we need this Valentine’s Day https://t.co/xV404oAJE0 via @RocketNews24En

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 20, 2022

I’m a huge fan of nama chocolate, a ganache that is at least 40% chocolate and 10% cream by weight, and no more than 10% water.  And THIS is my favorite nama chocolate…

It comes in various flavors (but I prefer the matcha) and can be picked up at the Narita Airport duty free before you get on your flight.  Akemi’s favorite Japanese YouTuber advises visitors not to worry about shopping for gifts as their trip winds down.  Just grab a bunch of Royce’s at the airport and you’re good to go!

The post January 20, 2022: News of Note! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

A few that caught my eye this week…

Ben Reilly: Spider-Man #1 – cover art by Alex Maleev

Hulk #3 – cover art by David Nakayama

Moon Knight #7 – cover art by Rahzzah

Phoenix Song: Echo #4 – cover art by Ashley Witter

Silver Surfer: Rebirth #1 – cover art by Dan Jurgens

Strange Academy #15 – cover art by Humberto Ramos

Detective Comics #1049 – cover art by Dan Mora

Detective Comics #1049 – cover art by Lee Bermejo

Nightwing #88 – cover art by Jamal Campbell

Suicide Squad: King Shark #5 – cover art by Siya Oum

The Rush #3 – cover art by Martin Simmonds

Pop Star Assassin #4 – cover art by Marcelo Basile

So, which were YOUR favorites?

The post January 19, 2022: Amazing Covers! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

Some news of note…

4th dose not good enough against omicrons Israeli study finds.

“The bottom line is that the vaccine is excellent against the Alpha and Delta [variants], for Omicron it’s not good enough,” she said.

More importantly, what exactly does this mean for the third dose (booster)?  If, as pfizer’s resident veterinary expert made clear, the first two shots offer little to any protection – and this Israeli study suggest the fourth dose doesn’t either, then what are the benefits of boosting?  Presumably everyone who gets boosted now will have to get boosted again when they come out with the new omicron-specific vaccine?

Meanwhile…

But omicron is the overwhelmingly dominant strain… pic.twitter.com/34Gmq5IEu8

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 14, 2022

Are they stupid?  Or do they think WE’RE stupid?  Hard to say…

Distrust in political, media and business leaders sweeps the globe 

“A majority of people globally believe journalists (67%), government leaders (66%) and business executives (63%) are “purposely trying to mislead people by saying things they know are false or gross exaggerations.”

The problem is…they’re not fucking good at it.

Motherfucker, YOU make the rules! They're YOUR rules!
Boris Johnson says 'nobody told me' Number 10 lockdown garden party was against the rules https://t.co/hgfWNOFngx

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 18, 2022

China claims omicron arrived in China via a letter from Toronto.

“After Beijing reported its first confirmed case of Omicron, officials in the city were quick to say that the patient had just received a letter from Toronto which may have been contaminated with the virus.”

Of course it had to be the letter.  How else could a highly contagious airborne virus have gotten into the country?

As the price of pork rises, people are turning to crocodile meat.

Not MY first go-to alternative, but apparently leaner than chicken.

Which brings us to today’s Yes/No…

Strawberry Pretzel Pie Ice Cream? Yes/Nohttps://t.co/5EmJyCb4SZ

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 18, 2022

The post January 18, 2022: News of Note! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

Continuing my torrid reading pace…

The Maid by Nita Prose

Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by.

Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life’s complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.

But Molly’s orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what’s happening, Molly’s unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it’s too late?

My thoughts: Our protagonist, Molly Gray, is a high-functioning autistic young woman who works as a maid at the prestigious Regency Grand Hotel. And yet despite this fairly obvious fact, no one around her ever mentions it, even as a possibility. Instead, she is dismissed as weird or embraced as unique by her co-workers as she she goes about her routine cleanings, until the day she discovers a corpse in one of the suites. And that is when Molly’s highly-structured life falls apart. In some ways, this book reminded me of one of my favorites, Graeme Simsion’s The Rosie Project, minus the mystery angle – and, to honest, the mystery angle was the least successful part of this book. Molly is an incredibly endearing character and the elements of the story related to her various relationships are strong, especially her relationship with her grandmother which prove inspiring, touching, and, surprisingly, tragic. There’s nuance and depth here that is missing in the various supporting players as well as the central mystery. The bad guys seem incredibly (Dare I say conveniently) naive in their actions while the equally naive Molly, who falls under suspicion of murder, gets (Dare I say it again – conveniently) bailed out by her concerned friends, ensuring that it all works out for her in the end. There’s a lot of heart and humor here. I just wish it was married to a more clever plot.

3/5

***

Mazebook by Jeff Lemire and Steve Wands

A lonely building inspector still grieving the loss of his puzzle-loving daughter receives a mysterious phone call one night from a girl claiming it’s her and that she’s trapped in the middle of a labyrinth. Convinced that this child is contacting him from beyond this world, he uses an unfinished maze from one of her journals and a map of the city to trace an intricate path through a different plane of reality on an intense and melancholy adventure to bring his daughter back home. The only way out is in . . .

My thoughts: A heartbreaking tale about mourning, loneliness, and moving on that, when all is said and done, proves incredibly touching and uplifting.  Lemire conveys a sense of heartache and desperation through a muted color palette and sparsity of words.  At five issues, it’s a fairly quick but incredibly rewarding read.

5/5

***

Anthem by Noah Hawley

Something is happening to teenagers across America, spreading through memes only they can parse.  

At the Float Anxiety Abatement Center, in a suburb of Chicago, Simon Oliver is trying to recover from his sister’s tragic passing. He breaks out to join a woman named Louise and a man called The Prophet on a quest as urgent as it is enigmatic. Who lies at the end of the road? A man known as The Wizard, whose past encounter with Louise sparked her own collapse. Their quest becomes a rescue mission when they join up with a man whose sister is being held captive by the Wizard, impregnated and imprisoned in a tower.  

My thoughts: osh Hawley is a great writer. His books are high-concept, compelling reads with wonderful character work throughout. And Anthem is, in many ways, Hawley at his best. There’s an engaging central mystery (with the mass teen suicides), some unique and nuanced players in our band of unmerry youthful protagonists, a well-plotted adventure that builds to a tremendous climax pitting the agents of change against forces of the old order, and lots of social commentary. In fact, the latter is clear and present throughout this novel. There’s no subtlety here. The lessons are stark – about our shortcomings as a society, our failures of those in need, especially the younger generation. Hawley examines the fringes, the most extreme of right-wing elements, casting them as the evil villains who have exploited our world, led it to ruin, and now exploit its tragic demise. It feels more of a damning indictment than a thoughtful exploration. The bad guys are the stupid good old boys as. sure, they are in the real world, and you root as they get shot up, and as the child-molesting Epstein-clone has his compound raided at book’s end, but it all feels rather heavy-handed in its thematic explorations.

3/5

***

Night on the Galactic Railroad

What is true happiness? For Giovanni, the answer is as far away as the stars. Mired in hardship, the young kitten faces problems that should be unknown to someone his age. At school, his classmates mock and ridicule him, and after the bell rings, Giovanni toils at a job to earn enough money for bread. Then at home, instead of being taken care of by his mother, he must take care of her. The sole bright spot is that of the Festival of Stars, where he hopes to run into Campanella, his only friend. When they finally meet up, however, it isn’t while looking up at the stars, but rather traveling amongst them… as the Galactic Railroad whisks the two away for parts unknown!

My thoughts: This classic 1985 animated film has influenced the works of anime’s greatest creators, like Leiji Matsumoto and Hayao Miyazaki, who have tackled many of the same themes, and used some of the same visuals as inspiration in their works.  The movie is surprisingly eerie and, dare I say it, churchy, in its moody atmosphere and stark symbolism.  It’s fascinating, poignant, and super fucking weird.  So weird, in fact, that at one point I turned to Akemi to ask her what was going on to which she replied: “Back when the original book was published, marijuana and cocaine were legal.”

3/5

***

Dark Stars: New Tales of Darkest Horror edited by John F.D. Taff

Created in the tradition of the 1980 horror classic anthology Dark Forces edited by Kirby McCauley, this collection features all original novelettes showcasing the top talent in the horror field today, with a committed line-up of stories from both established names and up-and-coming voices. Dark Stars is not themed, allowing each author to write their very best horror story, unhampered by the need to conform to any unifying tropes.

My thoughts: Dark Stars: New Tales of Darkest Horror is a tribute to the classic Dark Forces anthology edited by Kirby McCauley, released back in 1980 and showcasing such talents as Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, and Robert Bloch (among notable others). This collection does its predecessor proud, delivering a diverse mix of dark tales from some truly great writers, ranging from subtle psychological terror to grim, visceral horror. Overall, a stand-out selection of stories but, as in all anthologies, your mileage may vary. My favorites included The Attentionist by Caroline Kepnes, a deeply unsettling tale about the illusory narrative a young woman crafts under pressure from a relentless stalker, Ramsay Campell’s A Life in Nightmares, a hallucinatory journey through our protagonist’s fractured memories and nightmarish present, Josh Malerman’s Mrs. Addison’s Nest that sees four friends confront the demonic teacher who made their high school years a living hell, and Usman T. Malik’s Challawa with its echoes of Dan Simmons’ Song of Kali and The Wicker Man. If you enjoy curling up to some good horror fiction, this is the book for you.

4/5

***

Thor: God of Hammers by Donny Cates, Nick Klein, Matt Wilson, Joe Sabino.

Mjolnir has gone missing! And nobody, not even the powerful eyes of Lady Sif, is able to locate it. So Thor must turn to the last person he wants help from…Odin. For until the hammer is found, nobody in the realms is safe!

My thoughts: Two issues in and I’m enjoying the epic story-telling despite having been out of the comics loop for years.  That said, I’m not sure how to interpret the big reveal that concludes the second issue.  Hopefully, it will all come together for this Marvel outsider in issue #3.  So far, so good.

3/5

***

The Fourth Man by Jeff MCComsey, Mike Deodato Jr., Lee Loughride, Steve Wands, Ive Svorcina

Three dead bodies lay in a rural morgue – all murdered in the span of three weeks. It’s up to two detectives from opposite sides of the tracks to determine who put them there, if the murders are linked and what, if anything, they have to do with a pair of dueling car dealerships.

My thoughts: One issue in, and I’m hooked.  A terrific suburban noir with an undercurrent of dark humor.

4/5

***

Not All Robots by Mark Russell, Mike Deodato Jr., Lee Loughride, Steve Wands

In the year 2056, robots have replaced human beings in the workforce. An uneasy co-existence develops between the newly intelligent robots and the ten billion humans living on Earth. Every human family is assigned a robot upon whom they are completely reliant. What could possibly go wrong? Meet the Walters, a human family whose robot, Razorball, ominously spends his free time in the garage working on machines which they’re pretty sure are designed to kill them.

My thoughts: Speaking of darkly humorous – this brilliant sci-fi book delivers a sharply satirical tale about our reliance on technology, its insidious infiltration of our daily lives, and the potential dangers it presents…that we conveniently choose to ignore.  Highly recommended.

5/5

***

A Taxi Driver

In 1980, a foreign journalist hires a down-on-his-luck taxi driver to take him to Gwangju, South Korea. They soon arrive to find a city under siege by student protesters and the military.

My thoughts: Song Kang-ho (Joint Security Area, Memories of Murder, Parasite) is fantastic as a single father who unwittingly becomes involved in the Gwangju Uprising of 1980.   2000 people, many of them young student protestors, were killed and discussion of the events surrounding the massacre were suppressed decades.  Despite the challenges this movie faced during its production and the lead-up to its release (Song Kang-ho was purportedly blacklisted by the government), it became the second-highest grossing movie of 2017 and since cemented itself as one of the country’s greatest films.   Powerful.

5/5

The post January 17, 2022: Reading, Watching… appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

Keeping those ears warm while battling the elements.

Snug as a pug in a rug – or, in this case, the dinosaur hoodie Akemi gifted me.

Carpet run!  Whenever the weather turns unbearably cold, Suji’s second walk shifts to indoors.  She scrambles up and dow the hallway, finding easy purchase on the nice warm carpet.

Zonked.  Lately, she’s been wearing a sock on her  injured paw to keep her from licking it.

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A post shared by Hi. I'm Sujiすじ子 (@newoldpugsuji)

The post January 16, 2022: Suji Sunday! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

I finally started work on the as yet untitled feature.  And it’s long overdue.  It was around this time last year that I first planned to write it, beating out an outline, envisioning the individual scenes, and…nothing.  I ended up being distracted by…I don’t even remember what…and the script was set aside.  Until now.  Now, I’m going to push through, get through a few pages a day, lie in bed running the dialogue for my next scenes over and over until I get the rhythm down, and research the era in my uninspired downtime.  Ideally, I’d love to have a first draft done by spring but, as I’ve pointed out, I am easily distracted.

I am also easily chilled.  Today, we went out to pick up lunch and I was miserable in the cold.  Akemi suggested I didn’t wear enough layers but between my t-shirt, sweater, two uniqlo ultra-down jackets, and my Canada Goose coat, that’s five layers!  Throw in a hat, gloves, and boots, and I should be properly attired for a polar bear hunt.  I even wore a mask while walking outdoor, not because I feel I’m in danger of catching or spreading the virus while I’m in open air, but simply because it was warmer than not wearing one.  And yet, the second I step outside, my eyes start to tear and my tears subsequently freeze on my eyelashes.  Akemi, of course, is quick to point out my failings: “Your eyelashes are too long.” and “You need to wear johnlongs.”.  Maybe.  Or maybe I just shouldn’t be walking around outdoors in the dead of winter.

Tomorrow promises to be warmer which is good since I need to do a little more stocking up.  In the midst of this supply chain crisis, our clown Prime Minister has decided to ban all unvaccinated truck drivers from entering the country, thus assuredly exasperating the issue.

So, how are things in your neck of the woods?

A few little somethings from the Stargate vault…

The post January 15, 2022: Your eyelashes are too long! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

Yozo!

The weekend is finally upon us!  What are we all up to?  Besides, of course, preparing our taxes?  Here in Toronto, they’re calling for -12 celsius/10.4 fahrenheit, so I’ll be limiting my activities to the indoor variety – the 4 R’s: reading, riding, researching, and rhythmic gymnastics.

Recent culinary forays…

Same vibe.

Lantern squid cured in mirin and soy.  Lest you are leery, the label apparently makes assurances that the eyeballs have, in fact, been removed.

Crab gut fiorelli.  I have to admit, the crab guts work better with pasta than straight out of a  can on steamed rice.

Shio koji and sake-marinated black cod.

Suspect sweets compliments of our friends Jeff and Barb.  Which would you try first?

Speaking of trying: Today’s Yes/No…

Jameson Orange? Yes/Nohttps://t.co/Vo4WmqKLeQ

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 14, 2022

Don’t forget to use those biodegradable straws!

Yachts To Be Exempt From EU's Carbon Pricing Plan https://t.co/UXiJ2HBYMr

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) January 14, 2022

Good ole Snopes.  Standing up for the little guy (He’s 5 “8)…

But omicron is the overwhelmingly dominant strain… pic.twitter.com/34Gmq5IEu8

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 14, 2022

Finally…

What is one of your signature moves?
Me: Once everyone has finished singing Happy Birthday, I shout: "Speech! Speech!" much to the consternation of the birthday individual.

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 11, 2022

I've retired "Hi" and "Hello" in favor of "Yozo!" in most personal greetings.#SignatureMoves https://t.co/t4xzn17IJw

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 12, 2022

The post January 14, 2022: Raw squid, crab guts, and the Pfizer veterinarian! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

My thoughts on the news…

Fully vaccinated Australians in hospital with Covid-19 surpass unvaccinated.

At first blush an eyebrow-raiser, but I have questions.  It’s clear that, despite assurances when the vaccines first rolled out, they do NOT prevent you from either getting covid OR spreading covid.  They do, apparently, keep you from getting very sick.  The news that more vaccinated than unvaccinated people are ending up in hospital would seem to contradict this, but one could make the argument that more vaccinated people are in hospital because the vast majority of people have been vaccinated.  A more telling data point would be the number of vaccinated vs unvaccinated covid patients in ICU.

Repeat booster shots risk overloading immune systems.

This from the W.H.O. no less.  Surprisingly (or not) I don’t really see much discussion about this point.  Contradicting this take is none other than everyone’s favorite veterinarian, the CEO of pfizer who now seems suddenly very down on his vaccine’s efficacy in the face of the omicron variant and strongly urges everyone to get a third booster while they’re waiting for his company to perfect a new vaccine that will be ready in March – just in time for your fourth booster!  Would love to hear the medical experts chime in on this particular topic whenever they can take time out from their TikTok videos and their various petitions.

Cannabis compounds prevented covid infection in laboratory study.

As my friend Rob pointed out, lab studies are long way from human trials.  Still, I’m keeping an eye on a few friends who – if this news is true – will have probably acquired superhuman immunity by now.

FAA numbers confirm it – 2021 was terrible for bad behavior in the skies.

Nothing a lifetime ban from flying can’t fix.

And finally…

Politicians are not beholden to the same rules they bestow upon their perceived lessers.
U.K. PM Boris Johnson apologizes for attending lockdown party https://t.co/YKSxg3UsBo via @CTVNews

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 12, 2022

Today’s Yes/No…

Peanut Butter Whiskey? Yes/No https://t.co/Dz46veCKOk

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 13, 2022

The post January 13, 2022: Meanwhile, on the home front… appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

A few that caught my eye this week…

Devil’s Reign: Superior Four #1 – cover art by Ivan Shavrin

Hawkeye: Kate Bishop #3 – cover art by Jahnoy Lindsay

Undiscovered Country #18 – cover art by Jae Lee

Batman ’89 #6 – cover art by Julian Totino Tedesco

I Am Batman #5 – cover art by Francesco Mattina

Pennyworth #6 – cover art by Jorge Fornes

Robin & Batman #3 – cover art by Dustin Nguyen

The Joker #11 – cover art by Kael Ngu

Watch Dogs: Legion #3 – cover art by Alberto Massaggia

Daisy #2 – cover art by Colin Lorimer

Victoria Black – cover art by Carlos Villa

So, which were YOUR favorites?

The post January 12, 2022: Amazing Covers! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

Started reading a new book, had a zoom strategy session, discussed another project, sent off the polish of my last pilot, researched the new feature (specifically 1930’s road trips), did some stock research, completed a Korean lesson, completed a Japanese lesson, and blocked about 200 accounts on twitter.  A full yet satisfying day.

Here in Toronto, we’re locked down (yet again) until January 17th by which point Covid will no longer be a threat OR there won’t be anymore small businesses to frequent. I’ve heard that, on the heels of this latest shutdown announcement, a number of my favorite restaurants have just said “Screw it!” and closed their kitchens, opting out of even doing take-out.  Hopefully, they’ll still be in a position to open their doors once the dust settles on this latest salvo to their bottom line.

So what, in your opinion, is the ideal number of pillows?  Akemi, who doesn’t sleep with any (thus rendering her opinion on the matter invalid) feels that five is too many, this despite the fact that she gifted me two pillows for Christmas, one of which is the size of an elephant’s leg.  You need one pillow on which to rest your feet in order to keep your legs elevated (because it seems like the right thing to do), two flanking pillows, one pillow to clutch to your chest, one pillow to rest your head on, and one pillow to rest atop your head to obscure the intrusive light of your wife’s cell phone in the event she wakes up in the dead of night to watch.

This is why I avoid winter sports…

A geyser of freezing water doused skiers stuck on a chairlift in North Carolina the other day.

What would you do? Jump or enjoy the free hydrotherapy? I mean…we pay big money to go to Scandinave spa so… – @CharisHogg & @Jeremy_Baker

pic.twitter.com/HyDVAFMgMS

— 102.7 THE PEAK (@THEPEAK) January 11, 2022

Today’s Yes/No…

Jumbo Mac 'n Cheese Hot Dog with Fruit Loops and Bacon? Yes/No
Thanks (?) to @Thogar for the tip. https://t.co/DnRI72lFcF

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 11, 2022

The post January 11, 2022: How many pillows is too many? appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

As promised, I would be picking up my reading this year.  Here are brief reviews of some of the 2022 releases I’ve read so far in January…

The Insecure Mind of Sergei Kraev by Eric Silberstein

The year is 2100. The lack of trust that characterized the early Internet era is long behind us. Mathematical proof ensures neural implants can’t be hacked, and the Board of Reality Overseers blocks false information from spreading.

When undergraduate Sergei Kraev, who dreams of becoming a professor, is accepted into the Technion’s computer science graduate program, he throws himself into his research project: making it possible for neural implants to transmit information directly to the brain. If he succeeds, he’ll earn a full professorship.

But Sergei falls under the influence of Sunny Kim, the beautiful and charismatic leader of a K-pop dance cult. Sergei believes in Sunny’s good intentions and wants to protect her from critics, leading him to perform a feat of engineering that leaves billions of brains vulnerable to attack.

With the clock ticking towards catastrophe, can Sergei see the truth about Sunny and undo what he’s done?

REVIEW…

Okay, let’s get one thing straight right off the  bat.  There is no K-pop dance cult.  It’s dance cult based on Korea.  There is not even the remotest element of K-pop in this novel and, while most may not care, as someone who had my interest piqued for this very reason, it was a bait and switch.  The lack of this potentially kooky/fun (promised) story element aside, this book offers some fascinating world-building as it imagines a future where our lowly internet evolves into a cyberspace that links users via brain implants which offer convenience and comforts…but at what cost?  The set-up is great and fascinating aspects of the future tech off-sets the occasional info-dumps in much the same way most of the grounded, sympathetic characters that people this world outweigh the rather two-dimensional villain – Sunny, the dance-happy cult leader –  at the heart of the novel.  There are also instances where the author seems to be making a political statement about the dangers of misinformation and the need for state censorship which is ironic given that the antagonists of the story hail from the former North Korea.  Overall, a solid read whose futuristic ideas are stronger than its narrative whole.

3/5

***

Deep Dive by Ron Walters

Still reeling from the failure of his last project, videogame developer Peter Banuk is working hard to ensure his next game doesn’t meet the same fate. He desperately needs a win, not only to save his struggling company, but to justify the time he’s spent away from his wife and daughters.

So when Peter’s tech-genius partner offers him the chance to beta-test a new state-of-the-art virtual reality headset, he jumps at it. But something goes wrong during the trial, and Peter wakes to find himself trapped in an eerily familiar world where his children no longer exist.

As the lines between the real and virtual worlds begin to blur, Peter is forced to reckon with what truly matters to him. But can he escape his virtual prison before he loses his family forever?

REVIEW…

If you’re going to cover the same creative ground well-trodden by Blake Crouch in his exceptional novel Dark Matter, you better bring something new to the table, be it a fresh take on the same premise or, preferably, some sort of twist that subverts the reader’s expectations and turns the conceit on its ears. Unfortunately, Deep Dive does neither. Although the “device” that pompts Peter Banuk’s journey is different from a technological – frankly, more implausible – standpoint, it’s not enough to separate this book as a less interesting version of a very similar story. The set-up is interesting, the tale of a man who finds himself in an alternate reality, losing his daughters in the process, but there’s little emotional depth to our protagonist beyond his obvious despair over the loss of his girls. He’s a hard hero to care for, and “hero” is generous given that the major steps in solving his mysterious predicament come about mostly through the actions of outside forces. He is kidnapped, kidnapped again, and fed sporadic insights until a large chunk of the mystery is revealed when he suddenly, and fortuitously, recovers a chunk of missing memory in the nick of time. Overall, I feel like I’ve read it all before – but better.

2/5

***

Mickey7 by Edward Ashton

Mickey7 is an Expendable: a disposable employee on a human expedition sent to colonize the ice world Niflheim. Whenever there’s a mission that’s too dangerous—even suicidal—the crew turns to Mickey. After one iteration dies, a new body is regenerated with most of his memories intact. After six deaths, Mickey7 understands the terms of his deal…and why it was the only colonial position unfilled when he took it.

On a fairly routine scouting mission, Mickey7 goes missing and is presumed dead. By the time he returns to the colony base, surprisingly helped back by native life, Mickey7’s fate has been sealed. There’s a new clone, Mickey8, reporting for Expendable duties. The idea of duplicate Expendables is universally loathed, and if caught, they will likely be thrown into the recycler for protein.

Mickey7 must keep his double a secret from the rest of the colony. Meanwhile, life on Niflheim is getting worse. The atmosphere is unsuitable for humans, food is in short supply, and terraforming is going poorly. The native species are growing curious about their new neighbors, and that curiosity has Commander Marshall very afraid. Ultimately, the survival of both lifeforms will come down to Mickey7.

REVIEW…

Stanley Kubrick once said: “Everything has already been done. Every story has been told. Every scene has been shot. It’s out job to do it one better.” And I would argue not objectively better, but exceptional in its exploration of the familiar subject matter. The premise of Mickey7, for instance, draws immediate parallels to Duncan Jones’ Moon but the novel sets itself apart by proving exceptional in its story-telling. The heart of the novel is Mickey7, the seventh incarnation of an Expendable, a human who can be expected to sacrifice himself for the common good because, after all, he can just return as a clone with most of his memories intact – provided he remembered to back himself up. A beloved friend and fellow crew member to some, an unnatural freak to others, Mickey takes on dangerous missions with a certain acerbic resignation. There’s a humor to the character that makes him not only instantly likable but very grounded and very human, navigating life on the Niflheim ice world colony, a reluctant replaceable cog in an unforgiving machine. There’s some wonderful world-building here and plenty of cool sci-fi concepts and technologies, but it’s the dialogue that truly sets this book apart. It’s smart, sharply comedic at times, and does a great job of realizing the memorable players in Mickey7’s life. Still, I did have a few quibbles. The haphazard plan hatched by the two clones to keep their duplicate existence a secret feels a questionable and highly problematic game plan doomed to failure, while the mystery of the planet’s dangerous denizens (the subterranean-dwelling creepers) isn’t really developed so much as it is touched on now and again before being abruptly resolved, but there’s a terrific twist in the telling and our hero’s clever actions ultimately lead to a dramatically satisfying conclusion. One of the type of books you take note of the author’s name so you can track down their other titles. Recommended.

4/5

***

The Chosen Twelve by James Breakwell

There are 22 candidates. There are 12 seats.

The last interstellar colony ship is down to its final batch of humans after the robots in charge unhelpfully deleted the rest. But rebooting a species and training them for the arduous task of colonisation isn’t easy – especially when the planet below is filled with monsters, the humans are more interested in asking questions than learning, and the robots are all programmed to kill each other.

But the fate of humanity rests on creating a new civilization on the planet below, and there are twelve seats on the lander. Will manipulation or loyalty save the day?

REVIEW…

Alas, despite what the cover blurb may tell you, this book lacks the compelling life or death gamesmanship of The Hunger Games, the deliriously off-the-wall humor of The Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the thematic depths of Lord of the Flies, and the provocative philosophical underpinnings of Phliip K. Dick’s work. It’s more a fairly straightforward (very) soft sci-fi novel that reads like Y.A. even though the varied players are much older. And yet, despite their age and surface smarts, they’re all surprisingly simplistic in their approach to each other and the challenges they face. For the most part, there’s not much depth to these characters beyond Delta, our protagonist, and even she is ultimately upstaged by a robot named Spenser. The humor ranges from the silly to the absurd and it unfortunately undermines the drama once things finally get going (about halfway through the proceedings). The premise is great, but the execution is uninspired. A quick, unremarkable read.

2/5

***

The Liars Beneath by Heather Powell

After a tragic accident ends her best friend’s life, 17-year-old Becca Thompson succumbs to grief the only way she knows how: by wallowing in it. She’s a fragment of the person she once was-far too broken to enjoy the summer before her senior year. But when Ben McCain, her best friend’s older brother, returns home, Becca must face her new reality head on.

She isn’t interested in Ben’s games, especially since he abandoned his sister during the months leading up to her death. But when he begs for her help in uncovering the truth about what really happened the night of his sister’s death, Becca finds herself agreeing, hoping to clear up rumors swirling in the wake of her best friend’s accident.

An unhinged ex-boyfriend, secret bucket lists, and garage parties in the place Becca calls home soon lead her to the answers she’s so desperate to unveil. But nobody is being honest, not even Ben. And the closer Becca gets to the truth-and to Ben-the more danger seems to surround her.

Clearing her best friend’s name was all she wanted to do, but Becca is quickly realizing that the truth she craves might be uglier than the lies her best friend kept.

***

The post January 10, 2022: READING…(and reviews!) appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

Winter is coming.

Check that.  Winter is HERE!

Riding in style.  And warmth.

BIG SNEEZE!

The Snow Pug in its natural element…

The post January 9, 2022: Suji Sunday! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

Akemi is cheese-phobic.  So unreasonable is she in her aversion that she won’t allow me to put a plate in the dishwasher if it has come into contact with cheese.  Instead, I have to hand wash it – with plenty of soap and hot water.  And yet she finds ME downright weird for not enjoying natto, a fermented soybean possessed of a mucous-like viscosity.  At least we are united in our dislike of durian, cilantro, and rutabagas.

Today’s Yes/No…

Soft Serve Ice Cream-Topped Ramen? Yes/No
Yep, that’s a whole ice cream cone as a ramen topping, as this restaurant in Japan offers【Pics】 https://t.co/CsB1OcvzeL via @RocketNews24En

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 8, 2022

The tough part is finding a way to eat the ramen first and saving the ice cream for last.

Check out this treasure trove of concept art from the Stargate vault!

The post January 8, 2022: Food aversions, agreements, and Stargate! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

Today’s Yes/No…

Chicken Soup Pops? Yes/No
Thanks(?) to @Thogar for the tip. https://t.co/S9NQmUptmg

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 7, 2022

The post January 7, 2022: Meanwhile, on the home front… appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

Shortly, after SG-1 was cancelled, we stopped receiving network notes. As a gag, I wrote a scene into a script that saw our resident alien, Teal'c, inadvertently attend a reading of the Vagina Monologues. I assumed that, when they saw it, they would ask me to remove it… pic.twitter.com/G9qCN4ykjc

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 6, 2022

5 Recently Misplaced Items to know me:
My reading glasses
My dog's winter coat
The USB adapter for my MacBook
The revised pitch for my small-town horror series
The screw-top cap of the olive oil

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 6, 2022

5 injuries to know me:
1. Compound wrist fracture after the trampoline we were setting up in 3rd grade gym class sprang back and snapped it in two.
2. Re-fracture of my wrist by some guy at the hospital when it was discovered the original break had been set incorrectly. 1/3

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 6, 2022

5. Injury sustained by 3 year old me when the porcelain toilet seat unexpectedly slammed shut. 3/3

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 6, 2022

Today’s Yes/No = chocolate-dipped ice cream tacos….

新感覚のひんやりスイーツ！チョコディップアイスクリームタコス #tastyjapan pic.twitter.com/KDdJL2AYSV

— Tasty Japan (@TastyJapan) January 6, 2022

The post January 6, 2022: The twitter update! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

A few that caught my eye this week…

Darkhold: Omega #1 – cover art by Joe Bennett

Detective Comics #1047 – cover art by Irvin Rodriguez

Justice League Incarnate #3 – cover art by Gary Frank

The Joker Presents: A Puzzlebox #6 – cover art by Miguel Mendonca

Elektra: Black, White & Blood #1 – cover by Bill Sienkiewicz

Judge Dredd: The Complete Case Files of Vol. 38 – cover art by Patrick Goddard

So, which were YOUR faves?

The post January 5, 2022: Amazing Covers! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

Well, Toronto is heading into lockdown for another three weeks after which, I’m sure, everything will be solved and life will return to normal.  Except for all the small businesses that will never be able to recover.  Indoor gatherings will also be limited…

“Ontario will allow capacity for two couples and one loser to gather indoors”

— Matt O'Brien (@matt_obrien) January 3, 2022

Pick your poison….

Leaning towards the Koval myself, but why choose?

First job. The day after delivering a page one rewrite on a script my boss had noted to death, I discovered I'd accidentally sent her a copy of the first draft. I rushed into her office to let her know – only to have her greet me with an enthusiastic "MUCH better!".

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 4, 2022

What would you do? Tell her the truth and make her look like a fool, or keep your mouth shut and feign ignorance if the mistake was discovered, immediately sending the correct draft as proof that you had actually done the work?

Today’s Yes/No…

Glass Potato Chips? Yes/No https://t.co/3Fo4mSOZJm

— Joseph Mallozzi (@BaronDestructo) January 4, 2022

On the plus side, very low in calories.

From the Stargate vault…

The post January 4, 2022: Here we go again! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.

As I mentioned the other day, this year I am going to make a concerted effort to read and watch (and, hopefully, write) more in 2022.  More books.  More comics.  More shows.  More movies.  And every so often, I’ll do capsule write-ups to help you decide what to check out and, perhaps, what to avoid.

WATCHING

Following her father’s murder, a revenge-driven woman puts her trust in a powerful crime boss — and enters the police force under his direction.

No one does the gangster-theme quite like Korea.  Movies like A Bittersweet Life and The Man from Nowhere rank among my top films off all time while shows like the high-concept, high-adrenaline Bad Guys leaves me to wonder why we can’t – or won’t – make t.v. like this?  Outside of The Sopranos, there are few Western shows that offer the same level of heart, tragedy, depth of character, or genuinely surprising twists and turns.  Although I did guess the big reveal in this series (But, in all fairness, I’m a writer.  That’s what I do.), it didn’t lessen my enjoyment of this smart, well-directed, beautifully-acted series – or prepare me for one major unexpected surprise in the finale.  It’s a tight and compelling episode run that is well worth your time.

READING

The year is 2100. The lack of trust that characterized the early Internet era is long behind us. Mathematical proof ensures neural implants can’t be hacked, and the Board of Reality Overseers blocks false information from spreading.

When undergraduate Sergei Kraev, who dreams of becoming a professor, is accepted into the Technion’s computer science graduate program, he throws himself into his research project: making it possible for neural implants to transmit information directly to the brain. If he succeeds, he’ll earn a full professorship.

But Sergei falls under the influence of Sunny Kim, the beautiful and charismatic leader of a K-pop dance cult. Sergei believes in Sunny’s good intentions and wants to protect her from critics, leading him to perform a feat of engineering that leaves billions of brains vulnerable to attack.

With the clock ticking towards catastrophe, can Sergei see the truth about Sunny and undo what he’s done?

Okay, let’s get one thing straight right off the  bat.  There is no K-pop dance cult.  It’s dance cult based on Korea.  There is not even the remotest element of K-pop in this novel and, while most may not care, as someone who had my interest piqued for this very reason, it was a bait and switch.  The lack of this potentially kooky/fun (promised) story element aside, this book offers some fascinating world-building as it imagines a future where our lowly internet evolves into a cyberspace that links users via brain implants which offer convenience and comforts…but at what cost?  The set-up is great and fascinating aspects of the future tech off-sets the occasional info-dumps in much the same way most of the grounded, sympathetic characters that people this world outweigh the rather two-dimensional villain – Sunny, the dance-happy cult leader –  at the heart of the novel.  There are also instances where the author seems to be making a political statement about the dangers of misinformation and the need for state censorship which is ironic given that the antagonists of the story hail from the former North Korea.  Overall, a solid read whose futuristic ideas are stronger than its narrative whole.

Christopher Chance has made a living out of being a human target-a man hired to disguise himself as his client to invite would-be assassins to attempt his murder. He’s had a remarkable career until his latest case protecting Lex Luthor when things go sideways. An assassination attempt Chance didn’t see coming leaves him vulnerable and left trying to solve his own murder…as he has 12 days to discover just who in the DCU hated Luthor enough to want him dead.

It’s D.O.A. DC-style in a limited series that exudes a stylish noir coolness evocative of Brubaker/Phillips but with a splash of retro-fun compliments of Greg Smallwood’s pencils and colors.  I love King’s ability to mine comic-lore – in this case, the old Justice League International – for story, giving new life to B (or lower) tier characters like Guy Gardner, Bosster Gold, and Ice, setting up an engaging mystery, its tragic underpinnings bolstered by flashes of heart and humor.  In most every version of D.O.A. I’ve seen, the protagonist solve the mystery but loses his life in the end.  It will be interesting to see how this version plays out and, while I’d be surprised if Chance doesn’t manage to save the day – and his life – in the end, I’m curious to see if King can pull it off in a way that proves unexpected and narratively satisfying.  Three issues into this 12 issue maxi-series, and I am firmly on board.

The Earth is all but done. The last remnants of humanity cling to a mountaintop island lost in endless floodwater. The Parliaments of the Green, the Red, and the Rot all agree: it’s time to wipe the slate clean and start the cycle of life over again. And to do so, they’ve united their powers to summon an avatar-one of the most horrific monsters to ever stalk the surface of this forsaken planet…

It feels like a cross between Lovecraft and The Walking Dead with its old gods, gore, and humanity’s last stand but one rooted in the supernatural world of the DC universe as evidenced by not one but two perhaps not-so-surprising cameos at first issue end.  Lemire is one of the most original minds in comics, so I look forward how his take on the Swamp Thing reimagines the character, and subverts the expectations set up by issue #1.  I’m in wait and see mode on this one.

A bright, shining day in Metropolis is interrupted by a mysterious drone that crash-lands in the city and starts wreaking havoc. This looks like a job for Superman! But where did the metallic menace come from, what is its purpose, and who is Brainiac?

Admission: I’m not a huge Superman fan (I found him kind of dull) and wasn’t as enamored of the 1978 Superman movie (Hated the reverse time ex-deux machine but, in all fairness, I appreciated the first movie a lot more than its corny sequels), but this limited series that embraces the tone of that original film is surprisingly a hell of a lot of fun.  Rich with humor and wonderful character moments, its source material echoes through each issue in the terrific character designs honoring Christopher Reeves, Margot Kidder, Gene Hackman, and others.  Recommended.

WRITING

I completed my polish of the Promise of Blood pilot (the adaptation of Brian McClellan’s Powder Mage Trilogy) and am presently revising and running through the new and improved pitch.  The plan is to start shopping it as soon as Hollywood loses its holiday hangover.

I have a zoom call on Friday to discuss next steps for Fronted, my SF/K-pop series (And I promise there WILL be K-pop in this one).  We’ll be discussing feedback on the pitch deck and pilot from a potential South Korean partner as well as talent attachment (I have some artists in  mind) and next steps.

The story for the second of that two-pilot-deal is fast taking form.  The pilot will be ambitious from a structural POV, but I love the fact that it’s unique and sets up not one or two but three surprises at episode’s end.  Awaiting the official green light on this one.

And while I await word on some other projects, I’m hammering out a beat sheet for that feature script I was planning to write last year, but never got around to.  Maybe 2022 is the year?

The post January 3, 2022: Watching, Reading, Writing! appeared first on Joseph Mallozzi's Weblog.